In the wake of the deaths of two cyclists in recent weeks, the Common Council has approved spending $45,000 on a traffic safety campaign to educate residents about the new traffic patterns on city streets.

Lawmakers had voted down a previous funding request from Mayor Steve Noble, but reversed course in response to the fatalities, who both died after being struck by vehicles.

“I believe it is better to do something than to point fingers about who should have done what,” said First Ward Alderman Jeffrey Ventura Morrell, who was one of four lawmakers who reversed course after voting against the effort in June.

The money will pay for a consultant to develop graphics, ad copy and other elements for a public awareness and education campaign that will highlight recent changes to city streets, including a new roundabout at the top of Broadway and new bike lanes. Former city grants manager Kristen Wilson told lawmakers earlier this year that the work could be repurposed for future efforts as the city continues a years-long effort to modernize streets and introduce more bike- and pedestrian-friendly design.

Noble had initially hoped to roll out the campaign in conjunction with the completion of the I-587 roundabout, a major overhaul of the Broadway corridor and a street realignment project at the intersection of Broadway and Grand Street in late summer. But the council voted 5-4 to turn down a proposal to spend $35,000 on the project.

Noble renewed his request last month following the Sept. 19 death of cyclist Devin Griffiths, 39. Griffiths was killed when he was struck by a tanker truck exiting the traffic circle onto Broadway near East St. James Street. Griffiths was the third cyclist to die in Kingston in the space of nine months and the second this summer. On July 20, 57-year-old John “Host” Lynch was killed when he was hit by a car while crossing Washington Avenue near the Best Western Hotel.

In November 2020, 54-year-old Darryl Savage was killed when he struck the side of a school bus while riding in a recently installed bike lane at the corner of Greenkill and Wilbur avenues. A lawsuit by Savage’s family alleged that the city and the state — the bike lane was built by the state Department of Transportation as part of the Empire State Trail — had failed to do enough to inform and educate the public about the new traffic pattern, despite warnings from residents and elected officials about confusion at the intersection. County Executive Pat Ryan also called on city lawmakers to take another vote on the safety campaign and pledged support from the Ulster County Transportation Council for the effort.

On Oct. 5, council Majority Leader Rennie Scott-Childress, who supported the initial funding request said he believes much more needs to be done to ensure safer streets. Scott-Childress (D-Ward 3) called for a much broader effort to implement policies and build infrastructure to promote traffic safety.

“All of these [changes] push us towards working with folks in the community to develop a robust program of traffic safety,” said Scott-Childress. “So that we can all take responsibility for keeping our streets safe when we are walking, biking or driving.”

Ward 7 Alderman Patrick O’Reilly cast the sole vote against the funding. O’Reilly, who voted against the original plan, said that he thinks state and county officials should play a role in promoting and funding traffic safety efforts.

“If we’re going to have a traffic safety campaign, the county should co-sponsor it,” said O’Reilly. “This should be a countywide thing, a statewide thing, not just a citywide thing on the backs of the residents of the City of Kingston.”