Transportation Alternatives Statement After Truck Driver Kills Pedestrian in East Harlem
Crashes have killed 85 people in 2023 — a fatality rate 9% higher than the Vision Zero-era average.
Traffic violence has killed 36 pedestrians in 2023.
People without permanent housing and living in public spaces are at increased vulnerability to all forms of violence.
NEW YORK — On Wednesday morning, the driver of a flatbed truck struck and killed 53-year-old Peter Roberts as he was crossing 125th Street near Third Avenue.
125th Street, a truck route, is the fourth-most-dangerous street for pedestrians in Manhattan, according to DOT's recently released Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. While 121 of 144 Vision Zero Priority corridors — streets known by the City of New York to be dangerous — saw decreases in the number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured, 125th Street experienced an increase of 29%.
While the street is a major shopping and residential corridor for pedestrians, 17% of 125th Street’s traffic is trucks, with more than 2,600 passing through per day. Truck routes account for just 13% of city streets, but in Manhattan, are the location of over 70% of fatal pedestrian and bicycle crashes.
When DOT plans for truck routes to run through pedestrian-dense environments, they must first redesign these streets with daylighting, curb extensions, physical medians, and protected bike lanes to ensure maximum visibility for truck drivers and minimize shared space with people walking and biking.
Manhattan’s Community Board 11 has the second-highest traffic volumes out of 59 districts, despite more than 83% of nearby residents not owning a car, according to Spatial Equity NYC.
Statement from Shawn Garcia, Senior Organizer of Equity & Partnerships at Transportation Alternatives:
“We are heartbroken and angry after a flatbed truck driver struck and killed 53-year-old Peter Roberts in East Harlem yesterday morning.”
“We send our deepest condolences to the loved ones of the victim, who may have been unhoused. People forced out of their homes and living in public spaces are at increased vulnerability to all forms of violence. For those who live on our streets, the lack of street safety is an especially acute issue.”
“There is no reason why wide streets should lack pedestrian medians, curb extensions, or protected bike lanes — especially those surrounded by transit, homes, and businesses, such as 125th Street and Third Avenue. Mayor Adams and Commissioner Rodriguez must commit to redesigning wide, traffic-heavy roads for safety today.”
