The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) in partnership with Together for Safer Roads, a coalition of global private sector companies dedicated to preventing road crashes, have created an annual award that will spotlight individuals dedicated to fleet safety.
Known as the Lenin Fierro Vision Zero Fleet Advocacy Award, it is named in honor of the late Lenin Fierro, a former DCAS employee, a long-time champion for fleet safety, and a leader in Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero Safety initiative.
The first recipient is Nigel Reid, director of transportation at City Harvest, New York City’s largest food rescue organization, helping to feed the more than 1.5 million New Yorkers in need. He will receive the inaugural award at the Global Vision Zero Conference on May 19.
Reid oversees City Harvest’s fleet and drivers and is responsible for ensuring they can safely and efficiently rescue 30 million pounds of locally sourced food and deliver it to a network of 400 soup kitchens, food pantries, and other emergency food providers across the five boroughs of New York City. He is also charged with overseeing the safety of City Harvest’s drivers, making sure they have the tools, equipment, and support they need in order to succeed.
During the pandemic, Reid worked diligently to meet what was likely the biggest demand in the history of City Harvest while making major safety improvements in their fleet operations. He is known for building a culture of continuous improvement by working with City Harvest drivers and managers and championing new fleet safety technologies.
A Legacy of Service and Safety
The new award recognizes unsung heroes like Reid — responsible for putting well-trained drivers behind the wheel of the safest vehicles — while also honoring the memory of Lenin Fierro.
After serving in the U.S. Navy, Fierro began his NYC government career in 2014 and immediately became a major contributor in building and implementing Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative. He spearheaded initiatives to train what is now 70,000 staff in safe driving, and he personally trained thousands.
Fierro also worked to build out the first-ever citywide collision management system, analyzed fleet collision data, surveyed city drivers, and helped NYC and the U.S. Department of Transportation develop the Safe Fleet Transition Plan. Often, Fierro represented the city in Spanish news segments on Vision Zero and participated in annual Vision Zero planning sessions. He was also the city fleet’s leader in partnering with the Department of Education to provide paid internships, driver training, and jobs to automotive high school students.
“Lenin Fierro was an extraordinary public servant,” said Keith Kerman, NYC Chief Fleet Officer and DCAS Deputy Commissioner for Fleet Management. “Lenin pushed safety in public and in private, always challenging us to do better. He was the voice of safety for our fleet operators. This award is a tribute to his legacy, and we thank Together for Safer Roads for their partnership.”
