Bill Bratton Endorses deBlasio Street Safety Plan, Goal of Zero Fatalities

Very interesting.  I'm encouraged to think that we might see a real cultural change in policing the streets of New York.  Most of us are far more likely to be injured by unsafe drivers than we are violent criminals.  We ought to be policing both.

Former New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton endorsed Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio’s initiative to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries, during an appearance today at a panel discussion presented by Transportation Alternatives and NYU's Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management. Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio campaigned on Vision Zero – the goal of eliminating traffic deaths in New York City by 2024. 

“The time for this issue has come,” Bratton said in opening remarks at “Closing the Enforcement Gap to Save Lives on NYC Streets,” a panel discussion on the traffic safety agenda for the next mayor and police commissioner. Bratton’s message to the NYPD and New York City residents: "You do not have to accept the status quo." 

 Noting that the number of pedestrian fatalities has fallen in recent years, Bratton said, “There is an increasing opportunity for even further gains, moving towards Mayor de Blasio's goal of zero fatalities.” 

T.A. Executive Director Paul Steely White said the city still has a long way to go to reach Vision Zero. “Hundreds of New Yorkers are still dying in traffic each year, and thousands more are being seriously, grievously injured. Being struck by a car or truck is still the leading cause of preventable death for New York City children. New Yorkers are living in fear,” White said. 

This is the low hanging fruit for reducing senseless deaths in our city.  There are a lot of gains to be made here if we have the right message from the top.