Council Member Restler questions DOT and NYPD on crash data and pedestrian space

Thank you so much, Chair Abreu.

You've been doing a terrific job with this committee and really appreciate your leadership.

Before I shift to DOT, I do just want to say when we reach out to the NYPD Transportation Division, we get really swift response.

And so I really want to thank you, Chief Obey, for that.

You've come out to my district several times.

And I especially want to thank your XO, Chief O'Sullivan, who is like one of the most superb public servants I've had a chance to work with.

So I really just want to thank you for everything you do and for being such a great partner.

And Commissioner, good to see you and the team from DOT.

I just want to highlight a few areas that have been of particular concern to me.

And actually, you know, before I do, this is both a PDDOT question that we've been trying to get an answer.

It's wrong.

The NYPD crash data on open data hasn't been updated since June, I don't believe, unless there was an update in the last week.

There is a note on the page saying there was an automation in progress and it was expected to be completed in August.

Does anybody at the dais have a timeline on when we're going to have that data back online?

And I'd love the answer to be today.

We'll get back to you as soon as we can on that.

Okay.

It hasn't been updated in five months.

Yeah, we'll look into that and get back to you as soon as we can.

How soon?

As soon as we can, Councilmember.

Do you think you'll send me an email this week?

We'll give you an update about what that timeline looks like this week.

Yes, we can get back to that.

Absolutely.

I'll accept that.

Thank you very much.

I look forward to that.

Now we'll shift to fun DOT stuff.

Pedestrian space.

The Vision Zero plan included some minor references to pedestrian space.

Expanding space around subways, bus stations, busy sidewalks is essential to making sure pedestrians have the space to move around our streets safely.

More than half of New Yorkers do not own a car, myself included.

But 75% of our streets are devoted to storing and moving vehicles.

Does DOT support expanding pedestrian space by a million square feet per year?

Commissioner.

Thank you, Councilmember.

We're, as you noted, this is something we've been really prioritizing and working hard on the last few years, expanding pedestrian space, both actual full-time pedestrian space, but also, you know,

open streets and other creative use of space that may be more based on events or

different times of the year.

And that's why we included it in the Vision Zero plan as one of the initiatives, is to really for the first time have an actual coordinated program around pedestrian districts and pedestrian priority zones.

So we're very supportive of the idea of continuing to expand pedestrian space.

Okay.

I didn't hear a yes or no on the million square feet, but I heard an enthusiasm for pedestrian space, so we will keep working together on that.