As a legally blind Staten Islander who doesn’t drive, navigating our streets is not just inconvenient — it can be dangerous. Every intersection is a calculated risk, especially on the North Shore, where neighborhoods like St. George, Stapleton and Port Richmond are dense with traffic and activity.
That’s why the proposed Intro. 1138, the Universal Daylighting Bill, is a proven tactic of traffic science. Daylighting involves maximizing sightlines of intersections by clearing obstructions. Drivers can more easily see pedestrians stepping off the curb. Drivers can more easily see other vehicles entering the intersection. Pedestrians, elderly and parents pushing strollers can more easily see oncoming traffic. It is not just a traffic measure — it’s a matter of life and death.
The North Shore is home to approximately 200,000 residents, including about 6,000 households using strollers, around 20,700 people living with a disability, many of whom rely on walking, mobility devices, or Access – A – Ride. Yet, too often, parked cars block sightlines and force both drivers and pedestrians into dangerous situations, particularly at night.
Consider just some of the tragedies that have struck our community:
● In 2019, Anastasia Diaz, 89, was fatally struck at the intersection of Bradley and Purdy avenues while crossing a crosswalk at night.
In 2024, Chaosheng Wu, 80, was killed while attempting to cross Hylan Boulevard in Dongan Hills.
In 2022, Yingqui Liu, 73, lost his life at the intersection of South Avenue and Forest Avenue when struck by a vehicle.
In 2022, a one-year-old baby was killed while crossing Abbott Street and Scarboro Avenue in Rosebank — a tragedy that might have been prevented with a daylighted intersection.
These are not isolated incidents — they are the predictable outcome of intersections that are too dangerous, too blinding, and too dark. Intro. 1138 addresses this crisis. By prohibiting parking within 20 feet of crosswalks and installing bollards, planters or bike racks, the bill improves visibility for both pedestrians and drivers, creating predictable intersections.
For the North Shore, the reform could mean the removal of roughly 10% of local spots — a small sacrifice for life-saving improvements. The bill also specifically benefits people with disabilities. Clear sightlines and unobstructed crosswalks make it easier for seniors, wheelchair users, mothers with strollers and the visually impaired to navigate streets safely.
For those of us who rely on walking rather than driving, this change is not just convenient — it’s empowering, allowing greater independence and confidence to move safely through our neighborhoods. This legislation aligns with New York City’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and severe injuries. It is a rare opportunity for our borough to prioritize pedestrians’ lives over convenience and make our streets safer for everyone, including children and seniors, people with disabilities and legally blind residents, like myself. Intro. 1138 is not about inconveniencing drivers; it’s about protecting lives.
Every fatality on our streets represents a failure to act. Supporting this bill is about saying that safety, accessibility, and human lives come first. I know that the North Shore’s neighbors are humane and would rather protect every child in a stroller, every grandparent, every person with a disability than preserve a handful of convenient parking spots. Each cleared intersection is a chance to save a life. Each parked car left blocking a crosswalk is a risk we should no longer accept.
The choice is stark: We either act now to make our streets safer, or we continue to look away while more of our neighbors are injured or killed. By supporting Intro. 1138, the life you save may be your own. As for me, I choose safety. I choose life. And I believe my community does too.