We are on our own: Albany does not care if drivers kill children, De Blasio gives more talk than $$

While the Families for Safe Streets @NYC_SafeStreets and Transportation Alternatives put together a strong coalition and mounted a brilliant campaign in Albany, the legislative leaders failed to include the modest bill to increase the number of cameras by 60 and increase their hours of operations, in the package negotiated with Governor Cuomo, claiming that NYC Council had not passed a home rule.

Today there are 140 cameras for more than 2,000 schools and they can operate only when school is in session. So when kids are safe inside , we turn on the cameras!

This is heartbreaking for all of us and in particular for the families of victims of traffic violence, and it is infuriating for the tax payers who pay the salary of elected officials. We are lucky to have outstanding Senators and Assembly members but should we question the whole Albany concept ? Is this time to NYEXIT?

This should also remind us that Vision Zero principles are to start with street redesign, educate, then enforce. We will not succeed by over-relying on enforcement.

With Mayor De Blasio denying any increase in the 2017 DOT budget to prevent traffic deaths, I wonder why parents and  activists are not working with the Transformation Department  @NYC_DOTr to install Topes, the most efficient speed breakers in the world (it will wreck your car if you go faster than 5 miles per hour) at VERY  low cost.  If 10 of these were installed per day, all the schools would be safe by next year. Can you imagine how many deaths and injuries could be avoided ?  If we cannot rely on our governments to keep us safe, we should be able to rely not on guns but on Topes, which may kill suspensions but will save lives.