Gillen Sends Letter to Chair of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; Calls for Full Committee Hearing on Nationwide Increase in Fatal Traffic Crashes.

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04), a Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, called on the committee's leadership to hold a full committee hearing addressing the alarming rise in fatal traffic crashes across the nation, including in her District on the South Shore of Long Island.

Rep. Gillen has been a strong and consistent advocate for increased investments in transportation infrastructure that prioritize safety. In addition to her letter sent to the committee's chair, she hosted a press conferencein Rockville Centre earlier this morning to address the dramatic increase in fatal accidents on Long Island's roads. Gillen was joined by Assemblywoman Judy Griffin (AD-21), Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages (AD-22), Lynbrook Police Department Chief Brian Paladino, NY Coalition for Transportation Safety Executive Director Cynthia Brown, and DEDICATEDD Long Island President Marge Lee.

The full letter can be foundHERE and the text below:

Dear Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen:

I am proud to represent Long Island and serve alongside you on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I write to request that the Committee hold a hearing to examine the alarming, unacceptable nationwide increase in fatal traffic crashes, including in my District on the South Shore of Long Island. The deadly surge in traffic fatalities over the past decade demands our swift federal attention and intervention. As we begin drafting the next Surface Transportation Reauthorization, we must do more to invest in infrastructure upgrades, creative road-planning, and new technologies to help prevent tragedies and save lives.

A major investigation by Long Island's local paper Newsday revealed a devastating surge of fatalities and collisions on our roads. More than 2,100 people have been killed and 16,000 have been severely injured in traffic accidents on Long Island's dangerous roads over the past ten years. Traffic crashes are the single leading cause of accidental death among young people on Long Island, and the second-leading cause for all residents under the age of eighty. Every seven minutes on average, a serious traffic accident happens on Long Island. The failure to secure our roads has led to thousands of lives being cut short, families being ripped apart, and a terrible void being left in too many communities.

This is not just a local problem; it is a national crisis. As you know, traffic fatalities across our country are far greater than they were ten years ago. In the first six months of 2014, there were 15,035 roadway deaths. Ten years later, in 2024, there were 18,720 - an 25 percent increase. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law in 2021, appropriated $5 billion in discretionary funding to help prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. To date, hundreds of projects across the country have been funded through this crucial investment. However, we can and must do much more.

Thank you for your bipartisan leadership and commitment to this important issue. I look forward to continuing to work with you and our colleagues on the Committee to improve our roads and save lives.

Regards,
Laura A. Gillen
Member of Congress