The City Council passed a bill from Public Advocate Letitia James on Wednesday that offers better legal protection for pedestrians that are struck by drivers in the crosswalk.
The bill closes a loophole in city law and give walkers the right of way in a crosswalk when a countdown clock is in progress or when a red hand signal is flashing.
The previous law, which was established before the existence of countdown timers, only granted pedestrians the right to cross the street during a walk symbol.
“This brings our law as it relates to our city into the 21st century,” said James, who hosted a rally at City Hall Wednesday morning before the legislation passed. “It corrects a dangerous loophole that basically offered no legal liability for drivers. We wanted to provide pedestrians some protections under the law.”
Advocates say that the loophole had made it difficult for prosecutors to enforce the city’s “Right of Way” law, a Vision Zero measure passed two years ago that provides a criminal misdemeanor to any driver who strikes a pedestrian or cyclist who has the right of way to cross a street.
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“If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law.” - Winston Churchill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-_Y-Hh8N_4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omcMKJEb6LI
What a waste of committee minutes to fix this nonsense. The Big Slow's Vision Tunnel, Zero Thought program has been a total waste and failure and has exacerbated this horrendous traffic situation. In fact, a lot of cops don't seem willing to even enforce the law anymore on the streets, which should not be surprising since they also engage in unlawful activity and the same illicit habits as everyone else, even scofflaw pedestrian behavior.
Frankly, what kind of psychotic felon would run somebody over because the don't walk sign flashes? Is everyone borderline autistic?
Amazing that legislation and tax payer time had to be spent to rewrite the law. But with all the wanton reckless commuting I have seen lately, people walking in the middle of the street and in the bike lanes, this ain't going to change shit until of course someone gets splattered or the least have their toes run over by a vehicle.
But it really hasn't changed, citizens have been blowing off these signals for decades. It's more illuminated now because common sense and consideration is practically dead.
Leleta James,what next? Force schools to teach children to count over 10 fingers let's be fair,shouldn't the sign count down in every language printed in a voting ballet and political pamphlet,this law is RACIST to non English speaking people?
And who will protect pedestrians from cyclists who routinely break the law?
So now pedestrians will start crossing Queens Blvd when the don't walk is already flashing. Sounds safe.
And who will protect pedestrians from cyclists who routinely break the law?.
It depends on which scofflaw cyclists are doing it. Because the majority of them are ScHitibike riders and app delivery motor bikers (those black bikes the undocumented workers ride, those things are capable of hitting 25 mph.). Those cyclists are practically privileged and exempt because both methods are critical drivers for free market capitalism in the city right now.
Shit is getting hectic on the streets. And the not so funny thing is, there is no room for bikers now, There are so many that the lanes are not ample enough. But that's another story to come.
Be aware of your surroundings...
This is what they waste our time and money legislating. Unbelievable.
SHouldn't the countdown sign be yellow? It is confusing in red. Firs titme viewers can't tell if it counts down to red or green.
I'd be fine with this if it wasn't for the other "Right of Way" law from two years ago making it criminal to hit someone while turning even if there are mitigating factors.
Funny Mo I watched Candace with the President an in California an Will
Johnson an Ben were articleing live. So many times she never set well
with me till these last few times an I called it she is a Phoney
climbing the ladder for selfishness not selflessness.
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