Mayor Eric Adams Sees a “Car-Free Future in NYC”

By Yehudit Garmaise

 Mayor Eric Adams said he “loved the concept” of a car-free future in NYC during a press conference about the many ways in which his administration is working to protect the city’s residents who walk, cycle, scoot, and drive.

 The only way that New Yorkers could ditch their cars, however, the mayor said, is when the city provides “a safe, reliable, affordable public transit system,” that could provide a way to get around in a city in which crashes at intersections account for 50% of all fatalities and 70% of all injuries in the city.

 Not only did Mayor Adams mention buses and trains as crucial to a car-less NYC, but he also mentioned, “so much new technology and methods of movement that we are going to be rolling out.

 “Yes, I think you are going to see a [long-term] evolution of how cities operate [in terms of transportation.]”

 Some of the changes the mayor had in mind for New Yorkers as they get around the city are modes of transportation that “are cleaner for our environment and safer.”

 “Will it be in my time in office?” the mayor asked. “I doubt that, but clearly, you are going to see a more reliable transportation infrastructure.

 “We are really going to minimize the vehicles on our streets. I think that is where we are going.

 “If you look at other cities across the globe: they are leading in that direction, as well.”

 Until that time in the future when parking spaces are no longer necessary in NYC, Mayor Adams is initiating numerous safety improvement that he hopes will end the scourge of traffic violence in the city.

 Over the summer, the Department of Transportation (DOT) aimed to initiate safety improvements on 1,000 intersections citywide this year, today, the DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez was proud to announce that the DOT has exceeded its goal after making safety improvements at more than 1,200 intersections citywide.

 Now, Rodriguez raised his goal to improve 1,400 intersections before the end of the year.

 So far this year, the city has invested nearly $1 billion to provide 500 intersections with signal upgrades to help NYC drivers to turn more safely and slowly, redesign 313 intersections, and raise 40 crosswalks.

 Other changes include: traffic signals will now give pedestrians and cyclists head starts to cross the streets, more protective bike lanes, 340 new stops signs, and at 32 intersections, the DOT provided “daylighting,” which a process that removes curb parking spaces around intersections to increase visibility for pedestrians and drivers and minimize conflicts.