Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today signed Executive Order 19 , codifying the administration's commitment to a safer, more modern municipal fleet. At the direction of Executive Order 19, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) will retrofit all non-emergency municipal trucks with pedestrian alerts and require pedestrian alerts and intelligent speed assistance for all new non-emergency vehicle and truck procurements.
Pedestrian alerts connect to a vehicle's turn signals and make an audible alert to warn pedestrians, cyclists and other street users of the driver's plan to turn. DCAS will retrofit all of the roughly 4,000 existing civilian City fleet trucks with pedestrian alerts by June 2029.
Intelligent speed assistance is a safety system that limits vehicle acceleration once the vehicle exceeds the local speed limit or a speed threshold set by DCAS. Under Executive Order 19, any contract for the purchase or lease of a non-emergency municipal fleet vehicle will require intelligent speed assistance technology. In June, DCAS completed the 1,000th City vehicle retrofit with the speed-limiting technology and will work to retrofit additional vehicles as feasible.
DCAS has pioneered municipal intelligent speed assistance technology, successfully implementing the largest intelligent speed assistance-equipped fleet in the country , with 1,000 vehicles at 21 agencies across 23 vehicle types that have already logged over 8 million miles using the technology since August 2022. The program has reduced dangerous speeding among equipped vehicles by 64%.
"Our administration expects every driver to do their part to keep our streets safe for everyone, and that begins with those behind the wheel of our City vehicles," said Mayor Mamdani. "Pedestrian alerts and speed-limiting technology deliver immediate results, and we can waste no time in keeping our neighbors safe."
"Safer streets mean safer communities, and with this Executive Order, Mayor Mamdani is affirming our ability at DCAS to directly impact the lives of New Yorkers through our municipal fleet," said DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei. "We are proud to build on our efforts to modernize our fleet; through speed assistance technology, pedestrian turn alerts and telematics tracking, we are protecting drivers and pedestrians alike."
"Mayor Mamdani's Executive Order is our next big step for fleet safety," said DCAS Deputy Commissioner and NYC Chief Fleet Officer Keith Kerman. "Pedestrian alerts on trucks will help warn and safeguard road users when trucks are making turns in the city, and the expansion of intelligent speed assistance will slow the fleet down. DCAS looks forward to working with all agencies and vehicle suppliers to get these safe new technologies installed."
DCAS manages the functionality and operations of intelligent speed assistance on City vehicles through the Fleet Office of Real Time Tracking (FORT). At FORT, DCAS monitors the movements of over 29,000 vehicles and manages the speed limit maps, tracking and controls required for intelligent speed assistance technology.
New York City is a national leader in sustainable, safe and efficient fleet operations. DCAS has installed over 105,000 safety upgrades - including truck side guards, backup alerts and surround cameras - in the City fleet in under a decade. The agency manages the largest electric vehicle fleet and charging networks in New York State with 5,850 EVs and 2,500 chargers and the first large fleet on the East Coast to completely transition from fossil diesel fuel to renewable diesel.
"Traveling on our streets shouldn't mean putting your life at risk. We have the tools to make streets safer for every New Yorker, and I'm thrilled New York City is investing in them," said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. "Pedestrian alert systems and intelligent speed assistance are proven technologies that reduce crashes and traffic deaths. That's why I fought so hard to pass my Stop Super Speeders Act, and why I applaud DCAS for taking this step to save New Yorkers' lives. We're laying the groundwork for a future where no New Yorker has to mourn the loss of a loved one to a preventable crash."
"I'm thrilled that these life-saving features are coming to our City's fleet of vehicles," said Assemblymember Emily Gallagher. "The City's current ISA program has already led the way in making our streets safer for everyone who uses them, and I'm grateful that the mayor and his administration is furthering that commitment to these built-in safety measures."
"New York City is leading the way with intelligent speed assistance and pedestrian alerts for new non-emergency vehicles, and there's no doubt that this effort will make the streets safer for everyone who shares the road," said City Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu. "I applaud DCAS for their commitment to street safety, and I hope we inspire other cities to take similar action. This is yet another critical step forward for good government and safe streets."
"Every New Yorker deserves to get home safely. Adding pedestrian alerts and intelligent speed assistance to the City's fleet is a commonsense step that will help prevent crashes, protect pedestrians, cyclists and drivers, and make our streets safer for everyone," said Council Member Shahana Hanif. "I'm grateful to DCAS for advancing these life-saving improvements and look forward to seeing them implemented across the City's fleet."
"Every New Yorker deserves to safely get around our city," said Council Member Lincoln Restler. "I'm pleased that DCAS is leading the way with innovative safety policies that will ensure our existing fleet of non-emergency municipal trucks - and all new non-emergency municipal vehicles and trucks - will have new technological features designed to protect pedestrians and cyclists."
