The New York City Council is preparing to vote on a street design bill that some members say would save lives, though transportation officials warn it could worsen traffic collisions and drastically reduce parking across the city.
Intro. 1138 would cut down on fatal traffic crashes, supporters say, by banning vehicles from parking within 20 feet of crosswalks, improving visibility for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. The practice, known as “daylighting,” involves removing parking spaces near intersections.
The Council’s Progressive Caucus prioritized the measure on July 30. If passed, the legislation would bring New York City in line with existing state law that prohibits parking within 20 feet of intersections, according to City & State.
The bill would also require the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) to install physical barriers, such as planters, bike racks or other objects, to further “harden” daylighted areas — a costly job the agency estimates could total $3 billion to implement.
Daylighting will “keep all New Yorkers safe”
Sponsored by Queens Council Member Julie Won, the proposed legislation is known as the Universal Daylighting bill because it would apply to intersections across the city, including nearly 14,000 that have signals.
“Universal daylighting and hardening at intersections will keep all New Yorkers safe whether they are driving, walking or biking,” Won said. “The city must make our streets safer for everyone who uses them”
Won’s bill, however, faces strong opposition — including from the DOT. In a January study, the agency found that daylighting offers only a modest improvement in traffic safety.
At an April 21 transportation hearing, DOT officials said they do not support a universal daylighting mandate, arguing it could negatively impact safety and lead to unnecessary spending in areas without a history of injury-causing crashes.
“If this unhardened daylighting were implemented citywide, we think we could expect an increase of up to 15,000 injuries in a year,” Eric Beaton, DOT’s deputy commissioner of transportation planning and management, said. “In theory we would support hardened daylighting at all corners, but that would cost in the neighborhood of $3 billion dollars, and would cover large numbers of locations without a history of injuries.”
Still, even without a law in place, the DOT is moving forward with hardened daylighting in areas with significant crash histories. The agency plans to roll out the approach at a limited number of high-crash intersections in Brooklyn this year.
Thousands of parking spots eliminated
Meanwhile, Intro. 1138 is projected to eliminate 300,000 parking spots across the five boroughs — a major concern in a city where parking is already a nightmare. The potential impact has drawn criticism from lawmakers in districts where residents rely heavily on cars to commute.
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella quipped that the daylighting plan is “even worse” than daylight saving time.
“Simply put, it’s a solution in search of a problem,” he said. “This ‘one size fits all’ approach will make things worse for Staten Island drivers, not better. If the goal is to make things safer, then identify those intersections that present a problem.”
Fossella also echoed the DOT’s concerns about the plan’s hefty $3 billion price tag.
“It is a big mistake to impose a $3 billion parking ticket on New York City residents, for a concept that should not see daylight,” the beep said. “We urge the city council leadership to keep this proposal in the dark.”
Still, many transit and street safety advocates are pushing for the bill, and hope the Council passes it this year.
Sara Lind, executive director of Open Plans, said that more than 50% of casualties and injuries occur at intersections in NYC. A bill such as Intro. 1138 would help get that number lower.
“Intersections are places where humans who are walking are interacting with very dangerous vehicles,” she said. “Anything we can do to improve intersection safety, we have to do. And we know that daylighting is one of those tools — especially hardened daylighting.”
Lind added that even though the DOT has real concerns about funding the proposal, the investment is more than worth it.
“I understand their concerns. When you put something [at intersections] it is safer, and putting something there costs money,” she said. “And they don’t have the money for that. I would argue that the city should be prioritizing human life and putting the money behind it. We’re talking about children being hit and killed crossing the street. That feels like something worth putting money toward.”
It remains unclear when the Council will vote on Intro. 1138, but a spokesperson for Speaker Adrienne Adams said the bill is moving through the legislative process.
“The safety of pedestrians and all street users remains a top priority for Speaker Adams and the council,” the spokesperson said. “Intro. 1138 is going through the council’s legislative process, which is deliberative and allows for thorough public engagement and input.”
