Brooklyn’s Streets Are Killing Us—Who Will Stop the Bleeding?

Council moves to hunt illegal curb cuts. DOT must act fast. Green paint marks rogue driveways. Owners must fix or pay. Community boards get word on new curb cut bids. Streets may get safer for those on foot.

Int 0492-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced February 28, 2024, by Council Member Crystal Hudson, the bill demands DOT investigate illegal curb cut complaints within 30 days. If a curb cut is illegal, DOT paints it green for parking and orders owners to legalize or restore it. If owners refuse, DOT fixes it and recoups costs. Community boards must be notified of all new curb cut applications. The bill’s matter title: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code... in relation to illegal curb cuts and requiring local community board notification of curb cut applications.' Hudson leads the charge. The bill aims to keep sidewalks clear and alert the public to changes.

• File Int 0492-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council moves to hunt illegal curb cuts. DOT must act fast. Green paint marks the spot. Owners fix or pay. Community boards get word. Streets shift. Pedestrians and cyclists watch the curb.

Bill Int 0492-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced February 28, 2024, by Council Member Crystal Hudson, it demands DOT investigate illegal curb cut complaints within 30 days. If a curb cut is illegal, DOT paints it green for parking and orders owners to legalize or restore it. If owners refuse, DOT repairs and bills them. The bill also requires community boards to be notified of all curb cut permit applications. The matter title reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code... in relation to illegal curb cuts and requiring local community board notification of curb cut applications.' No safety analyst note is available.

• File Int 0492-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council moves to hunt illegal curb cuts. DOT must act fast. Green paint marks the spot. Owners fix or pay. Community boards get word. Streets shift. Pedestrians and cyclists watch the curb.

Bill Int 0492-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced February 28, 2024, by Council Member Crystal Hudson, it demands DOT investigate illegal curb cut complaints within 30 days. If a curb cut is illegal, DOT paints it green for parking and orders owners to legalize or restore it. If owners refuse, DOT repairs and bills them. The bill also requires community boards to be notified of all curb cut permit applications. The matter title reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code... in relation to illegal curb cuts and requiring local community board notification of curb cut applications.' No safety analyst note is available.

• File Int 0492-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council moves to create a parking permit enforcement unit. The bill targets city-issued permit misuse. Streets clogged by illegal parking put walkers and riders at risk. Action now sits with the transportation committee.

Int 0173-2024, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced on February 28, 2024. The bill, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the establishment of a parking permit enforcement unit within the department of transportation," would require DOT to form a unit dedicated to enforcing laws against misuse of city-issued parking permits. Council Member Lincoln Restler leads as primary sponsor, joined by Amanda Farías, Erik D. Bottcher, Julie Won, Rita C. Joseph, Crystal Hudson, and Farah N. Louis. The bill aims to curb illegal parking that endangers pedestrians and cyclists. It awaits further action in committee.

• File Int 0173-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council moves to expand Open Streets on busy holidays. More hours. More car-free blocks. Pedestrians and cyclists get space when crowds surge. Streets shift from traffic to people. Danger drops. The city listens to neighborhoods.

Bill Int 0270-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced February 28, 2024, it amends city code to require the Department of Transportation to expand Open Streets hours on holidays with heavy foot traffic—Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4th, Labor Day, Halloween, and others. The bill reads: 'special activation of the Open Streets program on certain holidays and time periods with significant pedestrian traffic.' Council Member Shekar Krishnan leads as primary sponsor, joined by Rivera, Brooks-Powers, Louis, Nurse, Ossé, Sanchez, Cabán, Banks, Avilés, Riley, Salaam, Hanif, Feliz, Won, Restler, and Joseph. Community groups can suggest more dates. The city must review all requests under the same standards as regular Open Streets. This bill aims to give people the street when they need it most.

• File Int 0270-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council wants 100 miles of protected bike lanes each year. Cyclists need steel and concrete, not paint. The bill sits in committee. Streets could change. Lives hang in the balance.

Int 0271-2024, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced on February 28, 2024. The bill reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the installation of protected bicycle lanes.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by Rivera, Louis, Hanif, Ossé, Brewer, Cabán, Nurse, Hudson, Salaam, Bottcher, Gutiérrez, Feliz, Won, and Joseph. The bill demands the Department of Transportation install 100 miles of protected bike lanes per year for six years. The aim: real protection for cyclists and a safer city grid.

• File Int 0271-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council bill orders DOT to probe crashes. Expands what counts as serious. Sets tight deadlines. Demands detailed reports. Pushes city to face the wreckage, not hide it.

Int 0263-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced February 28, 2024, by Council Members Lincoln Restler (primary), Joseph, Feliz, Louis, Won, Salaam, Riley, and Banks. The bill, titled 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code...requiring the department of transportation to investigate vehicle collisions,' expands the definition of serious crashes, forces DOT to start investigations within a week, finish in a month, and publish detailed findings. The bill was referred to committee on the day of introduction. It aims to expose the facts behind every deadly impact, demanding the city account for the toll on streets.

• File Int 0263-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council moves to create a DOT parking squad. The bill targets illegal parking. Sponsors say it will enforce rules. Streets choke on blocked lanes. Pedestrians and cyclists pay the price.

Bill Int 0264-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced February 28, 2024, it would require the Department of Transportation to form a unit focused on parking violations. The matter title reads: 'Establishment of a parking enforcement unit within the department of transportation.' Lincoln Restler leads as primary sponsor, joined by Crystal Hudson, Erik D. Bottcher, and others. The bill aims to crack down on illegal parking, a known threat to people on foot and bike. No safety analyst has yet weighed in, but blocked lanes endanger all who travel outside a car.

• File Int 0264-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council bill orders speed humps on roads beside parks over one acre. DOT can skip spots if safety or rules demand. Law aims to slow cars where families walk, run, and play.

Int 0262-2024 sits with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after introduction on February 28, 2024. The bill reads: “requiring the installation of speed humps on roadways adjacent to any park equal or greater than one acre.” Lincoln Restler leads as primary sponsor, joined by eighteen co-sponsors. The Department of Transportation must install speed humps unless the commissioner finds a risk to safety or a conflict with DOT guidelines. The law would take effect 180 days after passage. The measure targets streets where parks meet traffic, aiming to slow cars and shield people outside vehicles.

• File Int 0262-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council passed a law forcing taxis and for-hire cars to post bold warnings on doors. The signs tell passengers: look for cyclists before you open up. A small step. The city hands out the decals. No cost to drivers.

Int 0193-2024 became law on May 31, 2025, after action by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill, titled 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code...requiring taxis and for-hire vehicles to display a decal warning passengers to look for cyclists when opening the door,' was sponsored by Lincoln Restler and co-sponsored by over twenty council members, including Gutiérrez, Hudson, and Rivera. The law mandates clear warning decals on all rear passenger doors of taxis and for-hire vehicles. The Taxi and Limousine Commission will provide the signs at no cost. The measure aims to cut down on 'dooring'—a threat to cyclists citywide. The mayor returned the bill unsigned, but it became law.

• File Int 0193-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council bill would pay up to $1,000 for tips that help catch hit-and-run drivers who injure or kill. Police and city workers are barred from rewards. The measure targets unsolved crashes that leave victims behind.

Int 0143-2024, now in the Committee on Public Safety, was introduced February 28, 2024. The bill states: 'establishing a reward for individuals who provide information leading to the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of a person who seriously injures or kills another individual in a hit-and-run accident.' Council Member Rita C. Joseph leads as primary sponsor, joined by Brooks-Powers, Narcisse, Vernikov, Louis, Bottcher, Hudson, Gennaro, and Williams. The bill excludes law enforcement and city employees from eligibility. The aim is to mobilize the public to help solve hit-and-run cases, many of which remain unsolved, and bring justice for victims.

• File Int 0143-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Two sedans collided on Utica Avenue in Brooklyn. The unlicensed driver changing lanes struck the left side doors of a sedan going straight. Both vehicles sustained damage. Two occupants suffered whiplash and injuries to face and shoulder.

According to the police report, the crash occurred on Utica Avenue in Brooklyn at 17:16. A 2021 Honda sedan, driven by an unlicensed male driver, was changing lanes when it struck the left side doors of a 2023 BMW sedan traveling north. The BMW driver was a licensed female traveling straight ahead. The point of impact was the right front bumper of the BMW and the left side doors of the Honda. The unlicensed driver’s lane change caused the collision. Two occupants in the Honda were injured: the 35-year-old male driver suffered facial injuries and whiplash, and a 29-year-old male passenger sustained shoulder and upper arm injuries with whiplash. Both were not ejected and used safety restraints. The report lists the contributing factors as unspecified but highlights the unlicensed driver’s lane change as the critical error.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4705795 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09

Two sedans collided on Utica Avenue in Brooklyn at 1:18 a.m. Unsafe speed by one driver caused the crash. A 36-year-old female driver suffered a fractured elbow and dislocation. Both vehicles struck front to front during a left turn and straight travel.

According to the police report, the crash occurred on Utica Avenue near Winthrop Street in Brooklyn at 1:18 a.m. Two sedans were involved: one traveling south going straight ahead, the other making a left turn traveling north. The point of impact was the center front end of one vehicle and the right front bumper of the other. The report cites 'Unsafe Speed' as a contributing factor for the crash. A 36-year-old female driver, who was properly restrained with a lap belt and harness, sustained injuries including a fractured elbow and dislocation. The driver was conscious and not ejected from the vehicle. The collision resulted from driver error related to unsafe speed, with no other contributing factors such as victim behavior noted in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4705982 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09

A distracted SUV driver making a left turn struck a 26-year-old e-scooter rider traveling north on Flatbush Avenue. The rider suffered shoulder and upper arm contusions but remained conscious. The collision caused damage to the SUV’s left front bumper.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 18:20 on Flatbush Avenue. The SUV, driven by a licensed female driver, was making a left turn when it collided with a northbound e-scooter. The e-scooter rider, a 26-year-old male, was injured with contusions to his shoulder and upper arm but was conscious and not ejected. The report cites 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor on the part of the SUV driver. The e-scooter sustained no damage, while the SUV’s left front bumper was damaged at the point of impact. The report also notes an unspecified contributing factor related to the rider but does not specify victim error as causal. This crash highlights the dangers posed by distracted driving during turning maneuvers in mixed traffic.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4704471 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09

A pedestrian crossing with the signal suffered knee and lower leg injuries after a moped struck her at an intersection in Brooklyn. The impact to the pedestrian's center front end caused bruising and moderate injury, according to the police report.

According to the police report, a moped traveling west on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn struck a female pedestrian who was crossing with the signal at the intersection. The pedestrian sustained injuries to her knee, lower leg, and foot, including contusions and bruises, classified as injury severity level 3. The point of impact was the moped's center front end, which also sustained damage. The report does not list any contributing factors for the driver or the pedestrian. The pedestrian was conscious at the scene. No driver errors such as failure to yield or other violations were explicitly cited in the report. The collision highlights the dangers vulnerable road users face even when crossing lawfully.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4704377 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09

Senate passes S 2714. Bill pushes complete street design. Aim: safer roads for all. Pedestrians, cyclists, and riders get space. Car dominance challenged. Lawmakers move to cut street carnage.

Senate bill S 2714, titled 'Enables safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles,' advanced through committee and passed several Senate votes, most recently on March 27, 2024. Sponsored by Timothy M. Kennedy with support from Jake Ashby, Jamaal Bailey, and others, the bill mandates street designs that protect everyone—not just drivers. The measure saw strong support but faced opposition from some senators. By requiring complete street principles, S 2714 aims to reduce danger for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users. The bill marks a shift away from car-first planning, forcing cities to build streets for people, not just traffic.

• File S 2714, Open States, Published 2024-02-13

Council bill targets cars blocking bike lanes, bus lanes, sidewalks, and hydrants near schools. Civilian complaints trigger fines. Streets clear, danger cut. Council moves to protect the vulnerable.

Int 0080-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced February 8, 2024, the bill creates a $175 penalty for vehicles blocking bike lanes, bus lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, or hydrants within 2,640 feet of schools. The Department of Transportation must set up a civilian reporting program. If a civilian complaint leads to a fine, the complainant gets 25 percent of proceeds. The bill’s matter title: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code... in relation to hazardous obstruction by vehicles and civilian complaints.' Council Member Carlina Rivera leads, joined by Restler, Ayala, Joseph, Menin, and others. The bill aims to keep paths clear for those most at risk.

• File Int 0080-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-08

Council moves to force brighter sidewalks. Bill orders 500 corridors lit each year. Shadows shrink. Pedestrians gain ground. Committee holds the bill. Streets wait.

Int 0079-2024, now laid over in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced on February 8, 2024. The bill demands the city install pedestrian lighting in at least 500 commercial corridors per year, aiming for a minimum of 1 footcandle (11 lux) on every sidewalk. The matter title reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to installation of pedestrian lighting fixtures.' Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers leads as primary sponsor, joined by Restler, Krishnan, Bottcher, and others. The committee has not yet voted. The bill’s text sets clear targets for coverage and contiguity, but action is stalled. Vulnerable road users remain in the dark until the city acts.

• File Int 0079-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-08

Council bill targets cars blocking bike lanes, bus lanes, sidewalks, and hydrants near schools. Civilian complaints trigger fines. Streets clear, danger cut. Council moves to protect the vulnerable.

Int 0080-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced February 8, 2024, the bill creates a $175 penalty for vehicles blocking bike lanes, bus lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, or hydrants within 2,640 feet of schools. The Department of Transportation must set up a civilian reporting program. If a civilian complaint leads to a fine, the complainant gets 25 percent of proceeds. The bill’s matter title: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code... in relation to hazardous obstruction by vehicles and civilian complaints.' Council Member Carlina Rivera leads, joined by Restler, Ayala, Joseph, Menin, and others. The bill aims to keep paths clear for those most at risk.

• File Int 0080-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-08

Senate passes S 6808. The bill creates first responder safety zones. It sets speed limits in these zones. Lawmakers act after crashes and close calls. The vote is strong. The danger is real. The streets demand change.

Senate bill S 6808, titled 'Relates to establishing first responder safety zones and setting speed limits in such safety zones,' moved through committee and passed multiple Senate votes between May 2023 and March 2024. Primary sponsor John Mannion led the push, joined by Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Iwen Chu, and Pamela Helming. The bill aims to carve out protected zones for first responders and lower speed limits in those areas. The measure passed with broad support, reflecting urgency after repeated crashes near emergency scenes. The bill’s text and votes show lawmakers responding to the deadly toll of reckless driving near first responders. Vulnerable road users—pedestrians, passengers, and responders—stand in harm’s way. The bill targets that risk.

• File S 6808, Open States, Published 2024-01-30