"NEW YORK SAFE STREETS FOR SENIORS" PROGRAM
New York City Department of Transportation (DOT)
New York City, NY, USA.
Program Description
Extending the 'walk now signal' at intersections for seniors and more!
"...Safe Streets for Seniors, which works in conjunction with the All Ages Project, which is re-envisioning what it means to grow older in New York City."
-nyc.gov
The "New York Safe Streets for Seniors" Program is taking a senior's perspective in planning streets and making engineering changes.
Street safety changes are being catered to an aging population such as:
-Extending pedestrian crossing times at crosswalks and shortening crossing distances to give seniors enough time to cross the street safely.
-Altering curbs and sidewalks, restricting vehicle turns, and narrowing roadways.
-Improving visibility and lighting so that seniors with mild to moderate vision loss can safely get around.
-The width of the roadway to accommodate walkers and wheelchairs.
-Drivers' compliance with traffic and pedestrian signals.
The New York City Department of Transportation examined accident histories across the city and identified specific neighborhoods that have a high density of seniors and a high number of pedestrian accidents or injuries.
Safe streets are vital as a form of senior transportation
providing alternatives for senior who can not access transit or for seniors who no longer drive.
source:
nyc.gov