Staten Island Streets Run Red While Leaders Look Away

AD 62: Jan 1, 2022 - Jun 6, 2025

The Bodies on the Road

In Assembly District 62, the road does not forgive. Eleven people have died since 2022. One was an 84-year-old man, struck by a sedan as he tried to cross Amboy Road. He never made it to the other side. Two children never made it home. In the last twelve months alone, 372 people were injured, three of them seriously. The numbers do not bleed, but the families do.

The Pattern: Cars, Trucks, and the Young

Cars and trucks did the most damage. In the last three years, they killed at least two pedestrians and left dozens more with broken bodies. No cyclist deaths. No mercy for the young: 65 children were hurt in the past year. The old are not spared. One man, 75, died on a quiet street. The cause is always the same: speed, distraction, a moment’s inattention. The result is always the same: a body on the asphalt, a family changed forever.

Leadership: Bills, Votes, and Missed Chances

Assembly Member Mike Reilly had a choice. He voted no on a bill to expand school speed cameras in Schenectady, a measure meant to protect children where they walk and bike (A 7652). He did sponsor a bill to change the color and placement of speed camera warning signs, but it does not slow a single car or save a single life (A 4147). The silence is loud. The danger remains.

The Thin Blue Line Drinks and Drives

Even those sworn to protect are not immune. Last December, an NYPD officer crashed her car after a holiday party. She told police, “I had three or four drinks. My life is over” (told police). Three fellow officers were in the car. All survived. The next family may not be so lucky.

What Now: No More Waiting

This is not fate. This is policy. Every day without lower speed limits, every vote against cameras, every delay is a choice. Call Assembly Member Mike Reilly. Demand real action: lower speed limits, more cameras, safer streets. Do not wait for the next siren.