In recent years, Ulster County and the City of Kingston have invested tens of thousands of dollars in road safety campaigns. Now, they will receive $68,489 more in a grant provided by the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee to train people how to properly walk, bike and drive.
“Our goal is to reduce the number of roadway incidents and thereby reduce traffic injuries and deaths in Ulster County,” said Tom Polk, YMCA Bicycle Program Manager.
Mark j.F. Schroeder, a state-appointed traffic safety czar and Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner said that the state “is committed to improving safety for every person who uses our roadways, particularly pedestrians and bicyclists who are among the most vulnerable.”
In Kingston, three cyclists were struck and killed by vehicles in 2021. The city recently spent tens of thousands of dollars hiring a marketing firm to promote a “Be a Road Hero” campaign, which included videos, social media posts, lawn signs and a direct mailer with road safety tips such as “cyclists must obey all signs, street markings, and signals” and “always watch for pedestrians and cyclists.”
In spite of the “heroic” efforts, a pedestrian was recently hit by a car in Kingston, another pedestrian was hit after running into moving traffic on 9W, and a car was recently hit by a train at a notoriously dangerous intersection.
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