Bronx Streets Bleed While City Sleeps—Push Riley to Protect the Vulnerable Now
District 12: Jan 1, 2022 - Jun 6, 2025
The Toll: Death and Injury on Bronx Streets
Four people killed. Nearly 600 injured. In the last year, District 12 has seen the slow grind of traffic violence. The dead are not numbers. A 78-year-old woman, crossing White Plains Road at night, was struck by a Toyota SUV. She died at Jacobi Medical Center. The driver stayed. No charges filed. The street stayed the same. NY Daily News report
A beloved football coach, Dwight Downer, stood near his home. A BMW, a pickup, a chain of metal and speed. Downer was crushed. His mother, Norma Downer, said, “These arrests cannot bring back my child. Still, something has to be done.”
SUVs, sedans, trucks, mopeds. The machines keep moving. The bodies do not. In the last 12 months: 4 deaths, 8 serious injuries, 598 hurt. Most were walking. Some were children. Some were old. All were vulnerable.
Council Member Riley: Progress and Gaps
Council Member Kevin C. Riley has voted for and co-sponsored bills that matter. He backed the law that ended jaywalking enforcement, shifting blame away from those on foot. He co-sponsored bills for speed humps near parks, better lighting, and more school safety signs. He called out the “immense work that still must be done to ensure all New York City streets are safe for all.”
But the pace is slow. Many bills sit in committee. Signs and studies do not stop cars. The streets remain wide, fast, and deadly. The Bronx still waits for real protection.
What Comes Next: Demand More Than Words
Every death is preventable. The city can lower speed limits. It can harden crosswalks. It can build real protection. Riley has shown he will act when pushed. He has also let bills stall. Call him. Demand speed humps, protected bike lanes, and lower speed limits.
Do not wait for another obituary.
Citations
▸ Citations
- Elderly Pedestrian Killed Crossing Bronx Street, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-25
- Unlicensed Driver Kills Bronx Coach, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-08
- Unlicensed Driver Kills Bronx Coach, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-08
- Report finds traffic deaths on the rise in the Bronx, ‘immense work’ needed to ensure safety, pol urges, nydailynews.com, Published 2022-07-19
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4671925, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-04
- Driver Flees Bronx Crash, Coach Killed, NY Daily News, Published 2025-03-14
- File Int 0291-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-10-27
▸ Other Geographies
District 12 Council District 12 sits in Bronx, Precinct 47.
It contains Co-Op City, Williamsbridge-Olinville, Eastchester-Edenwald-Baychester.
▸ See also
Traffic Safety Timeline for Council District 12
Res 0009-2022Riley co-sponsors resolution for accessible subways, improving safety for vulnerable riders.▸Council called on the MTA to make every renovated subway station fully accessible. Only a fraction of stations have elevators. Lawmakers want no more half-measures. The resolution was filed at session’s end. Riders with disabilities remain stranded underground.
Resolution 0009-2022 was introduced on February 10, 2022, in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to ensure any subway station undergoing enhancement or renovation becomes fully accessible to people with disabilities. The matter title reads: 'Resolution calling upon the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to make any subway stations undergoing enhancement or renovation fully accessible to people with disabilities.' Council Member Darlene Mealy sponsored the resolution, joined by Brannan, Menin, Louis, Yeger, Hanif, Hudson, Marte, Joseph, Riley, and Brooks-Powers. The resolution was filed at the end of session on December 31, 2023. Only 117 out of 493 subway stations are accessible. The Council’s action highlights the city’s failure to guarantee safe, equal passage for all riders. Elevators and upgrades are overdue. The bill’s filing leaves vulnerable New Yorkers waiting.
-
File Res 0009-2022,
NYC Council – Legistar,
Published 2022-02-10
Man Struck Off Road on Conner Street▸A man stood off the road. A vehicle hit him. His hip shattered. He lay in the street, pain twisting his gut. Death crept in. The Bronx pavement stayed silent.
A 56-year-old man was struck by a vehicle near 3550 Conner Street in the Bronx. According to the police report, the man was not in the roadway when the vehicle hit him. His hip shattered. He lay in the street, showing signs of apparent death. The report does not list any driver errors or contributing factors. No information is provided about the vehicle or driver. The police narrative describes the man’s pain and the silent aftermath on the pavement.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4501114,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
Council called on the MTA to make every renovated subway station fully accessible. Only a fraction of stations have elevators. Lawmakers want no more half-measures. The resolution was filed at session’s end. Riders with disabilities remain stranded underground.
Resolution 0009-2022 was introduced on February 10, 2022, in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to ensure any subway station undergoing enhancement or renovation becomes fully accessible to people with disabilities. The matter title reads: 'Resolution calling upon the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to make any subway stations undergoing enhancement or renovation fully accessible to people with disabilities.' Council Member Darlene Mealy sponsored the resolution, joined by Brannan, Menin, Louis, Yeger, Hanif, Hudson, Marte, Joseph, Riley, and Brooks-Powers. The resolution was filed at the end of session on December 31, 2023. Only 117 out of 493 subway stations are accessible. The Council’s action highlights the city’s failure to guarantee safe, equal passage for all riders. Elevators and upgrades are overdue. The bill’s filing leaves vulnerable New Yorkers waiting.
- File Res 0009-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-02-10
Man Struck Off Road on Conner Street▸A man stood off the road. A vehicle hit him. His hip shattered. He lay in the street, pain twisting his gut. Death crept in. The Bronx pavement stayed silent.
A 56-year-old man was struck by a vehicle near 3550 Conner Street in the Bronx. According to the police report, the man was not in the roadway when the vehicle hit him. His hip shattered. He lay in the street, showing signs of apparent death. The report does not list any driver errors or contributing factors. No information is provided about the vehicle or driver. The police narrative describes the man’s pain and the silent aftermath on the pavement.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4501114,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
A man stood off the road. A vehicle hit him. His hip shattered. He lay in the street, pain twisting his gut. Death crept in. The Bronx pavement stayed silent.
A 56-year-old man was struck by a vehicle near 3550 Conner Street in the Bronx. According to the police report, the man was not in the roadway when the vehicle hit him. His hip shattered. He lay in the street, showing signs of apparent death. The report does not list any driver errors or contributing factors. No information is provided about the vehicle or driver. The police narrative describes the man’s pain and the silent aftermath on the pavement.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4501114, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15