Mamdani proposes dramatic changes in NYC including ‘pedestrian-only’ zones, lower speed limits

(The Center Square) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday called for setting up of “pedestrian-only” zones as part of broader plans to crack down on dangerous and impaired drivers.

Mamdani released his administration's "Vision Zero Reimagined" plan, a voluminous document that calls for cutting pedestrian fatalities to "zero" by lowering speed limits, redesigning streets, clearing intersection sightlines and pushing for tougher penalties for reckless motorists. Many of the proposals would require approval from state and city lawmakers.

"We should not have to wait for another family to lose a loved one before we make a street safer," Mamdani said in a statement. "We are committed to building safe streets before tragedy – not because of it."

Mamdani, who campaigned last year on improving pedestrian safety in the nation's largest city, said the plan "puts forward the bold measures and the practical fixes we need to make preventable tragedy no longer a part of everyday life in New York City."

"With 19 agencies and partners working together, we are doubling down on what works and paving the way for ambitious new models of street safety," he added. "Safety is a right for every New Yorker, no matter how you travel, where you are going or what neighborhood you call home."

Mamdani's blueprint for safer New York City streets takes a page from former Mayor Bill de Blasio's 2014 multi-agency "Vision Zero" program to reduce pedestrian fatalities and crack down on reckless drivers.

New York City Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn said that while de Blasio's Vision Zero has been successful in reducing traffic fatalities and severe injuries, “too many families are still experiencing preventable loss, and too many of the most dangerous behaviors persist.”

"This moment demands a sharper, more focused strategy, one that builds on what works while confronting with urgency and precision the risks that remain,” he said in a statement.

The Mamdani plan also calls for implementing a "Super Speeders" program that would allow the city to install speed-limiting devices on vehicles owned by repeat dangerous drivers.

The program was authorized by state lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul last year, but would still need to be approved by the New York City Council.

The plan would also expand the use of "Sammy’s Law" to lower speed limits to 20 miles per hour in neighborhoods where there have been high numbers of pedestrian fatalities, and problem intersections. The law was named after Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12-year-old Brooklyn boy who was killed in 2013 by a speeding motorist.