The Blood Won’t Wash Off: Demand Action for District 18

The Council passed Int 0291-2022, forcing city agencies to map, plan, and report on greenways. The law demands annual updates and public engagement. It aims to carve out safe, car-free corridors for walkers and cyclists. The mayor returned it unsigned.

Int 0291-2022, now Local Law 115 of 2022, was enacted by the City Council on November 27, 2022. The bill came through the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, first introduced April 28, 2022. The law's title: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to a citywide greenway plan.' Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers sponsored the bill, joined by dozens of co-sponsors including Rivera, Hudson, and others. The Council voted overwhelmingly in favor on October 27, 2022. The law orders the Department of Transportation and Parks to identify, map, and report on greenways, and to consult with community boards. Proposals for new greenway segments or repairs must be presented to affected communities within 60 days. The mayor returned the bill unsigned, but it became law. The measure compels the city to plan and maintain safe routes for non-drivers, with regular public reporting and accountability.

• File Int 0291-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-10-27

Council filed a bill to create a parking permit enforcement unit in DOT. The unit would target misuse of city-issued permits. The measure died at session’s end. Streets stay clogged. Danger lingers for those on foot and bike.

Int 0662-2022 was introduced to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on September 14, 2022. The bill sought to amend city law by establishing a parking permit enforcement unit within the Department of Transportation. Its summary reads: 'This bill would require the Department of Transportation to create a parking permit enforcement unit that would be dedicated to the enforcement of laws and rules relating to misuse of city-issued parking permits.' The primary sponsor was Kristin Richardson Jordan, joined by Amanda Farías, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Julie Won, Rita C. Joseph, Crystal Hudson, Farah N. Louis, and Lincoln Restler. The bill was filed at the end of session on December 31, 2023, with no further action. No safety analyst assessed its impact on vulnerable road users. The city’s permit abuse problem remains unaddressed.

• File Int 0662-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-09-14

A box truck struck a woman on the Cross Bronx Expressway before dawn. Steel met flesh. Her leg was crushed under the left front bumper. She stayed conscious. No crosswalk. No stoplight. Only the roar of traffic and pain.

A 39-year-old woman was struck by a westbound box truck on the Cross Bronx Expressway. According to the police report, the truck hit her in the roadway, crushing her leg beneath the left front bumper. She was conscious at the scene and suffered serious lower leg injuries. The report notes there was no crosswalk or stoplight at the location. The driver, a 55-year-old man, was licensed and traveling straight ahead. The police report lists all contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors such as speeding or failure to yield were recorded in the data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4559731, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Bronx leaders back congestion pricing but warn of more trucks choking the Cross Bronx. They demand action. Pollution already scars the borough. Officials call for cleaner fleets, new tolls, and urgent fixes. No more burdens. The city must protect its people.

On August 15, 2022, council members and advocates responded to the MTA’s environmental assessment predicting up to 704 more trucks daily on the Cross Bronx Expressway due to Manhattan congestion pricing. Council Member Amanda Farias said, “I support it in principle. But it’s necessary for the city not to put another burden on the Bronx.” The policy statement, covered by Streetsblog NYC, urges city, state, and federal agencies to act fast. Officials want incentives for truck electrification, toll structures to cut truck diversion, and accelerated projects to cap or reimagine the Cross Bronx. Renae Reynolds added, “There are overall benefits... But we can’t ignore the challenges, and there should be assurance that there are solutions that mitigate those burdens.” The message: congestion pricing only works if it does not worsen the Bronx’s deadly air and traffic.

• To-Do List: Congestion Pricing Must Mitigate Added Bronx Trucks, Pols Say, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-08-15

A man on a YUME scooter rode south on Sound View Avenue. An SUV turned left. He struck headfirst, thrown from the scooter. Skull torn, blood pooled. He stayed conscious. The SUVs showed no scars. The man did.

A 32-year-old man riding a YUME e-scooter was severely injured at the corner of Sound View Avenue and Bolton Avenue. According to the police report, he rode south without a helmet when an SUV turned left in front of him. He hit the vehicle headfirst and was ejected, suffering severe head lacerations. The report notes, 'He rode south on a YUME scooter, no helmet. An SUV turned left. He hit headfirst. Ejected. Skull torn. Blood pooled. He stayed conscious. The SUVs bore no scars. The man did.' The police listed 'Other Vehicular' as the contributing factor. No injuries were reported for the SUV occupants. The lack of helmet is mentioned only after the driver action and as part of the official narrative.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4548209, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A motorcycle hit an SUV turning on Morrison Avenue. Two young men, helmetless, flew from the bike. Their heads struck pavement. They died in the street. The crash left blood and silence. Speed killed. Engines cooled in the Bronx sun.

A motorcycle collided with an SUV making a left turn on Morrison Avenue near Harrod Place in the Bronx. According to the police report, 'A motorcycle slammed into an SUV mid-turn. Two 25-year-old men, helmetless, were thrown clear. Head wounds. No chance. They died on the street.' The crash killed both the motorcycle driver and his passenger. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as a contributing factor. The two men on the motorcycle were not wearing helmets, as noted in the report, but the primary cause cited is unsafe speed. The impact left both men dead at the scene, while other occupants in the vehicles were not seriously injured.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4549200, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Mazda sedan struck a baby boy crossing Castle Hill Avenue. The car’s front crumpled. The child bled from the head but stayed awake. Fireworks echoed. The street held its breath. No driver error listed. The boy was injured.

A Mazda sedan traveling south on Castle Hill Avenue struck a baby boy who was crossing outside the crosswalk. According to the police report, 'A Mazda sedan struck a baby boy crossing outside the crosswalk. He bled from the head but stayed awake. The car’s front crumpled where it hit him.' The child suffered a head injury and severe bleeding but remained conscious. No specific driver errors or contributing factors were listed in the data. The driver was licensed and wore a seatbelt. The impact was to the center front of the vehicle. The crash left a child hurt and a community shaken.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4543373, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Jeep SUV struck a 21-year-old man riding an e-bike on Metcalf Avenue. The impact threw his body and crushed the bike. Traffic control ignored. The street fell silent. The rider died. Metal and flesh, broken by disregard.

A 21-year-old man riding an e-bike was killed when a Jeep SUV struck him on Metcalf Avenue near East 172nd Street in the Bronx. According to the police report, 'Traffic control disregarded.' The SUV hit the cyclist with its right front quarter panel, demolishing the bike and ejecting the rider. The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as the primary contributing factor. The e-bike rider suffered fatal injuries to his entire body. No helmet was cited as a contributing factor. Other vehicles, including a parked SUV and sedan, were involved but not moving at the time. The crash left the street silent, the cost paid by the vulnerable.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4543294, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Toyota sedan shot east on Westchester Square. The accelerator jammed. The car slammed hard. An 80-year-old woman, strapped in, bled from the head. She stayed conscious. Blood pooled. The seatbelt held. The danger did not.

An 80-year-old woman driving a 2003 Toyota sedan crashed on Westchester Square in the Bronx. According to the police report, the accelerator was defective, causing the car to surge forward and strike with its right front quarter panel. The driver suffered a severe head injury and was reported conscious, with heavy bleeding. The police report lists 'Accelerator Defective' as the contributing factor. No other vehicles or road users were involved. The driver wore a lap belt and harness, which held during the crash. No helmet or signal issues were noted. The crash highlights the danger of mechanical failure on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4545593, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Council members push to ban non-essential helicopter flights from city-owned helipads. The bill targets tourist and luxury flights, sparing only essential services. Noise, pollution, and safety risks drive the move. The city’s airspace faces a reckoning.

On June 27, 2022, Council Member Lincoln Restler and colleagues introduced a bill to ban all non-essential helicopter flights from the Wall Street and East 34th Street city-owned helipads. The legislation, discussed in the City Council, exempts NYPD, news, and hospital helicopters. The bill’s matter title: 'Stop the Chop.' Council Members Amanda Farias, Gale Brewer, Shahana Hanif, Alexa Avilés, Crystal Hudson, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Christopher Marte, and Carlina Rivera joined as sponsors. Hanif stated, 'Our airspace is not for sale to the highest bidder and should only be available to essential needs of our city.' The bill responds to mounting complaints—nearly 60,000 since 2010—over helicopter noise and pollution. The proposal aims to cut thousands of flights, reduce greenhouse gases, and restore peace to city parks and neighborhoods.

• OPINION: Here’s How the Council Will ‘Stop the Chop’ in New York, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-06-27

Council bill targets cars blocking bike lanes, bus lanes, sidewalks, and hydrants near schools. Civilians can report violators. Each offense draws a $175 fine. The city pays whistleblowers a cut. The bill stalled. Streets stay dangerous.

Int 0501-2022 was introduced to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on June 2, 2022. 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,' aimed to create a new civil penalty for vehicles blocking bike lanes, bus lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, or hydrants within 1,320 feet of a school. The penalty: $175 per violation, enforced through the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Civilians, except city employees, could file complaints and receive 25% of collected fines. The Department of Transportation would support this with a phased-in reporting program and annual public reports. Council Member Carlina Rivera led as primary sponsor, joined by over two dozen co-sponsors. The bill was filed at the end of session on December 31, 2023, and did not become law. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File Int 0501-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-06-02

A flatbed rolled east on Story Avenue. The driver fell ill. The truck struck a stopped taxi. Inside, a 58-year-old man was crushed. He survived, awake but paralyzed. Another driver, 73, was also hurt. Metal and bodies broke in the Bronx.

A flatbed truck traveling east on Story Avenue near 1520 struck a stopped taxi. According to the police report, the flatbed driver 'fell ill' before impact. The crash left the 58-year-old taxi driver with paralysis and injuries to his entire body. He was conscious at the scene. A 73-year-old man, driving the flatbed, suffered back injuries and reported pain or nausea. The police report lists 'Illnes' as a contributing factor. No other driver errors are recorded in the data. The taxi driver was not using safety equipment, as noted after the primary cause. The crash underscores the brutal force of heavy vehicles and the vulnerability of those inside.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4529110, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Ford pickup swung wide on Zerega Avenue. A 19-year-old on a Dualtron scooter struck the bumper head-on. His head split open. Blood pooled. He stayed conscious. No helmet. The street stayed quiet. The truck loomed over him.

A Ford pickup made a wide U-turn near 945 Zerega Avenue in the Bronx. A 19-year-old man riding a Dualtron e-scooter crashed head-on into the truck’s front bumper. According to the police report, 'His head split open. He stayed conscious. He did not scream.' The rider suffered severe head lacerations. No helmet was worn. The pickup driver, a 44-year-old man, was not injured. The report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. The crash left the scooter’s front end and the truck’s bumper damaged. The scene was marked by blood and silence.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4528318, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Ford SUV turned left on Olmstead Avenue. The driver hit a 62-year-old woman in the crosswalk. She fell, struck in the head. She died there. The SUV showed no damage. The street stayed quiet. Another life ended by failure to yield.

A 62-year-old woman was killed while crossing Olmstead Avenue at Seward Avenue in the Bronx. According to the police report, she was in a marked crosswalk when a Ford SUV made a left turn and struck her head-on. She suffered head trauma and was found unconscious. The report states, 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor. The driver, a 54-year-old man, was licensed and remained at the scene. The SUV showed no visible damage. The woman died from her injuries. No other injuries were reported. The crash highlights the deadly consequences when drivers fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4528614, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Council bill Int 0256-2022 would force NYPD to count every time an officer uses a car to control someone. The law closes a reporting loophole. Police vehicles are now named as weapons. The bill was filed at session’s end. No action taken.

Int 0256-2022, introduced April 28, 2022, in the Committee on Public Safety, sought to amend the city code to require NYPD to report when officers use a motor vehicle as force. The bill’s matter title reads: “A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to use of force incidents involving police department use of a motor vehicle.” Council Member Althea V. Stevens led as primary sponsor, joined by 26 co-sponsors including Hudson, Williams, Restler, Krishnan, and others. The bill would have added 'use of a motor vehicle to gain control of a subject' as a reporting category. It was filed at the end of session on December 31, 2023, and did not advance. This measure aimed to expose police vehicle violence by demanding full transparency in use-of-force reporting.

• File Int 0256-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-04-28

Council members and advocates rallied at City Hall. They demanded $3.1 billion for the Streets Master Plan. Traffic deaths surged 44 percent in early 2022. The mayor’s budget falls short. The city stalls. Streets remain deadly. The call: fund safety now.

On April 22, 2022, more than a dozen City Council members and advocates gathered at City Hall to demand full funding for the Streets Master Plan. The plan, passed in 2019, requires hundreds of miles of protected bike lanes, bus lanes, and safer sidewalks. Council Member Alexa Avilés led the call: "We want $3.1 billion, a little tiny fraction of the [nearly $100-billion] city budget, to make sure our streets belong to us, and to make sure New Yorkers are safe." Council Members Selvena Brooks-Powers, Carlina Rivera, Lincoln Restler, Sandy Nurse, Chi Ossé, Crystal Hudson, Shekar Krishnan, and Amanda Farías joined her. Traffic fatalities rose 44 percent in the first quarter of 2022, the deadliest start since Vision Zero began. The mayor’s proposed $98.5-billion budget did not allocate significant funds for the plan. Advocates say the city must act now to stem the bloodshed on its streets.

• Pols and Advocates to Mayor: Put More Money Into the Streets Master Plan, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-04-22

Metal screamed on Westchester Avenue. An Infiniti turned right. A Dodge came east. The crash tore steel and flesh. The Infiniti’s driver, a 52-year-old man, bled from the head. He stayed conscious. His belt held him. The bleeding did not stop.

Two vehicles collided on Westchester Avenue. According to the police report, a southbound Infiniti made a right turn as an eastbound Dodge approached. The cars met in a violent crash. The Infiniti’s front end crumpled. Inside, a 52-year-old male driver suffered severe head bleeding but remained conscious. His seatbelt was fastened. No driver errors or contributing factors were listed in the report. Other occupants were present but their injuries were unspecified. The report does not mention any helmet or signal issues. The crash left one man hurt and a street marked by blood and twisted metal.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4512494, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A 2013 Audi tore through Grant Circle in the Bronx. It hit hard. Glass and steel ripped into a young woman’s face. Blood marked the spot. Unsafe speed ruled the night. The street fell silent after the crash.

A 2013 Audi sedan sped west on Grant Circle in the Bronx at 2:30 a.m. According to the police report, the car struck with force, folding the front end. A 27-year-old woman in the front passenger seat suffered severe facial lacerations. The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Tinted Windows' as contributing factors. The driver and another occupant were also involved but did not report serious injuries. The crash left the passenger bloodied and conscious. The data shows no mention of helmet or signal use as factors. The impact and injuries stemmed from excessive speed, as documented by police.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4509211, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

City Council calls for Albany to extend and expand the MTA On-Demand E-Hail Paratransit Pilot. The resolution demands fare parity, no ride caps, and equal service for disabled New Yorkers. Lawmakers say current limits are unjust and restrict mobility.

Resolution 0002-2022, filed at session's end, came before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on February 10, 2022. The measure urges passage of S.4037/A.5896, which would 'extend and expand the scope of the MTA On-Demand E-Hail Paratransit Pilot Program.' Council Member Justin L. Brannan led sponsorship, joined by Ayala, Menin, Louis, Hanif, Hudson, Bottcher, Farías, Brooks-Powers, and Brewer. The resolution slams service caps and fare surcharges, calling them 'inequitable and unjust.' It demands that paratransit users get the same fare, hours, and ride freedom as subway and bus riders. The bill would end rationing and financial barriers for disabled New Yorkers who rely on Access-A-Ride. The Council’s action highlights the systemic barriers faced by vulnerable road users and presses for equal, unrestricted access.

• File Res 0002-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-02-10

Two SUVs barreled down Zerega Avenue. Both struck a parked Audi. Metal screamed. A 24-year-old driver bled from the leg. Another man clutched his neck. Illness triggered the crash. The street fell silent after the impact.

On Zerega Avenue near Tratman Avenue in the Bronx, two SUVs—one Jeep, one Mitsubishi—collided with a parked Audi. According to the police report, 'Illness struck first.' The crash left a 24-year-old male driver with severe bleeding to his lower leg and a 37-year-old male driver with neck injuries. Both were conscious after the crash. The police report lists 'Illness' as the contributing factor. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The parked Audi was unoccupied. The force of the impact tore metal and left the street quiet. No other contributing factors were cited in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4498643, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15