The year 2007 may prove to be one of the most important years in the storied history of New York City's development. In a future timeline of urban advances, it might be printed in as big a font and as bold a type as 1811--when the grid system was adopted--or 1904--when the I.R.T. subway opened. The text adjacent to 2007 could say something like "the start of livable streets," or "the bike boom begins," or "congestion pricing kicks off." It may turn out that all of those descriptions may suit 2007. The real question is, in hindsight, will they?

Continuing Streetsblog's breakdown of the Mayor’s Management Report [PDF], we turn our attention this week from DOT to the NYPD section (page 119).

QUESTIONS FOR THE NYPD

1. Since motor vehicles annually kill about 300 pedestrians and bicyclists on New York City streets, and collide with about 17,000, why is so much of the police enforcement effort directed to highways? 80% to 90 % of speeding and reckless driving summonses are given on highways instead of city streets.

Speeding is crime that is rampant in New York City. Our infrastructure has been designed and re-designed for the past fifty years to make this crime easier to commit. T.A. would like to see measures taken to greatly reduce the design speed of NYC streets, better enforce existing speed limits, and reduce speed limits.

Where: Brooklyn Borough Hall, Courtroom, 209 Joralemon St
When: 7-9 pm, Thursday November 30th

In response to the concerns of neighborhoods like Brooklyn Heights, Ft. Greene and Sunset Park, DOT Commissioner Elliot Sander will outline his plans for reducing the negative effects of traffic on residential streets. Over 150 people are expected to attend the forum, sponsored by Brooklyn Community Board 2 and the Neighborhood Streets Network.

Though Commissioner Kelly's promise to crackdown on drivers with suspended licenses is welcome, it will not make pedestrians safer unless the police shift their traffic enforcement efforts from the highways to city streets.

New research on NYPD traffic enforcement by Transportation Alternatives reveals that police traffic enforcement is so minimal that on an average day, fewer than 35 speeding summonses a day are given to the 3 million motor vehicles that ply New York Cities streets and avenues.

When:
Monday, Feb. 26th at 7:30pm
112th Precinct, Austin St. and Yellowstone Blvd.

Transportation Alternatives, New York's advocates for pedestrians, bicyclists, and sensible transportation will be speaking at tonight's Queens Boulevard Health Outreach sponsored by the Forest Hills Action League. At the meeting, Transportation Alternatives will detail the societal costs of speeding, the relationship between speeding and the chance of pedestrian injury and death, as well as new technology that could help combat deadly speeding on Queens Blvd. and in NYC.

Radar study: 90% of motorists in Park speed. 23% by 10mph or more. [view study results]

Wednesday, July 2, 7am to 8am

66th Street and Park Drive West, Just South of Tavern on the Green.

When: Earth Day, Thursday, April 22, 7:30-8:00 am
Where: At the Grand Army Plaza entrance to Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

On Earth Day, Tuesday morning, April 22, members of Transportation Alternatives' Brooklyn Committee and Prospect Park users will gather at the Grand Army Plaza entrance to the park with signs telling speeding motorists to slow down, and asking for police enforcement.