Three Dead, Hundreds Hurt—How Many More Must Die on Staten Island Streets?

E-bike slammed center front on Broadway. Two riders, both hurt in the head. Blood on the street. Distraction and confusion marked the crash. Staten Island night, sharp and unforgiving.

Two people riding an e-bike were injured in a crash at 221 Broadway, Staten Island. Both suffered head injuries—one with severe lacerations, the other with abrasions. According to the police report, 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' contributed to the collision. The e-bike struck with its center front end. No safety equipment was reported. The crash left both the driver and passenger conscious but wounded.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4829670 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31

Mayor Adams stalled Third Avenue’s redesign. He once called it urgent. Now, cyclists and walkers face the same deadly street. Cars dominate. Promises break. Blood stains linger.

On July 17, 2025, Mayor Eric Adams delayed Brooklyn’s Third Avenue safety redesign. The project, once 'at the top of our list,' now sits idle. Streetsblog NYC reported the mayor’s reversal. No council vote or committee action is recorded. Adams’s move keeps pedestrians and cyclists exposed to known hazards. A safety analyst notes: Delaying redesign postpones critical improvements, keeps dangers in place, and discourages walking and biking. The city’s inaction leaves Third Avenue deadly for all outside a car.

• Fixing Third Ave. Was Once ‘Top of List’ For Eric Adams — But as Mayor He Backed Off, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-07-17

Ex-Commissioner Tom Donlon says Adams insiders fueled deadly NYPD chases. Cyclists, kids, and bystanders paid. Streets turned chaotic. Policy ignored. Trust shattered. Vulnerable road users left exposed.

""The NYPD is led by the best, brightest and most honorable professionals in the nation — and their results speak for themselves: crime continues to fall across the city, with shootings at the lowest level in recorded history. We will respond in court, where we are confident these absurd claims will be disproven."" -- Charles Fall

On July 16, 2025, former NYPD Commissioner Tom Donlon filed a civil racketeering suit, alleging 'deadly and unconstitutional high-speed vehicle chases' under Mayor Adams. The complaint, reported by Streetsblog NYC, claims the NYPD's Community Response Team operated as a rogue unit, answerable only to City Hall, with Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry allowing reckless pursuits. Donlon cites deaths and injuries, including cyclist Amanda Servedio. The suit alleges 398 crashes and 315 injuries in 2024—a 47% jump. Donlon's allegations highlight how high-speed chases increase risk to pedestrians and cyclists, introducing unpredictable, dangerous driving and eroding public trust in safe, equitable enforcement. No council bill or committee action is tied to this event.

• Former NYPD Boss Says Deadly High Speed Chases Were Result Of ‘Rogue’ Adams Insiders, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-07-16

A 16-year-old on an e-scooter died after a collision with a Hyundai in Staten Island. Head trauma proved fatal. Police are investigating. The driver stayed at the scene. No arrests. Another scooter death followed days later.

The Brooklyn Paper (2025-07-13) reports a fatal crash on June 29 in Staten Island. Sixteen-year-old Nacere Ellis, riding an electric scooter, collided with a westbound Hyundai Tucson. The article states, 'Ellis suffered head trauma as a result of the crash.' The 79-year-old driver remained at the scene. NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad is reviewing the case. No charges have been filed. The report notes a similar fatal scooter crash days earlier in Queens. The incidents highlight ongoing risks for micromobility users and the need for systemic safety measures.

• Teen E-Scooter Rider Killed In Crash, The Brooklyn Paper, Published 2025-07-13

Years pass. Bus speeds crawl. City dodges real bus rapid transit. Riders wait. Streets choke. Vulnerable users stuck with slow, crowded, unsafe options. Nothing changes. Safety stands still.

On July 11, 2025, Dave Colon spotlighted two reports slamming New York City’s failure to deliver real bus rapid transit. The reports state, 'Years of bus priority projects have barely improved speeds because New York City leaders have not implemented real bus rapid transit (BRT).' Colon, reporting for Streetsblog NYC, supports comprehensive BRT and opposes the city’s piecemeal fixes. Mayor Adams and city agencies have not acted on key recommendations. The safety analyst notes: the lack of real BRT means missed chances for mode shift and street equity, but does not directly worsen conditions for pedestrians and cyclists; the status quo remains unchanged.

• Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-07-11

Mayor Adams halts 34th Street busway. Streets stay clogged. Pedestrians and bus riders lose. Car dominance remains. Safety and equity stalled.

On July 3, 2025, the Adams administration paused the 34th Street busway project, as reported by Streetsblog NYC. The matter, described as a 'highly-anticipated 34th Street busway,' had support from Council Members Erik Bottcher, Keith Powers, and others. Bottcher called it 'transformative,' promising fewer crashes and faster buses. Powers slammed the last-minute reversal. Safety analysts warn: canceling the busway preserves car dominance, discourages transit, and keeps streets unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists. The project’s future is uncertain. Vulnerable New Yorkers pay the price.

• Anti-Miracle On 34th Street: Adams Administration Pauses Work On 34th Street Busway, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-07-03

SUV struck a standing scooter on College Ave. Teen driver ejected, unconscious, bleeding from head. Police cite driver inattention and failure to yield. Streets remain dangerous for the young.

A 16-year-old male driving a standing scooter was struck by a 2007 Hyundai SUV on College Ave, Staten Island. The teen was ejected, left unconscious, and suffered severe head bleeding. According to the police report, the SUV driver was inattentive and failed to yield the right-of-way. Both driver errors are listed as contributing factors. The teen had no safety equipment. The SUV driver, a 79-year-old woman, was not injured. The crash highlights the risks faced by young road users when drivers fail to pay attention and yield.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4825475 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31

Senate passes S 8344. School speed zone rules in New York City get extended. Lawmakers make technical fixes. The bill keeps pressure on drivers near schools. Streets stay a little safer for kids.

Bill S 8344, titled 'Extends provisions and makes technical corrections to school speed zones in NYC; repealer,' moved through the Senate and Assembly in June 2025. Sponsored by Senator Andrew Gounardes, the bill passed Senate votes on June 12 and June 13, and cleared the Assembly on June 17. The measure extends and corrects school speed zone laws in New York City, repealing outdated provisions. Gounardes led the push, with strong support from most Senate Democrats and a split Assembly. The bill's technical fixes aim to keep protections in place for children and other vulnerable road users near schools. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 8344, Open States, Published 2025-06-17

The city will rip out the protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue between Flushing and Willoughby. Cyclists lose their shield. Painted lines replace real barriers. Crash risk rises. The city ignores proven safety. Vulnerable road users pay the price.

On June 13, 2025, Mayor Eric Adams and the Department of Transportation announced the removal of the protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue between Flushing and Willoughby Avenue. The city will replace it with a painted, unprotected lane. The official matter: 'Part of the parking-protected bike lane on a hazardous stretch of Bedford Avenue ... will be removed and replaced with a non-protected painted bike lane.' Council Member Lincoln Restler condemned the move, calling it 'a purely political decision to rip out a bike lane with no alternative.' Transportation Alternatives noted pedestrian injuries fell 10% and driver injuries 42% after the lane was installed. The safety analyst warns: 'Removing a parking-protected bike lane and replacing it with a painted lane reduces physical protection for cyclists, likely decreasing safety and discouraging cycling, especially on a hazardous stretch.' The city moves backward. Cyclists and pedestrians face more danger.

• Mayor Eric Adams, DOT to remove part of Bedford Avenue protected bike lane, Brooklyn Paper, Published 2025-06-13

Manhattan’s Community Board 6 voted 31-5 for the 34th Street busway. The plan blocks private cars from Third to Ninth. Nearly 30,000 bus riders stand to gain. Transit wins. Cars lose. The city moves closer to safer, faster streets for people.

On June 12, 2025, Manhattan Community Board 6 passed a resolution supporting DOT’s 34th Street busway plan by a 31-5 vote. The matter, as reported by Streetsblog NYC, reads: 'Manhattan Community Board 6 overwhelmingly supported by a vote of 31-5 the DOT's plans to install a busway on 34th Street, passing a resolution that urged the city to prioritize its installation.' Council Members Erik Bottcher and Keith Powers, who represent the corridor, both support the measure. The resolution urges the city to prioritize the busway, which would ban through traffic by private cars between Third and Ninth avenues. Leadership from Community Boards 4 and 5 also joined the call. DOT plans to implement the busway in summer or fall 2025. According to the safety analyst, the event text does not describe a policy or legislative change relevant to pedestrian or cyclist safety.

• Midtown Manhattan Panel Overwhelmingly Backs 34th St Busway, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-12

Senate passes S 8344. School speed zone rules in New York City get extended. Lawmakers make technical fixes. The bill keeps pressure on drivers near schools. Streets stay a little safer for kids.

Bill S 8344, titled 'Extends provisions and makes technical corrections to school speed zones in NYC; repealer,' moved through the Senate and Assembly in June 2025. Sponsored by Senator Andrew Gounardes, the bill passed Senate votes on June 12 and June 13, and cleared the Assembly on June 17. The measure extends and corrects school speed zone laws in New York City, repealing outdated provisions. Gounardes led the push, with strong support from most Senate Democrats and a split Assembly. The bill's technical fixes aim to keep protections in place for children and other vulnerable road users near schools. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 8344, Open States, Published 2025-06-12

A sedan turned left on Bay Street, striking a southbound motorcycle. The rider suffered severe leg wounds. Police cite following too closely as a factor. Streets left another body broken.

A sedan making a left turn on Bay Street at Wave Street collided with a southbound motorcycle. The 24-year-old motorcycle rider suffered severe lacerations and leg injuries. According to the police report, 'Following Too Closely' contributed to the crash. The sedan's driver held only a permit. The report lists no errors for the motorcyclist. The rider wore a helmet, as noted in the data, but the crash's cause points to driver behavior. No pedestrians were involved. The streets of Staten Island saw another rider hurt by a car's mistake.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4820153 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31

Third Avenue will lose car lanes. A protected bike lane and bus lane will take their place. Pedestrian islands and wider sidewalks will rise. Community Board 6 backed the plan. The city aims to calm deadly traffic and give space to people.

On June 10, 2025, the Department of Transportation unveiled its plan to extend the Third Avenue Complete Street project from E. 59th to E. 24th Street. The proposal, approved unanimously by Community Board 6's Transportation Committee, removes car lanes for a protected bike lane, a dedicated bus lane, and pedestrian improvements. The DOT will install parking-protected bike lanes, painted sidewalk extensions, and pedestrian islands. The official matter summary states: 'The proposal will reduce the roadway from six or seven lanes for cars to three moving lanes, two parking lanes, plus a bus lane and a bike lane.' DOT Project Manager Esteban Doyle said the plan reallocates space to match actual use. Community members praised the move. The safety analyst notes: 'The event text does not specify what design was implemented or how it affected pedestrians and cyclists, so no safety impact can be determined.' Installation is set for summer or fall 2025.

• Third Avenue ‘Complete Street’ Will Extend From Midtown to Gramercy, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-10

DOT wants a center-running bus lane on Flatbush Avenue. Council members back it. The plan could cut car lanes, add bus islands, and calm deadly traffic. The mayor must decide. Pedestrians and riders wait. The street’s future hangs in the balance.

On June 9, 2025, Streetsblog NYC reported the NYC DOT’s proposal for a center-running bus lane on Flatbush Avenue from Grand Army Plaza to Livingston Street. The plan, supported by Council Members Lincoln Restler, Shahana Hanif, Crystal Hudson, and Rita Joseph, aims to improve transit and pedestrian safety. The matter summary states: 'A proposed center-running bus lane on Flatbush Avenue... is being considered by the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) as a way to improve transit, calm traffic, and enhance pedestrian safety.' The project faces delays and political pushback, including the removal of a protected bike lane after developer objections. A safety analyst notes: 'Center-running bus lanes typically reduce conflicts between buses, cars, pedestrians, and cyclists, calm traffic, and can enable street redesigns that improve safety and comfort for vulnerable road users.' The DOT will present a detailed plan in the fall. The final decision rests with Mayor Adams.

• Flatbush Ave. Could Be Brooklyn’s First Great Transitway (If It’s Done Right), Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-09

Riders and politicians gathered at Prospect Park. They called out slow buses, broken promises, and city inaction. Mamdani and Lander demanded real change. Riders want bus lanes, not excuses. The city’s lifeblood crawls. Vulnerable New Yorkers wait. Danger grows with every delay.

On May 18, 2025, Council Member Zohran Mamdani joined a transit advocacy rally outside Prospect Park, Brooklyn. The event, organized by Riders Alliance, demanded better bus service and more bus lanes on Flatbush Avenue. Mamdani declared, 'We are going to make the slowest buses in the country fast and free.' City Comptroller Brad Lander echoed the urgency, calling mass transit 'the lifeblood of NYC.' The rally criticized Mayor Adams and former Governor Cuomo for failing bus riders and not meeting the NYC Streets Plan’s promise of 10 to 15 new bus lanes each year. Betsy Plum of Riders Alliance said, 'He was meant to be implementing the NYC Streets Plan... He has woefully failed at that.' The rally spotlighted the daily risks and delays faced by bus riders, who remain among the city’s most vulnerable road users.

• NYC commuters, mayoral candidates, rally outside Prospect Park for better bus service, amny.com, Published 2025-05-18

Bullets ripped through glass. Officers bled. A driver fled, crashed, and was caught. Two guns found. No shots fired back. Broken glass sent two to the hospital. The street stayed silent after chaos. Charges still wait.

According to amny (published May 12, 2025), two Staten Island police officers were injured during a traffic stop on Port Richmond Avenue. Officers tried to pull over a Nissan SUV for tinted windows. The driver did not stop, then 'allegedly opened fire on the officers, sending bullets hurtling into their vehicle and shards of glass cascading into them.' The officers did not return fire. The driver crashed into a parked car and was arrested at the scene. Two guns were recovered from the vehicle. Both officers were hospitalized for injuries from broken glass. Charges against the driver are pending as the investigation continues. The incident highlights the dangers of traffic stops and the risks posed by armed drivers.

• Gunfire, Crash Injure Officers In Stop, amny, Published 2025-05-12

A plan to fix deadly Third Avenue sits idle. The city delays action, citing politics. Cyclists and pedestrians wait. Advocates rage. The street remains a gauntlet. Promises break. Lives hang in the balance. The mayoral race takes priority over safety.

""The Adams administration has fallen woefully short of the NYC streets plan and even of their own promises for delivering on the bus and bike lanes that all New Yorkers deserve,"" -- Charles Fall

No bill number. The Sunset Park street redesign, approved by Community Board 7, is on hold as of May 8, 2025. The plan would cut traffic lanes and add protected bike lanes on Third Avenue, a corridor marked by high injury and fatality rates. The Department of Transportation delays the project, likely until after the mayoral election. The matter summary states: 'a plan to improve street safety is on ice until NYC mayoral election.' Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and other Democratic mayoral candidates back the redesign. Brad Lander and Zellnor Myrie criticize the delay, calling out the Adams administration for broken promises. Local business leaders are split. DOT claims to be gathering feedback. The delay leaves vulnerable road users exposed to ongoing danger.

• In Sunset Park, a plan to improve street safety is on ice until NYC mayoral election, gothamist.com, Published 2025-05-08

Mayoral hopefuls vow to overhaul city streets. They promise more protected bike lanes, daylighting, and bus lanes. Each pledges to close deadly gaps and enforce Vision Zero. Their words center safety for people walking, biking, and riding transit.

On May 6, 2025, Streetsblog NYC published 'Decision 2025: Mayoral Candidates Answer Our Question 3.' The piece asked candidates how they would make streets safer for walking and biking. Scott Stringer, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, Brad Lander, and Zohran Mamdani all responded. Stringer highlighted his push for protected bike lanes and daylighting. Myrie promised to meet or exceed the Streets Master Plan’s 50-mile annual bike lane goal and to end delays. Ramos pledged 200 miles of physically separated bike lanes and to close network gaps. Lander committed to the Streets Master Plan and fixing greenway connections. Mamdani vowed to use all mayoral powers for Vision Zero. Each candidate supports redesigning streets to protect vulnerable road users. Their plans focus on proven changes—protected lanes, pedestrian islands, daylighting, and bus lanes—to cut injuries and deaths.

• Decision 2025: Mayoral Candidates Answer Our Question 3, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-06

A sedan driver struck parked cars on Homestead Ave. Distraction outside the car led to a crash. The driver suffered a head injury and severe bleeding. Three others were hurt. Streets remain unforgiving.

A sedan traveling west on Homestead Ave collided with parked vehicles. According to the police report, 'Outside Car Distraction' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' caused the crash. The 28-year-old male driver suffered a head injury and severe bleeding. Three other occupants were also injured. The report lists distraction as the main contributing factor. No mention of helmet or signal use appears in the data. The crash highlights the danger of distraction behind the wheel.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4809771 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31

A distracted driver struck a man off Granite Ave. The sedan’s bumper hit his leg. The pedestrian suffered severe lacerations. Streets remain dangerous for those on foot.

A sedan traveling west on Granite Ave struck a 37-year-old man who was not in the roadway. According to the police report, the crash was caused by 'Driver Inattention/Distraction.' The pedestrian suffered severe lacerations to his lower leg and foot. The impact came from the sedan’s left front bumper. The driver, operating with a permit, and a female passenger were not seriously hurt. The report lists no other contributing factors. The crash highlights the ongoing risk to pedestrians from driver distraction.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4809760 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31