NEW YORK (WCBS 880) -- Last summer was the deadliest for traffic deaths in New York City during Mayor Bill de Blasio’s time in office, according to a new report released Wednesday.
The data, looked over by Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets, showed traffic crashes killed 77 people in the city from June through August 2021 — an increase of 11 from 2020, and up 26 from the city’s lowest level of de Blasio’s term in 2018.
The group also said the city is on track to have its deadliest year in terms of traffic deaths of the de Blasio era, with the city’s 200th traffic death coming on Oct. 2, according to the data.
"New Yorkers need a mayor who can prevent cars from killing babies in strollers and essential workers on bikes,” said Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “With fatal crashes reaching record levels under his term, Mayor de Blasio has squandered the success he achieved on street safety. Our next mayor must prioritize and fast track our path to Vision Zero.”
Vision Zero, a city initiative aimed at greatly reducing traffic crashes deaths, denotes “there is no silver bullet that will end traffic fatalities” on the campaign's website, but pointed to fatalities dropping from 700 in 1990 to 202 in 2018.
Among the summer fatalities, 42 were drivers and their passengers in cars, more than double the numbers were at in 2016. 24 pedestrians and seven cyclists were also among those to lose their lives.
In total, 90 pedestrians and 13 cyclists have died across the city through 2021’s first nine months, according to the numbers.
The group specifically zeroed in on Brooklyn, where there were more traffic fatalities so far in the year (63) than throughout the year in 2020, 2018, 2017 or 2016. There were 23 deaths in crashes over the summer in the borough.
Transportation Alternatives pointed to a “skyrocketing” number of SUVs in Brooklyn as a reason for the problems.
The group asked the next mayoral administration to “recommit to Vision Zero,” “prioritize comprehensive citywide street redesign over police traffic enforcement” and to “prioritize people over private vehicles.”
A spokesperson for the mayor pointed The Post to earlier statements which blamed the higher figures on the pandemic.