Blind and Visually Impaired New Yorkers Urge Mayor Bloomberg to Respond to Concerns About Unsafe Street Crossings Immediately

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 8, 2010 -- New York City – November 5, 2010 – The Coalition of Pedestrians for Accessible and Safe Streets asked mayor Michael Bloomberg to respond to concerns raised by PASS members immediately about the lack of plans to make street crossings safer for blind, visually impaired, and deaf-blind residents.

“We’re very surprised that it’s taken months for the Mayor’s office to even respond to our request for a meeting,” said karen Gourgey, the President of the Greater New York Council of the Blind, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind of new York

“New York City’s streets become more and more unsafe everyday,” said Maria Hansen, a blind guide dog user. “The more we wait, the more dangerous the streets become for blind and visually impaired people.”

After learning about Mayor Bloomberg’s initiative to make street safer for New Yorkers by installing count down timers and making other changes, the PASS Coalition wrote to the Mayor at the end of August about New York City’s obligations under the Americans With Disabilities Act. The letter outlined the efforts of the coalition and technological solutions that the department of Transportation could employ.

“Members of the PASS Coalition have been asking for New York City to start installing accessible Pedestrian Signals for many years,” said Ray Wayne, the President of the New York City Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of New York.

Accessible pedestrian signals are devices that communicate information about pedestrian timing in nonvisual format such as audible tones, verbal messages, and/or vibrating surfaces. These devices, when installed at key intersections, can help blind, visually impaired, and deaf blind people cross streets by letting them know about the right time to cross and the direction of travel.

“Accessible Pedestrian Signals are really needed for many intersections in New York City,” Said Dr. Gene Bourquin, a certified mobility instructor. “With the number of changes that the city has made to many intersections like complicated phasing patterns for traffic lights, traffic plazas, turning lanes, and pathways for bikes, it makes it very difficult for blind pedestrians to cross streets because they don’t have the type of information needed to understand regular traffic patterns or additional features. And the City is planning to make even more changes in coming years,” continued Dr. Bourquin.

“All we need is a plan to install accessible pedestrian signals as the City is making important traffic changes,” said Sharlene Kraft. “We really can’t wait any longer. It might be too expensive for the city if they didn’t act now,” continued Ms. Kraft.

The coalition had hoped to receive a response from the Mayor’s office by the middle of September in order to set up a meeting with the Department of Transportation.

The Coalition of Pedestrians for Accessible and Safe Streets (PASS) was formed to make New York City streets safe for pedestrians with visual disabilities and for blind New Yorkers who are also deaf. PASS is comprised of 24 state-wide and City organizations. These include organizations that work specifically with blind, visually impaired, and deaf-blind New York residents and visitors. The Coalition is also comprised of organizations whose interest lies in ensuring a safe new York for all pedestrians.

###

blin     Department of Transportation     michael bloomberg     pedestrian     safety     visually impaired