In Transit newsletter: Which congressional districts are safest to walk?

Over our yearlong Dangerous Roads investigative series, Newsday’s team of data journalists came up with numerous ways to analyze figures on fatal vehicle crashes on Long Island. Now, in the thick of election season, a road safety advocacy group has come up with another way to look at the data — by congressional district.

Smart Growth America, a nonprofit group based in Washington, D.C., recently published a report ranking 436 congressional districts in the U.S. by the number of pedestrian fatalities in each district per 100,000 residents between 2020 and 2024. The study includes Washington's non-voting district and uses recently redrawn district boundaries to represent the map that will be in place when the 120th Congress is seated in January.

The worst-ranked of New York’s 26 congressional districts: the Second District, represented by Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport). The district, which stretches along the South Shore from Massapequa to Mastic Beach, ranked 76th in the U.S., with an annual pedestrian fatality rate of 3.25 per 100,000 residents and 126 pedestrian deaths over the five-year study period.

In a statement, Garbarino, who is running for his third term, pointed out that he's supported federal funding for infrastructure projects in his district to "help make streets safer and more pedestrian-friendly" and for efforts to eliminate dangerous LIRR grade crossings. 

"Every pedestrian death is a tragedy, and we need to do everything we can to keep Long Islanders safe on our roads," Garbarino said. "I’ll continue working with our local communities to improve safety for pedestrians and drivers across Long Island."

Long Island’s three other congressional districts all ranked in the middle of the pack: Nick LaLota’s 1st District at number 207, Laura Gillen’s 4th District at 211, and Tom Suozzi’s 3rd District at 261.

Organizers of the study said they hope it will spur the public to hold elected representatives accountable for prioritizing safety and push those representatives to better understand dangerous road conditions in their districts — and do something about them.

"Our hope is that, if [Garbarino] looks and sees that 120-something folks were killed in his district over the five-year period that we looked at, that he'll want to do something," said Smart Growth America Vice President of Communications Eric Cova, who hopes the data also spurs action among voters. "We think that they should hold their representatives accountable to make their community safer, more vibrant, more livable."

The most dangerous district in the U.S. for pedestrians, according to the report, is Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District, which covers much of Phoenix and had an average annual pedestrian fatality rate of 7.94, and 324 deaths during the study period.

The least dangerous district in the U.S. is Minnesota’s 1st District, a mostly rural area with a pedestrian fatality rate of 0.45 per 100,000 residents, and 16 deaths over five years, the report found.

Transportation news

• Suffolk County has been mailing info on how to get a red light camera refund, but not always to the right address. 
• New York and New Jersey elected officials say there's nothing "boring" about the machine digging out a mile-long passage for the new Gateway rail tunnel across the Hudson River. 
• If the LIRR is to run more trains on its Port Washington line, it needs somewhere to store them. Now, a project is underway that will allow them to do just that. 
• A Port Jefferson Station man died Sunday, days after he was hit by a bicyclist in Central Park, according to police. 

Travel watch

• The northbound Wantagh State Parkway will be operated on just one lane between Old Country Road (Exit W2) and the Northern State Parkway on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the next two weeks for drainage work.
• The eastbound Long Island Expressway (Interstate 495) will be closed Sunday through Thursday, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. between Exit 46 (Sunnyside Boulevard) and Exit 48 (Round Swamp Road) for approximately three weeks for repaving.
• Westbound Sunrise Highway (State Route 27) will be reduced to one lane between Harrison Avenue and the Wantagh State Parkway Sunday through Thursday from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for the next four weeks for repaving.
• Buses are replacing LIRR trains between Ronkonkoma and Greenport from 7 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday until Nov. 6 for track maintenance.
• There will be no LIRR service between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn or on the West Hempstead branch this weekend because of planned track maintenance and signal work.

Did you know?

When is "late" not really "late?" When it's less than six minutes late, according to the Long Island Rail Road. The LIRR considers a train on time as long as it arrives at its final destination within five minutes and 59 seconds of its scheduled time. Following that standard, the LIRR has achieved its goal of running 94% of its trains on time in 2024 and 2025, and is on pace to do so again this year.

What do you think of the LIRR's system of measuring punctuality? Let us know at transit@newsday.com.

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.