No More Excuses: Streets Are Killing Us—Who Will Stop the Bleeding?

Parking mandates choke streets, raise rents, and trap New Yorkers in car dependence. Council Member Marmorato and Borough President Richards defend these rules, blocking safer, more vibrant neighborhoods. Ending mandates means more housing, cleaner air, and safer streets for people, not cars.

This opinion, published September 3, 2024, in Streetsblog NYC, calls out Council Member Kristy Marmorato and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards for defending parking mandates. Richards opposes lifting mandates in Queens, citing poor transit. Marmorato lobbied to restore mandates in a Bronx rezoning near new Metro North stations, arguing, 'We live in a transit desert where cars are a necessity for daily activities.' The editorial rebukes this logic, stating, 'We should not cling to parking mandates when we know they encourage car ownership, make streets less vibrant, increase rents, and pollute our air.' The piece urges officials to break the cycle of car-first policy, invest in transit, and end mandates that block affordable housing and safer streets. No safety analyst assessment was provided, but the editorial centers the harm parking mandates inflict on vulnerable road users and the city’s livability.

• Opinion: It’s Time to Say ‘No’ to Car Drivers and ‘Yes’ to Ending Parking Mandates, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-09-03

A 66-year-old man crossed Hutchinson River Parkway at night. Four cars hit him in sequence. He died there, body broken under headlights and steel. The road offered no signal, no pause, only relentless speed and impact.

A 66-year-old pedestrian was killed on Hutchinson River Parkway after being struck by four vehicles in succession, according to the police report. The incident occurred at night, with the man crossing the dark roadway outside a crosswalk. The report states, 'Four cars struck him. One after another. Crush injuries. Whole body. No signal. No time. He died there, under headlights, beneath steel and speed.' All vehicles involved were traveling straight ahead, with points of impact listed as undercarriage, right front bumper, center front end, and left front quarter panel. Police data lists 'Unspecified' as the contributing factor for both the crash and the pedestrian, offering no further detail on driver actions. The report does not cite any victim behavior as a contributing factor. The sequence of impacts and the lack of a crossing signal highlight the systemic danger faced by pedestrians on high-speed parkways.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4752748, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A 2018 Honda SUV tore down Wallace Avenue and crashed, front-first, in the Bronx. The lone driver, forty, was found unconscious, bleeding, his body broken. No passengers. No movement. Only the hum of streetlights and the wreck’s quiet ruin.

A violent single-vehicle crash unfolded on Wallace Avenue near Waring Avenue in the Bronx. According to the police report, a 2018 Honda SUV, traveling south, 'slammed front-first at speed.' The only occupant, a 40-year-old male driver, was discovered unconscious and suffering severe bleeding and injuries across his entire body. The police report cites 'Unsafe Speed' as the contributing factor in the collision. The vehicle’s center front end bore the brunt of the impact. No other vehicles or passengers were involved. The report does not list any victim behaviors or additional contributing factors beyond the driver’s excessive speed. The scene was left to the hum of streetlights and the aftermath of unchecked velocity.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4754771, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Bronx council member Kristy Marmorato led a committee to keep parking mandates near new Metro-North stations. The move blocks plans to cut car use and build more affordable housing. Cars stay king. Transit and vulnerable road users lose ground.

On August 7, 2024, the City Council's Land Use Committee, led by Kristy Marmorato, amended a rezoning plan (no bill number provided) for areas near two new Metro-North stations. The committee rejected the Adams administration's push to eliminate parking requirements, instead voting to retain mandates and lower building heights. Marmorato argued, "We live in a transit desert where cars are a necessity for daily activities," and prioritized drivers over reducing car dependency. The proposal, part of the Mayor's 'City of Yes for Housing Opportunity' plan, aimed to boost affordable housing and transit-oriented development. Marmorato's stance, echoed in multiple statements, keeps parking at the center and limits safer, walkable streets. No safety analyst assessment was provided, but the move preserves car dominance and its dangers for pedestrians and cyclists.

• Council Trades Housing Affordability for Car Parking Near New Metro-North Stops, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-08-07

Council members and developers vow to build up to 200 parking spaces per project near new Bronx Metro-North stations. Despite no city parking mandates, car storage dominates debate. Transit access takes a back seat. Vulnerable road users face more cars, more risk.

On July 10, 2024, the City Council held a hearing on proposed rezonings around new Metro-North stations in the Bronx. The matter, titled 'Transit-Oriented Bronx Developments Will Have Ample Parking, Developers Tell Council,' focused on whether to require parking in new residential and commercial projects. Council Members Amanda Faris, Kevin C. Riley, Rafael Salamanca, and Kristy Marmorato all pressed for developers to include parking, despite the city's move to waive mandates. Riley called parking 'a huge issue.' Developers, including Baker Development, promised up to 200 spaces per project. Bronx City Planning Director Paul Philips said, 'We certainly expect developers to provide parking.' The debate ignored the danger more parking brings: more cars, more conflict, more risk for people walking and biking. No safety analyst weighed in, but the outcome is clear—transit-oriented in name, car-centric in practice.

• Transit-Oriented Bronx Developments Will Have Ample Parking, Developers Tell Council, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-07-10

Council wants lights on city step streets. The bill orders the DOT to brighten at least 25 stairways a year. Dark stairs mean danger. Light means fewer falls, fewer hidden threats. The push comes from a broad coalition. The goal is simple: safer steps.

Int 0875-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced May 16, 2024, it commands the Department of Transportation to install pedestrian lighting on at least 25 step streets each year. The bill’s matter title reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the installation of pedestrian lighting on step streets.' Prime sponsor Joann Ariola leads, joined by Council Members Hanks, Ayala, Salaam, Brooks-Powers, Banks, Restler, Brannan, Ung, Gutiérrez, Louis, Hudson, Schulman, Ossé, Krishnan, Nurse, Moya, and Marmorato. Step streets are public staircases linking streets at different heights. The bill aims to ensure these stairs are well-lit, reducing risk for walkers. Once all step streets are lit, the mandate ends. The measure targets a clear hazard: darkness on city stairs.

• File Int 0875-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-05-16

A Florida pickup turned right on Buhre Avenue. A 47-year-old woman crossing with the signal was struck. Her neck crushed, pain etched in the street. She stayed conscious. The truck bore no scars. The city marked another wound.

A 2018 Nissan pickup truck with Florida plates turned right on Buhre Avenue near Bruckner Boulevard, striking a 47-year-old woman who was crossing at the intersection. According to the police report, the woman was 'crossing with the signal' when the collision occurred. She suffered crush injuries to her neck but remained conscious at the scene. The police report notes that the pickup truck showed 'no damage' after the impact. The driver was making a right turn at the time of the crash. The only contributing factors listed in the report are 'Unspecified.' The narrative underscores the violence of the impact: 'Her neck crushed. She stayed conscious. The truck showed no damage. The street held her pain.' The report does not cite any victim behavior as a contributing factor, emphasizing the systemic danger present at the intersection.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4726276, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Two SUVs collided southbound on Bruckner Expressway at 2:15 a.m. One flipped, crushing steel and bursting airbags. A 20-year-old driver escaped conscious but with a torn arm. Police cite pedestrian confusion as the crash’s key factor.

According to the police report, two SUVs traveling southbound on Bruckner Expressway collided at 2:15 a.m. One vehicle overturned and was described as 'demolished.' The 20-year-old male driver crawled out conscious but with severe lacerations to his arm. The report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' as the primary contributing factor for both vehicles. No driver errors such as failure to yield or speeding are mentioned. The narrative states, 'Pedestrian confusion sparked it,' without further detail on pedestrian actions. Both vehicles were going straight ahead before impact. The focus remains on the violent consequences of the crash and the systemic dangers, with no victim behavior cited beyond the pedestrian confusion noted by police.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4724250, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Metal twisted on Bronxdale Avenue. A sedan’s front end gone, two young men trapped inside, bruised but conscious. Distraction behind the wheel tore flesh and steel. The silence after impact held only pain and the echo of inattention.

Two young men, both 26, were injured when a sedan crashed near 1753 Bronxdale Avenue in the Bronx, according to the police report. The report states the vehicle’s front end was destroyed, with both occupants—driver and front passenger—suffering crush injuries to their entire bodies. Both men were conscious but bruised beneath their seat belts. The police report explicitly cites 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor to the crash. The narrative describes a head-on collision, metal folding inward, and the aftermath marked by silence and pain. No other contributing factors are listed for the victims. The focus remains on the driver’s distraction, as documented by police, which led directly to the violent impact and injuries.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4718502, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Jeep swung right on Middletown Road. Its bumper smashed a young man’s face. Blood spilled. The man stood, conscious, pain etched in every breath. Four inside the car rolled on, untouched. The sedan bore no scar. The street bore the wound.

A 26-year-old pedestrian suffered severe facial bleeding when a Jeep sedan making a right turn struck him with its left front bumper on Middletown Road, according to the police report. The report states the man remained upright and conscious after the impact, though blood poured from his face. Four occupants inside the Jeep felt nothing, and the vehicle itself showed no damage. The police report lists the driver’s pre-crash action as 'Making Right Turn' and notes the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' The narrative underscores the violence of the collision and the physical toll on the pedestrian, while the driver’s actions—turning right—set the stage for the impact. No evidence in the report suggests any pedestrian behavior contributed to the crash. The pain remained on the street, unshared by those inside the vehicle.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4716626, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Council moves to form an advisory board on school crossing guard deployment. NYPD, DOT, and DOE must join. The board will send reports twice a year to city leaders. The aim: track, review, and recommend guard placement. Streets near schools stay dangerous.

Bill Int 0448-2024 sits in the Committee on Public Safety. Introduced February 28, 2024, it calls for an advisory board on school crossing guard deployment. The board would include the NYPD, Department of Transportation, and Department of Education. According to the bill summary: 'Such advisory board would be responsible for submitting biannual reports, relating to recommended deployment of school crossing guards, to the Mayor, the City Council Speaker and the Police Commissioner.' Council Member Kamillah Hanks leads as primary sponsor, joined by Stevens, Schulman, Salaam, Won, Cabán, Riley, Farías, Restler, Williams, Narcisse, Banks, Louis, Brooks-Powers, Marmorato, and the Bronx Borough President. The bill demands city agencies work together, but it does not guarantee more guards or safer crossings. The danger for children at city intersections remains.

• File Int 0448-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

A 2023 Honda crashed into a stopped sedan on Sackett Avenue near Eastchester Road. The driver of the struck car suffered crushing spinal injuries. Police cite distraction and tailgating. Metal, speed, and inattention closed the gap with brutal force.

According to the police report, a 2023 Honda sedan traveling south on Sackett Avenue near Eastchester Road crashed into the rear of a stopped 2014 Honda sedan at 6:42 a.m. The driver of the stationary vehicle, a 29-year-old woman, was left semiconscious with severe crush injuries to her back, described as 'crushed at the spine, semiconscious, held only by a lap belt.' The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Following Too Closely' as contributing factors. The narrative states, 'Distraction and speed closed the gap too late.' The driver of the moving vehicle failed to maintain attention and adequate distance, leading to a violent rear-end collision. No contributing factors are attributed to the injured driver. The crash underscores the persistent danger posed by driver distraction and tailgating on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4701317, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

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

A 22-year-old on a Suzuki slammed into a pickup’s rear on East Tremont. A tire failed. He flew off, legs torn, bleeding out on Bronx asphalt. No gear, only pain. The road gave no mercy, just blood and steel.

A violent collision unfolded on East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx when a 22-year-old motorcyclist struck the rear of a Ford pickup truck, according to the police report. The crash occurred at 2:00 PM, with both vehicles traveling southeast. The police report cites 'Tire Failure/Inadequate' and 'Following Too Closely' as contributing factors. The motorcyclist, operating a 2004 Suzuki, was partially ejected from his bike and suffered severe lacerations to his legs. The narrative states, 'A tire gave out. He flew partway off. Legs torn. Awake. Bleeding.' The report further notes the rider wore no protective gear. Driver actions—specifically following too closely—are listed as primary causes. The pickup truck sustained damage to its left rear bumper, while the motorcycle’s front end was crushed. The crash left the young rider conscious but gravely injured, underscoring the lethal consequences of driver error and mechanical failure.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4700216, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Metal screamed on East Tremont. A parked Toyota, crushed at the right front. The woman inside, belted, conscious, her back broken. Three vehicles, one lane gone wrong. Pain lingered where a driver’s error shattered stillness.

A violent collision on East Tremont Avenue near 1901 left a 41-year-old woman with a broken back, according to the police report. She was seated in her parked Toyota, belted in, when a crash involving three vehicles erupted. The report states, 'A parked Toyota crushed at the right front. The woman inside, 41, conscious, strapped in a lap belt. Her back broken.' The police cite 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' as the contributing factor, indicating a driver’s failure to maintain proper lane discipline led to the crash. The woman, an occupant of the parked vehicle, suffered severe crush injuries. The report makes no mention of any victim actions contributing to the collision. The focus remains on the improper lane use that shattered a moment of stillness and left lasting injury.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4696027, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A speeding SUV tore through parked cars on East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx. Metal twisted, glass shattered. The 35-year-old driver, seatbelted, suffered a crushed arm and shock. The crash left multiple vehicles damaged and the driver bleeding.

According to the police report, at 18:22 near 3883 East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx, a Station Wagon/Sport Utility Vehicle traveling at unsafe speed collided with multiple parked vehicles. The report states, 'an SUV, speeding, tore through parked cars. Steel screamed.' The sole occupant, a 35-year-old man, was belted behind the wheel and sustained crush injuries to his arm, with blood soaking his coat. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as the contributing factor, indicating driver recklessness caused the crash. Several parked cars, including sedans, SUVs, and a pick-up truck, were struck and damaged. The driver was not ejected but experienced shock. No victim behavior was cited as contributing to the incident.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4696789, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A 68-year-old man lost consciousness behind the wheel on Schley Avenue. His sedan slammed into three parked cars. The hood crumpled. No screech, no warning, only silence and a single life ended in the Bronx morning.

According to the police report, a 68-year-old male driver lost consciousness while traveling southwest on Schley Avenue in the Bronx. His sedan veered off course and struck three parked sedans. The report states, 'His sedan veered into three parked cars. The front end folded. He died at the scene. No skid marks. No sound. Just stillness and a crumpled hood.' The contributing factor listed is 'Lost Consciousness,' with 'Illness' also noted. The crash resulted in the death of the driver, who was the sole occupant of the moving vehicle. No pedestrians, cyclists, or other vehicle occupants were injured. The report does not cite any victim behavior as a contributing factor. The incident underscores the dangers that arise when a driver loses control, even momentarily, in a densely parked urban environment.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4702402, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A BMW turned wrong into a Toyota on East Gun Hill Road. Steel tore steel. In the back seat, a 13-year-old boy’s hip shattered. The lap belt held him. He stayed awake. He screamed. Aggressive driving fueled the crash.

A crash on East Gun Hill Road near Allerton Avenue left a 13-year-old boy with a shattered hip. According to the police report, a BMW sedan turned improperly into a Toyota SUV. The impact tore through both vehicles. The boy, riding in the right rear seat, suffered crush injuries to his hip and upper leg. He remained conscious and was held in place by a lap belt. The police report cites 'Turning Improperly' and 'Aggressive Driving/Road Rage' as contributing factors. The boy was a passenger and played no role in the crash. The collision highlights the danger of driver error and aggressive maneuvers on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4691556, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A sedan, driver high, crashed into an SUV on Hutchinson River Parkway. Metal twisted. The SUV driver, unbelted, broke his back. Night swallowed the pain. Drugs and disregard for traffic rules fueled the crash. The road stayed cold.

A sedan struck the rear of an SUV on Hutchinson River Parkway, northbound. The SUV driver, a 36-year-old man, suffered serious back injuries. According to the police report, 'A high man in a sedan slammed into the back of an SUV. The SUV driver, unbelted, took the hit in his spine.' The report lists 'Drugs (illegal)' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as contributing factors. The sedan's driver was under the influence of illegal drugs and failed to follow traffic controls. The SUV driver was not wearing a seatbelt, as noted in the data, but this is mentioned only after the primary driver errors. The crash left metal bent and a man broken on a dark city road.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4679779, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A moped slams into a turning SUV at East Tremont and Saint Peters. The rider, unlicensed and helmetless, is ejected. Blood pools on the concrete. He lies conscious, head split open. Distraction and speed left metal twisted and a man broken.

A crash at East Tremont Avenue and Saint Peters Avenue in the Bronx left a 49-year-old moped rider injured. According to the police report, the moped struck the side of a turning SUV. The rider was ejected and suffered severe head bleeding but remained conscious at the scene. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors. The moped rider was unlicensed and wore no helmet, as noted after the driver errors. The SUV’s right side doors were smashed in the impact. No injuries were reported for the SUV driver. The crash highlights the deadly consequences of distraction and speed on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4676075, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15