The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Wednesday its initiative to redesign intersections across the city, aimed at improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
This new approach includes a method known as “hardened daylighting,” which integrates physical barriers, granite blocks, and planters into intersections to deter vehicle parking near corners.
DOT officials have highlighted that nearly half of all traffic fatalities occur in intersections, emphasizing the need for this revamped design to enhance visibility among pedestrians, cyclists, and turning vehicles.
NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez expressed the agency’s commitment to increasing safety, stating, “Redesigning our streets under Vision Zero has helped us reduce traffic deaths to historic lows—but we are always looking for new ways to keep people safe.”
Rodriguez added that using barriers to create clear spaces at intersections will enable better visibility among all road users, and he looks forward to implementing the new design in high-crash areas starting this year.
The plan will be introduced in a select number of high-crash intersections located along both new and existing conventional bike lanes throughout New York City, beginning in 2025.
Initial rollout locations include several intersections in Brooklyn, such as:
– Ocean Avenue at Church Avenue
– Ocean Avenue at Avenue J
– Ocean Avenue at Cortelyou Road
– Ocean Avenue at Foster Avenue
– Avenue J at Bedford Avenue
– Rugby Road and Foster Avenue
These locations were identified based on criteria including their classification as Tier 1 and Tier 2 priority investment areas per the city’s Streets Plan.
These areas have experienced longstanding underinvestment in safe street infrastructure, along with a history of turning crashes involving new or existing bike lanes and locations with frequent truck turns.
While each redesign will be tailored to the specific context of the intersection, DOT stresses the importance of monitoring these installations to assess their effectiveness regarding safety.
In response to the announcement, amNewYork reached out to several transportation safety organizations for their insights on the planned redesign.
Jackson Chabot, director of advocacy and organizing at Open Plans, praised the DOT’s initiative, though he emphasized the necessity for additional legislative measures to enhance intersection safety.
Chabot stated, “We always like to see DOT rethinking intersections, especially the very dangerous ones. And any project that builds in daylighting is going to be a win for us.”
However, he expressed a desire for more expedient implementation, advocating for Intro 1138, which would require 1,000 hardened intersections annually.
He concluded by stating, “This is a great first step or option for some areas. But we’d love to see some simpler hardening at a quicker pace.”
On the other hand, Janet Schroeder, co-founder of the NYC e-Vehicle Safety Alliance, raised concerns regarding the safety of individuals involved in incidents with e-bikes.
She critiqued the DOT for its focus on expanding street space, arguing that it should prioritize the safety of those affected by e-vehicles.
“None of this changes the egregious rider behavior of e-vehicle riders who continue to ride with complete impunity,” she remarked.
Schroeder also called for the DOT to cease quoting misleading crash statistics, noting that many injury incidents involving e-vehicles go unreported.
As the DOT prepares to launch this thoughtful initiative, it is clear the path to enhanced safety for all NYC road users remains a pressing priority.
image source from：https://www.amny.com/news/nyc-dot-cyclist-safety-intersections/
