Fewer pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in New York City this year than in any other year on record, officials with the Department of Transportation said.
With only one day left till the New Year, the city's 131 pedestrian deaths in 2014 will most likely be the lowest since 1910, when officials began keeping reliable records, a DOT spokeswoman said.
The drop in pedestrian deaths is significant when compared to last year's total of 177. The previous all-time low was in 2007, when there were 140 pedestrian fatalities.
This year the mayor adopted Vision Zero, a program intended to eliminate all traffic fatalities in the city. According to the Daily News, as compared to the previous year, police in 2014 issued over 40 percent more speeding tickets and more than doubled the number of summonses to drivers for failing to yield to pedestrians.
As part of the plan, de Blasio's administration established 27 new “arterial slow zones” with slower speeds and targeted police enforcement in accident-prone areas like the Grand Concourse in the Bronx and Queens Boulevard.
De Blasio also got approval from Albany to increase the number of speed cameras in the city from 20 to 140, and lower the citywide speed limit from 30 to 25 mph.
“There is no question we are moving this city in the right direction, thanks to stepped-up enforcement by the NYPD, strong traffic safety measures by the Department of Transportation, new laws passed by our legislators, and the work of New Yorkers fighting for change,” de Blasio said in a statement. “This year shows that when we put the force of government and the will of the city behind a goal like Vision Zero, we can get results and make our streets safer.”
