Two Upper East Side lawmakers are now formally calling on the NYC Department of Transportation to make safety improvements that can prevent another tragedy on the streets, after the tragic death of Carling Mott, the UES woman struck by a tractor trailer and killed while riding a Citi Bike to work several weeks ago.
“This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers that bicyclists face on New York City streets, particularly while traveling in areas that lack basic safety infrastructure,” reads the joint letter sent to the DOT on Tuesday by City Council Members Keith Powers and Julie Menin, who represent the UES.
On the morning of July 26th, 28-year-old Carling Mott was riding an electric Citi Bike on East 85th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues, heading to her job at Nickelodeon in Times Square.
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Surveillance video shows Mott was passing a tractor trailer stopped at the red light near the intersection at Madison Avenue, when the truck began to move.
Investigators say Mott then fell in the roadway and was hit by the truck. She was rushed to Weill Cornell Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.
“In the days after her death, our offices have spoken with her family and share their grief over the tragic loss of their daughter,” the letter from Council Members Powers and Menin continues.
“We respectfully request that the Department of Transportation take measures to improve safety at this intersection, including revisiting the proposed bike lane on 85th Street, evaluating the utilization of trucks along this route, and installing other safety infrastructure that can prevent another death.”
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Mott’s parents have also made it their mission to see crosstown bike lanes installed on the Upper East Side.
“Protected [bike lanes] are going to be better than unprotected, but any bike lane is going to be better than what caused my daughter’s death,” Carling’s father Jim Mott told reporters last month.
“The loss of one more life is a cost too high,” added her mother, Janice.
The DOT tells Upper East Site it is reviewing the council members’ letter and will continue to evaluate the area for safety upgrades.
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