NEW YORK CITY — The City plans to create more pedestrian-only areas and expand protected bike networks Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Tuesday, alongside a push to redesign at least 1,000 intersections a year and lower speed limits across neighborhoods.
Called "Vision Zero Reimagined," the plan builds on former Mayor Bill de Blasio's 2014 program as traffic crashes continue to kill and seriously injure New Yorkers.
Here are five things to know:
The City plans to make substantial safety improvements at least 1,000 intersections every year.
The work could include hardened daylighting, which clears space near corners to improve visibility, as well as new traffic signals, all-way stop signs and leading pedestrian intervals, which give people walking a head start before vehicles receive a green light.
The City says it will prioritize locations with the highest risks.
The plan also calls for safety improvements on nearly 200 Vision Zero Priority Corridors over the next three years. Projects could include protected bike lanes and traffic-calming measures where feasible.
The City plans to use Sammy's Law to establish 20-mile-per-hour speed limits across entire neighborhoods or other defined zones, rather than lowering the limit one street at a time.
The administration also plans to lower speed limits to 15 miles per hour at every eligible school location, potentially covering about 2,300 sites serving roughly 3,200 schools.
Under a newly enacted state law, drivers who receive 16 or more speed-camera violations in a year can be required to install an Intelligent Speed Assistance device, which limits how fast a vehicle can travel.
The plan puts a heavier focus on drivers with repeated violations, including people who speed, run red lights or use fraudulent or obscured license plates.
Nearly half of all traffic fatalities involve a driver without a valid license, with a previous suspension or multiple convictions, according to the plan.
The City also wants to close enforcement gaps involving so-called ghost plates, which can prevent cameras and law enforcement from identifying vehicles.
Some of the proposed changes require action in Albany, limiting what City Hall can implement on its own.
The plan expands beyond traditional traffic enforcement to target the way commercial vehicles and delivery workers use city streets.
The administration wants new safety requirements for third-party delivery platforms, along with worker protections, data disclosures and changes to delivery incentives and practices.
The City also plans to discourage oversized passenger vehicles through "pricing and curb policies."
Officials point to the greater risks posed by heavier, larger vehicles and propose safer truck designs and more freight movement by cargo bike, rail and water.
A new Office of Curb Management within the Department of Transportation would oversee how limited curb space gets used.
Its responsibilities would include expanding loading zones and addressing double parking and vehicles blocking bike and bus lanes.
Traffic safety would become part of the curriculum in every New York City public school, with lessons tailored to students' ages.
The plan also calls for a citywide Vision Zero data warehouse combining crash, health, enforcement and transportation information from multiple agencies.
Officials would use the data to identify dangerous locations and determine where street redesigns and enforcement could have the greatest effect.
The City also plans to expand safety technology in its municipal vehicle fleet, including Intelligent Speed Assistance, automatic emergency braking, telematics and pedestrian-alert systems.
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