"The previous administration suggested unhardened daylighting is more dangerous than no daylighting at all? Is that correct? DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn, a Mamdani appointee, said it was. So is that your position? Yes, Flynn answered, but soft. So for the record, the administration believes that unhardened daylighting is more dangerous than no daylighting at all. I think there's a lot of skepticism in this room about that."
"At issue is a daylighting report issued in early 2025 by DOT just as a Council bill to mandate universal daylighting was gathering momentum towards winning a majority of members. The report claimed that daylighting without also adding objects such as bike racks in the newly cleared area made pedestrians less safe because drivers could speed up and cut the corner."
The Mamdani administration's Department of Transportation continues endorsing a controversial 2025 study claiming that daylighting—removing parking spaces at intersections to improve visibility—makes corners less safe without physical barriers like planters or bike racks. This position contradicts a Council bill supported by a vast majority of members, including Transportation Committee Chairman Shaun Abreu, who challenged DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn during a heated hearing. The original study suggested drivers would speed and cut corners in cleared areas, despite evidence that increased visibility helps drivers see pedestrians. Activists and Council members express skepticism about the DOT's stance on this life-saving street safety measure.
#street-safety #daylighting-policy #transportation-infrastructure #government-accountability #pedestrian-safety
Read at Streetsblog
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