In Effort to Reduce Pedestrian Accidents, NYC to Install Countdown Clocks

In response to a lengthy safety study on traffic fatalities across New York City, the City's Transportation Commission announced earlier today a new broad-based initiative that will see the installation of roughly 1,500 countdown clocks at some of the City's most dangerous intersections, such as the Queens Boulevard, which was previously dubbed "the Boulevard of Death."

Another major part of the initiative includes reducing the speed limit to 20 mph from its current level of 30 mph in several areas. The reason for this is relatively obvious: the higher the speed of the vehicle, the smaller chance for survival for pedestrians hit by those vehicles.

I have to admit that I am pleasantly surprised by the alacrity with which the City seems to be approaching this report; the announcements of these new initiatives followed almost immediately the public release of the report.