Restler on traffic light installation timeline and bureaucratic delays

We identify issues where DOT says these streets are dark, which leads to major safety conditions, which undermines how small businesses do in our community, and yet we see...

Incredible slowness.

I mean, not, I'm sure it's a different portion of DOT, but lighting related.

When DOT approves the need for a new traffic light, what's the average time right now from approval to installation of a new traffic light?

It's a number of months.

We do have more contracting capacity coming online.

Do you track that?

Do you have a date?

Is there a time set for how long it takes once a traffic light is approved to install it?

What's the average time today?

It's about six months.

Okay, we're getting estimates of even longer.

But you understand how frustrating it is for folks in our community.

We go to DOT, we say there's major safety issues at a corner, there's tracks.

Crashes at a corner.

People are dying at this corner.

We finally get a study done.

We finally get approval.

And then it's six, eight, nine months before there's any change on the ground.

No, I hear your frustration, absolutely, Council Member.

And, you know, I think I speak for everyone that we have no interest in things taking longer than they should.

It's something we're very focused on.

As First Deputy Commissioner mentioned, some of it is tied up in contracts, and we're really glad that we're going to have additional capacity coming online.

So I just, you know, I'm over time.

I didn't even get to ask about outdoor dining.

The morass that that is.

But I just, this is, just as my opening statement is where I'll close.

I'm confident in the values, I'm confident in the vision.

There are components of the bureaucracy in this agency that are not working well, and they need to be addressed.

And we need rigorous leadership, strong focus on fixing these issues, or we're not gonna see the improvements that we all are committed to seeing in this administration.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Selvena Brooks-Powers, followed by Councilmember Krishnan.

Oh, and I'm sorry, we've been joined by Councilmembers Banks and also our Deputy Speaker.