Column: Ensuring a safer, more accessible future for our neighborhoods

As your Council Member, I am deeply committed to ensuring that every resident of our community feels safe and connected—whether walking down our streets or using our public transportation system. Our neighborhoods have faced significant challenges when it comes to traffic safety and transit accessibility, but through advocacy and hard-fought investments, we are finally making progress toward a safer and more accessible future.

I am proud to champion two critical initiatives that are essential to the well being of our community: Vision Zero safety improvements and vital infrastructure investments to enhance MTA accessibility.

Vision Zero: Prioritizing Safety on Our Streets

Since its launch, Vision Zero’s mission has been clear—reduce traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on our streets to zero. For far too long, too many families in our district have suffered the pain of losing loved ones in preventable accidents. Pedestrian safety is not just a policy issue; it is a matter of life and death.

To tackle these dangers head-on, I have secured funding for key Vision Zero safety improvements, including the installation of raised crosswalks, speed cameras, and better street lighting. I have also prioritized expanding protected bike lanes and reconfiguring intersections that have historically been dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike. These upgrades will help calm traffic, create safer environments, and encourage a more walkable community for everyone.

But my work does not stop there. In collaboration with the Department of Transportation, I am pushing for more speed reduction zones around schools, senior centers, and commercial corridors—places where our most vulnerable residents are at risk. I believe that Vision Zero is a commitment to every member of our community that no one should ever fear crossing the street, regardless of age, ability, or mode of travel.

MTA Accessibility: A More Inclusive Transit System

For our community to thrive, we must have an accessible, reliable public transit system. For decades, our local subway stations have lacked the necessary accessibility features, leaving many of our seniors, people with disabilities, and parents with strollers struggling to navigate unsafe or inaccessible routes just to get where they need to go. This is unacceptable, and I have made it a top priority to address this disparity.

I am proud to announce that, after years of relentless advocacy, I have helped secure significant investments to improve MTA infrastructure in our district. New elevators and ramps will be installed at key stations, ensuring that our transit system becomes more inclusive for all. These investments are part of the MTA’s larger plan to make every station ADA-compliant by 2055, and I am proud to see our neighborhoods among the first to benefit from this vital initiative. An accessibility project was recently completed at the Westchester Square/East Tremont Ave 6 Train stop, and one is currently under construction at our local Parkchester stop.

In addition to these accessibility upgrades, I am also working to modernize our transit system overall—improving wayfinding, updating signage, and enhancing station safety. These improvements go beyond the aesthetic; they represent my vision for a public transit system that truly serves every New Yorker.

Looking Ahead: A Call to Action

The work I have done on behalf of our community has laid the foundation for a safer and more accessible neighborhood, but there is still much more to be done. I am calling on all of you to stay engaged—whether by advocating for additional speed cameras, pushing for further MTA station upgrades, or supporting traffic calming measures in your area. Real change happens when we work together.

I am proud to represent a district that refuses to accept less when it comes to safety and accessibility. Our streets, sidewalks, and subway stations must be safe and welcoming for everyone—whether you are pushing a stroller, using a wheelchair, or simply walking home after a long day.

I am deeply grateful to all the residents who have spoken up, shared their stories, and helped shape the priorities I have fought to secure. Let’s continue this momentum and fight for the upgrades our community deserves, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Together, we are building a safer, more inclusive, and more vibrant future for all.

Amanda Farías is the City Council Majority Leader who represents District 18