New York City Council is considering “illuminated” pedestrian crossings powered by solar energy
An Upper East Side politician is pushing for a new bill aimed at curbing pedestrian deaths by whitening many of the Big Apple’s most dangerous intersections.
Councilwoman Julie Menin’s bill, introduced Aug. 3, would do so require the Department of Transportation to install solar-powered LED crosswalksStop signs and other road signs illuminated in 500 or more heavily used pedestrian zones across the city over the next five years.
“Lighting crosswalks will have significant benefits in reducing pedestrian deaths,” said the Democratic city councilwoman, who represents the Upper East Side and surrounding neighborhoods. “[Other] Communities have embraced solar-powered crosswalks, and New York City needs to embrace this powerful tool.”
Menin wants to tear a page out of traffic safety plans used in other cities across the country – including Orlando and San Francisco.
Like these cities, she wants the DOT to install crosswalks that are activated by weights and light up when pedestrians walk on them or by pressing a button before crossing the street.
She also wants traffic signs along these corridors to flash intermittent lights to improve pedestrian visibility and alert distracted drivers to stop completely.
The legislation also requires the DOT to study the effectiveness of these devices, once in place, compared to crossings without solar-powered reflectors.
Menin’s office couldn’t immediately come up with a budget for funding such a project, but her bill is already gaining momentum.
A dozen other council members agreed to support it within a week of its launch.
In 2019 former councilor Paul Vallone (D-Queens) introduced legislation Looking for a feasibility study to determine whether it makes sense to install solar-powered reflectors at crosswalks, but fell through during the pandemic.
Vallone’s bill was spurred on by the death of 17-year-old Madeline Sershen, She was killed by an 88-year-old motorist who reportedly said she did not see Sershen at a Whitestone crosswalk.
Last year there were 121 fatal pedestrian deaths in the Big Apple, down 4.7% from 2021. according to city records.
The DOT said it plans to review Menin’s bill.
