No More Names on Asphalt: Demand Safe Streets Now

Senate passes bill forcing delivery apps to insure workers and crash victims. Lawmakers tout support for the injured. But insurance comes after the hit. Speeders keep driving. Danger stays on the street. Prevention takes a back seat.

On June 13, 2025, the New York State Senate passed a bill requiring food delivery apps to provide insurance for delivery workers, pedestrians, and cyclists. The bill, sponsored by Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger, mandates up to $50,000 per person for basic economic loss, regardless of citizenship or employment status. Assembly Member Robert Carroll authored the original Assembly version, stating, 'It is time we require delivery apps to take responsibility for keeping delivery workers and pedestrians safe.' Sen. Andrew Gounardes defended a related speed-limiting bill, but it was weakened. Safety analysts warn: 'Focusing on insurance rather than speed limits shifts responsibility away from prevention and system design, failing to reduce crash risk and potentially discouraging mode shift by not addressing the root causes of danger for pedestrians and cyclists.' Lawmakers back insurance, but leave the streets risky.

• Senate Votes to Require Delivery Apps to Provide Insurance for Workers, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-13

A woman died behind the wheel of an SUV on Ditmas Avenue. Another occupant was hurt. Police cite driver inattention. The SUV’s front left bumper took the hit. The crash left one dead, one injured, and a street marked by impact.

A crash on Ditmas Avenue in Brooklyn involved a 2021 Mercedes SUV registered in Florida. According to the police report, the SUV was parked and then struck, with the point of impact at the left front bumper. The driver, a 38-year-old woman, was killed. Another 38-year-old female occupant suffered unspecified injuries. Police list 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. No other vehicles are clearly identified in the report. The driver was not using any safety equipment at the time of the crash. The report does not mention any actions by the injured occupant. The facts show a deadly collision, with inattention behind the wheel called out by police.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4816179, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Albany lawmakers push Assembly Bill 590 to force 16- and 17-year-olds on Citi Bike e-bikes to wear helmets. Critics warn helmet laws slash ridership and invite biased policing. The bill moves forward despite evidence of harm to vulnerable road users.

Assembly Bill 590, sponsored by Amy Paulin (D-Westchester), advanced in a Transportation Committee hearing on May 7, 2025. The bill would require 16- and 17-year-olds riding Class 1 or 2 e-bikes, including Citi Bikes, to wear helmets. Committee Chair William Magnarelli (D-Syracuse) defended the bill, stating, "My only concern is the safety of the people riding the bike." The bill summary notes, 'studies have shown [helmet mandates] can dramatically reduce ridership of the city’s bike share system.' Experts warn such laws lead to fewer cyclists and open the door to discriminatory enforcement, especially against youth of color. Seattle dropped its helmet law in 2022 for these reasons. Despite evidence that helmet laws hurt vulnerable road users, the committee advanced the bill without addressing these harms.

• Teen Helmet Mandate for E-Citi Bikes? Albany Lawmakers are Up to No Good Again, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-07

Six dead in a Jersey City helicopter crash. The noise never stops. Assembly Member Carroll’s bill, A2583, would tax non-essential flights. The aim: cut flights, cut noise, cut harm. Governor Hochul stays silent. The city waits. The damage mounts.

Assembly Bill A2583, sponsored by Brooklyn Assembly Member Robert Carroll, seeks to impose hefty fees on non-essential helicopter flights over New York City. The bill remains pending, with no endorsement yet from Governor Hochul. The Streetsblog article, 'Helicopter Deaths, Fast and Slow,' highlights the recent fatal crash near Jersey City that killed six and draws a stark comparison to the ongoing economic and human toll of helicopter noise. Carroll’s bill is described as the 'gold-standard' for taxing helicopter noise, with estimates that it could reduce flights by 30 to 50 percent. Carroll urges action, calling on the public to pressure Hochul to support the measure. The article underscores that the distress over crash deaths should extend to the daily suffering caused by helicopter noise, which inflicts millions in damages and degrades quality of life for city residents.

• Helicopter Deaths, Fast and Slow, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-17

A motorcycle slammed into the rear of a turning Mack truck on Washington Avenue. The rider, helmeted and conscious, was half-flung from the bike, his leg shattered. Both vehicles moved south. The crash left the motorcyclist with crushing injuries.

According to the police report, a motorcycle collided with the rear of a Mack tractor truck making a right turn on Washington Avenue near Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. The crash occurred as both vehicles traveled south. The report states the motorcycle 'slammed into the rear' of the turning truck, resulting in the 34-year-old rider being 'crushed,' his leg shattered, and partially ejected from the bike. The rider was helmeted and conscious at the scene. Police cite 'Following Too Closely' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors to the crash. The report does not list any victim behavior as a contributing factor. The impact left the motorcyclist with severe lower leg injuries, underscoring the dangers posed by close following and inattention on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4797441, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Assembly bill A 6225 drops the speed threshold for owner liability. Now, drivers face penalties for going just seven miles over the limit. The bill aims to catch more speeders. Carroll and Simone back it. The fight for safer streets continues.

Assembly bill A 6225 was introduced on February 28, 2025. It sits in the sponsorship stage. The bill, titled 'Relates to reducing the speed for owner liability for failure of operator to comply with certain posted maximum speed limits,' lowers the threshold for owner liability to more than seven miles per hour over posted limits. Assembly Members Robert C. Carroll (District 44, primary sponsor) and Tony Simone (District 75, co-sponsor) lead the push. No votes have been recorded yet. The bill targets drivers who speed, holding car owners accountable at lower speeds. This measure could close loopholes and increase enforcement. Vulnerable road users—pedestrians, cyclists, passengers—stand to gain from stricter speed control.

• File A 6225, Open States, Published 2025-02-28

A Ford SUV slams its front bumper into a three-year-old girl stepping from a parked car. Blood spills on Coney Island Avenue. She survives, conscious, head gashed. The driver was distracted. Alcohol was involved. The city’s danger is plain.

According to the police report, a three-year-old girl was struck by a Ford SUV near 948 Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. The incident occurred as she stepped down from a parked SUV. The report states, 'A Ford strikes her head with its front bumper. Blood pools on the curb. She is conscious.' The child suffered severe lacerations to her head and was listed as injured but conscious. The police report explicitly notes that 'the driver was distracted' and that 'alcohol was involved.' These driver errors—distraction and alcohol use—are central to the crash. The report does not cite any contributing factors related to the victim’s behavior. The impact and aftermath underscore the ongoing systemic danger faced by the city’s most vulnerable road users.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4794620, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Toyota surged off Eastern Parkway. The 88-year-old driver, semiconscious, lost control. Metal shrieked. A 58-year-old man, standing clear of the road, was crushed. Both bodies broken. The car lay wrecked, silent under the streetlight.

According to the police report, an 88-year-old man driving a 1998 Toyota sedan veered west off Eastern Parkway near 85th Street. The driver was described as 'semiconscious' and 'trapped in metal,' suffering crush injuries to his entire body. The report states that 'illness' was the sole contributing factor, listed twice for both the driver and the pedestrian. The vehicle left the roadway and struck a 58-year-old man who was 'not in roadway,' standing off the road. The pedestrian was also left with crush injuries to his entire body. The police narrative describes the car as demolished, its shell silent under the streetlight. No contributing factors were attributed to the pedestrian; the focus remains on the driver's medical condition and loss of control.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4773784, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A box truck turned right on Ditmas Avenue, crushing a 16-year-old riding a Hurley e-bike beneath its front. His chest collapsed. He was thrown and died at the scene. The truck rolled on, untouched. The street swallowed another life.

According to the police report, a box truck was making a right turn on Ditmas Avenue near Coney Island Avenue when it struck a 16-year-old riding a Hurley e-bike. The report states the teen was crushed beneath the truck’s right front quarter panel, suffering fatal chest injuries. The victim was ejected and died at the scene. The truck sustained no damage and continued on, according to the narrative. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified' and does not cite any driver error, but the sequence of events centers on the truck’s right turn and the resulting impact. The report notes the e-bike rider was unlicensed and wore no helmet, but these details are listed only after the fatal collision caused by the truck’s maneuver.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4749410, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A sedan turned left on Beverley Road. An e-bike rider went straight. Metal struck flesh. The cyclist, thirty, hit the ground headfirst, helmetless. Blood pooled. Lacerations deep. He lay conscious, half-thrown from his bike, pain sharp, Brooklyn afternoon.

According to the police report, a sedan making a left turn collided with an e-bike traveling straight along Beverley Road near Rugby Road in Brooklyn at 14:10. The report states, 'A sedan turned left. An e-bike went straight. Metal met flesh.' The 30-year-old e-bike rider was partially ejected and struck the ground headfirst, sustaining severe lacerations and head injuries. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Other Vehicular' as contributing factors in the crash. The e-bike rider was not wearing a helmet, but the report does not cite this as a contributing factor—driver error remains central. The collision left the cyclist conscious but badly hurt, underscoring the dangers faced by vulnerable road users when drivers fail to yield or pay attention.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4738383, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Assembly Members Emily Gallagher and Robert Carroll denounce the governor’s move to halt congestion pricing. They call it a blow to transit, air quality, and city life. Their words cut through: New York’s streets belong to people, not cars.

On June 7, 2024, Assembly Member Emily Gallagher (District 50) joined Robert Carroll in a public statement opposing Governor Hochul’s indefinite delay of congestion pricing. The op-ed, titled 'Two Assembly Pols: Congestion Pricing is Good Policy — Democrats Should Embrace It,' argues the governor’s action is 'effectively a cancellation.' Gallagher and Carroll stress that congestion pricing is essential for funding the MTA and improving public transit. They write, 'Congestion pricing does both and there is no fair or viable alternative way to fund the MTA’s capital needs at this juncture.' The statement warns that the delay will shelve critical projects and worsen conditions for all who rely on safe, accessible streets. Gallagher’s stance is clear: the city’s future depends on prioritizing transit and public space over traffic and private cars.

• Two Assembly Pols: Congestion Pricing is Good Policy — Democrats Should Embrace It, streetsblog.org, Published 2024-06-07

Two Assembly members slam the governor’s move to halt congestion pricing. They call it a blow to transit, air quality, and city life. They say New York needs fewer cars, more trains, and streets for people, not traffic. The fight continues.

Assembly Members Robert Carroll and Emily Gallagher issued a public statement on June 7, 2024, supporting congestion pricing and condemning Governor Hochul’s indefinite delay of the program. The statement, published as an op-ed, argues, 'the Governor’s announcement to indefinitely delay implementation is effectively a cancellation of congestion pricing.' Carroll and Gallagher, both long-time supporters, stress that congestion pricing is vital for funding the MTA’s capital needs and for reducing traffic and pollution. They warn that the governor’s move will stall key transit projects and harm New Yorkers who rely on public transportation. The members urge Democrats to embrace the policy, stating, 'It is past time for New York to join such cities as London, Milan, Stockholm, and Singapore and implement congestion pricing without further delay.' The statement does not mince words: the city’s future depends on streets for people, not cars.

• Two Assembly Pols: Congestion Pricing is Good Policy — Democrats Should Embrace It, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-06-07

Governor Hochul yanked support for congestion pricing weeks before launch. Senator Liz Krueger called it reckless. The move leaves a $15 billion hole in MTA funding. No clear replacement plan. Riders and streets hang in the balance. Gridlock wins.

On June 6, 2024, Senator Liz Krueger (District 28) condemned Governor Hochul’s last-minute reversal on congestion pricing. The policy, approved by the MTA Board and set for June 30, now faces indefinite delay. Krueger called the decision 'a staggering error' that creates a financial crisis for the MTA. The matter at hand: 'Gov. Hochul revoked her support for congestion pricing less than a month before it was supposed to start.' Assembly Member Robert Carroll also criticized the governor, rejecting her proposal to hike the payroll mobility tax on city businesses. The MTA’s capital plan now faces a $15 billion shortfall, with no replacement funding in sight. The delay leaves vulnerable road users exposed, as congestion pricing aimed to cut traffic and fund safer transit. The council’s response is clear: the city needs congestion pricing, now.

• Two Huge Questions About 'Gridlock Gov.' Hochul's Congestion Pricing Delay, streetsblog.org, Published 2024-06-06

Governor Hochul pulled the plug on congestion pricing just weeks before rollout. The move leaves the MTA’s future in limbo. Board members and city officials push back. Billions for transit hang in the balance. No clear plan replaces lost funds.

On June 6, 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul revoked her support for congestion pricing, a policy set to start June 30. The delay, announced without legislative action, sparked backlash. MTA Board member Midori Valdivia vowed, 'I'm going to vote yes to congestion pricing, and that it should start as soon as possible.' Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi echoed, 'It needs to happen now.' Senator Liz Krueger called Hochul's move 'a staggering error.' Assembly Member Robert Carroll and business leader Kathy Wylde criticized the governor’s floated payroll tax hike as unfair to city businesses. The MTA faces a $15 billion shortfall, with no replacement funding in sight. The delay keeps streets clogged and transit underfunded, risking more danger for those outside cars.

• Two Huge Questions About ‘Gridlock Gov.’ Hochul’s Congestion Pricing Delay, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-06-06

Steel front met soft flesh on Coney Island Avenue. A 17-year-old cyclist thrown, body broken, shock in his eyes. The SUV did not stop. Pavement held him. Blood pooled. Sirens followed. The city’s danger pressed down, hard and cold.

A 17-year-old boy riding a bike was struck by a station wagon/SUV at Park Circle and Coney Island Avenue, according to the police report. The crash occurred as both vehicles were 'going straight ahead.' The cyclist was ejected and suffered severe lacerations and injuries to his entire body. The police report describes the impact as 'steel front met soft flesh,' with the teen thrown hard and left in shock. The SUV's center front end struck the cyclist, causing the bike to overturn. The report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' as a contributing factor, but does not cite any specific driver error. The cyclist was not wearing a helmet, as noted in the report, but this is mentioned only after the details of the crash and the SUV's involvement. The focus remains on the violent collision and the systemic dangers faced by vulnerable road users at this intersection.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4720231, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Mercedes swung right on Clermont Avenue. An unlicensed driver hit a woman crossing. Her hip shattered, blood pooling from deep wounds. She lay on the pavement, limbs twisted, eyes fixed on the unreachable sky above.

According to the police report, a Mercedes sedan making a right turn on Clermont Avenue struck a 35-year-old woman as she crossed at the intersection. The report states the driver was unlicensed and failed to yield the right-of-way. The impact broke the woman’s hip and caused severe lacerations, leaving her conscious but immobilized on the pavement. The police report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Driver Inexperience' as contributing factors. The collision occurred when the sedan’s right front bumper hit the pedestrian, who was in the crosswalk. No evidence in the report suggests any pedestrian error contributed to the crash. The focus remains on the unlicensed driver’s actions and the systemic danger posed by drivers who disregard basic traffic laws.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4717531, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A westbound SUV struck a cyclist head-on on Atlantic Avenue. The rider flew from his bike, landing hard and bleeding from the head. The SUV’s front end caved. The bicycle twisted, silent witness to the crash.

According to the police report, a cyclist turning left on Atlantic Avenue was struck head-on by a westbound Honda SUV. The impact ejected the 32-year-old male cyclist from his bike, leaving him semiconscious and bleeding severely from the head. The report notes that the SUV’s front end caved in, while the bicycle was left twisted at the scene. Police cite 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as contributing factors, highlighting driver error as central to the crash. The narrative describes blood pooling from the cyclist’s head and confirms he was not wearing a helmet, but this detail is mentioned only after the driver’s actions. Systemic danger persists on Atlantic Avenue, where vulnerable road users face lethal force from vehicles.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4710546, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Seven Brooklyn officials urge DOT to clear cars from corners. They want boulders, planters, and bike corrals—not just paint. Their call follows deadly crashes. They press the city to use state law and federal funds. DOT promises review. Advocates back the push.

On January 17, 2024, seven Brooklyn elected officials—including Council Member Shahana Hanif, Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Assembly Members Marcela Mitaynes, Jo Anne Simon, Robert Carroll, and State Senators Zellnor Myrie and Andrew Gounardes—issued a joint letter to the NYC Department of Transportation. They called for 'universal daylighting with hardened materials such as boulders, planters, and bike corrals' at intersections. The officials cited recent fatal crashes and urged the city to opt into a state law banning parking within 20 feet of corners. They want federal funds used for these changes. The group opposes DOT’s slow pace and reliance on paint, demanding physical barriers. Community board leaders and advocates support the move. DOT says it will review the letter and remains committed to evidence-based daylighting.

• Seven Brooklyn Electeds Join Growing Calls For Universal Daylighting, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-01-17

A Jeep rear-ended a diesel truck on Atlantic Avenue. The SUV’s front crumpled. The truck barely moved. An 88-year-old woman, belted in the front seat, died inside the wreck. She never made it out. Impact was sudden. Death was total.

A Jeep SUV struck the rear of a diesel tractor truck on Atlantic Avenue near Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, 'A Jeep rear-ended a diesel truck. The SUV’s front folded. The truck barely moved. An 88-year-old woman, belted in the front seat, died. Her body shattered inside the car. She never got out.' The crash killed the elderly front-seat passenger. The report lists 'Following Too Closely' as a contributing factor. The passenger was wearing a lap belt and harness. No driver errors by the truck operator are listed. The force of the collision left the SUV destroyed at the front, while the truck sustained rear-end damage but remained largely unmoved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4681770, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A 46-year-old man crossed Fort Hamilton Parkway. An SUV struck him in the crosswalk. His skull was crushed. Two cars rolled on. The man died where he fell. Brooklyn pavement kept his silence.

A 46-year-old pedestrian was killed on Fort Hamilton Parkway near 37th Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the man was crossing against the signal when a southbound SUV struck him, crushing his skull. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Reaction to Uninvolved Vehicle' as contributing factors. The man suffered fatal head injuries. Two vehicles were involved, both traveling south. The police report states, 'A southbound SUV crushed his skull beneath its frame. Two cars kept moving. Only the man stopped. Forever.' The data highlights driver inattention as a key factor in this deadly crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4678904, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14