NYC traffic is still 14% deadlier than pre-pandemic levels

Do not ride e-scooters on sidewalks [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] NYC traffic deaths still 14% higher than pre-pandemic levels, latest data shows Plus: The city is buying 51 electric school buses. The suburbs have better train service but not enough housing. And the MTA's first chief customer officer has stepped down because of the negative vibes. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- [people crossing a busy intersection in Manhattan] Ryan DeBernardinis/Shutterstock The number of [people who have died on city streets in traffic collisions]( so far this year is still 14% higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest data released by the Department of Transportation. Overall, 207 people were killed in crashes so far this year through Nov. 1. While the number of cyclists and pedestrians killed was down slightly from pre-pandemic levels, the number of people killed on vehicles like electric scooters was up dramatically. This year has seen 16 children killed on city streets, according to the group Transportation Alternatives. That's the highest figure since Vision Zero was implemented in 2013 under former Mayor Bill de Blasio. In the past three months, the city saw a spike in hit-and-runs, with up to 30 people suffering critical injuries. Not a single case was closed, [according to NYPD data.]( "We had a difficult year with overall traffic fatalities," said Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Sunday. "This is what this administration inherited. But a bright spot has been that we have had among the fewest pedestrian fatalities this year in record history." Rodriguez announced the city had bulked up safety measures at 1,200 intersections around the city so far this year, surpassing a goal set by the [Adams administration shortly after he took office in January.]( Those additional protections include things like all-way stops, daylighting intersections with bike corrals, raising sidewalks and adding turn-calming measures. Advocates have congratulated the administration on progress on that front, but pointed to the [stalled progress]( on Adams’ promise to build out 300 miles of protected bike lanes and [150 miles]( of bus lanes during his first term. — [Reporting by Gwynne Hogan and Clayton Guse]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- Some business corridors participating in the Open Streets program did better than before the pandemic [a yellow electric school bus] NYC Mayor's Office [Dozens of electric school buses]( are scheduled to roll on city streets as early as next fall, city officials announced this week. The city is using an $18.5 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency with funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to purchase 51 electric buses. It’s part of an effort to meet the city’s and the state’s shared goal of converting all New York’s school buses to run on electricity by 2035. These new buses will account for roughly 1% of the city’s overall fleet — there are approximately 5,000 buses currently running on diesel — but Robert Reichenbach, president of Bird Bus & Sales, said the move is a major step toward electrification. [A ballot initiative]( in this month’s election could pay for even more electric buses in New York. If voters approve the $4.2 billion environmental bond proposal it would include $500 million for more electric buses and the charging infrastructure needed to support them. — [Reporting by Stephen Nessen]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- Here's what else is happening Fare evasion summonses skyrocketed after officials announced that extra cops and unarmed guards would begin patrolling subway stations. More than 1,500 summonses for fare evasion were issued last week, marking an 80% increase from a similar week last year. ([Gothamist]( New York City Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez was on WNYC yesterday discussing the rise of e-scooter crashes, which had injured 680 people in the first half of 2022. "No one should be allowed to use a bike or an electric scooter on a sidewalk," he said. "We want to see micromobility play a role in the future of New York City, but in a way that protects pedestrians and cyclists, and especially the senior citizen population." ([The Brian Lehrer Show]( With Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin gaining ground in recent polls, New York is staring down the possibility of a governor who's exceptionally hostile toward the MTA. Janno Lieber, the MTA chair who was appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, recently waded into the election by noting that "Zeldin alone, among New York regional Republicans, didn’t vote for the [federal] infrastructure bill." ([THE CITY]( The multi-billion-dollar investments in Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road improvements can only be so useful when the suburbs remain hostile to multi-family housing. At least 30 suburban rail stations are located in jurisdictions that don't allow apartment buildings, limiting the number of potential commuters. ([Hell Gate]( The MTA's first chief customer officer has resigned after growing exhausted with "the negativity." Sarah Meyer — who seems pleasant and good at her job — described her five-year experience of dealing with both nonstop customer harassment and the bureaucratic headaches of working for the MTA. ([The New York Times]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- And Finally: This guy appreciates tunnels [a screenshot of a tiktok]( [@pweber/TikTok]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential election coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [WNYC]( [WQXR]( [NJPR]( [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 All rights reserved. [Terms of Use.]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your [preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( from this list