Tyler Newcomb (He/Him)
@tylernewcomb_
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EMT turned safe streets advocate. Boards: @bikejc & @safestreetsjc . Opinions are my own. 🏳️🌈
Jersey City, NJ
Joined March 2014
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Pinned Tweet
Twitter hasn’t heard the story of how I, an SUV owning EMT, became the safe streets advocate I am today. 🧵
I became an EMT in late 2018. I owned and drove an SUV, and was pretty ambivalent about infrastructure and safe streets (sometimes maybe even skeptical).
Question for bike/ped advocacy twitter:
Are there examples of fire departments that have come around to accept traffic calming?
If so, how did that take place?
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I’m the average male height the at 5’9”
This vehicle should be illegal.
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Got my backpack stolen at lunch in Manhattan (I think they grabbed it while I was eating and I didn’t notice for a few minutes).
I had an AirTag and my MacBook, started tracking both. Hopped on a citi e-bike and rode down to Hudson Yards. Called 911 and was told to wait there.
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But I’m also frustrated that the police were so useless, that they never showed up, that I can’t file a report online, over the phone, or at a precinct, and that an insurance claim for theft requires you to wait on two guys with guns to show up in an SUV.
End rant. ☹️
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They even took my epipens and (presumably) ate the other half of my chocolate bar, leaving the wrapper (perhaps the biggest slap in the face).
Called 911 again, they said they were still on their way. Waved down every cop that passed, they either waved back or ignored me.
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After waiting for 40 minutes I called 311, hoping to file a report by going to a precinct. Was told they needed to come to me.
Walked to where the AirTag was, found my backpack in a gas station trash can. The laptop, my notebook, first aid kit, chargers, etc were gone.
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At this point, Find My has my laptop in LIC, and it’s been more than 50 minutes since my original call.
An hour after my third call to 911, I finally gave up. I didn’t have hope of recovering it, but wanted a report in case I might make an insurance claim.
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The laptop and the AirTag were in different locations. I assumed they had ditched the backpack or AirTag, and focused on the laptop. It was a block south of me, then passed me. I was looking for the backpack but didn’t see it. They ended up going into the subway.
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I eventually went back to work (who had been very supportive and patient thankfully), and then 3 hours after I originally reported the theft missed 3 phone calls (presumably from the police who had finally showed up).
I’m frustrated at the thief, and at myself.
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2. I called 311 first and was told to call 911. Yes, I know it’s not a life threatening emergency. I wanted a report for insurance claims, and calling 911 was the only possible outcome.
3. The police (especially the NYPD) have not been defunded. It’s their job to take reports.
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Well holy shit, this one blew up.
A few things: yes, some folks need trucks for work. I happen to be one. That doesn’t mean these dangerous, fashion over function designs should be legal. The NHTSA could regulate hood height and frontal visibility to reduce the danger.
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To anyone who has insulted my height, please stop protecting your insecurities onto me. I’m very comfortable with my height, and the fact that I’m the National average is conveniently illustrative here. It’s comical that truck bros think my height is the point of this.
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Whoa boy, looks like I’ve struck a nerve.
Some clarifications:
1. For those who don’t live in NYC, Hudson Yards is busy. Even if they still had my backpack, it would be hard to spot it. But the ditched the backpack and had the laptop in their own bag.
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The car on the sidewalk has 24 violations and $2,300 in fines still owed. The car in the street has 197 violations and has been fined $15k since 2016.
This was preventable.
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4. I wasn’t expecting or hoping to recover the laptop after the first 15 minutes or so. I was just looking for a report. The police (and calling 911) was the only way to do that.
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Ugh, wish we could edit tweets. You know what I meant to say.
I should also note this is on 45th st between 5th and 6th aves, one of the most transit dense neighborhoods in the most transit dense city in the United States.
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@reluctantmutant
I think speeding and red light tickets, bus lane violations, parking in front of a fire hydrant, and leaving meter fines unpaid for months or years absolutely indicates the nature of someone’s driving, yes.
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It’s just past midnight on a Friday night. This is the densest city in the US. I have to wait 26 minutes for the ONLY possible route to cross a mile wide river without a car. This is unacceptable.
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Finally, New Jersey Governor Murphy is trying to widen a highway through Newark, Bayonne, & Jersey City. It’s a terrible plan that would worsen traffic, air quality, and dangers.
Please see to learn more and sign a petition.
Muting this thread now.
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@BrayTerry
Anything with a hood heights this high and poor frontal visibility, yes. Vehicles can be designed to function better than this with good frontal visibility, but governments refuse to regulate that.
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Biked home tonight in uniform (following traffic laws).
I stopped at a red light, waited, the light cycled, but I still had a red. I realized it was on a sensor, and wouldn’t change.
It’s hard to follow traffic laws on streets that were designed without my existence in mind.
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As an EMT, I can assure you that I have never been delayed by protests, bike rides, or pedestrians nearly as much as I am delayed daily by motor vehicle traffic. Bikes and pedestrians can move quickly, and are often very considerate of ambulances. Can’t say the same of motorists.
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@slucy
Unfortunately, I don’t live in NYC, I’m in Jersey City. At this point, since my insurance deductible is nearly the cost of the stolen items, it’s not really worth it to report or file a claim.
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@Henryz_mom
I thought the same, but I called 311 and was told to call 911. I was also told I couldn’t go to a precinct to report it.
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Friendly reminder that NHTSA and USDOT have not regulated bumper height despite overwhelming evidence that doing so would reduce injuries and repair costs.
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@wechanism
After the first 10-15 minutes, I wasn’t even expecting to get it back, I just wanted a report for insurance reasons.
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The question is often posed: How will emergency vehicles get to where they’re going?
As an EMT, I have several points to make regarding this. 🧵
🚑🚒🚓
(Also disclaimer: opinions are my own and do not represent those of my employers)
A full admission that closing streets to cars is safer and does not preclude emergency vehicle access.
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It gets worse. Headways are FOURTY MINUTES right now. There’s no place to sit. Bathrooms are closed. This is a dehumanizing experience.
@PATHTrain
do better.
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@sgopanand
I’ve locked it. I haven’t wiped it yet, since that would make it easier for them to re-sell it without tracking. I don’t want to make it any easier for them than I already have.
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10 lanes for cars. Not an inch for bikes. Hard to claim I think “the world revolves around me” because I want the same right to cross a mile wide river as tens of thousands of motorists do daily.
@tylernewcomb_
@PANYNJ
A bike lane in the Holland and Lincoln tunnel ? The world doesn’t revolve around you and your bike .
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@Gazarelda
Couldn’t file a report over then phone and was told they needed to respond. I wasn’t expecting them to track the thief down, just take a statement.
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Just boarded the train. It’s standing room only.
Even with the lack of supply, the demand is massive. The math is simple: run more trains.
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Really thinking about getting a ride share, but I’ve got my bike with me. It would be real nice if I could bike the 5 minutes in one of
@PANYNJ
’s 10 lanes dedicated to motor vehicles across the Hudson that are in midtown.
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So that’s the story. I joined the boards of
@bikejc
and
@SafeStreetsJC
, and we’re still working towards safer streets. As I’ve written about before, first responders and safe infrastructure can coexist, and we owe it to first responders and citizens to make it so.
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Oh I forgot, I could also swim across the Hudson. Google says it would take me (I’d consider myself beginner speed but confident) 45-50 minutes, but I think dragging my bike would slow me a bit too. I give it 75 mins. (Most likely to make the news though!)
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I am BEGGING NJ transit to do away with fare zones, or at the very least standardize them.
Last week I got told my stop to PABT is 4 zones and that my 3 zone ticket wasn’t enough. Today I’m told I overpaid and only need a 3 zone. It shouldn’t be this hard to ride transit.
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To summarize, the idea that better urban infrastructure and fast response times can’t coexist is a myth. Like many of the challenges presented in design of public space, a little creativity goes a long way, and can open our cities up to beautiful and pleasant opportunities.
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Second night in a row I’m coming home to JC from NYC (this time Brooklyn)
This is a third world country. NYC area is the gold standard for public transit in the US and it’s so terrible. I hate it here so much. I just want to get home within 3 hours. It takes cars 45 mins.
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1. Car traffic always has been the biggest obstacle to our response times. Double parked cars, traffic, motorists blocking intersections, commercial vehicles not in loading zones, and traffic jams behind motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are some of our biggest delays.
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A driver intentionally crashing into a taqueria in Jersey City after being refused alcohol.
Drivers targeting and dooring cyclists in the east bay.
A Uhaul driver intentionally mowing down pedestrians and moped riders in Brooklyn.
When will our elected leaders do anything?
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My options right now (folks who don’t have a car) to get across the Hudson:
1. Wait for a train with 40 minute headways.
2. Take a $54
@Uber
.
3. Ride 2 hours and 12 mins (24 miles) by bike.
(For reference, it’s a 20 minute, 4.7 mile drive, with traffic)
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@twerkthevote
@DCUrbanist
That too, but the factory design of this is still excessive. If you need a vehicle with this much capacity, it should be a cab over design that has much better visibility.
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I started to notice how scary riding a bike in a city could be, but absolutely loved it. I was saving ~$1000/m, getting around quickly, and was actually enjoying my commute.
I stumbled across some YouTube channels like
@notjustbikes
,
@CityBeautifulYT
, and
@Shifter_site
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I quickly learned that these crashes were preventable, and about the the principles of
@VisionZeroJC
.
Most importantly, that infrastructure, not human error, was the best way to prevent crashes.
Over all of 2022 I got involved with
@HudCoStreets
and other local organizations.
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Filming while driving, doesn’t understand the rules of the road, honking at someone who’s fully within their right, claiming she didn’t run the stop sign despite clear evidence she did.
But yeah, it’s the cyclists who are wrong.
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5. It’s easier to move large amounts of the people and bicyclists out of our way than to move many cars out of our way. People and bikes can quickly filter into smaller spaces or go around our path of travel.
Additionally, sirens can be much quieter if people aren’t in cars.
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2. Pedestrian plazas don’t block our way to our patients. We can walk quite far with all our equipment (it’s a job requirement after all). We can fit our stretcher into pedestrian plazas and bring our care right to you, continuing it while moving towards the ambulance.
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4. Options certainly exist to allow for emergency vehicle access in pedestrian and bicycle zones. Automated (and manual) gates or bollards are used in the EU and UK for buses and emergency vehicles, and there’s no reason they can’t exist blocking entrances to parks here.
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I just witnessed a man drive his Ram 2500 up to the pharmacy, have to drive up the curb to fit into his spot, and then get out and DUCK underneath his drivers side mirror to get by.
Why are vehicles like this allowed in cities without special licensing?
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2021 was a really deadly year in Jersey City - 16 traffic deaths. I responded to 10 of them.
A multi car crash with one dead, one unconscious, one with an arterial bleed, and three minor injuries.
A bus crash with 12 patients.
A car on the sidewalk causing a lost limb.
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As an EMT, I responded to a lot of crashes, some more memorable than others.
A drunk driver hitting a school van.
A pedestrian run over by an SUV.
A driver into a pole with partial ejection.
Over my ~18 months as an EMT, I responded to about 160 crashes.
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3. Even larger pedestrian plazas or areas without motor vehicle access can be accessible to us. For special events, we have UTVs and even bikes to access our patients more quickly and bring them back to a full ambulance. These could be deployed 24/7 if they’re needed more.
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I was bored so I drew this…
It’s meant to accompany any sign that says “cyclists must dismount and walk” or similar, since we all know what the biggest hazard is.
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@kevbgb
I’m not in Tokyo. If I were, I’d be saying that the transit in Tokyo should be 24/7 as well. Urban mobility is not a privilege reserved only for car owners.
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In 2021 I moved to NJ and began working in Jersey City as an EMT. Garage parking was $250/m and I was broke, so I sold my car and starting taking transit everywhere.
Headways when I got out of work were rough, so I bought a used bike that summer and started using it + transit.
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Most significantly, a woman walking to worship services, who was hit by a red light runner on a high speed road and thrown into the path of another vehicle. She wasn’t breathing effectively when I arrived on scene, her entire temple huddled over her body.
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A few days after that crash, I was looking to see if there were updates. I found
@SafeStreetsJC
on Facebook and realized she had died.
I also saw a post about
@bikejc
’s
@WDRemembrance
ride, starting near where I lived. I joined the ride, and connected with folks from JC.
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@says_rights
@henrygrabar
@AlysonMetzger
Most people that are traveling more than 5-10 minutes walk from home bring something with them. Medications, chargers, water bottle, bike tools, extra layer, helmet, etc.
For those with cars? They leave them there. For those on bike or foot, they have no option.
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6. Roads would still exist, and with more people able to safely and comfortably move around their environment without cars, less vehicle traffic will hold us up!
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Friendly reminder that
@GovMurphy
wants to spend $10 BILLION on a highway expansion while
@NJTRANSIT
has NO permanent funding source and is raising fares.
Is this the “Fairer New Jersey”
@GovMurphy
wants?
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Hell yeah. Every major urban core in the US should have congestion pricing that funds transit and active transportation infrastructure.
Boston city councilors are considering the possibility of implementing congestion pricing in the city, a set fee placed on drivers of various vehicles for driving into certain Boston neighborhoods as a measure to alleviate traffic congestion.
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After reading a bit about visibility in large trucks, I’m reminded of an experience I had very early on as an EMT working in the Boston Area, that I want to share here. It involves me, a Ford E350, an EMT partner with 20+ years on the job, and a routine transport.
A thread 🧵
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Nobody wants to unintentionally harm another person when we’re out and about on our way to to work, school, or running errands. It’s absolutely insane that vehicles with such large blind spots are legal for anyone to purchase and drive. It needs to be regulated.
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Instead, I sat there while traffic from the opposite direction had a green and a protected turn. I figured my green was coming. Instead, the light changed to allow cross traffic again. I had no option but to break the law, because my vehicle (a small bike) wasn’t detected.
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During the pandemic I started working as a COVID testing and later vaccination site coordinator. I used my large SUV to carry life saving supplies. I even considered upsizing, and I test drove a Highlander and a 4Runner (two of the larger SUVs Toyota makes)
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@streetsblogkea
Just the term “Traffic” generally. It’s almost always used to refer to cars, and it’s almost always negative connotation.
“Traffic” is good, when it’s people, bikes, or transit. “Congestion” is bad, and it’s caused exclusively by cars.
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Went private for a bit. I’m not on this platform to receive threats of sexual violence, homophobia, and graphic images in my inbox.
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@jehiah
@NYPDMTN
@NYPDTransport
You can get a plate from this video, I hope you’ve reported it to
@NYPDnews
and I hope they take swift action. 5 speed camera violations means this video is likely not an outlier.
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@the_transit_guy
Be able to stop in half the distance you can see, on the conditions you’re driving in. Don’t drive if you can avoid it. Slow down, turn on lights, use hazards. Truck driver should be going less than 20 here IMO.
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Thinking about a minor (solo) bike crash I had in NYC the other day and the responses.
A cyclist and a pedestrian immediately ran out offering to help me up. Several more asked if I was okay. Someone crossed the street to offer me bandages.
The motorist behind me honked.
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Friendly, but firm reminder that HALF of a cars lifetime carbon emissions are in production alone. Not to mention particulate matter.
EVs are not the solution to the climate crisis. Less cars is (a big part of) the solution to the climate crisis.
skrt skrt beep beep
@GovMurphy
signed legislation today advancing the use of electric vehicles 🚙 another huge step toward a 100% clean energy future
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Good time to remind everyone of a cool little physics formula.
F=M*A
When you increase the mass, you increase the force of a collision.
Yes, this vehicle *is* more dangerous than a smaller car.
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When I bike in uniform, I always try to follow traffic laws by the book. I want to represent my company well and not give anyone fodder.
On my normal commute I can do this just fine. On this new route, I had time to go through the light safely and didn’t (bc of optics).
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Will this dude ever shut up about gas prices??? Build a train or cancel student loans damn.
This Christmas, you'll pay less to fill up your tank and get home than you did this time last year.
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Absolutely packed on the
@PATHTrain
WTC->Newark line right now, and it doesn’t even leave for another 5 minutes.
Weekend ridership has bounced back post pandemic, despite service cuts. It’s time we leave the 20 minute headways in the past.
@PANYNJ
@GovKathyHochul
@GovMurphy
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Tweets like these (and the more explicit homophobia that I refuse to amplify) are just so disheartening.
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Cargo bike owning friends: where do you keep it? Do you bring it indoors? Do you lock it outside? Do you carry/roll it up steps?
Looking at where I want to live next. I’m concerned about theft with an e-cargo bike. Thoughts?
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Buses stuck in single occupancy vehicle traffic is a policy failure.
@PANYNJ
has failed us by not having a 24/7 XBL in the Lincoln Tunnel. This could be done tomorrow with the right political will.
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@ElleryKlein
One of the things I’ll never stop being mad about is how cops nationwide just … stopped doing their jobs in 2020 to protest calls for defunding, then got to claim “oh well we got defunded and can’t do anything about it 🤷🏻” all while getting *more* funding in most places.
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Further proof that people oriented spaces are *better* for emergency vehicles. People and bikes can move out of the way very quickly, cars can’t.
'Nice idea, those human oriented streets, but what about when emergency vehicles have to get through?!!?'
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Tonight, I learned more tragic details about a fatal pedestrian crash that I responded to two years ago, and about the person who was killed.
It was that crash that led to me becoming an advocate for safer streets.
Feelings are hard to describe.
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Breaking: man with gun tells pedestrians that they’re responsible for not getting hit by 3 ton steel battering rams.
Road safety is everyone’s responsibility. In our 3-part series on
#roadsafety
, we’ve touched on the roles of drivers, cyclists, and now pedestrians.
Did you know that when the flashing hand with a number countdown begins, it is no longer safe to begin crossing the street?
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A close call, or even a crash like this, could happen to anyone driving a large vehicle. Sure, there were some things he could have done to reduce the risk of a crash like that, but ultimately the visibility in front of the hood was the primary factor.
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Hey
@UPS
, what’s your policy on drivers endangering cyclists by parking in the bike lane? This is a common occurrence at this location, and it needs to stop. Outside of store 4620 in Jersey City.
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@lapsu
Fair enough, should have said densest metro area. Manhattan and JC are both top 30 densest. Point stands 😉
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Danny puts this so well. Community feedback should absolutely include specifics of design and take into account community needs, but if streets are identified as dangerous, “do nothing” shouldn’t even be an option.
What do you do when elected officials are hearing from their constituents, particularly drivers, who don’t want to see these safety improvements put in place?
The last I checked, the mayor didn’t go block by block to ask if people wanted a fire station. We prioritize safety.
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These are all intentional, violent crimes committed this weekend where people were seriously injured. They all exploited the anonymity and accessibility of a car as a primary weapon.
How do you even begin to change this culture? What can we do to prevent this?
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Standing at PABT with least 60 other riders, waiting on an
@NJTRANSIT
ghost bus.
When I got here at 9:00, the 119 was expected at 9:14. Now the next bus is at 9:45.
A passenger ahead of me activated their ticket and it has since expired.
We’re expected to pay 15% more?
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@says_rights
@henrygrabar
@AlysonMetzger
Exactly. Having a car is like having a big personal locker if you go shopping or need to run errands while you’re out to a show. It’s a very convenient thing that we need to address to make it easier to
#gobybike
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@philritz1
@ericmkingsbury
I don’t disagree, but there’s no reason we should even have streets (other than highways) that physically allow vehicles to get above 20 mph.
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@alanthefisher
A lot of places seem to be cutting school busses. Fear of traffic violence is also a problem, but the “solution” many come up with is “drive my toddler to school in a toddler crushing SUV”
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