DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez unveils a new student-designed poster encouraging motorists to exercise caution near work zones. Photo: Shane O’Brien
April 21, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled a new student-designed billboard in Astoria Monday morning, encouraging motorists to slow down near work zones on city streets and highways as part of National Work Zone Awareness Week.
The poster, unveiled at the intersection of 31st Street and Ditmars Boulevard, was designed by Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical High School junior Taino Mendez, who designed the poster as part of an inaugural competition among New York City high school students.
DOT officials said the citywide competition aimed to inspire a generation of future drivers to drive carefully near work zones while also educating motorists across the city with the winning poster. The campaign aims to encourage motorists to slow down and exercise caution when driving past work zones on city streets and highways, highlighting that workers are operating just feet away from live traffic.
Mendez’s poster beat off competition from around 130 entrants, and will now be featured on a billboard at a DOT-owned property in Red Hook as well as the Ditmars Boulevard location. The poster will also run as a digital advertisement at both the St. George and Whitehall Staten Island Ferry Terminals.
The competition, announced last December, encouraged students to design awareness posters around the theme “We are Working Here.” Mendez’s poster was unveiled Monday morning to mark the beginning of Work Zone Awareness Week, which runs from April 21-25.
Mendez’s poster encourages motorists to exercise caution near work zones through the slogan “Slow Down! My Mom Works Here,” highlighting the impact that a workplace death or injury can have on a worker’s family.
Mendez speaks at Monday’s launch. Photo: Shane O’Brien
Mendez said he also aimed to highlight the female workforce in active work zones across the city.
“A lot of people think that the New York City Department of Transportation (work zones) is only men,” Mendez said. “This is mostly a male-dominated field, and I wanted to represent women who work every single day.”
Mendez secured $1,000 for his school by taking first place, while Sabrina Pavlick of Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical School in Jamaica took second place and a $750 prize for her school. Barry Zheng of Tottenville High School in Staten Island took third place and a $500 prize.
DOT officials present Mendez and his school with a check for $1,000. Photo: Shane O’Brien
DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said the campaign aims to encourage motorists to see workers as somebody’s family member.
“The message is simple: slow down and protect our workers,” Rodriguez said. “They are your family too. When you see those work tools, we ask you to treat them like family members. We can never communicate this message enough.”
Rodriguez said 900 workers across the country lose their lives every year due to work zone accidents, while around 42,000 workers also suffer injuries due to work zone intrusions.
The DOT reported 12 work zone intrusions in 2024, resulting in five injuries. The Department has already reported one work zone injury in 2025, while 59 work zone injuries have been reported since 2009. Five deaths have also occurred at New York City work zones over the past two decades due to work zone intrusions.
“Our crews are out every day on our streets delivering critical infrastructure repairs and their safety is in the hands of the drivers,” Rodriguez said. “This year, we looked for a creative and engaging way for our next generation of drivers to be involved in work zone awareness.”
Rodriguez said the DOT is also pushing for increased penalties for motorists who don’t slow down near work zones, noting that construction and repair work throughout the city is set to ramp up in the coming weeks as the weather improves.
Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeff Roth also noted that “construction season” is about to begin earnestly and encouraged motorists to be “extra cautious” on the roads.
“It’s not just for the hardworking men and women who build and maintain our city, but for their families too,” Roth said in a statement. “Slow down and save a life. It’s that simple.”
The work zone safety campaign was developed in partnership with the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC), the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the New York State Department of Transportation.
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