Transportation

The danger faced by other vehicles and by pedestrians from drivers who turn without signaling(thus surprising the car behind them and the pedestrian crossing the street in front of them) is enormous.  Equally dangerous is the wide-spread use of cell phones while driving despite the fairly harsh penalties already in the law.  However, enforcement of these two existing laws is lax.  If the officers giving out parking tickets would simply stand on a few busy corners and ticket every one violating these laws, the city revenues would rise for a while(until people realized the city is actually serious) and safety would improve dramatically.  You will note that this requires no new laws, no new surveys, no new anything....except actual enforcement.  And while you are at it, try enforcing the laws on bike riders.  Now that the 1st Avenue bike lane is in on the UES, the flagrant disregard of stop lights etc. by bikers is incredible.  I would say about 50% of all bike riders simply disregard any traffic rules because they want to keep on pedaling.  Have the same traffic enforcement people who ticket drivers turning without signaling and drivers talking on cell phones also ticket bike riders(this can be done while standing on any busy corner) and you will have improved traffic safety enormously.  Congratulations on your victory...now the hard part...governing in a sensible manner.  Good luck,  Bob Raber UES resident