New York Streets for Children, Car-free School Streets, and Alternatives to the Speed Hump

Last week, Kamari Hughes, a 7-year-old boy, was struck and killed by an NYPD tow truck while riding his green kick-scooter alongside his mother in the crosswalk across Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Kamari is the 73rd pedestrian to be killed this year and the 103rd child to be killed since the onset of Vision Zero. Traffic violence suddenly and tragically cut short this boy's life, and permanently altered a family and a community.??

Every traffic death and serious injury, including Kamari’s, is preventable. When we prioritize our neighbors over cars and our children over parking, we can turn Vision Zero from a slogan into a reality. This year alone, nine children were killed in traffic crashes. Each of these tragedies is incomprehensible, and together they serve as a call for immediate change.

Last week's crash occurred just five blocks from where three-month-old Apolline Mong-Guillemin was killed in 2021. After that crash occurred, then-Borough President Eric Adams called for a “holistic re-thinking of our streetscape” to stop traffic violence and deter reckless behavior. Two years later, as mayor, the NYC Street Plan remains behind schedule, and City Hall continues to water down and even cancel street improvement projects designed by his own DOT.

We know how to make our streets safe for everyone. We’ve released recommendations to protect children on our streets — including universal daylighting at intersections, car-free streets at schools , and expanded safe routes to school. Building safer streets can and will protect our youngest and smallest New Yorkers from traffic violence.

New Yorkers have had enough of this administration's excuses on street safety. How many more children have to die before Mayor Adams takes action?

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

Bring car-free School Streets to YOUR neighborhood. Car-free School Streets are car-free spaces near public, private, or charter schools, giving kids and educators the freedom for outdoor classes, recess, and play. Download our School Streets toolkit to help your school administrator and neighbors create a School Streets plan. It is your step-by-step guide to implementing, programming and maintaining a school street. You can change your street. The power lies in your hands: take action and make a difference in your community.

What's more effective than a speed hump??However, speed humps are not the most effective method to slow down traffic. There are actually better alternatives like — chicanes, curb extensions, and mid-block crossings. To learn more about how each alternative works, take a look at our blog post. By reclaiming space from vehicles, these alternatives boost safety, can be installed on most streets, and make room for trees, bike parking, benches, and wider sidewalks. These are just a few simple ways we can slow down cars and make our streets safer for everyone using them.

In the news. Here's what we're reading this week:

• From our Vision Zero Cities Journal: Reimagining North American Streets for Safe, Active, and Joyful Trips to School: Toronto's first School Streets pop-up served as a successful model for implementing the program nationwide.
• In the wake of Kamari Hughes' death, advocates demand daylighting at intersections, Streetsblog reports.
• Adams administration vows to redesign the intersection where 7-year-old Kamari Hughes was killed days earlier despite his poor safe streets record, Streetsblog reports.

TWO THINGS TO DO

Sign our petition demanding equitable city funding for car-free School Streets. Kids deserve great, safe, car-free streets outside their schools . New York City must expand the number of Open Streets for Schools to give our youth just that. At the moment, the number of Open Streets for Schools is declining. This isn't due to a lack of interest, but rather to the inequalities communities face each day. Creating great streets for our youth is as easy as giving them the space and resources they need.

Power TA’s advocacy work with a year-end gift! Join us this year as we kick off our end-of-year giving campaign . Thanks to a local foundation, every dollar you give will be matched up to $600,000 until December 31 – double your impact today! Join us and donate today.?

ONE ACTION TO TAKE NOW

Tell the City Council to pass Intro 417 to streamline bike lane projects. Under current law, bike lanes are singled out with a required three month waiting period — a requirement that doesn't apply to other street improvement projects. Intro 417 would allow DOT to start construction just 14 days after notifying lawmakers and community boards. This legislation would make it easier for DOT to install this critical street safety infrastructure without unnecessary lags or delays.?