Report Card: Six Months of Vision Zero Traffic Enforcement

Despite two decades of steady declines, traffic fatalities remain an epidemic in New York City. More people are killed in
traffic than are murdered by guns; traffic crashes are the foremost cause of preventable death for New York City children
and, after falls, the primary cause of injury-related death for older New Yorkers.

In February 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio launched a Vision Zero initiative with the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and
serious injuries in New York City by 2024 which the New York Police Department embraced wholeheartedly, instructing
all precinct commanders to increase enforcement of the most dangerous traffic violations. Increased enforcement
remains a central element to achieving Mayor de Blasios Vision Zero goal.

Transportation Alternatives Report Card: Six Months of Vision Zero Traffic Enforcement reveals that citywide enforcement of
the most dangerous traffic violations speeding and failure to yield to pedestrians has skyrocketed in the past year.
Comparing the first six months of 2014 to the same period of 2013, summonses for speeding increased by 32 percent
and summonses for failure to yield increased by 153 percent, an effort which has saved countless New Yorkers from
death and injury.

However, according to T.A. research and analysis, the widespread effort to expand enforcement of the most dangerous
violations does not extend to every NYPD precinct. In fact, wide disparities exist between the heroic efforts of NYPD
precincts that have increased their enforcement of the most dangerous violations and adjacent precincts where
summonsing has actually decreased.

In order to create more consistency across precincts, T.A. recommends that the NYPD establish an executive officer in
each Borough Command who would be solely dedicated to coordinating traffic enforcement.

THE PROBLEM
Speeding is the leading cause of traffic fatalities in New York City. Drivers who fail to yield are the leading cause of injury to
pedestrians.
1
The majority of these traffic crashes are caused by drivers making dangerous choices
2
and committing en-
forceable moving violations.
3


T.A.s Mid-Year Report Card found that overall summonsing for speeding and failure to yield has markedly increased, but
there are stark disparities in the level of enforcement between individual precincts. Some precincts have made great
strides to deter drivers from dangerous behavior, buoying citywide numbers, while others issued fewer summonses than
the prior year.

Transportation Alternatives
127 West 26th Street, Suite 1002
New York, NY 10001
Most strikingly, T.A.s investigation found a disparity among neighboring precincts. Adjacent precincts have similar street
designs and traffic conditions, but in many cases, these precincts dramatically differ in enforcement efforts (See Images 1
and 2).

Here are some examples:
In Harlem, the 26th Precinct nearly doubled the number of speeding summonses issued from last year (294 to 533),
while the adjacent 30th Precinct in Washington Heights issued half as many summonses as they did the prior year.
Along Queens Boulevard, the 110th Precinct wrote 860 failure to yield summonses so far this year, whereas the ad-
jacent 108th precinct issued half as many.

This inconsistency is stark enough to undermine positive enforcement efforts. Varying levels of enforcement reinforce the
mentality that a driver can get away with it. Every violation that goes unenforced is implicit encouragement for
drivers to commit the violation again.




Image 1: Map of the most improved and least improved precincts in each
Borough Command for speeding summonses, January to June 2013 versus 2014.




Image 2: Map of the most improved and least improved precincts in each Borough
Command for failure to yield summonses, January to June 2013 versus 2014.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Drivers who have received a summons are less likely to kill or seriously injure someone in the future.
4
This is why NYPD
enforcement is critical to reaching Vision Zero.

While continuing to increase enforcement of the most dangerous violations is an important first step, consistent
enforcement of these deadly behaviors is paramount. In order to more effectively deter drivers from dangerous behav-
ior, the NYPD must coordinate enforcement citywide so the likelihood of punishment for reckless driving is consistent no
matter where a driver is in the city.

T.A. recommends that the NYPD:

1. Create an executive officer for each Borough Command: This position should report to the NYPD Chief of
Transportation and have sole responsibility for coordinating traffic operations. Having a central person in
charge of traffic safety for each Borough Command would help coordinate precincts enforcement efforts and
make the greatest impact despite strained resources.

2. Educate police officers about the lifesaving impact of Vision Zero enforcement operations: The NYPD
should regularly invite New Yorkers affected by traffic crashes to speak at precinct roll-calls or share their sto-
ries at TrafficStat to underscore the importance of simple summonsing. Writing traffic tickets to reckless
drivers is often a thankless taskofficers face annoyed drivers but rarely meet the person they saved from be-
ing hit. Helping officers see who is impacted by dangerous traffic conditions will send a message that their
summonses are important and valued by New Yorkers.

3. Emphasize the most dangerous violations in each Borough Command: The NYPD should highlight the
most dangerous violations in police officers summons books with insert cards that reference traffic violations
that commonly lead to serious injury and death. Violations should be defined by the dangers of each Borough
Command and these summonses should be tracked at every TrafficStat meeting.

THE BEST & THE WORST
When compared to their peers within the same borough command, these are the most and least effectual NYPD precincts:

MANHATTAN SOUTH
BEST WORST
Speeding 1
st
Precinct Speeding 13
th
Precinct
Failure to Yield 14
th
Precinct Failure to Yield 10
th
Precinct

MANHATTAN NORTH
BEST WORST
Speeding 26
th
Precinct Speeding 30
th
Precinct
Failure to Yield - 24
th
Precinct Failure to Yield 20
th
Precinct

BRONX
BEST WORST
Speeding 52
nd
Precinct Speeding 42
nd
Precinct
Failure to Yield 40
th
Precinct Failure to Yield 47
th
Precinct

BROOKLYN SOUTH
BEST WORST
Speeding 67
th
Precinct Speeding 76
th
Precinct
Failure to Yield- 70
th
Precicnt Failure to Yield 76
th
Precinct

BROOKLYN NORTH
BEST WORST
Speeding 81
st
Precinct Speeding 83
rd
Precinct
Failure to Yield 77
th
Precinct Failure to Yield 73
rd
Precinct

QUEENS SOUTH
BEST WORST
Speeding 105
th
Precinct Speeding 103
rd
and 106
th
Precincts tied
Failure to Yield 103
rd
Precinct Failure to Yield 100
th
Precinct

QUEENS NORTH
BEST WORST
Speeding 110
th
Precinct Speeding 109
th
Precinct
Failure to Yield 110
th
Precinct Failure to Yield 108
th
Precinct

STATEN I SLAND
The 121st Precinct was created in November 2013 out of areas that were the 120th and 122nd. This makes comparison from
last year to this year difficult for the whole borough. Combined, the 120th, 121st and 122nd Precincts increased speeding
summonses 85 percent from last year, while the 123rd increased speeding summonses by 87 percent. The
120th, 121st and 122nd increased failure to yield summonses 264 percent, and the 123rd increased 300 percent.

ALL BOROUGH COMMANDS
Finally, rising above and beyond the other borough commands, the Bronx had the largest increase in failure to yield
summonses (a 421 percent increase from last year), while Queens South had the largest increase in speeding
(a 105 percent increase).
METHODOLOGY

In early 2014, Transportation Alternatives sent a letter to every NYPD precinct, alerting them that they would be evaluated
on their performance enforcing the most dangerous traffic violations throughout the year. This evaluation, which will con-
clude in early 2015, will provide a comprehensive evaluation of the NYPDs performance during the first year of Mayor de
Blasios Vision Zero plan.

This mid-year report card evaluates how individual precincts have performed from January to June 2014 in summonsing
the most dangerous traffic violations (speeding and failure to yield) when compared to last year and compared to their
peers.

The NYPDs 76 precincts are grouped into eight Patrol Borough Commands: Manhattan North, Manhattan South, Brook-
lyn North, Brooklyn South, Queens North, Queens South, Bronx and Staten Island. Patrol Borough Commands group pre-
cincts into geographic areas; precincts in the same Borough Command have a more similar makeup when compared to
others around the city, which facilitates a more accurate comparison between the precincts therein. By comparing pre-
cincts improvement (or failure to improve) in summonsing to the average improvement among precincts in their borough
command, a clear picture arises of the best and the worst enforcers in the city.



APPENDIX
The number of speeding and failure to yield (FTY) summonses issued by precinct, January to June 2013 versus 2014:



Patrol Borough:
Manhattan South
2013
Jan - June
2014
Jan - June
#
Change
1st
Speeding 41 86 45
FTY 93 218 125
5th
Speeding 42 74 32
FTY 109 94 -15
6th
Speeding 30 40 10
FTY 56 345 289
7th
Speeding 19 57 38
FTY 122 147 25
9th
Speeding 10 22 12
FTY 113 123 10
10th
Speeding 30 36 6
FTY 82 62 -20
13th
Speeding 49 46 -3
FTY 102 204 102
Midtown
South (14th)
Speeding 5 27 22
FTY 513 874 361
17th
Speeding 17 57 40
FTY 74 295 221
Midtown
North (18th)
Speeding 9 29 20
FTY 56 120 64
Average
(Median)
Speeding 25 43 19
FTY 98 176 78




























Patrol Borough:
Manhattan North
2013
Jan - June
2014
Jan - June
#
Change
19th
Speeding 18 50 32
FTY 199 382 183
20th
Speeding 6 64 58
FTY 111 111 0
Central Park
(22nd)
Speeding 66 92 26
FTY 51 112 61
23rd
Speeding 21 105 84
FTY 148 275 127
24th
Speeding 36 118 82
FTY 156 372 216
25th
Speeding 9 76 67
FTY 74 284 210
26th
Speeding 294 533 239
FTY 166 281 115
28th
Speeding 275 353 78
FTY 102 260 158
30th
Speeding 361 154 -207
FTY 147 329 182
32nd
Speeding 99 128 29
FTY 81 189 108
33rd
Speeding 246 257 11
FTY 107 208 101
34th
Speeding 32 48 16
FTY 89 120 31
Average
(Median)
Speeding 51 112 61
FTY 109 268 159







Patrol Borough:
Bronx
2013
Jan - June
2014
Jan - June
#
Change
40th
Speeding 336 476 140
FTY 96 298 202
41st
Speeding 236 322 86
FTY 12 195 183
42nd
Speeding 138 173 35
FTY 48 118 70
43rd
Speeding 98 264 166
FTY 30 151 121
44th
Speeding 126 427 301
FTY 16 115 99
45th
Speeding 104 141 37
FTY 7 98 91
46th
Speeding 98 363 265
FTY 33 199 166
47th
Speeding 116 204 88
FTY 45 100 55
48th
Speeding 823 976 153
FTY 14 100 86
49th
Speeding 63 162 99
FTY 8 114 106
50th
Speeding 84 188 104
FTY 20 164 144
52nd
Speeding 72 494 422
FTY 7 98 91
Average
(Median)
Speeding 110 293 183
FTY 18 117 99


Patrol Borough:
Brooklyn South
2013
Jan - June
2014
Jan - June
#
Change
60th
Speeding 145 254 109
FTY 60 133 73
61st
Speeding 107 182 75
FTY 171 211 40
62nd
Speeding 88 161 73
FTY 113 223 110
63rd
Speeding 42 91 49
FTY 26 78 52
66th
Speeding 116 158 42
FTY 170 171 1
67th
Speeding 78 362 284
FTY 55 206 151
68th
Speeding 148 289 141
FTY 167 430 263
69th
Speeding 192 218 26
FTY 38 69 31
70th
Speeding 107 224 117
FTY 128 696 568
71st
Speeding 64 180 116
FTY 112 375 263
72nd
Speeding 123 213 90
FTY 89 192 103
76th
Speeding 85 94 9
FTY 111 88 -23
78th
Speeding 93 206 113
FTY 43 176 133
Average
(Median)
Speeding 107 206 99
FTY 111 192 81








Patrol Borough:
Brooklyn North
2013
Jan - June
2014
Jan - June
#
Change
73rd
Speeding 107 283 176
FTY 139 145 6
75th
Speeding 53 212 159
FTY 25 184 159
77th
Speeding 346 477 131
FTY 4 170 166
79th
Speeding 162 298 136
FTY 30 143 113
81st
Speeding 113 316 203
FTY 11 144 133
83rd
Speeding 14 28 14
FTY 31 95 64
84th
Speeding 23 96 73
FTY 46 211 165
88th
Speeding 29 102 73
FTY 2 36 34
90th
Speeding 141 171 30
FTY 14 126 112
94th
Speeding 336 448 112
FTY 5 72 67
Average
(Median)
Speeding 110 248 138
FTY 20 144 124








Patrol Borough:
Queens South
2013
Jan - June
2014
Jan - June
# Change
100th
Speeding 85 211 126
FTY 21 27 6
101st
Speeding 141 268 127
FTY 31 83 52
102nd
Speeding 88 194 106
FTY 134 216 82
103rd
Speeding 64 133 69
FTY 163 451 288
105th
Speeding 159 330 171
FTY 53 121 68
106th
Speeding 109 178 69
FTY 67 139 72
107th
Speeding 164 277 113
FTY 55 80 25
113th
Speeding 55 186 131
FTY 7 88 81
Average (Me-
dian)
Speeding 99 203 104
FTY 54 105 51



















































** The 121st precinct was created in November 2013 so comparison for the first 6 months of each year is not possible.
Patrol Borough:
Queens North
2013
Jan - June
2014
Jan - June
# Change
104th
Speeding 79 258 179
FTY 113 233 120
108th
Speeding 234 273 39
FTY 196 237 41
109th
Speeding 408 322 -86
FTY 253 480 227
110th
Speeding 1637 1893 256
FTY 252 860 608
111th
Speeding 70 294 224
FTY 60 149 89
112th
Speeding 190 286 96
FTY 99 589 490
114th
Speeding 245 346 101
FTY 131 175 44
115th
Speeding 98 149 51
FTY 242 341 99
Average
(Median)
Speeding 212 290 78
FTY 164 289 126


























REFERENCES

1
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. (2009). Summary of New York City Motor Vehicle Accidents, 2009.
http://dmv.ny.gov/sites/default/files/legacy_files/statistics/2009nycsummary.pdf
2
City of New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio. (2014). Vision Zero Action Plan. http://www.nyc.gov/html/visionzero/pdf/nyc-
2
City of New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio. (2014). Vision Zero Action Plan. http://www.nyc.gov/html/visionzero/pdf/nyc-
vision-zero-action-plan.pdf
3
Transportation Alternatives. (2012). Deadly Driving Unlimited: How the NYPD Lets Dangerous Drivers Run Wild.
http://transalt.org/files/news/reports/2012/Deadly_Driving_Unlimited_Report.pdf
4
Redelmeier, Donald et al. Traffic-law enforcement and risk of death from motor-vehicle crashes: case-crossover study,
Science Direct (June 28, 2003): http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673603137701.
Patrol Borough:
Staten Island
2013
Jan - June
2014
Jan - June
# Change
120th
Speeding 696 487 -209
FTY 70 204 134
121st**
Speeding NA 499 NA
FTY NA 74 NA
122nd
Speeding 459 1150 691
FTY 22 56 34
North SI
(120, 121, 122
combined)
Speeding 1155 2136 981
FTY 92 334 242
123rd
Speeding 610 1142 532
FTY 2 8 6
Average
(Median)
Speeding 610 821 211
FTY 22 65 43