Queens Streets Run Red. Lower the Limit—Or Count More Dead.

Four mayoral candidates vow to expand open streets and outdoor dining. They slam city red tape and call for year-round access. They promise to cut barriers for restaurants and keep sidewalks clear. Each frames the issue as vital for city life.

This policy statement, aired May 12, 2025, is not a formal bill but a public commitment from leading mayoral candidates. Scott Stringer, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, Brad Lander, and Zohran Mamdani all support expanding open streets and outdoor dining. Stringer pledges to 'loosen unnecessary design requirements' and simplify permits. Myrie promises a 'year-round outdoor dining program' and restoration of open streets, citing safety and access for pedestrians and cyclists. Ramos calls the current scheme 'unworkable' and urges consensus. Lander faults City Hall for 'over-regulating' and vows to speed up applications while 'respecting pedestrian traffic.' Mamdani highlights the economic and social benefits. All criticize current restrictions and bureaucratic hurdles. The candidates frame these programs as essential for small businesses, public space, and safer streets, but no formal safety analysis is attached.

• Decision 2025: Mayoral Hopefuls Discuss the Death of Outdoor Dining, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-12

Mayoral candidates clashed over e-bike safety and street design. They called for more protected bike lanes, tighter rules on heavy e-bikes, and better delivery worker protections. Each pledged to cut car use and boost cycling. No one blamed riders. Streets remain dangerous.

On May 9, 2025, leading mayoral candidates aired their plans for e-bike safety and street reform. The event, covered by Streetsblog NYC, featured Scott Stringer, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, and Whitney Tilson. Stringer demanded 'massive expansion of protected bike lanes.' Myrie backed S1047, a bill for 50-percent e-bike rebates. Ramos called for safe bike lanes and clear signage for all riders. Lander pushed for stricter rules on heavy e-bikes and a crackdown on illegal sales, saying, 'I support stricter regulations for the heaviest e-bikes, which can travel at higher speeds and are more likely to injure both riders and pedestrians.' Mamdani supported e-bike subsidies with safety checks. Tilson urged a 20 mph cap and mandatory registration for delivery e-bikes. All agreed: safer streets need better design, strong enforcement, and real protections for workers and vulnerable road users.

• Decision 2025: Mayoral Hopefuls Discuss E-Bikes … With Joy and Concern, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-09

Mayoral hopefuls clashed over parking and street space. Most backed cutting parking minimums and repurposing curb space for people, not cars. Only one vowed to keep free parking. The rest called for safer streets, more transit, and fewer cars.

At a May 8, 2025 forum, candidates for New York City mayor faced off on the future of parking and street space. The event, covered by Streetsblog NYC, featured Scott Stringer, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, and Whitney Tilson. Stringer pledged to move the city away from car dependence and build infrastructure for biking and transit. Myrie called for removing parking mandates to boost housing and speed up buses. Ramos supported repurposing parking for safer streets and green space. Lander pushed for eliminating parking minimums citywide and dynamic curbside management. Mamdani criticized the vast space given to cars. Only Tilson promised to preserve free street parking. The candidates’ stances show a clear divide: most want to reclaim streets for people, not vehicles. The debate signals a shift toward policies that could reduce car dominance and improve safety for vulnerable road users.

• Decision 2025: Mayoral Hopefuls Discuss the High Cost of ‘Free’ Parking, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-08

Six mayoral candidates vow to fight reckless driving. They promise more bike lanes, busways, and open streets. Some call for automated enforcement and less NYPD control. All focus on design, not blame. The city’s most vulnerable demand real change.

This policy statement, published May 7, 2025, gathers responses from six mayoral candidates—Brad Lander, Jessica Ramos, Scott Stringer, Whitney Tilson, Zellnor Myrie, and Zohran Mamdani—on street safety. The forum, hosted by Streetsblog NYC, asked candidates how they would address reckless driving. Scott Stringer said, 'The best way to curtail reckless driving is to make less room for reckless drivers on the road.' Zellnor Myrie promised 'physically separated bus lanes' and expanded automated enforcement. Jessica Ramos called for 'a citywide strategy that prioritizes safety through design.' Zohran Mamdani wants to move traffic enforcement from NYPD to DOT, ending biased stops. Whitney Tilson supports more police and cameras. The candidates back protected bike lanes, busways, daylighting, and automated enforcement. Their plans center on street redesign and accountability, not blaming victims. Each pledges to protect pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders from systemic danger.

• Decision 2025: Mayoral Hopefuls Discuss Saving Us From Reckless Drivers, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-07

Mayor Adams funds Open Streets for one more year. The next mayor will decide its fate. Advocates call the funding a token. Council members demand lasting support. Streets stay open, but the promise is thin. Vulnerable New Yorkers wait.

Mayor Eric Adams’s proposed budget allocates $2.1 million for the Open Streets program in Fiscal Year 2026, replacing expiring federal pandemic funds. The bill’s fate now rests with the next mayor, as Adams’s plan delays long-term decisions. The City Council, led by Parks Committee Chair Shekar Krishnan, urges Adams to secure the program’s future, warning, "future mayors don’t inherit a decimated program." Comptroller Brad Lander and several Democratic mayoral candidates support expansion. Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a leading candidate, offers only a case-by-case review. Advocates and organizers say the current funding is inadequate, calling it a "token show of support" and demanding $48 million over three years. The City Council will address the issue in upcoming budget hearings. Vulnerable road users—pedestrians, children, families—remain at risk as the city hesitates to commit.

• Eric Adams Punts the Future of Open Streets to the Next Mayor, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-07

Senate backs S 4804. The bill sets first responder safety zones and lowers speed limits. Lawmakers move to shield workers on chaotic streets. The vote is swift. The intent is clear. Danger zones get new rules.

Senate bill S 4804, titled 'Relates to establishing first responder safety zones and setting speed limits in such safety zones,' passed committee on April 29, 2025, and cleared the full Senate on May 6, 2025. Sponsored by Senator Christopher Ryan (District 50) with co-sponsors Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Pamela Helming, Robert Rolison, and William Weber, the bill aims to carve out protected zones for first responders and enforce lower speed limits in those areas. The measure won broad support, with nearly all senators voting yes. The bill targets the chaos and risk drivers pose to workers and bystanders at emergency scenes. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 4804, Open States, Published 2025-05-06

Senate backs S 4804. The bill sets first responder safety zones and lowers speed limits. Lawmakers move to shield workers on chaotic streets. The vote is swift. The intent is clear. Danger zones get new rules.

Senate bill S 4804, titled 'Relates to establishing first responder safety zones and setting speed limits in such safety zones,' passed committee on April 29, 2025, and cleared the full Senate on May 6, 2025. Sponsored by Senator Christopher Ryan (District 50) with co-sponsors Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Pamela Helming, Robert Rolison, and William Weber, the bill aims to carve out protected zones for first responders and enforce lower speed limits in those areas. The measure won broad support, with nearly all senators voting yes. The bill targets the chaos and risk drivers pose to workers and bystanders at emergency scenes. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 4804, Open States, Published 2025-05-06

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

Senate backs S 4804. The bill sets first responder safety zones and lowers speed limits. Lawmakers move to shield workers on chaotic streets. The vote is swift. The intent is clear. Danger zones get new rules.

Senate bill S 4804, titled 'Relates to establishing first responder safety zones and setting speed limits in such safety zones,' passed committee on April 29, 2025, and cleared the full Senate on May 6, 2025. Sponsored by Senator Christopher Ryan (District 50) with co-sponsors Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Pamela Helming, Robert Rolison, and William Weber, the bill aims to carve out protected zones for first responders and enforce lower speed limits in those areas. The measure won broad support, with nearly all senators voting yes. The bill targets the chaos and risk drivers pose to workers and bystanders at emergency scenes. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 4804, Open States, Published 2025-05-06

Senate backs S 4804. The bill sets first responder safety zones and lowers speed limits. Lawmakers move to shield workers on chaotic streets. The vote is swift. The intent is clear. Danger zones get new rules.

Senate bill S 4804, titled 'Relates to establishing first responder safety zones and setting speed limits in such safety zones,' passed committee on April 29, 2025, and cleared the full Senate on May 6, 2025. Sponsored by Senator Christopher Ryan (District 50) with co-sponsors Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Pamela Helming, Robert Rolison, and William Weber, the bill aims to carve out protected zones for first responders and enforce lower speed limits in those areas. The measure won broad support, with nearly all senators voting yes. The bill targets the chaos and risk drivers pose to workers and bystanders at emergency scenes. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 4804, Open States, Published 2025-05-06

Six mayoral hopefuls vow to fix New York’s crawling buses. They promise more bus lanes, tougher enforcement, and faster boarding. Each candidate slams City Hall’s slow pace. Riders wait. Cars clog the lanes. The city’s most vulnerable pay the price.

Mayoral Question 2, posed to 2025 candidates, asks how they will address New York City’s slow bus system. The candidates—Brad Lander, Jessica Ramos, Scott Stringer, Whitney Tilson, Zellnor Myrie, and Zohran Mamdani—support more dedicated bus lanes, stronger enforcement, and faster boarding. Scott Stringer calls for 'dedicated bus lanes, more enforcement, more shelters, better curbs, more transit signal priority, all-door boarding, and more frequent off-peak services.' Ramos blasts DOT for building only 23 of 150 mandated bus miles. Myrie pledges to exceed the city’s 30-mile annual target. Lander wants immediate all-door boarding and new busways. Mamdani promises rapid expansion and free buses. Each candidate frames bus reform as urgent, with vulnerable riders suffering most from delays and car dominance. The city’s next mayor will shape the streets—and the safety of those who use them.

• Decision 2025: Mayoral Question 2 Seeks Answers on Slow Buses, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-05

Candidates faced the facts. Buses crawl. Streets choke. Each hopeful promised faster rides, more lanes, tougher enforcement. Riders wait. Streets stay clogged. No action yet. No relief for those on foot or bike. Words, not change.

On May 5, 2025, Streetsblog NYC hosted a mayoral forum focused on bus service. The event, titled 'Decision 2025: Mayoral Question 2 Seeks Answers on Slow Buses,' asked candidates how they would fix New York’s slowest-in-the-nation bus system. Brad Lander, Jessica Ramos, Scott Stringer, Whitney Tilson, Zellnor Myrie, and Zohran Mamdani answered. They called for more bus lanes, stronger enforcement, and faster service. No council bill was introduced; this was a public policy test, not legislation. According to the safety analyst, the event discussed bus speeds but did not specify any policy action affecting pedestrians or cyclists, so no direct safety impact can be assessed. The debate showed urgency but left vulnerable road users waiting for real change.

• Decision 2025: Mayoral Question 2 Seeks Answers on Slow Buses, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-05

A speeding driver ran a red light in Queens. He slammed into Justin Diaz’s car. Diaz died on his way to work. The driver, high and drunk, now walks free on bail. The street remembers the impact.

ABC7 reported on May 2, 2025, that Michael Peña, a former FDNY probationary firefighter, was released on $75,000 bail after a deadly Queens crash. Police allege Peña was 'drunk and high on cocaine and marijuana' and speeding at 83 mph when he 'ran a red light and T-boned a car driven by 24-year-old Justin Diaz.' The crash happened at Northern Boulevard and East 107th Street as Diaz drove to work. Prosecutors cited Peña’s firing from the FDNY and prior legal issues to argue for remand, but the appellate court released him with minimal bail conditions. Peña faces manslaughter and other charges, with a possible 15-year sentence if convicted. The case highlights the lethal risk of impaired, reckless driving and the limits of pretrial detention policy.

• Former Firefighter Freed After Fatal Crash, ABC7, Published 2025-05-02

Mayoral hopefuls call for more bus lanes, protected bike lanes, and pedestrian space. They defend congestion pricing. They want fewer cars, more transit, and safer streets. Each promises to fight federal threats and push for citywide changes that put people first.

This is a candidate policy statement for the 2025 mayoral race, published May 2, 2025, by Streetsblog NYC. The questionnaire asks, 'Now that congestion pricing is operating in New York City, what should the city government do to build on its success in reducing Manhattan traffic?' Scott Stringer, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, Brad Lander, and Whitney Tilson all support congestion pricing, bus rapid transit, protected bike lanes, and pedestrianization. Stringer promises a full bus network overhaul and more protected lanes. Myrie vows to defend congestion pricing from federal attacks. Ramos pushes for Bus Rapid Transit in all boroughs. Lander calls for pedestrianizing Lower Manhattan. Tilson wants dynamic pricing and expansion citywide. The candidates agree: fewer cars, more transit, safer streets for all.

• Decision 2025: Our Mayoral Questionnaire Begins … With a Question on Traffic, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-02

Streetsblog grilled mayoral hopefuls on congestion pricing. The question was sharp. Congestion pricing cuts traffic. What comes after? Candidates must answer. Streets stay deadly. Pedestrians and cyclists wait for action. The city’s future hangs in the balance.

On May 2, 2025, Streetsblog NYC launched a mayoral policy debate, pressing candidates on congestion pricing. The event was not a council bill, but a public challenge. Streetsblog asked: 'Now that congestion pricing is operating in New York City, what should the city government do to build on its success in reducing Manhattan traffic?' Scott Stringer, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, Brad Lander, and Whitney Tilson responded, each supporting congestion pricing and further transit investment. Streetsblog’s demand was clear—protect vulnerable road users. The safety analyst notes that congestion pricing reduces car traffic, lowers crash risk for pedestrians and cyclists, encourages mode shift, and opens the door for street redesigns that put vulnerable users first. The debate underscores urgency: congestion pricing helps, but more must be done to make streets safe for all.

• Decision 2025: Our Mayoral Questionnaire Begins … With a Question on Traffic, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-02

Jessica Ramos wants the city to run its own subways. She says the mayor should pick the NYC Transit boss. The push follows years of state failures. Riders face delays, confusion, and a system that ignores their needs.

On May 2, 2025, State Senator Jessica Ramos, representing District 13, announced her support for New York City taking control of its subway system. The current system is run by the state through the MTA. Ramos, a mayoral candidate, said, "I would love for the mayor of the City of New York to be able to appoint the New York City Transit president or to have a greater say in what happens in the system." The announcement came as part of a broader mayoral campaign debate, with other candidates like Brad Lander proposing a city-run authority called 'Big Apple Transit.' The push for city control follows years of service failures and frustration among riders. Ramos’s stance signals a demand for local accountability and a transit system that answers to the people who use it every day. No formal bill number or committee action is attached to this policy announcement.

• Mayoral candidates renew calls for NYC to take control of its subway system, gothamist.com, Published 2025-05-02

Council passes law. Taxis and for-hire cars must post bold warnings on rear doors. Riders face the message: look for cyclists before swinging the door. A move to cut dooring. City acts. Cyclists stay in the crosshairs.

Int 0193-2024, now law, cleared the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and passed City Council on May 1, 2025. The bill, titled 'A Local Law...requiring taxis and for-hire vehicles to display a decal warning passengers to look for cyclists when opening the door,' demands clear warning signs on all rear passenger doors. Lincoln Restler led as primary sponsor, joined by Gutiérrez, Hudson, Rivera, Won, and others. The Taxi and Limousine Commission must provide decals at no cost. The law aims to fight dooring, a threat to cyclists citywide. Enacted May 31, 2025, it takes effect in 120 days.

• File Int 0193-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-05-01

Council passes law. Taxis and for-hire cars must post bold warnings on rear doors. Riders face the message: look for cyclists before swinging the door. A move to cut dooring. City acts. Cyclists stay in the crosshairs.

Int 0193-2024, now law, cleared the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and passed City Council on May 1, 2025. The bill, titled 'A Local Law...requiring taxis and for-hire vehicles to display a decal warning passengers to look for cyclists when opening the door,' demands clear warning signs on all rear passenger doors. Lincoln Restler led as primary sponsor, joined by Gutiérrez, Hudson, Rivera, Won, and others. The Taxi and Limousine Commission must provide decals at no cost. The law aims to fight dooring, a threat to cyclists citywide. Enacted May 31, 2025, it takes effect in 120 days.

• File Int 0193-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-05-01

Senate backs S 4804. The bill sets first responder safety zones and lowers speed limits. Lawmakers move to shield workers on chaotic streets. The vote is swift. The intent is clear. Danger zones get new rules.

Senate bill S 4804, titled 'Relates to establishing first responder safety zones and setting speed limits in such safety zones,' passed committee on April 29, 2025, and cleared the full Senate on May 6, 2025. Sponsored by Senator Christopher Ryan (District 50) with co-sponsors Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Pamela Helming, Robert Rolison, and William Weber, the bill aims to carve out protected zones for first responders and enforce lower speed limits in those areas. The measure won broad support, with nearly all senators voting yes. The bill targets the chaos and risk drivers pose to workers and bystanders at emergency scenes. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 4804, Open States, Published 2025-04-29

Two sedans collided on the Long Island Expressway. One driver, age 65, suffered neck injury. Police list contributing factors as unspecified. Metal and glass met. The system failed to protect.

Two sedans crashed on the Long Island Expressway in Queens. According to the police report, a 65-year-old male driver was injured with neck trauma. The other driver, a 28-year-old woman, was not reported injured. Both vehicles were traveling west; one was stopped in traffic, the other going straight. The police report lists contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors are detailed. The impact struck the center back end of the stopped sedan. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4808823 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04