Who’s Injuring and Killing Pedestrians in AD 83?
Heastie Stalls, Bronx Bleeds: Who Pays for His Inaction?
AD 83: Jan 1, 2022 - Jun 4, 2025
The Deaths Keep Coming
A woman, 78, tried to cross White Plains Road at night. An SUV hit her. She died at Jacobi. The driver stayed. No charges. The street stayed the same. The news told it straight: “The victim was crossing White Plains Road at E. 216th St. in Williamsbridge when a 56-year-old woman driving north in a 2024 Toyota RAV4 hit her at about 10:20 p.m. Saturday, cops said.”
A coach stood outside his home. A BMW, a pickup, a chain of parked cars. Metal and glass. He was gone. His mother said, “These arrests cannot bring back my child. Still, something has to be done.”
The Numbers Are Names
In the last 12 months, four people died on these streets. Over 500 were hurt. Seven were left with injuries that change a life. Most were walking. Some were old, some young. Most were hit by cars or SUVs. The numbers do not stop. They do not care.
Leadership: Action or Delay?
Assembly Member Carl Heastie holds the gavel. He has power. He has blocked and delayed bills that could have saved lives. In 2023, he ended the session without a vote on Sammy’s Law, which would have let the city lower speed limits. A mother called it “Albany backroom politics at its worst.” Heastie said, “I am only one vote.” But he is the Speaker. The bill died. The streets stayed fast. The dead stayed dead.
He backed more red light cameras. He signed on to a bill to cut car miles. But the slow pace and the silence after each crash are louder than any press release.
What Next? The Blood Is Still Fresh
Every delay is another risk. Call Heastie. Call your council member. Demand a 20 mph speed limit. Demand real enforcement. Demand streets that do not kill. Do not wait for another name to be added to the list. Take action now.
Citations
▸ Citations
- Unlicensed Driver Kills Bronx Coach, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-08
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4671925 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-25
- Elderly Pedestrian Killed Crossing Bronx Street, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-25
- Unlicensed Driver Kills Bronx Coach, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-08
- Mother of crash victim on failure of NYC speed limit bill: 'Albany backroom politics at its worst', gothamist.com, Published 2023-06-22
- More red light cameras coming to NYC intersections under newly passed legislation, gothamist.com, Published 2024-06-07
- New York Pols Back Gounardes's Bill to Cut Driving by 20%, streetsblog.org, Published 2024-05-15
Fix the Problem
District 83
1446 E. Gun Hill Road, Bronx, NY 10469
Room 932, Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12248
Other Representatives
District 12
940 East Gun Hill Road, Bronx, NY 10469
718-684-5509
250 Broadway, Suite 1865, New York, NY 10007
212-788-6873
District 36
250 S. 6th Ave., Mount Vernon, NY 10550
Room 609, Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12247
▸ Other Geographies
AD 83 Assembly District 83 sits in Bronx, Precinct 47, District 12, SD 36.
It contains Williamsbridge-Olinville, Eastchester-Edenwald-Baychester, Wakefield-Woodlawn, Bronx CB12.
▸ See also
Traffic Safety Timeline for Assembly District 83
Heastie Opposes Safety Boosting Bus Lane Penalties▸Albany lawmakers dropped Hochul’s plan to raise fines for blocking bus lanes and dodging tolls. No new transit money. No tougher penalties. Riders left waiting. Drivers keep blocking. The city’s slowest buses stay slow. Vulnerable New Yorkers pay the price.
On March 15, 2022, the New York State Assembly and Senate released one-house budget proposals. Both left out Governor Hochul’s measures to increase fines for blocking bus lanes, raise penalties for toll evasion and defaced plates, and boost transit funding. The matter: 'State legislators used their budget proposals to prioritize drivers blocking bus lanes and evading tolls, omitting Gov. Hochul's proposals to raise fines for blocking bus lanes and increase penalties for toll evasion and defaced license plates.' Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie defended stripping policy from the budget. Riders Alliance’s Danny Pearlstein slammed the move: 'No increase in subway or bus service for millions of riders, no enhanced enforcement in the city with the slowest buses in the country.' The Senate promised to revisit bus lane enforcement later. Advocates doubted action would follow. The legislature’s inaction leaves vulnerable road users exposed, with no relief from blocked bus lanes or reckless drivers.
-
State Pols: Go Ahead, Drive In Bus Lanes and Don’t Pay Tolls — See If We’re Going to Do Anything About It,
Streetsblog NYC,
Published 2022-03-15
Man Struck Off Road on Conner Street▸A man stood off the road. A vehicle hit him. His hip shattered. He lay in the street, pain twisting his gut. Death crept in. The Bronx pavement stayed silent.
A 56-year-old man was struck by a vehicle near 3550 Conner Street in the Bronx. According to the police report, the man was not in the roadway when the vehicle hit him. His hip shattered. He lay in the street, showing signs of apparent death. The report does not list any driver errors or contributing factors. No information is provided about the vehicle or driver. The police narrative describes the man’s pain and the silent aftermath on the pavement.
Albany lawmakers dropped Hochul’s plan to raise fines for blocking bus lanes and dodging tolls. No new transit money. No tougher penalties. Riders left waiting. Drivers keep blocking. The city’s slowest buses stay slow. Vulnerable New Yorkers pay the price.
On March 15, 2022, the New York State Assembly and Senate released one-house budget proposals. Both left out Governor Hochul’s measures to increase fines for blocking bus lanes, raise penalties for toll evasion and defaced plates, and boost transit funding. The matter: 'State legislators used their budget proposals to prioritize drivers blocking bus lanes and evading tolls, omitting Gov. Hochul's proposals to raise fines for blocking bus lanes and increase penalties for toll evasion and defaced license plates.' Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie defended stripping policy from the budget. Riders Alliance’s Danny Pearlstein slammed the move: 'No increase in subway or bus service for millions of riders, no enhanced enforcement in the city with the slowest buses in the country.' The Senate promised to revisit bus lane enforcement later. Advocates doubted action would follow. The legislature’s inaction leaves vulnerable road users exposed, with no relief from blocked bus lanes or reckless drivers.
- State Pols: Go Ahead, Drive In Bus Lanes and Don’t Pay Tolls — See If We’re Going to Do Anything About It, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-03-15
Man Struck Off Road on Conner Street▸A man stood off the road. A vehicle hit him. His hip shattered. He lay in the street, pain twisting his gut. Death crept in. The Bronx pavement stayed silent.
A 56-year-old man was struck by a vehicle near 3550 Conner Street in the Bronx. According to the police report, the man was not in the roadway when the vehicle hit him. His hip shattered. He lay in the street, showing signs of apparent death. The report does not list any driver errors or contributing factors. No information is provided about the vehicle or driver. The police narrative describes the man’s pain and the silent aftermath on the pavement.
A man stood off the road. A vehicle hit him. His hip shattered. He lay in the street, pain twisting his gut. Death crept in. The Bronx pavement stayed silent.
A 56-year-old man was struck by a vehicle near 3550 Conner Street in the Bronx. According to the police report, the man was not in the roadway when the vehicle hit him. His hip shattered. He lay in the street, showing signs of apparent death. The report does not list any driver errors or contributing factors. No information is provided about the vehicle or driver. The police narrative describes the man’s pain and the silent aftermath on the pavement.