New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani has signed Executive Order 19 to improve the safety of the city’s municipal vehicle fleet by introducing advanced technologies designed to protect pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. The order strengthens the administration’s focus on creating safer streets while modernizing the operations of city-owned vehicles.
Under the new directive, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) will install pedestrian alert systems on all existing non-emergency municipal trucks and require the technology in future vehicle purchases. The system is designed to provide audible warnings to pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users when a vehicle is preparing to make a turn, helping reduce the risk of collisions.
DCAS plans to equip approximately 4,000 existing civilian fleet trucks with pedestrian alert technology by June 2029. The agency will also require all newly purchased or leased non-emergency municipal vehicles and trucks to include intelligent speed assistance systems.
Intelligent speed assistance technology works by limiting vehicle acceleration when a vehicle exceeds the local speed limit or a speed threshold established by DCAS. The technology is intended to reduce dangerous speeding behavior and improve overall road safety across the city’s fleet.
DCAS has already expanded the use of this technology across New York City, creating the largest municipal fleet with intelligent speed assistance systems in the United States. More than 1,000 vehicles across 21 agencies and 23 vehicle categories have used the system since August 2022, covering more than 8 million miles. The program has contributed to a 64% reduction in dangerous speeding among equipped vehicles.
Mayor Mamdani said the initiative reflects the administration’s commitment to ensuring that city vehicle operators help create safer streets for all New Yorkers. He emphasized that pedestrian alerts and speed-control technology provide immediate safety benefits and support efforts to prevent avoidable accidents.
DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei said the order builds on the agency’s ongoing work to modernize the city fleet through safety innovations, including speed assistance technology, pedestrian turn alerts, and vehicle tracking systems.
Officials and lawmakers also welcomed the move, saying the new measures could help reduce crashes and protect people who walk, cycle, or drive throughout New York City. State Senator Andrew Gounardes and City Council members highlighted the effectiveness of these technologies in preventing traffic-related injuries and deaths.
Through the Fleet Office of Real Time Tracking, DCAS currently monitors more than 29,000 city vehicles and manages the systems required for speed controls and vehicle tracking. The latest executive order represents another step toward improving transportation safety and creating a more secure environment for everyone using New York City streets.
