The Wall Street Journal recently reported about the passing of three separate bills by New York City Council. The vote was unanimous that attention should be given to neighborhood intersections which are found to be the most dangerous locations for pedestrian and bicycle accidents in New York.

According to WNYC, NYC police will now be required to provide monthly reports of traffic accidents and summonses. Advocates for safety and members of Council have been crying out for help in order to get actual data rather than rumors about which intersections are the most dangerous in communities. If problem areas can be identified, safety advocates hope to make a difference in reducing traffic fatalities for walkers and bicyclists.

Our New York personal injury lawyers know that passing these bills is a step in the right direction based on the number of pedestrian and bicycle accidents that continue to occur throughout the city.

The push is on to implement bicycle lanes in New York City. According to CBS New York, it will now be possible to get down to the heart of the debate with the data provided on bicycle crashes, car accidents, and where motorists are being issued tickets.

Approximately 250,000 bicyclists ride on city streets each day in NYC. Not knowing how many bike accidents are occurring has made it impossible for important decisions to be made regarding bike lanes.

The newly passed bills will require the following initiatives, according to NY 1:

-NYPD must publish a searchable database about traffic accidents, injuries, and fatalities which will be updated monthly.

-NYPD will report how many moving violations are issued each month and at what locations.

-New York Department of Transportation will publish a report every 5 years reporting all the motor vehicle crashes that result in fatality or serious injury.

-NYDOT will list and rank the 20 most dangerous intersections in New York in their report.

Having the published data at their fingertips should allow city officials to make an informed decision about the implementation of bike paths throughout the 5 boroughs.