The return to school for more than 1.1 million students who will begin the new school year in more than 1,800 schools in the five boroughs of the Big Apple will start this Thursday, September 5. And along with the excitement of most children and teenagers, the long faces of others, because the holidays are over, and the rosary of efforts by parents to pay for school supplies, uniforms and multiple requirements, another issue that will set the pace for the coming months in the arena of public education in New York, has to do with road safety for children, guardians and teachers.
The objective is clear: to ensure that there are no car accidents in school zones and surrounding areas, that there are no regrettable events that endanger the safety and well-being of pedestrians in the vicinity of educational facilities, and that there are no fatalities.
That was announced Tuesday in Upper Manhattan by municipal transportation officials, who noted that with the return to school just around the corner, the DOT has improved visibility for pedestrians at more than 300 points in the city, many of them in school areas and neighboring areas. In addition to the current requirement that sets a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour, Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. in school zones, there is now so-called “natural lighting,” which seeks to improve safety by eliminating obstructions that block visibility, such as parked vehicles near intersections, making it easier for drivers to see pedestrians and those moving on the roads.
City officials gathered at Audubon Avenue and 169th Street, which borders PS 128 and PS 513, in Washington Heights, where they showed how daylighting improvements there, part of the City’s street redesign project, will benefit safety in an area that also has 11 schools nearby and seven others within five minutes.
“As students return to classrooms, we want to remind everyone to be careful when crossing intersections. Natural lighting improves pedestrian safety by reducing drivers’ blind spots and giving everyone a better view of the intersection,” said Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “This first wave of locations is just the beginning, and we look forward to improving visibility for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers at more intersections across the city.”
The official noted that intersections pose “a unique safety challenge in New York City,” noting that most car accidents that end in tragedies occur at intersections throughout the city, many near schools.
DOT data show that intersection crashes account for 51 percent of all traffic deaths and 68 percent of all injuries in a year. For pedestrians, officials say the dangers are even more pronounced, with 59 percent of traffic deaths and 77 percent of traffic injuries occurring at intersections. The goal is to have about 1,000 locations better lit by the end of this year’s construction season.
The Chancellor of the Department of Education of the Big Apple, David C. Banks, also warned that the commitment to safety with students, parents and other members of the educational community is not only due to the classrooms and the interior of the campuses but also to the exteriors and surrounding areas.
The DOT made visibility improvements at more than 300 intersections in the city, many near schools. DOT
“Safety is not only critical inside the classroom, but also as students navigate their communities and travel to and from school,” said the head of the five-borough public school system. “I am grateful to the Department of Transportation for prioritizing this important initiative for the well-being of our children and all New Yorkers.”
According to the DOT, improvements in road visibility will reduce speeding, improve visibility and help protect thousands of schoolchildren as they travel to and from school in the new school year.
Referring to the improvements that were put in place, including bollards and marked crossings, the Department of Transportation explained that a total of 314 locations received natural lighting in work that was carried out up to last August.
“Of those locations, 33 are in the Bronx, 45 in Brooklyn, one on the Brooklyn-Queens border, 36 in Manhattan, 153 in Queens, and 46 on Staten Island,” the DOT said. “Nearly half of the locations were reinforced with physical infrastructure such as bike corrals, granite blocks, or rubber speed bumps to calm turns.”
The agency also mentioned that the intersections that were selected to benefit from the natural lighting works were chosen, among other things, based on accident data, the use of streets by cyclists and other types of alternative means of transport, principles of equity and test conditions.
In the specific case of the improvements carried out on Audubon Avenue, the DOT assured that sidewalk extensions were made on 10 corners between 168th and 170th streets, with painted sidewalks and reinforced with bicycle parking and concrete and granite blocks.
“The redesign adds new space for pedestrians, shortens the time it takes to cross the street and naturally slows down turning drivers to improve the safety of everyone on the roadway,” said the Transportation Agency, which took the opportunity to recall that during the current municipal administration, intersections have become a priority to improve road safety.
The Adams Administration assures that it remains committed to road safety, and recalled that in 2022 alone, work was done at 1,400 intersections, almost 50% more than initially planned, and last year, that goal was doubled, already exceeding 2,000 intersections with design improvements such as raised pedestrian crossings, extended sidewalks, and main pedestrian signals.
Parents like Lázaro Alcantar, who says he is counting the hours until his two children return to school, were optimistic about the announced improvements, while requesting that more be invested in traffic officers around school zones to stop reckless drivers.
“As a father, I appreciate everything they do to protect our children, and these reforms that are being made at dangerous intersections will not only save many lives but will also prevent us from pain and tears. However, I would like to see more officers on the roads surrounding schools because even though there is more safety on the roads, there is no shortage of reckless drivers and they have to be stopped immediately,” said the father. “Sadly, there are drivers who still have no conscience and it is frightening to know that in just one second they can end a life.”
Among the additional measures that the School Safety Department has implemented are street improvements near schools, through redesign plans and reduction of permitted speeds near schools, they say that they identify and implement safety and signage projects in close collaboration with school communities.
Data
- 20 miles per hour is the maximum speed allowed in school zones and surrounding areas.
- September 5th is the first day of the new school year in the Big Apple
- 1.1 million students attend classes in NYC public schools
- 1,800 educational institutions make up the city’s public education system
- 314 intersections, many near school zones, now have improved road visibility
- 1,000 better lit places is the goal for this year
- 51% of all crash deaths occur at intersections
- 68% of all injuries recorded in road accidents in a year occur at road intersections
- 59% of pedestrian deaths occur at intersections
- 77% of pedestrian traffic injuries occur at intersections