2013-dot-sustainable-streets-lowres

SAFETYChapter 1Designing Safe StreetsCity streets are full of design cues that tell users what to do.Large, straight streets with wide lanes and minimal markingstell drivers that higher speeds are expected and hindrancesto fast driving are not. Streets with proximity to highpedestrian activity and high–visibility crosswalks, sidewalksbuilt out at corners, and markings that indicate the presenceof buses and cyclists send a different message, not only todrivers but to all those who navigate the city streetscape.Street design can tell people outside of cars they are notwelcome, or it can create a vibrant urban neighborhood,cultural district or place of commerce. When it comesto safety and how streets affect vehicle speeds and theinteraction of vehicles, pedestrians and other street users,street design can literally make the difference between lifeand death. Designing safe streets for pedestrians and othervulnerable road users is critical for New York, where thelarge majority of street users and also most of the victims oftraffic crashes are outside of motor vehicles.In neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs, NYCDOThas undertaken street improvement projects meant to keepvehicle speeds within safe limits, to provide designs thatincrease the predictability of each type of street userand provide more and better–defined room for people onfoot and using bicycles.In total, NYCDOT has implemented 250 safety–focusedstreet redesign projects, averaging 42 per year, since 2007.These elements are all defined in detail in NYC’s officialStreet Design Manual, in its chapter on Street Geometry(see Street Design Manual in Infrastructure Section ).Combining these features into plans that meet specificstreet conditions requires substantial traffic planningexpertise. This work is carried out by NYCDOT’s Trafficand Planning Division, which plans street geometry and isSustainable Streets: 2013 and Beyond17