New York City Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez and Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi jointly announced on September 3rd a project called “Daylighting,” aimed at removing obstacles and parked vehicles that obstruct visibility on over 300 streets in the city. This initiative is designed to improve pedestrian visibility and make it easier for drivers to spot pedestrians at intersections.
According to the statistics from the city’s Transportation Department, as of August this year, a total of 314 locations in New York City have implemented the “Daylighting” project. Of these, 33 are in the Bronx, 45 in Brooklyn, 1 at the Brooklyn-Queens border, 36 in Manhattan, 153 in Queens, and 46 in Staten Island. Nearly half of the locations have also reinforced physical infrastructure by adding bike fencing, slate paths, or rubber speed bumps at corners.
Commissioner Rodriguez stated that “Daylighting” helps reduce blind spots for drivers, enabling better visibility at intersections and ultimately enhancing pedestrian safety. He further mentioned that this is just the first phase of the operation, with the Transportation Department looking to enhance visibility for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers at more intersections across the city.
The press conference took place at Audubon Avenue and West 169th Street in Manhattan, near Public School P.S. 128 and Public School P.S. 513, two of the 127 schools in New York City where “Daylighting” has been installed around them. The installation was completed just before the start of the current school year.
Along Audubon Avenue from West 168th Street to West 170th Street, the Transportation Department extended the pedestrian walkway, added bicycle parking areas, cement, and slate paths in the vicinity. The redesigned sidewalks shorten the time for pedestrians to cross the street, leading to a reduction in turning speeds for drivers and an overall improvement in pedestrian safety.
Deputy Mayor Joshi mentioned that aside from plans to enhance “Daylighting” at 2,000 intersections by 2025, New York City also aims to crack down on ghost license plates. Additionally, they hope that the new legislative session will see the state of New York passing a law to temporarily suspend the driver’s licenses of habitual red-light runners.
According to the Transportation Department, intersection-related accidents typically account for 51% of the city’s annual fatalities and 68% of all injuries. The danger is particularly evident for pedestrians, with 59% of pedestrian fatalities and 77% of pedestrian traffic injuries occurring at intersections.