East 22 April is Earth Day, and as a prelude to the commemoration of the date, pedestrians, cyclists, bus drivers and passengers, transport organizations and defenders of the environment, held a rally outside the New York City Mayor’s Office to demand that Mayor Eric Adams get on the bus for the reform plan on the streets of the Big Apple.
The call they made to the local president is that he join the ‘Street Plan’, promoted by the Municipal Council, and support the allocation of $3,80 million in the municipal budget for the next fiscal year, in order to build more bike and bus lanes as well as pedestrian-free zones and reduce carbon emissions.
Activists and supporters of the plan to “reimagine” streets and bus transportation in the five counties of New York, implored the Mayor to say “yes” to the project, with which they assured many lives would be saved and the safety of passengers, cyclists and pedestrians would be put above cars, and in the process it would make neighborhoods far from the public transport bus lines arrive.
At the same time, They assured that by redesigning the mobilization in the city, promoting the use of more bicycles and building exclusive bus lines, two birds are killed with one stone, since transport conditions are improved and the environment is protected.
“The New York City Street Plan is key to achieving equity in transportation and combating the climate crisis,” said Danny Harris, executive director of the organization Transportation Alternatives, while asking the Albany to hand over control of speed cameras to the City.
“The Streets Plan is New York City’s way of g will ensure faster commutes, fewer traffic deserts and less carbon pollution in communities across the five boroughs,” added Harris, noting that what the plan does is give New Yorkers more choice and opportunity in matters of health, safety and security. equity.
Jolyse Race, from the Riders Alliance organization, which advocates for the rights of those who use public transport in the city, asked Mayor Adams to show the same interest of the City Council and support the inclusion of the $3,100 millions to transform New York streets and the environment.
“Bus passengers we urge Mayor Adams to embrace the City Council’s bold vision for better buses and safer streets. Expanded funding for faster, more reliable bus service and better access to neighborhoods that don’t have a subway will make New York work better for everyone who lives, works and visits here,” said the commuter.
The president of the City Council Transportation Committee, Selvena Brooks-Powers, joined the call and asked the mayor to side with the defenders of a city with safer streets.
“We need to invest in safer infrastructure to our communities and make public transportation more affordable for all New Yorkers. That is why we have to act right now, in order to have a greener and more equitable city”, said the political leader.
Elke Weiss, member of the organization Families for Safe Streets, who lost the February to his grandfather, after being run over by a vehicle, asked the mayor not to ignore the clamor of families of victims of irresponsible drivers and demanded that he keep his word to honor the memory of his loved one, guaranteeing more safety on the streets of New York.
“My grandfather survived the holocaust and did not survive the streets of New York, and we do not want other families to go through this pain, so we ask that this plan be approved for the streets that we know that will save lives”, said the woman in pain.
The Peruvian Norma Ginas, a resident of the county of The Bronx, recounted how every day, due to the lack of transportation close to her home and the slowness of the buses, after picking up her two children from the e school, it takes them a long time to get home, so he asked for faster lines with dedicated lanes.
“Not only is there a lot of traffic and construction and blockages of the bus line, because we don’t have a designated line for us but sometimes there are no options to reach the destination”, assured the mother of the family, who added that if lines like the one on the street are built 14, which has Made travel faster and safer, you’d have more time to spend with your kids. “If the Mayor approves this money, it would help people like me a lot and in the process it can make the City earn money by fining those who block traffic. I want the buses to move faster”.
The Ombudsman, Jumaane Williams, stated that if the requested money is not invested to reform the streets, there will be more lives lost.
“Last year was one of the deadliest years on record for street safety, a tragic demonstration of our city’s failure to meet the goals of the Vision Zero plan,” said the public official, noting that the 1536 approved to develop a transport master plan remains weak if investments are not made. “I urge the Administration to fund New York’s street plan in this year’s budget and move forward with the work to make streets safer in every neighborhood, in every borough.”
Upon the request of the protesters, the office of Mayor Eric Adams did not specifically respond if it will support the disbursement of the $3,100 million for the safe streets plan, but revealed that the president is committed to making changes that result in into greater safety for all.
“Mayor Adams has unveiled a historic and ambitious plan to address the traffic violence crisis, make our intersections safer and speed up our buses. We welcome the opportunity to partner with any New Yorker committed to those goals to make our city safer, greener and more prosperous,” said a spokesperson for Mayor Adams.
Public transit user Karama B, asked Mayor Adams to approve the $3,100 millions for changes in the streets of NYCFurthermore, the Municipal Administration official stressed that the president has promised to build 183 miles of new bus lanes and lines, in addition to the 140 existing miles and redesign 1,000 intersections where the 79% of pedestrian injuries .
Data on the plan to redesign streets and safety in NYC
- $3,78 millions requested by the City Council to Mayor Adams to invest in the NYC Streets plan 2781694
- 500 miles of protected bike lanes would be built under the plan
- 40 route miles from to car-free buses, like on the street 14
- 140 hours each year are lost due to traffic congestion
- 140 miles of bike lanes protected in five years, approved the “Street Master Plan” in 2019
- 300 miles of protected bike lanes in his first term promised by Mayor Adams in his campaign 2781694
- 500 miles of dedicated bus lanes would be in the project
- 38 million square feet of open space for pedestrians, equivalent to the size of Central park
- 50% the travel times of the exclusive bus routes of the street 14
- 100 miles of protected bus lanes were included in the plan