Work Zone Awareness Week: NYC Encourages Drivers to Slow Down in Work Zone on Streets and Highways

April 17, 2024

With the start of construction season, crews are working day and night across the city, often at busy and challenging intersections and on highways

NEW YORK -- The New York City Departments of Environmental Protection (DEP),Transportation (DOT), and Design and Construction (DDC) today joined with the New York State Department of Transportation, the General Contractors Association of New York, National Grid, and other entities working on City streets and highways to promote National Work Zone Awareness Week, observed this year from April 15-19. As the annual construction season gets under way, NYC calls on all motorists to slow down and protect the safety of road crews. Today's event was held at the site of a roadway resurfacing operation in a residential section of Bushwick, Brooklyn.

"Every single day of the year DEP crews are working on roadways across our city to maintain the roughly 15,000 miles of water mains and sewers that are the lifeblood of the Big Apple," said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. "Our crews work to serve the public and we hope all roadway users will operate with care and patience around work zones."

"Just as our crews work hard to make our roads and bridges safe, we ask all New Yorkers to help keep our crews safe by exercising greater caution when driving through work zones," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "Treat our workers as if they are members of your own family by slowing down, driving carefully, and being courteous."

Throughout the year, NYC maintains its commitment to workers through comprehensive work zone training, use of physical safety barriers, ongoing safety assessments of job sites and improvements to fleet equipment such as back-up cameras and retro-reflective markings. 

In addition to its internal education and training efforts for employees, NYC places a strong emphasis on its external public awareness campaigns. This season the campaign will focus on ads placed on digital and social platforms and highlighting the importance of work zone safety.

About the NYC Department of Environmental Protection

DEP manages New York City's water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to nearly 10 million residents, including 8.8 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP also protects the health and safety of New Yorkers by enforcing the Air and Noise Codes and asbestos rules. DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $31 billion in investments over the next 10 years. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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