Abreu questions DOT on low-traffic neighborhoods and volume reduction tools

So I'd like now to turn it over to my bill.

So throughout the Vision Zero Reimagined report, the administration makes a range of commitments regarding the future of traffic management planning in the city, and particularly with respect to pedestrian-focused street design.

For example, the administration states that it wants to establish pedestrian priority districts.

Quote, pedestrian priority districts.

Quote, shift New York City streets towards people rather than cars.

And quote, expand and innovate the city's toolkit of transformative corridor and neighborhood designs.

For example, like boulevards, slow zones, and other speed management and volume reduction tools.

Like with most aspects of the Visions That We Imagine report, these commitments sound great, but the devil's in the details.

So to start, with respect to the administration's commitment to exploring, quote, other speed management and volume reduction tools, can you please describe what these tools are and do they include low traffic neighborhoods?

Thank you, Chair.

Yeah, I think there's sort of a family of treatments, right, that are kind of on a spectrum from

things that are really about reducing through traffic on local streets, things that are about reducing speed, which is similar, but...

Also separate potentially, and then things that are about kind of creating more space for pedestrians.

And it depends on the neighborhood, right?

If you're looking at a dense commercial retail district where pedestrians are literally or figuratively spilling off the sidewalk, you know, you may want to look at treatments that actually create more space for pedestrians or give them more use of the entire roadway.

In maybe like a lower traffic, quieter residential neighborhood, it may be more of a concern from the community around cut-through traffic.

And so there's kind of a range of treatments that are related here, whether it's pedestrian-only zones, pedestrian priority zones, lower speed zones, or low-traffic neighborhoods.

And so we absolutely see the potential of LTNs as an important tool for keeping New Yorkers safe.

We certainly are looking at and learning from...

Our peers, in particular London, but also other places around the world that are employing these kinds of tools.

And we're really excited.

To be honest, some of these ideas are still in development.

So, you know, it may be hard to provide specifics, but we're excited to share more and to talk more.

I look forward to it.

Anything you have to share on this is really exciting.

And I know in your testimony, you mentioned you're excited for future conversations on this subject and that you support the goals of the bill, which we really welcome.

You also mentioned in your testimony that you have thoughts on how to best define or structure low-traffic neighborhoods.

Can you speak to that?

Yeah, I mean, I think it's just to my last point, it's helpful to be a little more precise around what we mean by that and what it includes.

You know, does it include how much of it is the speed management component, how much of it's the cut through traffic management?

I think, you know, and then that way it'll be helpful to us, especially if we're going to sort of be reporting out on our progress or ask to, you know, have certain targets.

Look, I think we can definitely work with the administration on this.

What we do want to make clear is this will be the first true LTN in the country.

We want a true neighborhood approach, not just a few blocks.

We want a true neighborhood approach.

And so as long as we share that goal on a true neighborhood approach, I think we can land the plane on this.