<div>Hey everyone,</div>
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<div>Below if a press release from a hearing in which City Council members call for support for three bills that will dramatically improve the experience of blind and visually impaired people naigaing the streets of NYC. As many of you have probably noticed, "pedestrian plazas" are becoming more populat and the need for audio pedestrin signals is becoming more acknowledged. </div>
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<div>Best,</div>
<div>Kathryn<br></div>
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<h6 style="TEXT-INDENT:27pt"><span style="MIN-HEIGHT:93px"><img src="cid:154059DF5ED94C61B3D406232742C3F1@LudaPC" width="96" height="93"></span><i><span style="FONT-SIZE:17pt;FONT-WEIGHT:normal">THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK<u></u><u></u></span></i></h6>
<p style="TEXT-INDENT:27pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE:15.5pt">OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER JAMES VACCA<i><u></u><u></u></i></span></p>
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<p style="TEXT-INDENT:27pt"><b><span style="COLOR:#777777">250 Broadway, Suite 1749</span></b><b><span style="COLOR:#777777;FONT-SIZE:10pt"><u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN:center;TEXT-INDENT:27pt" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="COLOR:#777777;FONT-SIZE:10pt">New York, NY 10007<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN:center;TEXT-INDENT:27pt" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="COLOR:#777777;FONT-SIZE:10pt"><a href="tel:%28212%29%20788-7375" target="_blank" value="+12127887375">(212) 788-7375</a></span></b><b><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt"><u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<h1><span style="TEXT-TRANSFORM:uppercase;FONT-SIZE:10pt">*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *** <u></u><u></u></span></h1>
<h1 style="TEXT-INDENT:27pt"><span style="TEXT-TRANSFORM:uppercase;FONT-SIZE:10pt"> </span><span style="TEXT-TRANSFORM:uppercase;FONT-SIZE:10pt;FONT-WEIGHT:normal">January 25, 2012<u></u><u></u></span></h1>
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<p>Contact: Vito Signorile, <a href="tel:646-596-3338" target="_blank" value="+16465963338">646-596-3338</a></p>
<p><span><font style="FONT-SIZE:11pt"> Will Colegrove (CM Brewer), <a href="tel:212-788-6975" target="_blank" value="+12127886975">212-788-6975</a></font></span></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN:center" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="FONT-SIZE:20pt">Vacca, Brewer, & Visually Impaired Advocates Call for Enhanced Safety Measures in City Streets</span><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Times New Roman','serif';FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Prior to the City Council Committee on Transportation Hearing on Wednesday, January 25, 2012, Transportation Chair James Vacca and Council Member Gale Brewer joined members of the blind and visually impaired community at East 17<sup>th</sup> Street and Broadway in Manhattan to demonstrate the difficulties that exist for low vision New York City residents when crossing the street at an intersection.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span>At the hearing, Vacca and Brewer demanded from the city Department of Transportation that the needs of all street users are met. The committee heard testimony on three critical bills, Intro 487, Intro 183 and Intro 745, which are intended to make New York streets safer for the blind and visually impaired. Members of the blind and visually impaired community also testified at the hearing, including Karen Gourgey, Chair of Pedestrians for Accessible and Safe Streets.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Introduction 487 by Council Member Brewer would require the installation of detectable warning surfaces around the perimeter of pedestrian plazas and bike lanes throughout the entire city. Introduction 183 by Council Member Brewer would require the increased installation of audible pedestrian signals throughout the city, allowing for safer street crossing for the blind and visually impaired. Introduction 745 by Council Member Vacca would require DOT to post on its website a list of all major street redesigns in a format that is accessible to people with any disability. <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span>“Pedestrian plazas are quickly becoming a way of life throughout our city and we must make sure that all of our pedestrians know where the plaza ends and oncoming traffic begins. This is clearly a matter of safety for not only the members of the visually impaired community, but for all pedestrians. DOT must do more,” said Vacca.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span>In addition, DOT testified that Accessible Pedestrian Signals at newly signalized intersections carry a minimal cost and Council Members Vacca and Brewer called for all new intersections throughout the City to be equipped with all new APS. Accessible signals provide auditory cues for members of the blind community to know when it is safe to cross the street.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span>“The purpose of Intro 183 and Intro 487 is clear: to make New York City streets safe for all of our residents, visually impaired and those with 20/20 vision,” said Brewer. “Both bills are a step in the right direction and I hope this will start a new and important conversation about equality in accessibility for all New Yorkers.”<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span>“Every street signal in our city should be equipped with APS. We have curb cuts all over the city that allow wheelchair users to travel anywhere they would like to go. The situation is no less urgent for members of the blind and visually impaired community. APS is not a privilege, it’s a right,” Vacca said.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN:justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>“It’s thrilling that we have finally reached this point where people are talking programmatically about accessible pedestrian signals and doing the kind of work that really helps to make our city accessible to all,” said Gourgey. “I hope that we can work together and figure out what will be the best solutions for pedestrians.”<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt">William Colegrove<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt">Director of Legislation and Budget<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt">Office of Council Member Gale A. Brewer</span><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Times New Roman','serif';FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt">Council District 6: Upper West Side and Clinton</span><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Times New Roman','serif';FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt">250 Broadway, Suite 1744</span><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Times New Roman','serif';FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt">New York, NY 10007</span><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Times New Roman','serif';FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt">p: <a href="tel:212-788-6975" target="_blank" value="+12127886975">212-788-6975</a></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Times New Roman','serif';FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt">f: <a href="tel:212-513-7717" target="_blank" value="+12125137717">212-513-7717</a></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Times New Roman','serif';FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:10pt"><a href="mailto:wcolegrove@council.nyc.gov" target="_blank">wcolegrove@council.nyc.gov</a></span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u><u></u> </p></div><br><font color="gray" size="1" face="Arial">CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain CONFIDENTIAL or PRIVILEGED material. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. If you are the intended recipient but do not wish to receive communications through this medium, please so advise the sender immediately.<br>
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<div style="WHITE-SPACE:nowrap;MARGIN-BOTTOM:10px;COLOR:#666;CLEAR:both;PADDING-TOP:15px"><br><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br></div></div></div></div></div>
<div>Kathryn Carroll</div>
<div>St. John's University School of Law 2013<br>(Ph.) 347-455-1521<br></div>
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