Traffic safety professionals, advocates, and concerned community members came together in Mineola on June 11 at Walk Safe Long Island’s 3^rd Annual Walk Bike LI Summit at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island’s Research & Academic Center to discuss solutions to the pervasive issue of traffic injury and fatality that continue to plague Long Island. The event focused on Advocacy in Action and speakers explored solutions to the numerous factors that contribute to dangerous conditions on our roadways.

The Summit was the third of its kind hosted by the New York Coalition for Transportation Safety and Long Island Health Collaborative as part of their joint law-based pedestrian safety campaign, Walk Safe Long Island. The following speakers gave presentations about their respective work in pedestrian, cyclist, and traffic safety, and the role advocacy has played in their strides toward making roadways safer:

• Alfonso Castillo, Newsday transportation reporter and investigative journalist for Newsday’s year-long Dangerous Roads series and companion newsletter
  
  Mr. Castillo focused on the community feedback gleaned through Newsday’s Dangerous Roads series, and discussed the many ways in which the year-long series hopes to impact traffic safety.

• Adam Stright, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine; Medical Director, SICU, NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island; Director; Sub Internship & Co-Clerkship Director, Surgery, NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine
  
  Dr. Stright discussed the traumatic pedestrian, bike, and motor vehicle injuries he sees and treats at the hospital, as well as his own research work in the pedestrian and bike safety space. He also touched on the proliferation of micromobility devices like e-bikes and e-scooters, as evidenced by the cases he sees in the surgical intensive care unit.

• Quote: “Follow traffic laws, stay in your lane.”
• Quote: “People that are walking, you have to take special account and look left, look right, look left, then look again for the e-bike.”

• Kenneth O. Jackson, Police Commissioner, Garden City Police Department; Board of Governors, New York State Association of Chiefs of Police; Executive Director, Nassau County Municipal Police Chiefs Association; 2nd Vice Chairperson, Nassau County Traffic Safety Board
  
  Officer Jackson discussed the many strides the Village of Garden City has taken to improve its own traffic safety. He touched on the importance of timely and local enforcement, community education among all ages, and traffic calming measures that guide behavior.

2. Julia Kite-Laidlaw, Senior Program Manager, Road to Zero Coalition, National Safety Council; Former Director of Safety Policy, NYC Department of Transportation
   
   Ms. Laidlaw shared the expertise she’s garnered through her time at NYCDOT, as well as the National Safety Council, with a focus on the Safe Systems Approach and how folks can advocate for improved roadway safety.

3. Jonathan Prevost, Senior Associate, The Pew Charitable Trusts; Baldwin Native and Accomplished Community Advocate for Traffic Safety
   
   Mr. Prevost spoke about his wide array of grassroots roadway improvement advocacy, much of which has resulted in tangible roadway improvements on Long Island, specifically within the Town of Hempstead. He shared insights about the tactics he’s employed that have made his advocacy efforts so successful, the most important of which is persistence.

• Quote: “Everyone has problems, but people like solutions. So, if you bring solutions, it’s going to make your job [as an advocate] a lot easier.”

LI’s Well-Documented Issue of Pedestrian and Cyclist Injury/Fatality

Nassau and Suffolk counties have some of the highest rates of traffic injury and death in the state and even the nation. Several of our roads have been deemed “death corridors.” The issue is so pervasive, Newsday has launched its own yearlong Dangerous Roads series to investigate and shed light on the problem.

Suffolk and Nassau Counties saw traffic fatalities jump 124% in 2023 from 2022.  Data from the New York State Sheriffs' Association County Crash Hubs show that from January 1 – December 30, 2023, there were 54,065 crashes across Long Island (27,501 crashes in Suffolk and 26,564 crashes in Nassau). 839 of them were pedestrian crashes, and 577 were bike crashes.

132 people were killed in 2023 crashes across both counties— 40 were pedestrian deaths and five were cyclist deaths. 132 traffic deaths is a startling 124% increase from 59 traffic deaths in 2022.

These numbers don’t lie, and neither do the constant onslaught of local headlines reporting at least one traffic injury or death on a weekly basis.

The NYCTS educates Long Islanders of all ages about the New York State laws in place meant to keep us all safe whether we walk, bike, ride a scooter or e-bike, or even drive a car. This education augments the push for improved roadway design that our engineering partners work toward and better adherence to all traffic and safety laws that our enforcement officers oversee. Panelists will talk about innovative approaches both in place and hoped for that will reverse the raging epidemic of death and injury on our Long Island roadways.

About New York Coalition for Transportation Safety and Walk Safe LI

Walk Safe Long Island (WSLI) is a pedestrian and cyclist safety campaign that aims to teach Long Islanders about walking and biking safely through law-based education. WSLI is produced for the New York Coalition for Transportation Safety by the Long Island Health Collaborative, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with a grant from the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.

About New York Coalition for Transportation Safety (NYCTS)

NYCTS is a non-profit, statewide organization established in 1982 with the mission to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities occurring on our roadways through outreach and education programs aimed at pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. Since 1987 NYCTS has received grants from federal, state, local and private agencies to develop and conduct public information and education campaigns in a variety of localities. Types grant funded activities conducted by the NYCTS include assembly programs for children in grades K-12, bicycle safety programs, pedestrian safety programs, school bus safety programs, mature driver and pedestrian programs, bilingual (English/Spanish) programs, programs for children with special needs, classroom instruction in travel training for young people with disabilities, child passenger safety seat installation, and more.

NYCTS Website | NYCTS Facebook | NYCTS Twitter | NYCTS Instagram

About Walk Safe Long Island (WSLI)

WSLI is a pedestrian and cyclist safety campaign that aims to teach Long Islanders about walking and biking safely through law-based education. WSLI is produced for the New York Coalition for Transportation Safety by the Long Island Health Collaborative, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with a grant from the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.

New York State is taking numerous measures to tackle the issue of pedestrian and cyclist safety, all of which culminate in the New York State Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP). The plan emphasizes making streets safer by implementing the “Three Es—” engineering, enforcement, and education. Walk Safe Long Island is part of the third “E,” education.

WSLI Website

About the Long Island Health Collaborative (LIHC)

LIHC is a partnership of Long Island’s hospitals, county health departments, health providers, community-based social and human service organizations, academic institutions, health plans, local government, and members of the business sector, all engaged in improving the health of Long Islanders. Collaborative members are committed to improving the health of people living with chronic disease, obesity, and behavioral health conditions in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

LIHC Website | LIHC Facebook | LIHC Twitter | LIHC Instagram