Statement: Transportation Alternatives Applauds Mayor de Blasio for Putting Safety First on Skillman and 43rd Avenues

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced this morning that the New York City Department of Transportation will move forward with a plan to redesign Skillman and 43rd avenues in Sunnyside, Queens. The plan, which the DOT produced in 2017 after delivery cyclist Gelacio Reyes was killed while commuting home from work on 43rd Avenue, includes protected bike lanes and pedestrian safety improvements along Skillman and 43rd avenues between Queens Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue. Skillman and 43rd form a bi-directional pair of one-way streets which connect people on bikes from the newly-redesigned Queens Boulevard to the Queensboro Bridge.

Statement of Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Paul Steely White:

"The plan for Skillman and 43rd avenues is based on tried and true design standards, and was developed after several rounds of community engagement. This plan is going to save lives, and we commend Mayor Bill de Blasio for putting the safety of New Yorkers ahead of preserving a handful of parking spaces. This is the kind of bold leadership that is required in the age of Vision Zero. If we're going to eliminate traffic deaths in New York City, we can't allow drivers to dictate the city's transportation policy."