Queens Streets Run Red—Your Silence Is Their License

A 45-year-old woman suffered head injuries after a cyclist distracted by inattention collided with her on 63 Avenue in Queens. The pedestrian was conscious but bruised, struck away from an intersection by a single bicyclist at dusk.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 19:34 on 63 Avenue in Queens. A 45-year-old female pedestrian was injured when a bicyclist, the sole vehicle involved, struck her outside an intersection. The pedestrian sustained a head contusion and remained conscious. The report cites 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor, indicating the cyclist failed to maintain attention, leading to the collision. No other contributing factors or victim behaviors were noted. The cyclist's distraction directly caused the impact, highlighting risks posed by inattentive vehicle operators even on bicycles.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4763932 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A 74-year-old woman crossing with the signal on Queens Boulevard was struck by a vehicle. The pedestrian suffered bruises and injuries to her knee and lower leg. The crash exposed dangers of driver inattention in busy city streets.

According to the police report, a pedestrian was injured at the intersection of Queens Boulevard and 67 Avenue in Queens. The 74-year-old female pedestrian was crossing with the signal when she was struck by a vehicle. The report cites 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor to the crash. The pedestrian sustained injuries to her knee, lower leg, and foot, described as contusions and bruises, and was conscious at the scene. The vehicle involved is unspecified in type and details. This incident highlights the critical role of driver distraction in pedestrian collisions, with no contributing factors attributed to the pedestrian's actions.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4761844 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Council bill slashes legal parking time for big rigs. Ninety minutes max for tractor-trailers. Three hours for other commercial trucks. Streets clear faster. Heavy metal moves on.

Int 1069-2024, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced September 26, 2024. The bill reads: "reducing the maximum time commercial vehicles may park." Sponsored by Kevin C. Riley and 23 others, it limits parking to three hours for most commercial vehicles, and 90 minutes for tractor-trailers, unless signs say otherwise. The law takes effect 120 days after passage. Council aims to keep streets less clogged by oversized trucks. No safety analyst note was provided, but the bill targets long-term truck storage on city streets.

• File Int 1069-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-09-26

Council ends jaywalking penalties. Pedestrians now cross anywhere, any time. No summons. Law strips drivers of excuses. Streets shift. Power tilts to people on foot.

Int 0346-2024, now enacted, rewrites New York’s pedestrian rules. The bill, heard by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, passed on September 26, 2024, and became law on October 26, 2024. Its title: “A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to pedestrian crossing guidelines and right of way.” Sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán and co-sponsored by Narcisse, Won, Hanif, Hudson, and Restler, the law lets pedestrians cross streets anywhere, even against signals. No more tickets for crossing outside crosswalks. The Department of Transportation must educate all street users on new rights and responsibilities. The law removes a tool police used to target walkers. It shifts blame from people on foot to the system and those behind the wheel.

• File Int 0346-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-09-26

A motorscooter crashed into a sedan’s rear on Austin Street. The unlicensed rider, helmetless and exposed, suffered a crushed leg. Steel met flesh. The scooter’s front crumpled. He stayed awake, pain burning through the afternoon in Queens.

A violent collision unfolded on Austin Street near 67th Road in Queens, where a motorscooter struck the rear of a sedan, according to the police report. The report states the rider, a 30-year-old man, was unlicensed and wore no helmet or protective gear. The impact crushed his leg, leaving him conscious but in severe pain. The police report describes the scene: 'A motorscooter slammed into a sedan’s rear. The rider, unlicensed and unarmored, crushed his leg on impact. No helmet. Just flesh meeting steel.' The scooter’s front end folded from the force. The sedan sustained damage to its right rear bumper. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' The focus remains on the systemic danger of unlicensed, unprotected operation and the unforgiving violence of car-dominated streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4757789 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Two sedans slammed together on Jackie Robinson Parkway. Alcohol and reckless lane change drove the crash. A 52-year-old driver took a blow to the back. Metal twisted. No one walked away untouched.

According to the police report, two sedans collided on Jackie Robinson Parkway at 6:50 a.m. The crash was caused by alcohol involvement and unsafe lane changing, as listed in the report's contributing factors. The impact struck the left rear quarter panel of one sedan and the right side doors of the other. A 52-year-old male driver suffered back injuries but remained conscious and was restrained by a lap belt and harness. The report identifies alcohol and unsafe lane changing as the primary driver errors. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. No victim actions contributed to the crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4757982 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A sedan struck an 85-year-old woman crossing 99 Street in Queens. She was semiconscious, bleeding, hurt across her body. The car’s front end hit her. The street stayed quiet. The danger was real.

According to the police report, at 22:40 on 99 Street near 62 Drive in Queens, a 2007 Ford sedan struck an 85-year-old woman as she crossed outside a crosswalk or signal. The impact was at the car’s center front end, damaging the left front bumper. The pedestrian was found semiconscious, with injuries to her entire body and minor bleeding. The report lists unspecified contributing factors but does not cite driver errors such as failure to yield or speeding. The driver was licensed and alone in the vehicle. The crash left a vulnerable pedestrian injured on a city street.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4757522 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Two SUVs collided on Austin Street. Three people hurt. Alcohol drove the crash. One passenger was thrown partway out. Injuries hit head, chest, neck. The night was split by metal and error.

According to the police report, two SUVs crashed on Austin Street in Queens at 2:29 AM. Both drivers had alcohol involvement, a key factor in the collision. One SUV was moving straight, the other was stopped in traffic. The crash struck the front of one vehicle and the rear of the other. Three people were injured: a 71-year-old male driver with internal chest injuries, a 26-year-old male driver with head abrasions and incoherence, and a 45-year-old female passenger who was partially ejected and suffered neck injuries. All wore lap belts. The report cites alcohol involvement by drivers as the primary cause. No fault is attributed to the victims.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4752187 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

SUV turned right, struck eastbound e-scooter on Horace Harding Expressway. E-scooter rider, a 27-year-old woman, suffered leg abrasions. Police cited SUV driver for disregarding traffic control.

According to the police report, a 2017 Hyundai SUV made a right turn on Horace Harding Expressway in Queens and struck an eastbound e-scooter at 12:29. The SUV hit the e-scooter on its right front quarter panel. The e-scooter driver, a 27-year-old woman, was injured with abrasions to her knee, lower leg, and foot. She was conscious and not ejected. The police report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as the contributing factor, showing the SUV driver failed to obey traffic signals or signs. No other contributing factors were noted. The crash underscores the risk to vulnerable road users when drivers ignore traffic controls.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4752406 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A cyclist’s face smashed into the steel rear of a parked van on 108th Street near 62nd Drive. Blood streaked his cheek. He stayed conscious, upright, torn open. The van never moved. The man did.

A 32-year-old cyclist was injured on 108th Street near 62nd Drive in Queens when he collided with the back of a parked Chevrolet van, according to the police report. The crash occurred at 18:55. The report states the cyclist 'struck the rear of a parked van. His face met steel. Blood ran down his cheek. He stayed upright, conscious, torn open.' The police list 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor in the crash. The van was stationary at the time, with no occupants. The cyclist suffered severe facial lacerations but remained conscious. The data does not cite any cyclist behavior as a contributing factor. The incident underscores the persistent danger of parked vehicles and inattention on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4752176 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Lawmakers say Hochul broke the law. They filed a brief. They argue the governor has no right to halt congestion pricing. The MTA Board, not Albany, holds the power. The pause sows confusion. Streets stay clogged. Vulnerable New Yorkers pay the price.

On August 23, 2024, a group of New York State legislators—Assembly Members Phil Steck and Andrew Hevesi, State Senator Julia Salazar, and former Assembly Member Dick Gottfried—filed a legal brief against Governor Hochul’s decision to pause congestion pricing. The matter, as described: “the legislature never gave her or any governor the power to do away with the traffic toll.” The brief cites the 2019 Traffic Mobility Act, arguing only the Traffic Mobility Review Board and the MTA can make such decisions. The lawmakers warn that letting the governor override the MTA would “make impossibly opaque the actual responsibility for MTA decisions.” Their action supports the MTA Board’s independence and opposes executive interference. No safety analyst has assessed the direct impact on vulnerable road users, but the legislators’ stance highlights the risk of political meddling in life-and-death street policy.

• State Legislators Say They Never Gave Hochul the Power to Pause Congestion Pricing, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-08-23

City law now forces DOT to reveal where bikes and scooters go. Streets and bridges, protected or not. Data goes public. Riders’ movement, danger, and safety projects laid bare. No more hiding the facts.

Int 0745-2024, now enacted, came through the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It was introduced April 11, 2024, and passed on August 15, 2024. The law orders the Department of Transportation to post current bicycle and micromobility ridership data online, updated monthly or at least yearly. The matter summary reads: 'requiring the department of transportation to provide information about bicycle and other micromobility device activity.' Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers led as primary sponsor, joined by Farías, Restler, Hudson, Schulman, and others. The law demands transparency on where riders travel and what DOT does to keep them safe. This opens the books on bike movement and exposes gaps in protection.

• File Int 0745-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-08-15

Two sedans slammed together on Jewel Avenue. Unsafe speed and bad lane use drove the crash. A 19-year-old passenger took whiplash and full-body injuries. Parked SUVs caught stray damage.

According to the police report, two sedans collided near 113-18 Jewel Avenue in Queens at 11:48 p.m. Both cars were moving southeast when one struck the other's right front quarter panel, while the other hit the left rear quarter panel. The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' as driver errors. A 19-year-old woman riding in the front seat suffered whiplash and injuries to her whole body. She was conscious and wore a lap belt. Parked SUVs nearby were also damaged in the crash. The report blames driver actions, not the injured passenger.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4747495 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A 57-year-old woman crossing with the signal was struck by a northbound bus making a right turn on Junction Boulevard. The bus driver failed to yield right-of-way, causing the pedestrian to suffer abrasions and an elbow injury at the intersection.

According to the police report, a bus traveling north on Junction Boulevard in Queens was making a right turn at 11:05 when it failed to yield right-of-way to a 57-year-old female pedestrian crossing with the signal. The pedestrian was injured, sustaining abrasions and an injury to her elbow, lower arm, and hand. The report explicitly cites 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor attributed to the bus driver. The bus showed no damage, indicating the impact may have been with a non-damaging part of the vehicle or a glancing contact. The pedestrian was conscious and injured at the intersection, with no contributing factors listed on her part beyond the driver’s failure to yield. This incident highlights the dangers posed by driver errors in yielding at intersections, especially involving large vehicles like buses.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4747340 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A sedan traveling east on the Long Island Expressway struck another vehicle on its right side doors. Two women, the driver and front passenger, suffered injuries including a back fracture. Police cited unsafe speed and driver distraction as causes.

According to the police report, at 2:30 AM on the Long Island Expressway, a 24-year-old female driver traveling east in a 2020 Mazda sedan was involved in a collision impacting the right side doors of her vehicle. The driver was injured with a fractured back and was in shock, secured by a lap belt and harness. The front passenger, also 24, was injured and in shock. The report identifies 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors for the driver. The point of impact was the left front bumper of the other vehicle, which was unspecified. Both occupants were not ejected. The report highlights driver errors—unsafe speed and distraction—as key causes of the crash, with no contributing factors attributed to the passengers.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4744970 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A 66-year-old male driver suffered a head contusion and was semiconscious after his SUV struck the rear of a parked bus on Yellowstone Boulevard in Queens. The crash caused front-end damage to the SUV and rear damage to the bus.

According to the police report, the crash occurred on Yellowstone Boulevard in Queens around 1:00 PM. The driver of a 2023 SUV, a 66-year-old man, was injured with a head contusion and was semiconscious at the scene. The SUV collided with the center back end of a parked 2016 bus. The report cites 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor to the crash. The SUV sustained front-end damage, while the bus was damaged at its rear. The driver was restrained with a lap belt and airbag deployment was recorded. No other contributing factors or victim behaviors were noted. The collision highlights the dangers posed by driver distraction leading to rear-end impacts with stationary vehicles.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4738055 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

An 81-year-old man crossing Queens Boulevard with the signal was struck by a sedan making a left turn. The driver failed to yield and was inattentive. The pedestrian suffered bruises and lower leg injuries but remained conscious.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 1:36 AM on Queens Boulevard near 63 Avenue in Queens. A sedan traveling east was making a left turn when it struck an 81-year-old male pedestrian crossing with the signal at the intersection. The pedestrian sustained contusions and injuries to his knee, lower leg, and foot, classified as injury severity level 3, but remained conscious. The report cites driver errors including "Driver Inattention/Distraction" and "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way" as contributing factors. The vehicle showed no damage despite impact at the left front bumper. The pedestrian's crossing with the signal is noted but not cited as a contributing factor. The driver was licensed and operating a 2020 Nissan sedan. This incident highlights the dangers posed by driver inattention and failure to yield to pedestrians at intersections.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4737001 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

An 83-year-old woman suffered a fractured arm crossing 68 Avenue. A sedan making a left turn struck her at the intersection. The driver’s inattention caused the collision, leaving the pedestrian injured but conscious with a severe arm injury.

According to the police report, an 83-year-old female pedestrian was injured while crossing 68 Avenue at an intersection. The collision occurred around 3:00 PM when a sedan, traveling northwest and making a left turn, struck her with its center front end. The pedestrian sustained a fracture and dislocation to her elbow, lower arm, and hand, classified as injury severity level 3. The report identifies 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the primary contributing factor to the crash. The driver was licensed and operating a 2020 Honda sedan. The pedestrian was crossing without a signal or crosswalk indication, but the report does not list this as a contributing factor. No vehicle damage was reported. The incident highlights the critical role of driver attention in preventing harm to vulnerable road users.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4736006 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A sedan driver blacked out and crashed into parked cars on Metropolitan Avenue. She suffered arm abrasions. The impact damaged several vehicles. Police cite lost consciousness as the cause.

A 38-year-old woman driving a sedan southbound on Metropolitan Avenue in Queens lost consciousness and struck multiple parked cars, according to the police report. She suffered abrasions to her elbow, lower arm, and hand. The report lists 'Lost Consciousness' as the contributing factor. Several parked sedans sustained damage to their rear bumpers and quarter panels from the impact. The driver was wearing a lap belt and held a valid New York license. No other contributing factors or victim actions are noted. The crash underscores the risk posed by sudden driver incapacitation in city traffic.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4735774 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A 77-year-old woman suffered a head abrasion after a distracted driver backing an SUV struck her while she emerged from behind a parked vehicle on 66 Avenue. The impact caused injury despite no vehicle damage reported.

According to the police report, a 77-year-old female pedestrian was injured when a 2015 Nissan SUV backing east on 66 Avenue struck her. The pedestrian was emerging from in front of or behind a parked vehicle when the collision occurred. The report cites 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the primary contributing factor to the crash. The driver, a licensed male from Pennsylvania, was backing the vehicle at the time of impact. The pedestrian sustained a head abrasion and was conscious after the collision. No damage was reported to the SUV, indicating a low-speed impact. The report does not list any pedestrian behaviors as contributing factors, focusing solely on the driver's failure to maintain attention while reversing.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4732002 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04