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NYPRESS.COM • THE LARGEST PAPER ON THE EAST SIDE • JANUARY 23, 2014
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Solving a Deadly Garodnick Sharpens Traffic Puzzle a number of recent Focus for Final Following pedestrian fatalities -- including four over the weekend -- experts, Council Term more residents, and After conceding the speaker’s race, the third-term Upper East Side council member turns his attention to development and neighborhood concerns By Megan Bungeroth Dan Garodnick is nothing if not unflappable. Coming down from a roller coaster year of campaigning for three different elected positions as well as supporting colleagues running for citywide offices, Garodnick has just started his third term in the city council representing the Upper East Side’s 4th district, and he has already shaken off the ups and downs of his ride, setting his sights firmly forward. Early in 2013, Garodnick began a campaign for city comptroller but stepped aside when then-Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer jumped into the race, which he eventually won against Eliot Spitzer. Then Garodick ran unopposed to retain his council seat, winning easily, and also put himself in the running for speaker of the city council, a position that’s essentially second in power to the mayor and is chosen by the 51 members of the council. Presenting himself as a businessfriendly Democrat who would work with the mayor but also act as an independent counterbalance for his agenda, Garodnick garnered the support of some 20 council members, but conceded the race to Melissa MarkViverito hours before the vote. He asked his supporters to join him in voting for his one-time rival in the name of council unity. Now he’s finally able to turn away from campaigning and back to his job and his district. “We have a lot on the agenda, starting with a number of land use related issues, the East Midtown rezoning we’re going to pick that back up to finish,” said Garodnick Continued on page 9
elected leaders look for answers By Joanna Fantozzi The corner of 97th and West End Avenue was crowded with neighbors, activists and local politicians last week for the vigil for two pedestrians killed in separate accidents. The victims included Cooper Stock, age 9, who was killed crossing West End Avenue with his father two weeks ago, as result of a cab driver making a blind left turn. At the vigil, children gripped the hands of tearful adults who held candles in cups—the dim light illuminating angry protest signs demanding change. “This is unacceptable, this isn’t right. This is matter of life and death and we do have to protect our little babies,” said City Comptroller Scott Stringer, speaking at the vigil. “If you can’t drive, get out of your car and stop hurting our children. As a city, let’s get this done now.” Mayor de Blasio last week rolled out his Vision Zero plan,
which aims to reduce traffic fatalities to zero in the next 10 years. He has devoted an entire agency to Vision Zero, which will report to the mayor with a plan to improve the 50 most dangerous intersections in New York, expand the number of 20 mph zones in the city and pursue a legislative plan to give the city more power to enforce traffic laws. While the pedestriansafety push was prompted by the death of Cooper and a woman in Queens, it was given extra impetus by four more deaths over the weekend, including a 26-year-old woman killed while crossing the street a block from where the vigil was held. “Pedestrians are not protected and we see that every day with a number of accidents. Not only are people hit and killed but they are mostly hit and injured, and these injuries can be really life-altering,” said Christine Berthet, founder of CheckPeds, the Chelsea/Hell’s Kitchen Pedestrian Safety Organization. “I think the goal of vision zero is good, but dramatic, and when you try to get to perfection you won’t but you will get as close as possible.” In the first two weeks of 2014, there already have been seven pedestrian fatalities in the city, and 11 traffic deaths
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