Week of Feb 16

The Crash That Changed Everything

The bike lane on West 51st Street should have been safe. It wasn’t. A 67-year-old cyclist was struck and killed. The driver stayed. No charges were filed. The city moved on.

Hours later, in Washington Heights, another cyclist was hit. He was 25. He landed hard, his arm shattered, blood pooling on Broadway. He survived. But he will never ride the same way again.

A Survivor Left Broken

The doctors set his arm. The painkillers dulled the worst of it. But the fear remains. He had ridden Broadway for years. Now, he flinches at every passing car. The city calls it an accident. He calls it something else.

A City That Knows and Does Nothing

New York City has promised safer streets. Vision Zero was supposed to stop this. But the deaths keep coming. The injuries pile up. The city knows where cyclists die. It knows what works—protected lanes, lower speed limits, real enforcement. And yet, it moves too slow.

In 2024, cyclist deaths surged. Advocates warned Mayor Adams. He scaled back safety plans anyway. “We need to have the political courage… to create a city that is walkable, prioritizes pedestrians, and ends these senseless murders,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. The city ignored them. Now, another cyclist is dead.

Sammy’s Law passed. It should have lowered speed limits across the city. But it remains stalled. On McGuinness Boulevard, the mayor weakened a safety redesign despite protests. The city knows what works. It refuses to act.

The Next Victim is Already Out There

The numbers don’t lie. In one week, 16 people suffered serious injuries in crashes. Three died. One of them was on a bike. The city has the power to stop this. It chooses not to.

This is not an accident. This is a failure. And it will happen again.

Call Mayor Adams. Demand protected bike lanes. Demand lower speed limits. Demand action. Because if the city won’t protect its cyclists, who will?

← A Senior Died Steps from Safety. NYC Let It Happen. She Had Dreams. He Had No License. Now She’s Gone—And NYC Let It Happen. →

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