Drivers could get the green light for safer left turns under a bill Public Advocate Letitia James is introducing in the City Council Thursday.
James wants the city Department of Transportation to put dedicated left-turn signals on 100 intersections to prevent drivers from zipping into crosswalks crowded with pedestrians. Another bill from James would make the DOT put out quarterly reports identify problem intersections where drivers are striking pedestrians who have the right of way.
“By increasing the number of protected left turn signals at large intersections and taking a closer look at locations with chronic right-of-way violations, we can make Vision Zero a reality,” James said.
8 comments:
There certainly are way more other things to do that can make Vision Zero a reality, improved the actually horrible conditions of streets, once and for all deal with large trucks drive illegally on residential streets which IS NOT being addressed. Plenty of more important issues to address than the left turn signal too.
Left turn lanes only make it safer for pedestrians who observe the "don't walk" sign. Many see the light in front of them turn red and start to cross without realising the other direction has a green arrow.
I would like to see right-turn signals too. Let's have a 15-second period where people can walk safely - with every car looking at a red light in four directions.
"Failure to yield" is what's causing these accidents - drivers have this crazy notion that a moving car approaching an intersection - turning or approaching directly - has the right of way - even that white walk sign is telling pedestrians they have the right of way.
A driver is much more likely to see a pedestrian making a right turn than a left. When you make a left you often have to time it so that you avid cars coming from the opposite direction, and that's when a pedestrian starts to cross and gets plowed into.
Left turn signals are needed on Staten Island.
i've noticed the "left turn on red" phenomenom where there's so much traffic coming in the opposite direction of a left turner that the only break he can get is on the red, so he turns. Obviously this causes accidents and stalled traffic with the drivers who now have the green
This vision tunnel program as turned out to be quite the joke. I have daily, every second of every minute of every hour the reckless habits of the majority of drivers and pedestrians remain the same and get worse. Look at the streets of midtown, people walking in the streets taking up an entire lane and the bike lane as become an extended sidewalk. Drivers are still going too fast and running stop signs. And the majority of bikers are going the wrong way and texting and reading their little screens. People are still getting killed too.
Basic common sense and consideration is all you need to avoid unnecessary preventable accidents, and it wouldn't cost a penny to fund. But the city continues to fill the beuracratic cubicles in office writing studies for no reason with the idea that no one cannot think for themselves.
What's funny is that raising fines, which is turning out to be the prime reason for these safety measures, is not deterring motorists and commuter behaviors.
I was down in Jacksonville Florida back in the 60's and they have a system at the busy intersections where when the light changes all the cars stop and the pedestrians cross in all directions to all the corners.When the light changes only the cars move and do their turns.
What happens at many corners is that cars can't turn because there's too many people crossing so cars get impatient and cut in front or behind people,most pedestrian accidents happen this way.
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