PROGRAM

Roosevelt House invites you to attend the
Annual Theodore W. Kheel Lecture on Transportation Policy

Whose Streets?
A Virtual Discussion with New York Leaders on Traffic Safety and the Authorities Tasked with Managing it

Presented on Zoom Only

Moderated by:
Charles Komanoff
2021 Roosevelt House Theodore Kheel Visiting Fellow in Transportation Policy

Traffic disorder and danger are again on the rise in New York City. Across the five boroughs, traffic deaths have hit an eight-year high, and adherence to rules and regulations is weakening. More and bigger cars and trucks are squeezing into smaller spaces, and new GPS-enabled devices are upending established patterns of traffic predictability and longtime norms of propriety. Please join us on December 16 at 5:00 PM as we convene prominent figures at the intersection of law enforcement and transportation for a timely discussion of whether, and how, policing can be aligned with New Yorkers’ desire for safer streets.

Among the critical questions to be explored are: can the NYPD play a role in reducing traffic disorder and danger? What are the consequences of a reduction in police enforcement of driving and parking rules? Does abuse of parking placards and license plate defacement chip away at the social contract on which traffic safety depends? Can the NYPD enforce the rules of an evolving streetscape that includes more cars, proliferating e-bikes and e-scooters, and systemic changes such as congestion pricing?

Participants include:

Charles Komanoff, moderator, is the Roosevelt House 2021 Kheel Fellow and is widely known for his work as a transport economist and environmental activist in New York City.

Marco Conner DiAquoi is deputy director at Transportation Alternatives and the organization’s longtime lead advocate for traffic safety and justice.

Nicole Gelinas is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a contributing editor of City Journal, and a New York Post columnist who writes on policing, traffic safety and transportation.

Kim Royster is Chief of Transportation and head of the NYPD Transportation Bureau, making her the city’s top official responsible for policing and transportation.

The panel discussion is a signature event of the Theodore Kheel Fellowship in Transportation Policy at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College. The late Mr. Kheel was a major advocate for public transit and saw transportation as a civil rights issue.

This evening is made possible through the generosity of The Nurture Nature Foundation.