Here’s All The Vision Zero Laws The City Council Just Passed
Well, it’s finally happening: After months of NYPD crackdowns and lowering speed limits, a handful of actual laws have been passed in the movement to make Vision Zero a part of city policy.
Via the Times: Yesterday, the City Council passed part of a group of bills meant to push Vision Zero forward and significantly curb or eliminate traffic deaths by 2024.
Here’s a rundown of everything that was passed:
– Cooper’s Law: Cabbies who strike pedestrians in New York City can be prohibited from driving a taxi.
– Hitting a pedestrian or a cyclist who has the right of way is grounds for a misdemeanor charge.
– Certain “exhibition behavior” from motorcyclists, including “an explicit invitation to race,” will not fly. A first offense would be punishable by up to 60 days in jail.
– The Transportation Department [must] repair missing or damaged traffic signals within 24 hours of receiving notice and review safety guidelines for bridge workers.
– A series of resolutions calling on state lawmakers to approve changes that the city cannot make on its own. These [include] turning over control of automated enforcement cameras to the city, stiffening penalties for driving on the sidewalk and [lowering] the city’s default speed limit to 25 miles per hour, from 30 m.p.h.
Of course, we still have a long way to go, but this is such a significant step in the right direction and will be particularly felt in Brooklyn where traffic deaths are at an all-time high. And until Vision Zero is fully established, remember, you can submit information about unsafe intersections directly to the Mayor’s Office on this interactive website.
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