The visions of a car-free utopia that might have seemed like a potential silver lining in March and April have given away to a tragic reality.
David Meyer reports that New York City has already this year surpassed its number of traffic fatalities from the previous year.
"The city has seen 222 people killed in car crashes as of Sept. 24, the Department of Transportation said — two more than the 220 people killed in all of last year." According to Meyer, that total hasn't even been updated with the latest tragedy.
Traffic safety advocates are using the grim milestone to call attention to the city's lack of effort on its Vision Zero program—a pledge to end traffic fatalities on the city's roads by 2024. "City Hall’s most recent budget — passed amid the city’s COVID-19 budget crisis — docked $18 million from bike lane and bus lane initiatives, which Harris said are key to safer streets," according to Meyer.
Americans have been driving less throughout the pandemic, but traffic fatalities haven't declined along with vehicles miles traveled, as reckless driving has been a much more common behavior on the emptier roads. There are also many first-time car buyers on the roads in new York City as riders stay away from public transit.
Read the full story: NYC traffic deaths for 2020 already more than last year’s toll
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