Pedestrian accidents can change lives forever. Attorneys at a New York personal injury law firm who represent crash victims see firsthand how devastating it can be to family members when a pedestrian is killed by a motor vehicle accident. Preventing deadly crashes and collisions that result in serious injury is essential so lives are not shattered because a driver made a careless choice.
Fortunately, efforts have been underway in New York to try to bring down the pedestrian death rate. The effort, called Vision Zero, was spearheaded by Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Vision Zero goal has been widely adopted by leaders throughout the greater New York City area.
Just recently, the Queens Chronicle announced that projects are underway in both the Hunters Point section of Queens and in Long Island City. These projects aim to make improvements and modifications that will hopefully make roads safer for walkers and make a big impact on preventing fatal accidents and collisions that cause serious injuries.
Projects are Underway
According to the Queens Chronicle, almost $39 million is being spent on the projects in Queens that are part of the ongoing Vision Zero effort. The money is going to be spent on making improvements to conditions for pedestrians, especially at high-risk intersections. Money will also be used to put in new sidewalks and add new bike paths, redesign existing streets, and create new signs and signals to better control the flow of traffic and allow cars and pedestrians to share the road more safely.
At the time of the article, the first of the redesign and improvement projects was still in the preliminary design phase, and there is no clear timeline established for completion at this point. However, certain intersections including Jackson Avenue and Vernon Boulevard, as well as several other intersections off Jackson Avenue, have been identified as areas where initial improvement efforts will be directed. There are locations in this area where businesses and residents have been asking for years to have improvements made to intersections and to make roads more friendly to walkers and bicycle riders.
It has become increasingly important to make improvements that provide better road safety conditions for pedestrians, as areas of Queens become more populated and as the popularity of certain areas grows due to the area’s reputation as a residential and cultural haven. More people are coming to the area and more people are likely to be walking, but the roads are simply not ready for them.
Infrastructure in many locations hasn’t been upgraded or improved since the first part of the 20th century. Not only is the infrastructure old, but traditionally, the only focus was on making sure that vehicle traffic flowed smoothly. It is only very recently that the importance of designing the road for ALL users — including walkers and bikers — has become recognized.
The projects will hopefully make a big difference in making it easier for pedestrians and bicyclists to get around so there are fewer accidents. If collisions do occur, victims and their families should consult with a personal injury law firm to explore options for recovering for damages. Contact Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff to discuss your legal rights and options today.
