Huge numbers of license-seekers fi le into
DMV as Green Light Law is implemented
BY BILL PARRY
Hundreds of undocumented
immigrants lined up outside
the Department of Motor
Vehicles office in Whitestone
Monday morning waiting for
their opportunity to apply
for a driver’s license thanks
to the so-called Green Light
Law, which restores access to
licenses to all state residents,
regardless of immigration
status.
Assemblywoman Catalina
Cruz, the first “Dreamer”
elected to the state legislature,
grew emotional during a press
gathering Sunday at the offices
of Make the Road New York
in Jackson Heights.
“I grew up undocumented
and I never thought I would see
the day this would happen,”
Cruz said. “To finally give a
chance to families like mine
to not fear going out every day
to work to have a chance at a
real life because while they
try to destroy us from Washington
we’re going to continue
to fight to protect our people
right here at home.”
The major victory was led
by community-based organizations
like Make the Road
New York, whose volunteers
knocked on thousands of
doors, collected thousands of
petitions, held numerous community
forums, and traveled
multiple times to lobby in Albany.
The Greenlight Law is
expected to impact more than
700,000 undocumented immigrants
who are now eligible to
apply.
“Our community stood up
for respect and dignity for all,
and we won,” Make the Road
New York Co-Executive Director
Javier H. Valdés said.
“Now all New Yorker, regardless
of immigration status,
will be able to apply for driver’s
licenses, which will keep
our roads safer, stimulate the
economy, and keep families
together. This historic victory
means that hundreds of
Keeping Older New Yorkers
Safe on Sidewalks
TIMESLEDGER | Q 8 NS.COM | DEC. 20-26, 2019
thousands of New Yorkers will
now be able to take their kids
to school and the doctor, get to
work efficiently, and respond
to emergencies in their families.”
Outside the Queens DMV,
immigrants were chanting “Si
se pudo!” (We did it) and “Licencias
para todos!” (Licenses
for all) as they awaited their
opportunity.
“What an incredible feeling
it will be to finally have a license,”
MRNY member Fausto
Jiminez said. “This will mean
I can drive my family where
we want to go, with the peace
of mind that I won’t be stopped
and torn away from the people
I love.”
Experts have found that the
Greenlight Law will bring substantial
economic benefits to
the state including $57 million
in annual revenue. New York
has joined twelve states, plus
Washington D.C. and Puerto
Rico, which have similar policies
in place.
“Today we are seeing a
massive response from the
immigrant community that
fought for years to make the
Greenlight Law a reality,”
MRNY Associate Director of
Organizing Yaritza Mendez
said. “As we expected, we are
seeing thousands of community
members come forward
to apply for licenses for the
first time. People are waiting
in the cold because they know
that having a license will enable
them to drive their kids to
school, to the doctor and get to
work efficiently, especially in
places where there isn’t access
to public transit.”
State Attorney General Letitia
James won two lawsuits
filed by upstate county clerks,
who tried to block implementation
of the law.
Hundreds of undocumented immigrants line up outside the DMV in
Whitestone to apply for a license. Courtesy Make the Road NY
With an increasing number of
people on New York City sidewalks
and streets, all New Yorkers must
keep in mind the importance of
pedestrian safety for frail or slowpaced
older adults.
Older New Yorkers walk more
than older adults in any other city in
the United States, despite crowded
streets. For someone with balance or
mobility issues, an accidental bump
from a rushing passerby could cause
a life-threatening fall.
Falls are the leading cause of
fatal and nonfatal injuries among
older Americans. What’s more,
experiencing a fall as an older adult
is both physically and emotionally
painful. To avoid this, older
pedestrians are cautious. They walk
in the crosswalk and use crossing
signals, but if struck by a vehicle, they
are more likely to be injured.
The Department of Transportation’s
(DOT) Safe Streets program is an
initiative focused on the safety of
older pedestrians. In 2018, older
adults ages 65 and older accounted
for 13% of the City’s total population,
but 50% of pedestrian traffic fatalities.
Accidents from motor vehicles are
the largest concern. As we work to
reduce these traffic fatalities, we must
not forget the importance of cyclists
observing the rules of the road to
keep vulnerable pedestrians safe.
Nearly eight hundred thousand
New Yorkers ride a bicycle regularly,
and this number is increasing. Bikes
are a healthy and environmentally
friendly solution to the city’s
crowded transportation system, but
without safety considerations and
enforcements, they can be dangerous.
Not yielding to a pedestrian
might save a few seconds on a bike
commute, but it could also cause a
severe injury. Cyclists must utilize
the City’s designated bike paths or
lanes and leave the sidewalks open
to pedestrians. New York City has
1,240 lane miles of bike routes. In the
last five years, the City has expanded
on-street bike lanes by more than
330 miles, with 66.1 miles installed
in 2018.
The City is doing its part to keep
pedestrians safe. Alongside DOT,
the New York Police Department
(NYPD) makes sure cyclists abide
by the rules of the road. This year,
the NYPD has issued 37,916 moving
violations to cyclists, compared to
34,257 in 2018, an 11% increase.
I am confident that there is
enough room for cyclists and
pedestrians alike. As we strive to
be a truly age-inclusive City that
accommodates dwellers of all ages
and with disabilities, I encourage
all New Yorkers to look out for their
neighbors on the sidewalk.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
is Commissioner of the New York
City Department for the Aging.
Prior to joining the de Blasio
administration, she served in
executive leadership roles with
AARP, EmblemHealth and
other organizations. She also
served as New York’s first Latina
Secretary of State.
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