NEW YORK.- The Commissioner of Transportation of this City (DOT), Ydanis Rodríguez, thanked the delivery of $22 million dollars by US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for the “Safe Streets and Highways for All” program to prevent deaths and serious injuries in the areas from Delancey Street in lower Manhattan.
Rodríguez maintained that the money will be used to continue redesigning the roads to provide more safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
He added that this funding will bring a transformative safety improvement to Delancey Street, a critical bike corridor that connects to the Williamsburg Bridge and some of the city’s busiest bike lanes on Manhattan’s East Side.
“Every day, 104,700 cars, 6,700 bicyclists and 5,500 pedestrians travel down Delancey Street across the Williamsburg Bridge in both directions,” he said.
“With these funds, Delancey will become a much quieter street, with more welcoming spaces for cyclists, pedestrians, and a simplified road design for drivers,” said Rodríguez, reiterating his thanks to Senator Gillibrand, Congressmen Adriano Espaillat ( NY-13) and Nidya Velásquez (NY-12), among other elected officials, as well as the administration of President Joe Biden for their support and commitment to Vision Zero.
Senator and Congressman Espaillat are also calling for funding for the Stop Threats to Pedestrians (STOP) Act to further protect them.
The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program, established by the landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, will provide $5 billion in grants over the next five years to prevent deaths and serious injuries on highways.
For his part, Espaillat said that “bollard installation projects to improve security are a critical component in our efforts to improve public safety infrastructure.”
“With today’s announcement, our shared goal is to alleviate the threat of devastating vehicular attacks and ensure that drivers and non-drivers alike are safe. No one should fear walking on sidewalks, going to parks or making use of other community and public spaces,” he said.
Meanwhile, Congresswoman Velásquez specified, “the Delancey street corridor has been the scene of too many accidents and tragedies. I have advocated for improvements and investments in public safety on the Lower East Side.”
“Thanks to funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and the Safe Streets for All initiative, we are able to invest in infrastructure improvements that help New Yorkers feel safe in this community,” he said.
