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NYC TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE PASSES LEGISLATION REQUIRING TRUCK SIDE GUARDS ON LARGEST CITY FLEET IN NATION

Legislation will require side guards on all city vehicles larger than 10,000 pounds as well as private sanitation vehicles

New York - Today the Transportation Committee passed, with a 10-0 vote, 3 pieces of legislation that will make our city's road safer and mark New York as a national leader for truck related safety.

The first piece of legislation, INT 198-A, will require city vehicles larger than 10,000 pounds and privately operated sanitation vehicles to install side guards. Side guards are a safety measure installed between the vehicles wheels that prevent cyclists and pedestrians from being caught up under the vehicle. In January of this year, after the first cyclist death of 2015, Transportation Chairman Ydanis Rodriguez called for the conversation surrounding this legislation, previously stalled, to restart. Weeks later Mayor De Blasio announced his policy to install truck side guards on all vehicles larger than 10,000 pounds in the city fleet. INT 198-A will instill that policy in the City Administrative Code as well as expand it to also apply to all private sanitation vehicles operating within NYC. According to city estimates this bill would apply to 4,500 city owned vehicles, the largest city fleet in the nation, and 5,500 to 6,000 private sanitation vehicles. Further, according to a study conducted by Transport for London, installing side guards on trucks reduced deaths by 61% and serious injuries by 13% for cyclists. This afternoon, Transportation Chairman Ydanis Rodriguez cast his vote in memory of Hoyt Jacobs, the New Yorker killed this January in Long Island City, and all the cyclists who have lost their lives in our city. INT 198-A is prime sponsored by Transportation Committee Chairman Ydanis Rodriguez, Council member Corey Johnson, and Council member Julissa Ferreras.

"Though 2014 marked a watershed moment for our city in reducing the amount of pedestrian fatalities, it also showed a 15% increase in the number of cyclists falling victim to our roadways. By requiring side guards on all city vehicles and private sanitation vehicles, the same type of vehicle which claimed the life of Hoyt Jacobs the first cyclist to die in 2015, we are taking the necessary steps to reverse these trends and achieve Vision Zero," said Transportation Committee Chairman Ydanis Rodriguez. "With this legislation New York City becomes a national leader installing side guards not only on the largest city fleet in the nation but also in private sanitation vehicles which claim the lives of too many. I am proud of the work my colleagues Council member Johnson and Council member Ferreras and I have done and look forward to the enactment and implementation of this legislation."

"Sideguards save lives. Earlier this year, the de Blasio Administration took a first step by piloting retrofits on 240 vehicles as a part of the Vision Zero initiative, and today, the Council went further by mandating sideguards on our City's largest vehicles. This is critical given that it is the largest trucks in the City fleet that have the highest fatality rates. It is my hope that sideguards - which have been adopted successfully internationally - will be recognized as critical lifesaving tools and finally become a staple in the United States." said Council member Corey Johnson

"Sideguards have a proven record of preventing fatalities and injuries on the road and are a worthy investment of tax-payer dollars. With the leadership of the Transportation Committee Chair Ydanis Rodriguez, New York City is leading by example, requiring sideguards on our fleet and taking measurable steps towards safer streets for pedestrians, bicyclist and motorists," said Finance Committee Chair Julissa Ferreras

The Transportation Committee also voted on Intro 641-A, introduced by Transportation Committee Chairman Ydanis Rodriguez and Council Member Chin, that requires a separate study by the Department of Transportation related to pedestrian and cyclist safety on truck routes. Sparked by the overuse of trucks on through streets like Canal St in Council member Chin's district, this bill would allow the city to gather data as to the causes of that overuse, including tolling practices. Examining how trucks use this street and others across our city could limit these high numbers and keep people safer

"In order to truly understand how trucks use and abuse our roadways our city must understand the impacts of tolling policies among other issues on trucks navigating both designated and non-designated truck routes. My and Council member Chin's legislation will ensure that we arm our city with the information necessary to make changes to better alleviate heavily congested roadways and understand what causes them. I look forward to working with the Administration to enact this great piece of legislation," said Transportation Chairman Ydanis Rodriguez

This truck route study will provide a powerful new tool in our city's Vision Zero effort," said Council Member Margaret Chin. "With a comprehensive review of how our network of truck routes and tolling policies affect street safety, the Department of Transportation will be in a better position to develop short- and long-term strategies to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe along truck routes. These new strategies will help lead the way toward smart fixes and broad reforms to prevent injuries and save lives."

Finally, the Committee voted on Intro 315-A, introduced by Council Member Vallone, that would require the Department of Transportation to study the compliance of trucks in adhering to the city's designated truck network and through routes. A common concern among constituents across our city is that trucks leave their designated routes and begin to utilize residential streets, putting more people and drivers in danger. This study will ensure that fewer trucks enter areas they should not, making streets safer and more efficient for other users.

"In an age dedicated to keeping our roadways, arterial and side streets, safe we must ensure compliance with our designated truck routes. Large vehicles shouldn't navigate our small roads, sometimes passing through school zones putting our children at risk. INT-315 will help us combat this abuse of our roads and help better ensure that trucks stay on the routes we have designated for them," said
Transportation Chairman Ydanis Rodriguez

"How many times have we heard that residential streets are supposed to be residential? Unfortunately, as the DOT attempts to beautify neighborhoods by avoiding negative signage, we end up instead with trucks and tractor trailers plowing down our residential streets, polluting our communities with fumes and noise and endangering residents," said Council Member Paul A. Vallone. "I am proud to have introduced this legislation that will tackle this issue by combining the DOT's own compliance study with input from our community boards and civic leaders to increase truck route compliance and ensure that the NYPD is able to enforce restrictions on truck traffic. I applaud my fellow Council Members in the Committee on Transportation for unanimously voting my bill through and I look forward to working with the rest of the Council to pass this bill into law."

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