No More Bodies in the Road: Demand Safe Streets Now

Council wants NYPD to show where crossing guards stand. The bill orders a map online. Streets are dangerous. Kids cross in chaos. The public will see the gaps. The city must face the truth in plain sight.

Int 0447-2024, now in the Committee on Public Safety, 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 reporting on crossing guard deployment," demands the NYPD post an online map showing where crossing guards are stationed. Council Member Kamillah Hanks leads as primary sponsor, joined by Stevens, Schulman, Menin, Salaam, Brewer, Marte, and others, including a request from the Bronx Borough President. The bill is for 'informational purposes only,' but the impact is clear: families and advocates will finally see where the city leaves children exposed. The measure forces transparency. It makes the city’s priorities visible block by block.

• File Int 0447-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council bill orders speed humps on streets by parks over one acre. DOT must install unless safety or guidelines say no. Seventeen council members back the move. The bill sits in committee. Streets by parks may soon slow cars.

Int 0262-2024 was introduced to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on February 28, 2024. The bill states: "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 seventeen co-sponsors including Joseph, Feliz, Louis, Marte, and others. The Department of Transportation must install speed humps on qualifying streets unless the commissioner finds it unsafe or inconsistent with DOT guidelines. The bill remains in committee. If passed, it would take effect 180 days after becoming law. The measure aims to slow traffic near parks, where walkers and children cross.

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

Council bill targets private car parking perks. No more city-issued permits for private vehicles without elected plates. Existing permits get revoked. Exemptions for disabled drivers and union contracts. Sponsors push to cut special treatment and reclaim curb space.

Int 0411-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced February 28, 2024, the bill reads: 'prohibiting the issuance of private vehicle parking permits and revoking such existing permits.' Council Members Julie Won (primary sponsor), Lincoln Restler, Gale Brewer, Christopher Marte, Erik Bottcher, Alexa Avilés, and the Brooklyn Borough President back the measure. They seek to stop city agencies from issuing parking permits to private vehicles unless the car belongs to an elected official. Permits for people with disabilities and those required by collective bargaining agreements are not affected. The bill repeals several administrative code sections tied to private parking privileges. Action aims to strip away special access, reduce curb abuse, and put public space back in public hands.

• File Int 0411-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council members push for a hard look at last mile delivery hubs. Trucks swarm neighborhoods. Streets clog. Collisions rise. The bill demands data. It targets the city’s growing freight problem. Vulnerable New Yorkers walk these streets. The study could expose the toll.

Int 0113-2024 sits with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced February 28, 2024, it orders the Department of Transportation to study how last mile delivery facilities batter local streets and communities. The bill summary reads: 'estimating the amount of delivery vehicles arriving at or departing from each facility, and the impact that additional vehicle traffic has on parking, street congestion, vehicle collisions and other traffic incidents.' Public Advocate Jumaane Williams leads as primary sponsor, joined by Alexa Avilés, Shekar Krishnan, Amanda Farías, and over twenty others. The bill was referred to committee on the day it was introduced. No safety analyst has yet weighed in, but the bill’s focus is clear: count the trucks, count the crashes, and show the cost to people on foot and bike.

• File Int 0113-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council wants DOT to study how street design can keep commercial trucks out of residential neighborhoods. The bill demands a report. Streets packed with trucks endanger walkers and cyclists. The committee holds the bill. No action yet. Pressure mounts.

Int 0114-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced February 28, 2024, the bill orders the Department of Transportation to report on using street design to limit or reduce commercial vehicle use in residential areas. The matter title reads: 'A Local Law in relation to requiring the department of transportation to study street design as a means to limit or reduce the use by commercial vehicles of streets in residential neighborhoods.' Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez leads as primary sponsor, joined by Avilés, the Public Advocate, and others. The bill was referred to committee on the day it was introduced. Streets crowded with trucks put vulnerable road users at risk. The bill seeks data and solutions, but action is pending.

• File Int 0114-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council moves to study charging stations for e-bike delivery workers. The bill forms a task force to weigh cost, location, and fire risk. Delivery riders face battery dangers daily. The city stalls on safe infrastructure. The committee holds the bill.

Int 0194-2024 sits with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure since February 28, 2024. The bill, titled 'A Local Law in relation to establishing a task force to study the feasibility of building charging stations for bicycles with electric assist to be used by food delivery workers,' calls for a task force to examine where and how to build charging stations for e-bike couriers. Council Members Restler (primary sponsor), Gutiérrez, Avilés, Won, Cabán, Marte, Hanif, Nurse, Hudson, Brewer, and Farías back the measure. The task force must review costs, possible third-party funding, station locations, and fire risks from lithium-ion batteries. The bill aims to protect delivery workers, who face daily hazards from unsafe charging and lack of city support. No votes have been held. The bill remains in committee.

• File Int 0194-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council calls for state action on lower speed limits, crash victims’ rights, and safer street design. The resolution pushes Albany to let New York City set its own speed limits and demands stronger protections for people hurt or killed by cars.

Resolution 0090-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced February 28, 2024, it urges the State Legislature and Governor to pass S.2422 ('Sammy’s Law'), A.1901 (Crash Victims Bill of Rights), and the full SAFE Streets Act package. The matter title reads: 'Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, S.2422, also known as ‘Sammy’s Law,’ in relation to allowing New York city to establish a lower speed limit, and A.1901, enacting a crash victims bill of rights, as well as the other bills of the package known as the SAFE Streets Act.' Council Member Shahana K. Hanif leads as primary sponsor, joined by Gutiérrez, Restler, Ossé, Avilés, Sanchez, Krishnan, Rivera, Cabán, Brewer, Abreu, Marte, Brannan, Schulman, Won, Feliz, Bottcher, Nurse, Hudson, and the Brooklyn Borough President. The SAFE Streets Act targets reckless driving, demands safer street design, and gives crash victims more rights. The resolution’s focus is clear: fewer deaths, more justice, safer streets for all.

• File Res 0090-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

At a Manhattan forum, MTA officials defended congestion pricing. Council Member Marte and Assembly Member Glick pressed for answers. Residents doubted government motives. The toll’s impact on traffic, revenue, and safety hung in the air. No easy answers. Streets stay dangerous.

On February 20, 2024, a public forum at Borough of Manhattan Community College brought congestion pricing to the front lines. The event, covered by Charles Komanoff, featured MTA specialists Julia Kite-Laidlaw and Daniel Randell, with State Senator Brian Kavanagh moderating. Council Member Christopher Marte questioned the zone’s boundaries. Assembly Member Deborah Glick demanded action on toll theft. The MTA repeated the need for revenue and warned that exemptions would push more traffic into environmental-justice neighborhoods. The forum’s matter title: 'What Was Left Unsaid to Congestion Pricing Opponents.' The debate exposed deep mistrust and skepticism about government promises. No direct safety analysis was provided, but the stakes for vulnerable road users—pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders—remain high as congestion pricing inches forward.

• Komanoff: What Was Left Unsaid to Congestion Pricing Opponents, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-02-20

Council bill targets cars blocking bike lanes, sidewalks, and hydrants within half a mile of schools. Fines set at $175. Civilians can report violations. DOT must act on complaints. Council aims to clear paths for people, not cars.

Int 0080-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after its introduction on February 8, 2024. The bill, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to hazardous obstruction by vehicles and civilian complaints to the department of transportation for hazardous obstruction violations," creates a new civil penalty for vehicles blocking bike lanes, bus lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, or hydrants within 2,640 feet of a school. The penalty is $175 per violation. The Department of Transportation must launch a civilian reporting program. If DOT prosecutes a case using civilian evidence, the complainant gets 25% of the proceeds. Council Member Carlina Rivera leads as primary sponsor, joined by Restler, Joseph, Menin, Nurse, Hudson, Brannan, Farías, Brewer, Salaam, Hanif, Avilés, Won, Bottcher, Krishnan, Gutiérrez, Marte, and the Brooklyn Borough President. The bill aims to keep streets clear for vulnerable road users, especially near schools.

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

Council members want 500 corridors lit for walkers each year. The bill demands bright sidewalks—no less than 1 footcandle. Most corridors must connect, forming safer, well-lit routes. The measure sits in committee, waiting for action. Darkness remains a threat.

Int 0079-2024, introduced on February 8, 2024, sits 'Laid Over in Committee' with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill, titled 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to installation of pedestrian lighting fixtures,' would require the transportation commissioner to install sidewalk lighting in at least 500 commercial corridors per year, each lit to a minimum of 1 footcandle (11 lux). At least 450 corridors must be contiguous to others with new or existing lighting. Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers leads as primary sponsor, joined by Restler, Krishnan, Bottcher, and many others. The bill aims to cut through the city’s darkness, demanding light for those on foot. It remains stalled in committee, its promise unrealized.

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

An 81-year-old man steps into the crosswalk at Delancey and Willett. A Ford SUV turns right, driver fails to yield. Head trauma, internal bleeding. He dies beneath the streetlights. No damage to the car. The city keeps moving.

According to the police report, an 81-year-old pedestrian was killed at the corner of Delancey Street and Willett Street in Manhattan. The crash occurred at 23:06, when the man entered a marked crosswalk. A Ford SUV, registered in New York and driven by a licensed New Jersey man, made a right turn without signaling. The report cites 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The pedestrian suffered fatal head trauma and internal bleeding. The police report notes there was no damage to the vehicle. The victim was crossing with no signal, in a marked crosswalk, but the report attributes the crash to driver errors. No mention is made of any victim behavior contributing to the collision.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4700193, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A bus swung left at Battery Place. Steel clipped a 69-year-old man’s leg. Blood pooled on the curb. The bus rolled away. The man stayed conscious, flesh torn, pain sharp. The city’s machinery did not pause.

A 69-year-old man was injured when a bus making a left turn at Battery Place and Greenwich Street struck him, according to the police report. The report states the pedestrian was at the intersection when the bus’s left front quarter panel hit his lower leg, causing severe lacerations. The narrative describes, 'Steel struck his leg. Flesh tore. Blood pooled by the curb. He stayed awake. The bus rolled on, unmarked.' The bus sustained no damage and continued on its route. Police list both driver and pedestrian contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' The report highlights the systemic danger of large vehicles turning through crosswalks, with no evidence of driver accountability or intervention at the scene. No contributing victim behavior is cited; the focus remains on the impact of the turning bus.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4699836, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A sedan reversed on Avenue of the Americas. Steel struck a man’s head as he crossed with the signal. Blood pooled on the crosswalk. He stood, dazed, upright. The car’s rear bore the mark. The city’s danger was plain.

According to the police report, a sedan traveling south on Avenue of the Americas at Spring Street backed unsafely and struck a 35-year-old man who was crossing with the signal. The report states the pedestrian suffered a head injury with severe bleeding but remained conscious and upright after the impact. The narrative describes the car’s rear end bearing the mark of the collision, with blood pooling on the crosswalk. The police report explicitly lists 'Backing Unsafely' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The pedestrian was located at the intersection and was crossing with the signal, as documented in the report. The focus remains on the driver’s unsafe backing and inattention, which led to the pedestrian’s injury.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4694173, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A moped slammed into a parked sedan on Rivington Street. Metal tore. The rider, a 29-year-old man, died on the pavement. The sedan’s side split open. The crash left silence under a gray Manhattan sky.

A 29-year-old man riding a moped crashed into a parked sedan near 166 Rivington Street in Manhattan. According to the police report, the moped’s front folded on impact and the sedan’s side split open. The rider died at the scene. The report lists 'Driver Inexperience' as a contributing factor. The sedan was parked and unoccupied at the time of the crash. No other injuries were reported. The crash underscores the lethal consequences when inexperience meets city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4682231, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

New Jersey’s $11-billion Turnpike expansion will pour over 1,200 more cars per hour onto Canal Street. Local officials and advocates warn of rising danger for pedestrians and cyclists. The plan ignores transit alternatives and threatens Lower Manhattan’s safety and air.

On November 7, 2023, New Jersey revealed its $11-billion plan to widen the Jersey Turnpike, doubling lanes between Newark Airport and the Hudson River tunnels. The project, detailed in a recent environmental review, will increase traffic by 32 percent by 2050, sending more than 1,200 extra cars per hour into Manhattan during morning peak. The Turnpike Authority claims the expansion is needed for congestion relief, but the review did not consider public transit alternatives. Council Member Christopher Marte opposes the plan, warning, 'our health, safety, and transit could all be severely worsened.' Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop urges investment in mass transit instead. Juan Restrepo of Transportation Alternatives calls for reducing car dependency. The NYC Department of Transportation is studying Canal Street redesigns for vulnerable users, but has not addressed evening impacts. Advocates demand action to protect pedestrians and cyclists from the looming surge in traffic.

• Garden Potty: NJ Reveals That Its Turnpike Widening Will Add Hundreds MORE Cars to Canal Street Sewer, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-11-07

Council pushed to shift parking enforcement to DOT. The bill aimed to crack down on illegal parking. It stalled. Streets stay clogged. Double-parked cars block crosswalks. Cyclists and walkers pay the price. The bill died at session’s end.

Int 1227-2023 was introduced on October 19, 2023, in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill required the Department of Transportation to create a dedicated parking enforcement unit. Its summary: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the establishment of a parking enforcement unit within the department of transportation.' Council Members Christopher Marte (primary sponsor), Lincoln Restler, and Rita C. Joseph backed the measure. The bill was filed at the end of session on December 31, 2023, without a vote or enactment. The proposal would have targeted illegal parking, a key threat to pedestrians and cyclists. With the bill’s failure, enforcement remains fragmented. Vulnerable road users continue to face blocked crosswalks and bike lanes.

• File Int 1227-2023, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2023-10-19

Bike and moped slammed head-on under harsh lights. The cyclist, thirty-three, flew from his seat. He struck the ground headfirst. Blood pooled. He lay unconscious as the city roared past. The street swallowed the sound.

A bike and a moped collided head-on at Delancey and Chrystie Streets in Manhattan. The cyclist, age 33, was ejected and landed headfirst, suffering severe lacerations and losing consciousness. According to the police report, 'bike and moped struck head-on, center to center. The cyclist, 33, no helmet, flew. Landed headfirst. Blood on the pavement. Unconscious.' The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors. The cyclist was not wearing a helmet, as noted in the data, but the primary causes cited are driver inattention and unsafe speed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4672835, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A moped crashed head-on on Allen Street. The rear passenger, a 21-year-old woman, flew off. Her skull hit the pavement. Blood pooled. She was conscious, bleeding badly. The driver was distracted. Sirens cut through the night.

A violent crash unfolded on Allen Street near Rivington. A moped, heading north, slammed head-on. According to the police report, 'A 21-year-old woman, riding rear, flew off. No helmet. Skull struck pavement. Blood pooled. She bled, conscious.' The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The woman, ejected from the moped, suffered a severe head injury and heavy bleeding. The data also notes the absence of a helmet, but only after the driver’s distraction. The street was left silent, broken by sirens. The crash left one young passenger hurt, the system unchanged.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4662013, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

An e-bike struck a 69-year-old woman at Chrystie and Grand. She fell hard. Blood stained the street. She died there. The crash left a scar on the city’s morning.

A 69-year-old woman was killed at the corner of Chrystie Street and Grand Street in Manhattan when an e-bike hit her head-on. According to the police report, the crash happened as she crossed the intersection and the e-bike, traveling north, struck her. The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as a contributing factor. The woman suffered fatal head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The e-bike’s front end was damaged in the impact. No helmet use or signaling issues were listed as contributing factors. The data shows the deadly result when traffic controls are ignored.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4659736, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A 28-year-old man sat lifeless in a parked Ford truck on Sullivan Street. No crash. No screech. Just the stillness of death and the city’s noise rolling past. The seatbelt hung unused. Manhattan moved on.

A 28-year-old man was found dead inside a parked Ford truck near 81 Sullivan Street in Manhattan. According to the police report, there was no crash, no skid marks, and no sign of impact. The man, an occupant of the vehicle, was not wearing a seatbelt. The police narrative states: 'Sullivan Street near Spring—inside a parked Ford truck, a 28-year-old man sat still, seatbelt unused. No crash, no skid marks. Just the silence of death in the cab, and the hum of Manhattan carrying on around him.' No contributing driver errors or external factors were listed in the report. The incident involved only the parked vehicle, and no other persons were injured.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4658535, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15