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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 118-08
April 1, 2008

MAYOR BLOOMBERG SIGNS LEGISLATION REQUIRING DOT TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS AT TWENTY LOCATIONS WITH MOST CAR ACCIDENTS

Remarks by Mayor Bloomberg at a Public Hearing on Local Laws

"This next bill before me is Introductory Number 567-A, sponsored by Council Members Gentile, Liu, Addabbo, Brewer, Comrie, James, Koppell, Martinez, Nelson, Sanders, Stewart, Weprin, Jackson, Garodnick, Sears and Gallagher.

"Safety is the number one priority for our City's Department of Transportation.  The Department has the responsibility of protecting the well-being and welfare of all users of our transportation network, including motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists.  Over the last decade, the Department has accelerated its efforts by instituting a proactive and systematic approach to improving pedestrian and traffic safety.  Some of the most remarkable strides have been made over the past few years, as the Department has seen fatalities reach historic lows - and we continue to do more to maintain this trend.

"Introductory Number 567-A requires the Department to conduct annual safety audits of the twenty locations in the City with the most automobile crashes.  Using a variety of measures, the agency will make improvements where warranted.  In addition, the Department will be required to inspect any location where, during the prior twelve months, five or more injuries involving pedestrians or bicyclists occurred and any location where a traffic crash resulted in a fatality.  Finally, the Department will be required to conduct a comprehensive study of traffic crashes involving pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries using the most recent five years' worth of data available, identifying any trends and common factors among the crashes to aid the Department in furthering its efforts to avoid such crashes in the future. 

"Introductory Number 567-A, along with existing Department initiatives, will make our streets safer for those who live, work, and play in our City.

"I would like to thank the Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and her staff for their work on this bill.  I would also like the Council for approving this legislation."







MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser/Matthew Kelly   (212) 788-2958




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