New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn talks about a week-long survey, 'Complete Streets Week: Making New York Walkable for All Generations' (William Alatriste)

NEW YORK—The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) launched a five-borough volunteer-conducted survey program “Complete Streets Week: Making New York Walkable for All Generations” on Monday across New York City. The project aims to assess dangerous intersections, in order to improve pedestrian crossings for seniors and all New Yorkers.

Volunteers will collect data at each dangerous intersection indicated by the Department of Transportation and enter it into the AARP database. After the data is analyzed, the AARP and the Department of Transportation will determine the steps needed to decrease fatality rates in those areas.

The survey is being conducted between April 19 and 23.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Analysis reported that most fatalities between 2006 and 2009, a total of 151, occurred on the corners of Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.

“We can make our city even better in tough times of limited resources by all working together,” said City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn.

Quinn suggested that introducing public-private partnerships, coordinating with government, promoting groups like AARP and engaging volunteers would be effective solutions.

Quinn also suggested simple solutions for the corner of the 23rd Street and Ninth Avenue, where six senior pedestrian accidents were reported, such as “changing left turn onto this block and creating places like the middle with the bike lane where pedestrians can stop.”

“The issue is very important because people, as they age, want to remain in their community,” said Michael Olender, associate state director at AARP.

James Vacca, chair of NYC Council Transportation, added that most New Yorkers will live to the age of 90, and “if we’re going to make New York a safe haven for our seniors, we have to start now.”

Nancy Spannbauer from the Penn South Program for Seniors said,“ My first two years at Penn South Program for Seniors, every time I heard the siren on ninth avenue, I ran out to see if it was one of our people causing that siren.”

AARP has combined the Complete Streets Week event with their sub-project “Create the Good,” which invites volunteers to contribute to making New York neighborhoods safe and livable for all citizens.