NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio will leave his office having seen more traffic fatalities this year than any other year in his two terms as mayor of the Big Apple, the NY Post reports. As of December 26th, 266 people had been killed in car crashes on New York City streets, the most since 293 people died in 2013, the year before de Blasio ascended to the mayorship. The city this year has seen 120 pedestrians, 19 cyclists, 50 motorcyclists, 61 motor vehicle occupants, and 14 users of other devices such as e-scooters, killed on city streets. De Blasio, who instituted his signature “Vision Zero” program in New York City which reduced speed limits and imposed other measures, saw a 10% reduction in traffic fatalities over his tenure – still a far way off from the zero traffic deaths he promised by 2024. City officials have blamed several factors for the rise traffic deaths in New York City since 2018, including pandemic-related causes, unlicensed motorists, and drivers who had previous convictions and suspensions. “It’s been a challenging year, and we mourn every life lost on the streets. But this mayor presided over seven of the eight safest years on record because he made structural changes,” City Hall spokesman Mitch Schwartz said in a statement. “From record installations of bus lanes and bike lanes, to the largest speed camera program in North America, to reduced speed limits on dozens of miles of major corridors, we’ve made important changes to keep New Yorkers safe.” However, safety advocates say that de Blasio is at least partially to blame for the rise in traffic deaths by failing allocate more space for cyclists and pedestrians. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)      

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