TESTIMONY: Oversight Hearing on DOT Transparency

NYC Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Hearing Testimony

Dec 4, 2023

Good afternoon, and thank you to Chair Brooks-Powers and the members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. My name is Elizabeth Adams and I am the Deputy Executive Director for Public Affairs at Transportation Alternatives. Thank you for convening this oversight hearing on DOT transparency.

Today is likely the final transportation and infrastructure hearing of 2023, and we look back on a year marked by traffic violence and stalled projects. We also want to recognize some recent tragedies from Fort Greene to Flushing to Times Square – we’ve lost so many cherished members of our community to reckless drivers in just the past few weeks. 

Streets Plan

DOT is well behind the legal requirements of the Street Plan. As DOT continues to fall short, we need to equip DOT with the tools to treat the traffic violence crisis with the urgency it deserves and to get projects in the ground so we can see real, lasting improvements with better intersections, sidewalks, bike lanes, pedestrian spaces, sidewalks, bus lanes, and more. When most New Yorkers bike, walk, or take transit to work, there’s no excuse for unsafe streets and intersections. 

With 2024 on the horizon, we need to focus on getting these projects in the ground, and identifying barriers and hurdles to progress and addressing them, not on legislation that will make it unnecessarily difficult to build safe streets. Now is not the time to add bureaucratic processes to slow down proven safety measures. The Council must pass the Intro 417, sponsored by Council Member Restler, that would remove unnecessary barriers to building bike lanes. This legislation would make it easier for DOT to install this critical street safety infrastructure without unnecessarily lags or delays, and we encourage every Council Member to vote yes.

DOT Transparency 

At the same time, New Yorkers deserve to know where projects are and how DOT plans to improve street safety in their neighborhoods. Without a public, frequently updated and transparent tracking system, the public is left in the dark about where many of the Streets Plan metrics stand. 

DOT should create a project dashboard similar to the one used by the Parks Department, showing the design elements and current phases of each project, public engagement opportunities, timelines, status updates, and more. 

When a City official or report makes a commitment to the public, New Yorkers deserve to see those promises met, and to understand how the City is implementing the goals it sets for itself. This includes releasing reports and datasets at regular intervals and in usable open data formats.’

Lastly, while a series of recent tragedies has brought a renewed focus on safe street design, improved intersections, expanded daylighting, and more data tracking, no one should have to die for change to happen. As we move into the new year, New Yorkers deserve a proactive, responsive, and transparent DOT that meets the urgency of the traffic violence on our streets.