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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2003
PR- 063-03
www.nyc.gov


MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG AND DOT COMMISSIONER IRIS WEINSHALL RELEASE RESULTS OF THRU STREETS STUDY;

ANNOUNCE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY CAMPAIGN AND
 SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS TO QUEENS BOULEVARD

Traffic Speeds Increase by 53% and Car Volume Increases 20% on Thru Streets

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Iris Weinshall today released the results of a comprehensive study on the Thru Streets Program.   The Thru Streets program, launched in October 2002, is an innovative traffic movement initiative for Midtown Manhattan.  Since its inception, it has exceeded expectations by improving travel times on the streets, increasing their vehicular capacity and improving pedestrian safety.  The Mayor, Commissioner Weinshall and NYPD Chief of Transportation Michael Scagnelli also announced a traffic safety public awareness campaign for Queens Boulevard and dangerous intersections and crossings in all five boroughs.

“The bottom line is that Thru Streets are working,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “More cars are traveling on Thru Streets, they are traveling faster and more safely.  Thru Streets are a great example of how we are willing to try new things to better serve the people.  Innovation requires having the courage to stick things out and I would like to thank Commissioner Iris Weinshall who suffered through a blizzard of criticism, stood by her program and now, I am proud to announce, can reap the fruits of her hard work.”

“Data shows that when motorists now take our designated Thru Streets they get across town faster,” said Commissioner Iris Weinshall.  “In the first few months of the program we identified some problems and corrected them, we continue to closely monitor and review the effectiveness of the Thru Streets and will make more improvements whenever needed.”

Major points of DOT’s study are as follows:

The Thru Streets program began on October 15, 2002, as the City designated five pairs of Midtown cross-streets for through street operations from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays between 3rd and 6th Avenues.  After receiving input from various business, civic and community leaders, the Thru Street program was changed on November 18, 2002, to allow turns on Park Avenue.  The City also eliminated 59th Street from the Thru Streets equation.  The following nine streets continue to be designated Thru Streets:

Mayor Bloomberg, Commissioner Weinshall and New York City Police Department Chief of Transportation Michael Scagnelli also unveiled DOT’s new public advertising campaign designed to improve pedestrian safety.

The campaign’s theme is: “Cars Hurt, Stay Alert.”  In the coming year, DOT will unveil advertisements and public service announcements highlighting the central theme of safety.  The ads were designed and created pro bono by the Manhattan-based Bozell Advertising.

On Thursday, a 9 year-old girl was killed and her mother was injured as they walked across a street in Richmond Hill, Queens.  It was the thirtieth pedestrian fatality in the City for the first two months of the year – similar to the first two months of 2002, when 194 pedestrians were killed.

The Commissioner also announced that pedestrian fencing will be extended along Queens Boulevard – site of two pedestrian fatalities this year.  From 1993 to 2000, 72 pedestrians died along Queens Boulevard.  In the last year, DOT has rolled out safety improvement initiatives at high accident intersections and corridors in all five boroughs.  Projects were recently completed at the Fordham Road/Kingsbridge Road/Bainbridge Avenue intersection in the Bronx; Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn; Upper Park Avenue in Manhattan; The Cooper Avenue Underpass in Queens and Page Avenue and Academy Place in Staten Island. 

The Police Department has enforced Queens Boulevard aggressively this month, as both pedestrian fatals occurred during non-rush hours.  Over the past two years, DOT has launched several vital traffic-safety initiatives along Queens Boulevard, including a uniform 30 miles per hour speed limit; placement of signs that read “A pedestrian was killed crossing here/be alert/cross with care;” pedestrian fencing, a traffic calming measure using parking meters along service roads and an increase in red light cameras from two to four.

“Although the number of pedestrians killed in New York City has decreased from 366 in 1990 to less than to 190 in 2000, 194 in 2001 and 193 in 2002, we can never rest on our laurels when lives are at risk.  We need to constantly remind motorists and pedestrians about safety.  During the first two months of this year, we seemed to witness a high amount of hit and run and drunk or drug-impaired accidents.  We believe our public relations campaign and engineering efforts at Queens Boulevard and other locations will make the streets even safer,” Mayor Bloomberg concluded.


 

www.nyc.gov

Contact: Ed Skyler/ Jordan Barowitz 
(212) 788-2958
 
  Tom Cocola   ( DOT )
(212) 442-7033
 
  Michael Collins   ( NYPD )
(646) 610-6700