Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Announces More than Two Years WIthout a Fatality on Queens Boulevard, as Next Phase of Redesign Moves Forward

May 17, 2017

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Everybody, let's thank Lizzie for all she has done to keep people safe.

[Applause]

And you have honored, Lizzie, you have honored your son's legacy. And I want you to know it's such a beautiful thing that in this tragedy you've done something so good for so many other people. You really have. You have honored him and his name is alive and memory is alive because of you. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Lizzie is not alone. There are so many New Yorkers who have lost family members. This is the essence of why Vision Zero is here. So many New Yorkers have lost their loved ones and it didn't have to happen. It's as simple as that. It didn't have to happen.

This city was not doing the right things to stop these crashes, to stop this lost of life and a lot had to change. And because of Lizzie and so many others who stood up and said it was unacceptable, who rejected the notion that any street could be called the Boulevard of Death. And I always say how did we get used to that? How did we think it was normal? That one of the most important streets in this borough and this city was called the Boulevard of Death, and that somehow that was tolerated.

Well, Lizzie and so many others finally said to the people of this city, we won't tolerate it anymore. It's time for fundamental change.

I want to thank her and I want to thank all those who are fighting for safe streets every day. They have made a huge difference. Vision Zero would not be here if it weren't for the community members and the families and the activists who stood up.

And I want to acknowledge and thank all them including all these organizations. Make Queens Safe, we thank you – Safer, excuse me – thank you for your great work.

[Applause]

Families for Safe Streets – they have done incredible work in this city and in Albany fighting for change. Transportation Alternatives that's been leading the way for years, we thank you. Bike Queens, we thank you for your leadership. Cycalistas Latino Americanos de New York, we thank you.

[Applause]

And I also want to say there are many local leaders who are courageous in standing up for the safety of their fellow residents even when it isn't always politically popular. And I want to respect them for their leadership. In this case, from Queens Community Board 6 the Chair, Joseph Hennessy. Thank you for your leadership.

[Applause]

And the District Manager, Frank [inaudible], thank you very much for leadership,

This idea of Vision Zero was one of the first things we did as an administration. A lot of you were there that first day when we announced it. And it was a deep commitment we made. It was not only felt at City Hall, it was felt at the Department of Transportation, it was felt at TLC, it was felt at the Police Department.

I remember that day, how powerfully Commissioner Bratton spoke about why Vision Zero was a central part of the work of the NYPD and that has built out even further under Commissioner O'Neill and Chief Chan.

So, this was something that had to change and has been. Look, there's a lot of things in life where you want to see change and sometimes it's frustrating how long it takes. This time we have an example of change that actually worked and continues to work and will go even deeper.

Vision Zero has worked and will work even more as we build it out. The concept was so important – to not accept the notion that "accidents" were part of everyday life and nothing could be done because in fact it turned out a lot could be done.

Sure, we're human beings. We're fallible. We make mistakes. But that wasn't the point. The point is the streets were designed the wrong way. We had the wrong speed limit. We didn't have enough enforcement.

There were all sorts of things that were actually the responsibility of government that weren't being done the right way. And when we changed them the results were almost immediate and they were intense and they saved so many lives.

This concept of Vision Zero is simple. We shouldn't have to lose anyone. If we do things right, if we do the right enforcement, if we have the right rules we shouldn't have to lose anyone. And that's the goal to fight for.

Now, let me tell you, we know in 2016 we had the fewest traffic fatalities in the recorded history of New York City in over a century. But let me tell you about 2017 so far.

Pedestrian deaths are down 17 percent year-to-date this year. So, we've had four full months under our belt. We are already down 17 percent in pedestrian deaths.

And overall traffic deaths are down 12 percent. Why? Because Vision Zero keeps growing. Somethings happen and they stay the same year to year. Vision Zero keeps growing each year. It becomes stronger. It reaches farther. The enforcement is intensifying each year.

We want to do more and more to inhibit reckless behavior and speeding with speed cameras. And we need help in Albany to do that. And the families again, have been outstanding. More and more traffic redesigns. It adds up. It builds. That's why it makes more of a difference.

Now, the story of Queens Boulevard – this is one of the things that most inspired Vision Zero. Every one of you remembers the blaring headlines, front page of our newspapers – Boulevard of Death, year after year. Even now, hearing the numbers again, it staggers me.

185 New Yorkers died on Queens Boulevard over 25 years. 185 people died. None of them had to die and this chart puts it extraordinarily clear perspective. This goes all the way back to 1990.

Now, look what we used to think, tragically, was normal in this city. Here's the high point – 24 deaths on Queens Boulevard in 1993. 22 in 1997. It got better but it didn't get better enough. Even as recently as 2013, eight deaths. These last two years, no one had died on Queens Boulevard.

[Applause]

No deaths at all on Queens Boulevard.

Think of this in human terms. You heard from Lizzie. Think of what it means that 185 families went through that tragedy. That's just the people who died. Think of the hundreds and hundreds who were injured and some in ways that changed their lives forever and for the worse.

It was called the Boulevard of Death and it earned the name the Boulevard of Death. We are now making it the Boulevard of Life. That's what it should be.

[Applause]

So, to put this in perspective – 925 days without a single loss of life on Queens Boulevard. 925 days. And that is outstanding. And I want to thank, again, everyone – Department of Transportation, Taxi and Limousine Commission, NYPD, all the local leaders.

This is not by accident. This happened because people put their heads together and they made bold decisions and made real changes.

Now, the next phase of this work is what we want to talk about today. We've established this progress but we have to go farther. We have to keep deepening Vision Zero. And so, we are now announcing the next phase of work on Queens Boulevard. 1.3 miles of additional improvements are going to made through Rego Park from Elliot Avenue to Yellowstone Boulevard.

And I know Council member Kosowitz is happy about that. Real improvements that are going to help protect against these crashes and save lives. And it is the beginning of much bigger changes that you'll see in the months and years ahead on Queens Boulevard.

We know that there's so many places that need improvement and we are systematically addressing them all. And you're seeing important changes on Woodhaven Boulevard as well right next door.

When you change a traffic pattern – and every one of us has seen this – a traffic pattern doesn't make sense and people struggle with it, and it often leads to crashed because people are just confused. When you change you make it clearer, you make it more orderly, you save lives. When you put in speed cameras, you save lives. When there's enforcement, you save lives. It's as simple as that.

Every time someone is speeding or they fail to yield to pedestrians and the next thing they see is an NYPD officer, it changes behavior, it saves lives.

We know it works and we also know that change isn't always easy. I was at a town hall meeting in Borough Park, Brooklyn last night. A lot of people were in disagreement with some of the changes we made along Ocean Parkway. Hundreds of people in the meeting, and I said to all of them, let me make this clear to you. It may not always popular but we saved a lot of lives since we made those changes. And our number one responsibility is safety. And we're going to stick to that vision even when there's controversy.

We know when we first talked about the changes on Queens Boulevard there was real opposition. A lot of people could not envision doing things a different way. A lot of people tried to stop it. We'll always listen. I'll always listen. We'll always think if there's a way to do something that responds to community needs. But what we will never do is step back from the responsibility to keep people safe.

So, yeah, I know there's going to be controversy but I'm committed to taking to this initiative forward. And I have to tell you, no one can doubt it. It's working and there are families out there that didn't lose a son or daughter. There are families that are whole and intact today because of this initiative and that is reason enough to keep building it and making it stronger.

A few words in Spanish –

[Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish]

With that, the woman who is at the lead of changing the way we get around by making our streets make more sense and making them safer, and she's been a great partner – our Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.

[Applause]

[...]

Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg: I just want to give thank you's. Mr. Mayor, I want to thank you for your leadership, for the resources you've given to our department, and for the running room you've given us to be bold, to be innovative.

I want to thank the wonderful partners we've had, the elected officials, the community board, the powerful advocacy groups, people like Lizzie who've shared her personal stories. I can't tell you what an inspiration that has been for all of us, for our agency partners. And I want to thank my team at DOT because I have to say this is one of the projects we are the proudest of. We're proud of the amazing results and we're proud of the wonderful reaction we're getting from the community, from people who have to cross Queens Boulevard everyday who can now ride a bike on there, who now feel safe taking their children to cross the street.

I'm going to mention names. I'm going to single out particularly the two Nicoles – Nichole Altmix, who walked with, Mr. Mayor, from our Transportation and Planning Division. She's really the mastermind behind this project.

[Applause]

And Nicole Garcia, our Queens Borough Commissioner who has been on the ground working with her team, working with community boards, and businesses and local elected officials. It's lucky we get to stand up there but I want to thank all the people at DOT. It's really been a team effort on our part. There have probably been 50 people who've helped bring Queens Boulevard to reality.

So, thank you all. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[Applause]

Mayor: Alright, thank you very much, Polly. And now, Chief Chan, I want to thank you. Your leadership has been outstanding. NYPD has done so much to change the way people drive in this city to make us all safer. Chief Thomas Chan.

[Applause]

Chief of Transportation Thomas Chan, NYPD: Thank, Mr. Mayor. Thank you for your support and support for the New York City Police Department. Without the support of the good Mayor and also Commissioner O'Neill we certainly cannot do our job effectively.

I want to point that with the Vision Zero Task Force in the last three years, we've reduced the number of fatalities by 22 percent. And we're going to continue on that road. The recipe which is education, engineering, and enforcement, and we've been working on that diligently and we will continue to do so.

Just have some information to all drivers, our pedestrians out there – in the future, in the early part of summer, we will be continuing to do enforcement. And for the week of May 22nd through the 29th we will be doing a distracted driver, cell phone texting initiative. Again, May 22nd through the 29th.

Memorial Day weekend, you certainly can anticipate additional officers out there looking for people who are driving while intoxicated. That's May 27th through the 30th.

Following in June, we have another pedestrian safety initiative June 5th through the 11th. And following June 19th through the 25th, another distracted driver, cell phone texting initiative where we'll target people who are using their cell phones and texting, and certainly that's one of the things we find are the causes of rear-ends and side swipes by vehicles – people who are not paying attention, people who are texting, and utilizing their cell phones.

So, certainly, you can expect the NYPD officers out there looking for motorists that are committing violations. We're there to protect our pedestrians, our bicyclists out there. So, please follow the rules, drive safely, and certainly slow down and don't speed on our streets.

Thank you.

[Applause]

Mayor: And just one thing I want to emphasize from what Chief said. There are going to be more crackdowns. I want to be very, very clear. This enforcement is working. We're going after speeding. We're going after failure to yield to pedestrians. We're going after drunk driving. We going after texting while driving. You're going to see more checkpoints. You're going to see more crackdowns because it's working.

Finally, we've had tremendous support from elected officials who believe in this cause. And all of the resources we've put in, the City Council had to approve that. They put us through the paces and made the decision that this was a worthy investment. And I know Councilmember Koslowitz understands this history – this painful history on Queens Boulevard. And she's been a champion for these changes.

I want to thank you for your support and for standing up even when it wasn't always easy for the changes that were needed.

Councilmember Karen Koslowitz –

[Applause]

[...]

Mayor: Alright, we're going to take questions about Vision Zero, first, and then we'll go on to other topics. Questions about Vision Zero. Yes, sir.

Question: What stage are the plans at right now? Are they in engineering? Or are they getting ready to start –

Mayor: Polly, talk about this next phase and then what happens after that.

Commissioner Trottenberg: Sorry, let me pull out my papers here in the wind. So, as you know, we've been working through three phases of Queens Boulevard. First phase we did in 2015, was Roosevelt to 73rd. Second phase we went 73rd to Elliot, and we're celebrating the completion of that. And I think you can already see the results. Third phase is going to be Elliot to Yellowstone, and that's what the Councilwoman is such a great champion. We just a terrific support of vote in Community Board 6. We're so grateful. We're going to be starting that operational work next month.

And then in the long term, we're going to a major capital project we're going to build out the medians and the bike lanes in concrete. That's a project that's going to be a few years coming. And the Mayor has given us robust resources for that as well. So, you'll see work this summer and then ongoing work in the coming years.

Question: And this next phase completes what [inaudible] –

Commissioner Trottenberg: The Yellowstone phase, we'll complete by the fall – the operational phase. And then the capital project will be a few years out. But we've seen – again, I want to give it to the team. The first two operational phases and this third one – total price tag, about $4 million. You can already, I think, see dramatic results and improvements.

So, we can do work quickly and very affordably.

Question: [Inaudible] idling in the bus only lane for about 25 minutes. [Inaudible] truck getting a ticket –

Mayor: Let's bring Chief Chan over. This is a great scenario – armored car in the bus lane. Okay, Chief, generally we tolerate anyone idling in the bus lane. Do you make exceptions for armored cars or is that something that should have been enforced? Please explain.

Chief Chan: I would say that should have been enforced even though the armored vehicle is making a delivery at that location. Again, we have buses that are utilizing those particular roadways and having a vehicle in that location certainly could cause a collision [inaudible] at that particular location. We certainly discourage anyone from parking in those marked bus lanes.

Mayor: Good catch, Jillian. David.

Question: Mr. Mayor, one of the theories of Vision Zero is to slow down traffic, obviously, if you lower the speed limit. There are ways to sort of get drivers to behave more cautiously. Last night you heard from residents who were complaining that they weren't able to drive faster [inaudible] –

Mayor: Yes, several hundred of them.

Question: Two questions. First one [inaudible] the fact that subways aren't working as well right now. Should New Yorkers just get used to it taking longer to get around the city?

Mayor: So, let me first refer to last night and then answer you question specifically. So that, as you know, is an area I represented. That neighboring area, I represented that part of Ocean Parkway. I totally understood what people were talking about and I admitted that back in my driving days I would have said the same thing. But here's what's the difference. We were losing a lot of lives on Ocean Parkway. It wasn't as famous as Queens Boulevard but a lot of the same realities – a big, wide parkway and people were crossing and not just making it in time.

We had to do something different. There were some legitimate points last night which the Commissioner responded to about the timing of lights and things that we might be able to improve upon.

But the basic concept of the speed limit change, it's literally clear. We reduced the speed limit and the number of deaths went way down. So I stand by that.

I think the answer to the question is – look, we are a big city that's getting bigger. We have a lot of work to do to improve the way people get around. This is a conscious effort to slow down drivers in situations that could be dangerous. If the narrow question is, do drivers need to drive more slowly in some places? Yes. That's why reduced the speed limit. It takes – and we used Ocean Parkway as an example, one I know really personally.

Polly made the point – you drive the whole length of Ocean Parkway with this new speed limit, you probably are adding two or three minutes to your trip. That's the kind of thing we will ask people to do. To add a few more minutes to your trip so people can be safe. Absolutely.

But the bigger point – we've got to make a series of changes over years to make it easier for people to get along – get around – even as the city grows. That's why we have the new ferry service. That's why we're expanding Select Bus Service. That's why we're going to have light rail.

A whole host of things are going to happen – have to happen to make this city move faster. But the thing that shouldn't happen is people going faster than the speed limit because they need to make an appointment or something. That's not good for anyone.

Question: [Inaudible] when's the last time you rode a bicycle in New York City? And have you used the Citi Bikes since [inaudible]?

Mayor: I have to report that my bicycle was taken – not stolen – taken by a young man who went to Yale University with it –

[Laughter]

Then left it out in the rain, that was an issue. So, I have retrieved my bike. But the fact is I have not ridden my bike probably in three or four years at least. I used to ride around with Chirlane in Prospect Park, haven't done it in a while.

So, was there a second part to that or no?

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: Have I used Citi Bike? No, I haven't. Go ahead, Juliet.

Question: Mr. Mayor, do you have any data on how many people use the bike lanes on Queens Boulevard and [inaudible] –

Mayor: How many people use bike lanes on Queens Boulevard? Any data?

Commissioner Trottenberg: That's a good question. I mean, we do do bike counts. I don't know yet. I'm looking over at the staff. Maybe we'll have to get back to you on that. Alright, Nichole Altmix, you said cycling is up 120 percent. We can get you those specifics.

Mayor: [Inaudible] Boulevard. A hundred and what?

Commissioner Trottenberg: 20 percent.

Mayor: 120 percent.

Nichole Altmix: [Inaudible]

Commissioner Trottenberg: Alright, well, maybe we'll grab you the raw numbers.

Altmix: [Inaudible]

Mayor: Okay, come here. Introduce yourself.

Commissioner Trottenberg: Alright. Nichole come on over.

Altmix: Hi, my name is Nichole Altmix. I'm the Executive Director of Transportation, Planning, and Management at DOT. I was the project manager for Queens Boulevard. We're really excited to say that cycling is up 120 percent –

Mayor: Over what time?

Altmix: Over – well, those are our counts from the last year in the first segment that we put in between Roosevelt and 73rd, yet injuries are down by almost half for cyclists.

Question: [Inaudible] five opposed to three people or is 100 people as opposed to 30 –

Altmix: Right, so it's about 600 per day in the peak hour.

Mayor: We'll get you more detail but that gives you a flavor of it. Marcia.

Question: Mr. Mayor, I wonder how your commitment to Vision Zero – how was your commitment to Vision Zero square with your decision to issue 50,000 new parking permits to teachers? How do you enforce that given the fact that you're not adding any more parking spaces –

Mayor: Right.

Question: And there could be abuses?

Mayor: Marcia, it's a very good question. The – first of all the origins of that decision have to do with labor negotiations and legal actions that were taken years ago that were unresolved. And as we went through the state of play, we felt it was much better for the City of New York for the people of this city to come to a resolution on those issues rather than let it go into the court system to potentially unknown outcomes, as we often feel is the case. That we're better coming with a plan we can live with rather than a potentially unexpected outcome in court.

To do that we had to recognize that a number of unions had their own separate legal actions pending and labor negotiation stances, and it made sense to do a one size fits all.

Here's what's different. And so the question – the question to me is particularly important because I think when people here these placards are going out they think, oh have we reversed what was done in the past? No and I'll tell you why.

The number of parking spaces around schools is 100 percent static. It's not changing. It's 11,000 spaces in the whole city dedicated to school use. Anyone who goes to school. In front you typically see, whatever it is, five or ten spaces with a sign – that's where a school bus can stop, that's where school personnel, if they're visiting or whatever it may be, can park.

Those are the only spaces where these placards will be allowed. They will specified to the school. So, in enforcement terms, it will be very easy for enforcement agents to know if someone is using them in the wrong place.

If anyone – if any school personnel took that placard and tried to use it in their home neighborhood, for example, it would automatically be clear they were in violation. If they're in violation, they lose the right to the placard permanently.

If someone uses it even at the wrong school, they're in violation. It has to be appropriate to the school. We are training the enforcement agents to see that difference and to enforce on it very strenuously.

Question: [Inaudible] find a violation, can yank the permit from that teacher –

Mayor: The school gives the permit. If the enforcement agent sees that the permit does not fit the area, there's obviously a summons you can give right there and then that triggers the revoking of the permit.

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: 100 percent. We have to be tough on enforcement. This was – look, you know plenty about labor negotiations and lawsuits. Sometimes they cause you to strike a compromise that wouldn't necessarily be what we would have done of our own volition. But we think this is a livable compromise because we're not expanding the number of parking spaces because we've changed the nature of the permits. They're not the same as the permits in the past. These permits are going to be much more obvious and specific for the enforcement agents, and because there's a real penalty if any school personnel violate they lose the permit.

Who, in their right mind, would do that? If they want to opportunity to park by the school, and if they violate and lose the opportunity to have a permit, they're cutting their nose to spite their face.

Question: [Inaudible] the union that won the legal battle was the principal's union, why did you decide –

Mayor: Because – and we can get you the background information. I'll ask Eric to get it out to everyone. Four unions had raised this issue in different ways in negotiation and legal action. We felt strongly, if we acted for one it would implicitly force the same outcome for the others. It would set a precedent. Rather than continued conflict and negotiation and legal action, we thought we could settle it all in one fell swoop but with the enforcement ability to stop any abuse.

Who else.

Question: Mr. Mayor, do you have – what would say [inaudible] this point is deciding whether to drive to work or take the subway to work concerned about getting their on time? What choice do you tell that person?

Mayor: I would always say don't drive. It's as simple as that. If you have a choice – look, there's some parts of the city that are really underserved by mass transit and we're trying to address some of that with Select Bus Service, with ferries, with light rail. But still, there's areas where people don't' necessarily have enough choice and sometimes driving or at least driving part of the way is just plain necessary.

But to the maximum extent humanly possible, don't drive. It's a bad scene. You know, if you drive – forget that there are delays on the subways for a moment – we all know, and unfortunately texting is part of this problem, there's plenty of accidents I think in some ways there's more accidents because people are distracted. One accident can add a half-hour, an hour to your commute easily.

So, my point is, even though there are problems in the subway system I think they pale in comparison to problems in our roads. Avoid driving whenever humanly problem.

For our subways – look, there's work that has to be done but there's still a hell of a lot more reliable, I think, than driving on the streets.

Question: Speaking of the subways, the MTA put out a six-point plan recently to you know sort of – emergency set of measures. What do you make of that? Is it enough?

Mayor: I haven't seen the details. Look, it's a step in the right direction unquestionably. I think the MTA needs to recognize that they've got to do something quick here. Now, I will do my disclaimer up front, the MTA is run by the State of New York and the Governor. I have said for a long time, well before me a lot of people were saying, they need to pay attention to New York City. They have to make sure the allocation of resources in the region is fair. In number terms, the number of people riding our subways dwarfs everything else in the region that the MTA does.

And there are obviously physical problems that have to be addressed. So, this emergency plan is helpful. But I think the MTA needs to come forward with an even bigger plan to shift its resources towards this problem of making sure the day-to-day commute works better. The MTA always has challenges but it does have resources. The big question is how you prioritize your resources. We have to make sure the subways are getting their fair share.

Question: Given that the bulk of the MTA's ridership is both, you know, your constituents and the Governor's, have you reached out him at all to talk about – to urge him to put more resources towards the subways or to offer your assistance in anyway.

Mayor: Look, I would welcome any opportunity to talk to the Governor's team about the changes we need to make at the MTA. We have already contributed what we can. We put $2.5 billion in capital funding into the MTA. That was a voluntary choice of the City of the New York. But we said at that time, we insisted on having a meaningful role in the decision on the use of that money.

And this is an example. The kind of issues that have come up in the last weeks need to be addressed. Our money that's already there can be part of addressing that. So, I would always welcome a discussion about what the longer term solutions are. And our staffs, as I've said to constantly, we're talking all the time on a range of things.

But what I insist upon being recognized in any discussion, there is a division of labor for a reason. We are responsible for a whole host of things that we have to address – police and schools and public hospitals and so much we're doing to keep our roads, bridges, highways together. There's so many things the City is responsible for.

There are other things the State is responsible for. State's responsible for the MTA. If they want to give that power to the City with appropriate funding, we can have that discussion. But so long as the State is responsible for the MTA, then the State has to look at its resources and prioritize them according to need and use. And if that's case, New York City needs a bigger share of that pie.

But we will always be happy to sit down and talk about the strategic future.

Question: [Inaudible] to advocate anything in particular?

Mayor: Again, we have our own way of getting our point across. Our staffs talk all the time. That's we found to be effective.

Question: [Inaudible] talk of privatizing Penn Station, as Governors Cuomo and Christie have suggested. What do you think of that?

Mayor: I haven't seen that plan. I am always concerned when I hear the word privatization. That we don't get the service that we need and it ends up profiting a few people who are already pretty wealthy. That tends to be the history with privatization in my view. It doesn't mean there aren't some examples that don't work but I don't know the details of that plan.

Question: [Inaudible] disasters over the last few weeks. I mean, I don't know about you but a lot of people are avoiding Penn Station like the plague [inaudible].

Mayor: Look, there's a real problem. And some of it's the MTA's responsibility. Some of it's Amtrak's responsibility. To be fair to Amtrak, they have been, you know, not given the funding they deserved for years from the Congress. Although, thanks to Chuck Schumer, in the continuing resolution, they did get some new resources. I think the issue is being taken very seriously. I'm interested in this notion of whether they may shift some things over to Grand Central temporarily to give it some relief.

I don't think it's a question of should people avoid it like the plague. I think we've got to keep pushing right-now solutions and a long term vision. In the meantime, again, mass transit is still a much better bet than going on the roads.

Who has not gotten one yet or else I'll come back around. Yes.

Question: Mr. Mayor, I just want to ask you about that distinction you made – the division of labor between the City and the State on the MTA. You always make that so forcefully but on other issues like the mansion tax that you were pushing, that's in the State's purview. You had plenty of press conferences about that. Why aren't you as vocal about the MTA –

Mayor: Apples and oranges. Apples and oranges. The mansion tax is about our right and ability to tax ourselves. A right we should have automatically. Look, I've said to you guys before, this is a neo-colonial situation. It's unbelievable. We're 43 percent of the State's population. We're the economic engine of the State. We're the revenue generator for the State government. We should be able to make more decisions for ourselves including how to tax our people.

So, no, that is simply a matter of Albany authorizing to act, to tax our own people, to take the money, and use the money. All that is within the City government's purview.

The MTA is a structure run by the State of New York with the majority of the board. It's clear as day. And look, that was a decision to put the power in the State's hand. So, the State should take responsibility. Anytime the State wants power over something, whether it's CUNY, MTA, you know, as we used to say in the 70s, "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time."

If you take responsibility, it's yours. I'm responsible for the schools. I'm responsible for policing. I'm responsible for a lot of things. Hold me accountable. But these MTA issues – it's not like they don't have money. They are making decisions with their money.

If they've got a structural problem at Penn Station or in their signaling system, they need to move resources toward it like any other organization would do when it's faced with a crisis.

Question: We did have a pedestrian fatality last night –

Mayor: Wait, say it louder.

Question: We did have a pedestrian fatality last night involving a [inaudible] truck in the Village, and then there have been two others –

Mayor: I'm sorry involving –

Question: Garbage hauling truck –

Mayor: Yes, yes.

Question: And two other fatalities this month. One of Cross Bay Boulevard and one on White Plains Road. Can you address those and talk about how preventing those fits into your plan to expand Vision Zero –

Mayor: I'll speak broadly, and if Chief or Polly want to speak to the specific incidents – I'm not familiar enough with the details but I can speak broadly.

Look, I think what we can say is when you look at all the things we can control – this is a little bit the Serenity Prayer – you know, what can we control.

Well, it turns out we can control a lot. We can control the speed limit. We can control whether there are speed cameras within the limits of the State authorization. And again we want to go to Albany and get more done on that front. We can control enforcement by the NYPD and the amount of it and where we focus and how we focus. We can control traffic redesign.

So, the fact is, there is a lot we can change and the steady investment has proven that. There are still situations where you might say, okay, it's the middle of the night, there wouldn't necessarily be enforcement, there wasn't a traffic design problem. Yeah. there's still some things that might be individual but the overall trend is so clear.

And I believe the public education impact is clear too meaning we're still early in Vision Zero. The more people that experience enforcement, the more their behavior will change.

Now, I'd love it not to be that way. I really would. But I know for some people only enforcement is going to change their mind.

You want to speak to the –

Chief Chan: One of the things that you have pointed out – we had three fatalities in the month of May compared to 13. That's huge difference –

Mayor: 13, last May?

Chief Chan: Last May in 2016. Three versus 13.

So we are working with all our partners – education, engineering. I mentioned a number of initiatives – the cell phone, the distracted driving. That's one of the number one answers that police commanders give me are the causes for rear-ends, sideswipes, and things of that nature.

So, we're going to go after the individuals who are texting and who are utilizing their cell phones. There are additional officers. You're going to see them out there on our highways, on the late-tours.

We find that we do have drunk drivers on the late-tour after 11 o'clock, after midnight, and things of that nature.

So, they are going to see our presence out there. We're going to make the arrests. If you're suspended we'll take you into custody and things of that nature.

So, with that, I think that we will see as we do more initiatives, more stings, more stops, and things of that nature we are going to move ahead in terms of reducing injuries and fatalities in New York City.

Commissioner Trottenberg: Alright, phase-two – and, actually, I might call the architect of the project up again. Nicole, why don't you come on up? Look, what we've done throughout this project is, you know, make the streets safer, improve pedestrian crossings, in some cases closed slip lanes where traffic was weaving out, build that protected bike lane – did I get everything? Is there anything I missed there?

Altmix: One of the most innovative design elements that we installed [inaudible] controlled the slips – or, we call them transitions. What we do is we create a stop, and then the car can actually pul up in the slip lane. It acts like an intersection where they have to stop, and then make a right turn, and yield to pedestrians in the new crosswalk that are using the new pedestrian path, and cyclists that are crossing the transition on the bike lane.

Question: [Inaudible] speed cameras? Can you say that?

Commissioner Trottenberg: Yes, there are bike lanes and speed cameras.

Question: [Inaudible] you said that you would make sure that the [inaudible] zones were cleared and [inaudible] placards would be eliminated. That has not been the case.

Mayor: Chief?

Chief Chan: When we come across counterfeit placards and things of that nature, those placards will be confiscated. But, again, that's on an individual basis. If we across them, or we're informed by the public where there's a situation where they identify a placard, then we will certainly investigate it. If you say that you're looking for the total elimination and be done by June 1st – again, they occur at different locations and we'll address that on a case-by-case basis.

Question: There's some situation where city vehicles have been taking these [inaudible] spaces. Yet, the city – Polly Trottenberg said we don't have enough commercial spaces for the [inaudible] to park. So, we have a problem here amongst the people –

Chief Chan: Certainly, if we haven't identified locations where other city agencies are taking – improperly parking in press parking spaces, then we will take action against it, whether we summons them, whether we tow them – that's not a problem with us.

Mayor: Okay, what else? Anyone else on this topic? Or are we going on other topics? This topic first? Go ahead.

Question: Do you feel that you personally can appreciate the plight of subway or bus riders, even though [inaudible] given that you yourself rarely take the subway or bus?

Mayor: I spent years and years and years taking the subway. I assure you, subways had problems in my day too. There are some new things happening now because the equipment's aging. There's some new things happening because of the amount of congestion, but the basics haven't changed at all. And I've been on many a-subway in my day and many a-subway that was delayed and I know what it does to people's lives. And that's why, in part, we put $2.5 billion into the MTA that we had no legal requirement to do. And it's really important – we did not have to give the MTA, run by the State of New York, $2.5 billion – we did it. We thought it was the right thing to do. But we said, we need to know this money will go to things that matter in New York City, and to the highest priorities, and we're going to enforce that agreement. But I feel absolutely what people are going through, and I still take the subway's enough to keep myself fresh in that knowledge. But the essential reality is, if your subway gets messed up, it changes your whole day for the worst, and I understand that.

Question: [Inaudible] the last time you took the subway – when was the last time you took it during rush hour? And have you been caught in any of these recent debacles?

Mayor: Not in the recent debacles. The last time I think was about six weeks ago, give or take, and, yes, in rush hour.

Marcia?

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: Pause one second, I'm sorry. I just want to see if there's anything else –

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: It's about this? Okay, go ahead.

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: Any abuse will result in the revocation of the placards – it's as simple as that. If anyone abuses the placards, it's going to be taken away. It's really obvious. If they use it after school hours and overnight, it's really obvious, and we're going to be very, very clear about the enforcement. The fact is they're there to help people who need to get to the school and need to work at the school to have it in very specific spots only. Everything will be written just for those spots. If there's abuse of it, we will take the placard away from that individual – simple as that.

Okay, anything else on this here before – go ahead.

Question: Just a quick clarification – the $2.5 billion you said given to the MTA from New York City, when was that given and do you know specifically where –

Mayor: The $2.5 billion? That was approximately a year-and-a-half, two years ago? Yeah, and we can get you all the facts about it. That was one chunk, it was going to stretch over a few years. Again, that was a choice of the city, not part of our statutory obligation.s We did that willingly to help the MTA. That's a lot of money and we insisted that we have real say over where that money goes, and this is an example. We want to see that money go to things like addressing this crisis at hand right now.

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: Well, there's an MTA board member right there who every day follows up on these issues.

Commissioner Trottenberg: I'll speak for a second. Look, I think to get to the question, is the city communicating with the MTA about, you know, particularly the recent issues we've seen with subway service, and the bigger issues, of course. I'm on the board and I probably talk to the MTA almost every day. As the Mayor said, I guess it's about a year-and-a-half ago, the city stepped up and really put in a big capital contribution for the big MTA capital program that they're undertaking right now, and it was an unprecedented commitment. We're working with them in a couple of areas – on particular stations where we want to see improvements, and of course how they can improve their operation – things like communications-based train control. And, look, I think we're pleased that they put – as the Mayor said, that they put out a new six-point plan. It looks like a good start. But I'm hoping the city is going to be very involved in further discussion so that we don't see the kind of meltdowns that I think the Mayor was alluding to that you used to see in the bad old days in the New York City subway system.

Question: Mayor, what are the comparablee statistics for numbers of crashes an non-fatal injuries over this – say the last five years? Commissioner, do you know?

Mayor: We can get this for crashes.

Commissioner Trottenberg: The injuries – there's a year-and-a-half lag, but [inaudible]

Question: It's down too?

Commissioner Trottenberg: It's down as well, but we don't have the last year-and-a-half [inaudible].

Question: Why not?

Mayor: Because it takes a while to tabulate.

Commissioner Trottenberg: [Inaudible] it's more complicated than calculating –

Question: Okay, I'll follow up after. Thank you.

Mayor: Other questions. Other questions. Yes?

Question: If I could ask you a question about my [inaudible], about the Board of Elections, please?

Mayor: Yes.

Question: All right. Last year, you offered the Board $20 million to make some changes, right?

Mayor: Yep. [Inaudible]

Question: This year their budget is up about $17 million. I was wondering has the Board made any changes to its operations to warrant that increase. That's question one. And question two: are you satisfied with how the agency serves city voters?

Mayor: No is your answer to question two, and that's why we continue to put forward the very generous offer to provide $20 million in exchange for a series of reforms.

On the money that was allocated, it was to recognize increases in costs for basic operations. Even though we're very frustrated at some of the changes that have not been made, we weren't going to starve them the resources for basic operations to keep going. And I do think the Executive Director has tried honestly to make some improvements, but the bigger changes are necessary. And we hold that $20 million out as an offer to the Board. I'm shocked the Board has not voted for these reforms and has not accepted $20 million. I think it's disgusting. I think it's unacceptable. And I think all of you should be asking the question of the Board – how on earth can you turn down $20 million that would make your operations so much better? It makes no sense. And it's obviously showing the Board not being accountable to the people.

The bigger thing we have to do is pass electoral reform in Albany. There's a lot of pressure right now to do that – same-day registration, early voting. Those would be huge game-changers for democracy and participation. But they would also relieve some of the pressure on Election Day itself, particularly early voting would. So we're working hard to get that done as well.

Okay, other?

Yes, Jillian?

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: Not Acting Commissioner, he's a –

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: Right, Assistant Commissioner –

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: He was – as you remember last week, the recommendation we received was that he no longer do the specific duties, and he no longer was doing those specific duties. But I think the more the Commissioner looked at the situation and came to the conclusion that it wouldn't be effective for him to do any duties at the agency after further review, which is a pretty normal thing. And so I think that case is now closed.

Yes?

Question: [Inaudible] immigrant populations are nervous [inaudible]

Mayor: I got to tell you – first of all, General Kelly I thought was, not only a gentleman – I thought it was a real conversation, respectful, substantive conversation. And again, I'm always very careful not to represent someone else's view. But I think he listened with understanding to what was going on in New York CIty. And I think he was struck by the sheer numerical reality when I talked about half-a-million folks who are undocumented and half-a-million who are Green Card holders, and what they meant for everyday life in the city, and why the NYPD relates to the immigrant population the way it does. Commissioner O'Neill had sat with him previously and gone over all of that. I think it was a helpful conversation.

On that specific incident, he took pains to explain that that was not a raid, or an effort to locate someone for deportation. But what I said to him is – in light of everything that's happened the last few months – we had no way of knowing that, and we got no prior notification. And the school did exactly what it had been instructed to do. And I responded based on what I had seen previously because I had not been given any alternative information. I am reassured by the conversation that General Kelly fully understands our protocol around schools. I believe the focus of ICE is going to be elsewhere. But again, I will let him and his agency speak for themselves.

But that whole situation could have been averted two ways – one, if ICE had reached out – or DHS, I should say, had reached out to us – and we would have said if you need the information, we'll provide it. Or even more so, if they had said how can we create protocol together when they're trying to confirm something for someone's immigration application, we would provide that information. But not by someone going to the school in this environment. That would only lead to confusion and fear. We will do that separately with them.

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: It took a while for us – no, listen – it took a while for us to get the clarification because we had not been notified by them and because of all the rhetoric we have heard, we were confused legitimately. We've now clarified it. And I'm happy to clarify it because it was better than what we feared. But because in the first instance – remember, it's a huge school system obviously – in the first instance, based on what we understood, it was proof that the protocol for ICE agents was working. That was important for people to know because parents are scared.

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: I'm very concerned. And again, I think a very destructive reality now exists because of a year or two of hateful rhetoric and because of the initial actions of the new administration that has created so much fear. We're hearing a lot of instances where new Americans are concerned about talking to any City officials. The way we've addressed it is by constantly going out to communities, through clergy, and community organizations, and people who speak the same language – reiterating the NYPD is not asking documentation status and making clear that the only way to stop hate crimes is if someone reports them. And I think by and large as that message has been repeated, many, many immigrant New Yorkers understand it and believe it. And by the way, it's been true for decades. So I think people needed some reassurance, but they see every single day the NYPD is not participating in immigration actions and is respecting the confidentiality of the people we serve.

Yes?

Question: Two very unrelated questions. So last night, you were in Borough Park, an area of the city that voted very heavily for Donald Trump. You didn't bring up Donald Trump [inaudible] you'd be very happy to talk about him [inaudible] Washington. Why didn't you talk about it last night with the folks there?

Mayor: If anyone had asked me, I would have happily, honestly. I know – I obviously was aware of where I was and I knew there would be very mixed opinions in the room. Everyone knows my views. I'm not going to rub it in people's faces if we have a difference. I represented a part of that community for a long time, and there was always an understanding we had real differences on philosophical issues. I tried to emphasize the places where we could work together.

Question: [Inaudible] at the Puerto Rican Day Parade, Oscar López Rivera is going to be honored. This is a person who is associated with a group that planted bombs around the city decades ago. You think that he should be honored and [inaudible] walking in the parade?

Mayor: Look, I think we have put this in perspective. It's a complicated situation for several reasons. The organization he was affiliated with did things I don't agree with obviously and that were illegal. He has, however, renounced terrorism. He was pardoned by two United States Presidents. I think that speaks volumes. He also was a Vietnam veteran. He is someone who served this country even though he had real political differences over how Puerto Rico was being treated. All things considered, I understand why so many Puerto Ricans – that's almost 700,000 people in this city – respect that he fought for Puerto Rico in their eyes. I don't agree with the way he did it. But he did serve his time. He was pardoned appropriately. He has renounced violence. So I'm going to do everything I would normally do with the parade.

Question: A few weeks ago, Mr. Mayor, I asked you about City Council members [inaudible] the Speakership and that they're opting out of the Campaign Finance system, in part to be able to donate campaign funds to candidates. Several of those Speaker candidates were on the host committee for your birthday fundraiser. Is that appropriate as they're obviously sort of seeking your favor [inaudible] of a candidate to be the next Speaker, just as you weighed in in the previous Speaker race?

Mayor: Look, I said clearly I think everyone should participate in the Campaign Finance system, period. And if anyone asks my advice, that's what I'd tell them to do. I think it's a mistake not to. It does not affect the fact that I have to work with folks every day and on many levels agree with those very same people on a host of issues. So we will respectfully disagree on that one. It does not change my view of them as leaders.

Question: [Inaudible] or bundling funds for your campaign?

Mayor: I don't have a problem with it because look, I'm within the system. I am not going out for donations outside the limits. I'm observing the rules, which as you know, means you need a lot of people to participate. I welcome support. I can disagree with them on that issue and still welcome their support and still work with them every day, which I have to, on a whole host of issues.

Question: Want to weigh in on the latest Comey revelation about the conversation between himself and the President regarding Flynn, and whether you think impeachment is down the road here?

Mayor: I would say the case for the special prosecutor has now been 100 percent confirmed. There's no doubt it can't be resolved without a special prosecutor. We're past that point now. The notion of a president telling an FBI director to do away with an investigation of someone who may have colluded with the Russians – that's so far beyond anything that we've seen in the history of this country that it cannot be resolved with the same old approaches. We need a special prosecutor. I think a special prosecutor will tell us whether something even more dire is going on. Look, if the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians to have the Russians interfere in the election, that's clearly an impeachable offense. But we don't have that conclusion yet, we don't have that corroboration yet. We do need a special prosecutor. I think one of the eeriest parts of the last day or two way Vladimir Putin, you know, offering to provide evidence in defense of Donald Trump on the espionage question. I don't know – it's like he's taking out a billboard in Times Square, saying, "I'm trying to help Donald Trump," and that simply makes the case even stronger that maybe Russian colluded with the Trump team on the election. I mean, I don't know what people need to see to recognize that something very dangerous is going on. And, by the way, Russia is not our friend. Russia is dangerous. Telling Russia classified information could hurt America's security. It's not a minor matter. As that gets look into, separate from the question on Flynn – that could even be a bigger problem. If that's a purposeful effort to coordinate with Russia on top-secret information, that also could be an impeachable offense.

Question: Two homeless shelters in Crown Heights [inaudible] saying they wanted to be – affordable housing, low-income housing, as opposed to homeless shelters. And I think a judge just [inaudible] on Rogers Avenue. Any response to that? I know those were your –

Mayor: Yeah, look, we have been working with the community members and the judge, trying to find common ground. And I think in one of the cases we've made real progress. The other one just got initiated – we're going to work that through. Communities deserve some real guarantees in this process and we're trying to do that much more overtly than was done in the past. So, we're going to mov ahead on the Bergin shelter. I think we can do it in a way that's safe for the community and appropriate to the community's needs, while fixing some of the other surrounding concerns, like the Bedford-Atlantic Armory and some of the things happening outside there. But look, we want those buildings to ultimately be affordable housing too, we just need to address the homelessness issue first. One of the things we said when we announced the plan is, as we create new shelter facilities, as we ultimately hope to contract the shelter system, some of those facilities can be turned into affordable housing for the long-run. But I think the outcome in terms of Bergin was, from everything I've heard so far, fair, and allows us to move forward.

Question: Mr. Mayor, the principal of [inaudible] stepped down this week after [inaudible] protest by a majority of parents. Can you address that change and talk about what it does take for a school that might be dissatisfied with [inaudible]? And can you assure the parents that whoever replaces that principal will be true to the progressive education that school's embodied for –

Mayor: Yeah. To say the least, this is not a black and white situation, meaning not linear – there's complexities here. I think the bottom line is, yeah, there's a progressive tradition, and I honor that tradition, and that's something to cherish about that school. So, unquestionably, when a new principal comes in, one of their tasks will be to take that tradition and continue to nurture it. That being said, I said two things repeatedly, publicly, about what we need to do, going forward. We need to make sure there's a rigorous academic environment, and we need to make sure there's inclusive admissions. So, a new principal will be tasked with all of the above. This situation, I think we can safely say – we have over 1,700 individual schools – this was a rarity. Something got off-track here that was not typical in schools around the city. The next principal needs to come in, bring people together, maintain that good history, but also address some of the things the school needs to do better, going forward.

Question: What was the State's [inaudible]

Mayor: Wait, wait – not progressive enough? Was that your generic – that's a long story, but go ahead.

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: Look, I have been an activist for years and I know the activist community well, and I know, by definition, people are going to push for more and more – that's normal. But I will challenge anyone, anytime on what we have achieved. I was at the rallies and the meetings where people demanded all the policies that we put in place. They demanded inclusionary – mandatory inclusionary zoning. They demanded the end of the unconstitutional use of stop and frisk. They demanded an end to low-level marijuana possession arrests. They demanded new training for the police force, implicit bias training – I could go on and on. All of those things actually are happening right now. So, I'll challenge anyone, anytime on those facts and on how progressive those changes are. And if some people want us to go farther, I'll always be honest about where I think we can and should go. But this is a thoroughly progressive record, and it's not talk, it's something that actually happened.

Question: Mr. Mayor, on the DHS action at P.S. 58, over the weekend, your press secretary put out information on Twitter that didn't differentiate between ICE and USCIS – didn't draw a distinction between immigration enforcement and benefit [inaudible]. And just, given the fearful environment that we're in concerning ICE decoration action, I'm wondering if you have concerns that putting out incomplete or vague information like that compounds those fears rather than alleviating them?

Mayor: I understand the question, but I'm affirming to you that we had a series of reports initially that suggested it was enforcement related. And we had no prior notification from DHS, no clarification from DHS about how they would pursue these policies, going forward. My immigration commissioner met with the ICE director for New York a few weeks back, got no guidelines about what the differentiation would be, and from what we saw and what we heard, we thought it was an enforcement action, and it was very important to inform parents around this city that, that action did not succeed and that individual was not let in the building. Later, we got more information that suggested a different situation, and we clarified that. But I have no qualms at all about the initial response, and I also have no qualms about making sure parents knew that the system we put in place worked. This was the first time it was activated – it turns out it was separate, but related, but it still was activated, and it worked, and we needed to tell parents that. So, that is what we've spent the last few days clarifying. When I met with Secretary Kelly, it was the first time I got a complete understanding of the approach that's going to be taken – and, again, I won't speak for him, I'll let him speak for himself. But, no disrespect to him – the regional folks at ICE could have told us that a long time ago.

Question: If the initial information that was put out wasn't accurate, why do you stand by it? I mean, what was the haste?

Mayor: Again, it took a lot – because when we first got the report, it appeared to be enforcement. We had no reason to think otherwise. The notion that it was anything but enforcement did not come to us for quite a while.

Question: Mr. Mayor, do you think the [inaudible] and his subsequent resignation will discourage good people from going into city government?

Mayor: Look, I think it's a very big question. I think the bottom line is, the environment for public service is unquestionably harder than it was a few decades ago, and I'm certain a lot of people have not gone into public service for that reason. I've talked to a lot of them. I think it creates a challenge. I'm not, obviously, against accountability. We have to be held to a very, very high standard, and the media's a part of that. But I do think there needs to be some recognition of the totality, meaning – and I said it repeatedly about him – what someone's accomplishments are versus something where they may have made a mistake, but are going to make the city whole for that mistake. That's a world of difference versus those have done something, in my view, venal, or, obviously, illegal – the folks shouldn't be in public service, should pay the consequence every single time. I would like to see more balance in the discussion. I think we don't have to have a situation where really good people just think it's impossible to be in public service.

Question: [Inaudible] will you be marching in the parade?

Mayor: Yes.

Question: And then, secondly, Lopez Rivera said today – he said he renounced violence, but he said today that all colonized people have a right to struggle for their independence, using all methods [inaudible] including force – that is a right.

Mayor: Again, I'm not the President of the United States or the Attorney General. Two presidents, two attorney generals gave him a pardon because he had renounced violence and he served his time. I don't know what he said today. I don't have the context. I'm comfortable that this is someone who made a decision to renounce violence. For him to speak about this history of colonization, he has every right to do it. It's not a pretty history. But I'm comfortable that he's served his time, has made his statement clear, and let's move on.

Thanks, everyone.