Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 9:30 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 3
Committee: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, chaired by Majority Leader Shaun Abreu, held an oversight hearing on the administration's Vision Zero Reimagined plan and heard six pieces of legislation: Intro 46 (autism warning plaques), Intro 113 (dangerous driving study), Intro 613 (100 miles of protected bike lanes per year), Intro 1070 (low traffic neighborhood pilot), Intro 1153 (intelligent speed assistance / Stop Super Speeders), and Resolution 687 (state drag racing enforcement act). DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn, NYPD officials, and a Business Integrity Commission representative testified that traffic deaths are at historic lows but defended agency flexibility against several legislative mandates; the administration voiced support for Intros 113, 1070 and 1153 while raising concerns about Intros 46 and 613. Council members pressed NYPD on a roughly 40% decline in Vision Zero summonses since before the pandemic, hit-and-run investigation outcomes, ghost plates, truck side-guard waivers, streetlight repair delays, and drag racing. Dozens of members of the public, including street safety advocates and delivery workers, testified in support of the bills. No votes were taken during the hearing.
0:17 Thank you good morning welcome
0:17 to today's New York City
0:18 council hearing for the
0:20 committee on transportation
0:21 and infrastructure at this
0:23 time please science all cell
0:24 phone electronic devices if
0:25 you're today please fill an
0:27 appearance card with the
0:28 sergeant at arms moving
0:29 forward no one is to approach
0:31 the dais jerry we're ready t
0:40 obegin good morning and welcome
0:42 to today's hearing I am
0:43 Council Member sean Abreu
0:44 majority leader and chair of
0:45 the committee on
0:48 transportation and
0:49 infrastructure since its
0:49 launch in 20 14 vision zer
0:51 ohas fundamentally changed how
0:53 New York City approaches
0:54 street safety.
0:55 The central principle is
0:57 simple
0:57 . Traffic deaths and serious
1:00 injuries are preventable and
1:01 every New yorker deserves t
1:03 otravel safely whether they are
1:05 walking cycling driving or
1:07 using another form of
1:10 transportation over the years
1:10 we have meaningful progress
1:11 towards his goal in 20 25 New
1:14 York City recorded 205 traffic
1:18 fatalities a 31% reduction
1:20 would compared to 20 1
1:23 4however any life lost on our
1:25 streets is one too many and
1:27 recent tragedies remind us
1:28 that there is still
1:29 considerable work ahead
1:30 . Last month the
1:32 administration released
1:33 visions that were re imagined
1:35 a New action plan aimed at
1:38 eliminating traffic deaths and
1:40 serious injuries I support the
1:42 goal outlined in this plan and
1:44 welcomed the administration's
1:46 renewed commitment to street
1:48 safety
1:48 . However ambitious goals must
1:49 be accompanied by clear
1:52 strategies realistic timelines
1:54 and measurable outcomes today
1:55 we want to better understand
1:57 how the administration intends
1:58 to turn these commitments into
2:00 meaningful improvements on our
2:02 streets what specific actions
2:04 will be prioritized when can
2:06 New yorkers expect to see
2:07 results and how will we
2:09 measure whether the City is
2:11 making sufficient progress
2:12 towards its goals in a sense
2:13 you part of that discussion is
2:16 enforcement in fiscal years 20
2:20 1820 19 the nypd issued nearly
2:23 700000 vision zero related
2:24 moving summonses annually by
2:26 fiscal year 20 21 that number
2:29 had fallen to approximately.
2:30 Approximately 300000 while
2:33 enforcement has since
2:34 increased with the nypd
2:37 issuing just over 41300
2:40 0substances in fiscal year 2
2:42 020 26 this is still
2:44 approximately 40% below pre
2:46 pandemic levels these numbers
2:48 raised serious questions about
2:49 the city's enforcement
2:51 strategy why has enforcement
2:53 remained substantially below
2:55 previous levels and what will
2:56 it take to restore a
2:58 consistent and effective
3:01 enforcement presence we need
3:02 to ensure that dangerous
3:04 behavior is addressed across
3:05 all modes of transportation
3:08 including cars motorcycles e
3:09 bikes mopeds and other micro
3:12 mobility devices sri safety
3:14 requires fair consistent
3:15 enforcement that prioritizes
3:17 the behaviors posing the
3:18 greatest risk to New York er's
3:21 beyond enforcement we must
3:23 continue investing improving
3:26 proving shoe improvements
3:28 including daylight ing safer
3:30 intersections protected
3:31 bicycle infrastructure and
3:32 lower speed limits we also
3:33 want to examine New approaches.
3:35 Such as low traffic
3:37 neighborhoods and intelligence
3:39 speed assistance technology
3:40 while ensuring that these
3:42 initiatives are practical
3:44 effective and responsive t
3:45 ocommunity needs
3:46 . The legislation before us
3:48 today provides an opportunity
3:51 to advance these conversations
3:51 and consider additional tools
3:54 to prevent dangerous driving
3:55 and protect vulnerable road
3:57 users we will be hearing the
4:00 following legislation
4:01 introduction number 4
4:03 6sponsored by Council Member
4:05 arreola in relation to
4:07 installing child with autism
4:08 warning plaques on the streets
4:11 introduction number hundred 13 r
4:14 Brooks Powers in relation to
4:16 requiring a study of dangerous
4:17 driving introduction number
4:20 613 sponsored by council
4:20 member Joseph in relation t
4:22 othe installation of protected
4:25 bicycle lanes introduction
4:27 number thousand 70 sponsored
4:27 by myself in relation t
4:30 oestablishing a low traffic
4:30 neighborhood pilot program
4:33 introduction number 11 53 3
4:35 sponsored by council members
4:37 you also in in relation to
4:40 establishing a demonstration
4:41 program for the installation
4:42 and maintenance of
4:43 intelligence speed assistance
4:45 devices and resolution 6
4:47 7sponsored by myself calling on
4:49 the New York state legislature
4:51 to pass and the New York state
4:53 governor to sign s 17 68 a 2
4:58 585 the drag racing and speed
5:00 enforcement act which would
5:02 impose five points on the
5:03 driver's license for being
5:04 convicted of participating in
5:05 speed contest in races I will
5:07 let the other sponsors discuss
5:09 their bills but I am
5:11 particularly excited about my
5:12 bill related to low traffic
5:14 neighborhoods.
5:15 Low traffic neighborhoods
5:16 use a range of traffic calming
5:18 measures to reduce through
5:19 traffic on residential streets d
5:24 kingdom suggest that these
5:25 approaches can reduce traffic
5:27 volumes without significantly
5:29 impacting surrounding roads or
5:30 emergency response times
5:33 introduction number 1070 would
5:34 would establish a two year
5:36 pilot program in fiv
5:37 eneighborhoods across at least
5:40 five boroughs three boroughs
5:40 and evaluate impacts on street
5:46 safety noise and surrounding
5:48 streets we want to bette
5:50 runderstand where these
5:50 measures would be most
5:52 effective and how they can
5:53 help create safer more livable
5:57 neighborhoods.
5:57 In addition my resolution
5:58 that we'll be here and we'll
5:58 call in the state to pass s
6:02 768 and a 25 85 which are
6:05 known as the drag and speed
6:06 enforcement act which would
6:07 work to combat illegal drag
6:09 and speed racing ultimately
6:13 this hearing ah the goal was
6:14 to hold the administration
6:15 accountable to New commitments
6:16 . And to ensure that those
6:18 commitments translate into
6:19 safer streets we look forward
6:21 to working constructively with
6:23 the administration advocates
6:24 and communities and
6:25 communities to identify what
6:27 is working where improvements
6:29 are needed.
6:29 And what additional steps
6:30 must be taken I want to thank
6:32 my my staff and committee
6:33 staff for their hard work in
6:35 preparing for today's hearing
6:36 julissa quigley my deputy
6:37 chief of staff boeri my senior
6:41 adviser sierra townsend senior
6:43 legislative counsel theodore
6:45 miller legislative counsel
6:46 Kevin kata wsky senior policy
6:48 analyst john bazell senior
6:49 policy analyst and yates Wong
6:52 finance analyst I look forward
6:53 to today's testimony and
6:54 discussion I will now turn it
6:55 over to the bill sponsors
6:57 beginning first with council
6:59 member Brooks Powers followed
7:01 by Council Member santo soso
7:03 thank you majority leader and
7:05 chair abre u and members of
7:08 the committee on
7:09 transportation and
7:10 infrastructure for hearing
7:11 intro hundred 13 today as we
7:16 evaluate the administration's
7:17 vision zero plan today I
7:18 remain committed to the
7:20 principle that our streets
7:21 should be governed by data and
7:24 that progress should be
7:25 measured transparently and
7:27 consistently the work of this
7:28 committee including during my
7:30 time as chair has shown that
7:32 safety and fairness go
7:34 together that work has
7:36 included citywide daylight ing g
7:40 enforcement and overhauling
7:41 City truck routes enforcement
7:43 should be focused on the
7:45 behavior that is injuring and
7:47 killing New York er's to do
7:48 that the City must know that
7:51 behavior better my bail intro
7:54 1 13 would require the
7:56 department of transportation
7:57 working with the nypd and
7:59 other agencies to study
8:01 driving behavior and identify
8:03 the patterns that signal
8:04 dangerous driving before it
8:05 ends in a crash
8:07 . The steady withdraw on data
8:09 the City already collects but
8:10 really looks at in this way
8:12 head and run reports reckless
8:15 driving convictions crash
8:16 reports the driving activity
8:18 of vehicles registered t
8:21 opeople with a suspended or and
8:24 where feasible insurance
8:26 information every year the
8:28 department of transportation
8:29 would report to this council
8:31 and the public on what it
8:33 found what it recommends what
8:36 agencies have done about it
8:37 and whether dangerous driving
8:38 is going up or down I look
8:40 forward to working with the
8:41 chair and the committee t
8:43 omove intra 1 13 forward
8:45 . I also want to just take a
8:47 moment to just issue my
8:49 support for intro 46 as a
8:51 proud aunt of an autistic
8:55 nephew is a very important
8:57 piece of legislation that I
8:58 hope to see voted on as well
9:01 as intro thousand 70 which I'm
9:03 a proud called prime sponsor
9:04 with majority leader abre u
9:07 looking to bring the low
9:10 traffic neighborhood traffic
9:10 program pilot program rather
9:12 to the City of New York I look
9:14 forward to to working with my
9:16 colleagues on these important
9:19 pieces of legislation and
9:21 thank the advocates for the
9:21 work that they've done around
9:22 this issue and for our
9:25 combined effort to make New
9:26 York safer thank you chair
9:29 . Thank you Council Member I'd
9:30 like to recognize that we've
9:31 been joined by council members
9:34 lewis Brooks Powers Justin
9:36 Sanchez and Wong and council
9:38 members who also in the the
9:41 public advocate.
9:41 Council Member santos who
9:42 also followed by public
9:43 advocate joe monte Williams
9:46 thank you majority leader
9:47 today we will hear my bill
9:49 intro 11 53 otherwise known as
9:52 the stop super speeders act
9:54 which would require that
9:55 drivers who are chronic
9:58 speeders install a speed
10:00 limiting device in any vehicle
10:01 that is registered to them
10:04 this legislation aims to crack
10:04 down on our absolute worst
10:06 offenders it would target
10:09 drivers who incur speeding
10:12 tickets in speed in school
10:15 zones 16 or more of those
10:17 violations in the span of 1
10:20 2months and it's tempting t
10:21 othink that there aren't enough
10:23 drivers that would actually in
10:25 fact qualify for that speed
10:26 limiting device but it turns
10:27 out that there are thousands
10:28 of them and they are the worst
10:30 danger to us on the streets
10:31 and it is time for us to limit
10:35 their ability to navigate
10:36 their own vehicles which they
10:37 have proven they are unable t
10:39 odo safely I come to this bill
10:42 as a pedestrian as a cyclist
10:43 and as a driver and I
10:47 understand that this is not
10:48 aiming at one or the other at
10:50 the drivers who have one or
10:51 two speeding tickets but are
10:54 absolute worst offenders and I
10:56 am so grateful that we are
10:57 have been able to get a swift
11:00 hearing and that's with the
11:02 support of chair Abreu and so
11:04 many of the advocates that
11:04 have pushed this forward so I
11:07 look forward to hearing from
11:09 dot on the implementation of
11:11 this bill what kind of
11:12 challenges it proposes what
11:13 you need in order to implement
11:15 it as you all know this was
11:18 started on the state level
11:19 through state senator kennard
11:20 ihs and assembly member emily
11:22 gallagher and many others and
11:24 we look forward to sort of
11:25 finishing the job here on on
11:26 the City level and we want t
11:28 osee it as swift of passage as
11:29 possible so I look forward t
11:31 ohearing how we can make that
11:31 happen by partnering with this
11:34 administration and I want t
11:34 othank you for your efforts in
11:37 and focusing on this issue
11:39 finally thanks to the
11:41 advocates thanks to the
11:42 drafters who have turned this
11:43 around quite quickly and thank
11:44 you again to the chair for
11:45 hearing this bill.
11:47 Of course thank you
11:50 councilmember member public
11:50 advocate jemaine e Williams ah d
11:53 my name is uh jermaine
11:57 Williams papa gavit City of
11:57 New York one thank chair
12:00 borough as well as members of
12:00 the committee on
12:01 transportation infrastructure
12:02 for holiness this important
12:02 hearing and for the
12:03 opportunity to share testimony e
12:05 city's road crisis still
12:06 remains a little limited
12:09 partly because crash
12:09 statistics on the city's open
12:10 data portal have not been
12:12 updated since of 20 26
12:14 directly outside of the dinkas
12:16 municipal building on center
12:17 street a fatal collision
12:17 occurred on July 29 an
12:20 dinvolving a and an individual
12:21 writing an illegal bike in
12:24 August 2026 hit and run
12:25 drivers took the lives of
12:27 three cyclists within three
12:28 days bring the total number of
12:30 people killed by hit and run
12:31 drivers to nine by the end of
12:32 the month just early this
12:34 month on atlantic avenue in
12:35 brooklyn an unmarked nypd
12:37 vehicle ran a red light and
12:38 struck a cyclist nin
12:40 epedestrians were injured on
12:42 October 9 when a driver
12:43 ga buzzy busy bronx
12:48 intersection according to the
12:49 vision zero imagine report the
12:51 dot plans to use hardened
12:53 daylight ing or better
12:54 treatments such as traffic
12:56 signals always stops
12:57 crosswalks and leading
12:58 pedestrian intervals as the
13:00 dot moves forward with the
13:01 lighting measures we must
13:02 emphasize the compromised
13:04 visibility posed poses a
13:05 direct threat to pedestrian
13:07 cyclists livery workers and
13:08 motorists alike to keep
13:09 expenses minimal relative t
13:11 otheir overall budget the can
13:14 integrate more delighting into
13:14 planning planned milling and
13:17 repainting work excused by
13:18 City staff rather than outside
13:21 contractors to regulate micro
13:22 ability and e bike effectively n
13:26 expanding protected bike lanes
13:27 and infrastructure and
13:28 penalizing retailers who sell
13:30 noncompliant compliant e bikes
13:31 engineered to exceed legal
13:34 speeds especially with the
13:35 increased ice presence across
13:36 the City under this federal
13:37 administration we want to make
13:38 sure that if there's is
13:41 particularly aggressive
13:42 enforcement it's not on
13:43 drivers delivery workers
13:44 cyclists in everyday day eat
13:45 bike but the owners of