Ross Sandler, Center for New York City Law Director

The City aggressively attacks unsafe conditions for bike riders on the City’s streets and avenues, but less successfully attacks unsafe behaviors of bike riders. Unsafe conditions can mostly be engineered away, but unsafe behaviors require changes of a cultural nature. The City in 2019 experienced 28 bike rider deaths and more than 4,000 bike injuries. So far 2020 has experienced more bike injuries than in 2019. To make the City safer for bike riders, the City should aggressively enforce the traffic laws against vehicles, but also aggressively enforce the rules against bike riders who ride against traffic, ignore traffic signals, speed, or text and talk on phones while riding. (read more…)

Ross Sandler, Center for New York City Law Director

The number of persons killed by contact with subway trains is truly alarming and, worse, consistent year to year. The victims include persons with severe mental problems and drug and alcohol addiction on the one hand, and, on the other hand, adventuresome youths who see romance and challenge in the subways’ dark tunnels, speedy trains and endless tracks. All the deaths are tragedies. (read more…)

Ross Sandler

Four great New Yorkers were honored with Civic Fame Awards at the CityLaw Breakfast on May 26, 2016.  The Civic Fame Award recognizes persons who have made significant contributions to the civic life of New York City. In a happy and joyous ceremony, each awardee was individually presented with a specially created certificate bearing the striking image of the 25-foot-high, gilded figure of Civic Fame which stands on top of the Municipal Building.

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