No Deaths, No Excuses: Streets Still Bleed in District 25

On Halloween, the city will ban cars from 100 streets. Kids will walk free. No engines, no rush, no threat. The move follows a 42% drop in pedestrian injuries on 34th Avenue. Officials say car-free streets mean fewer dead children.

On October 24, 2022, the NYC Department of Transportation announced a major expansion of car-free streets for Halloween. The initiative, called 'Trick-or-Streets,' will close 100 streets—across all boroughs except Staten Island—from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The DOT will extend hours on 40 existing open streets and keep another 60 car-free through the evening, partnering with the Street Activity Permit Office for more pedestrian zones. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said, 'I am incredibly excited to build on the triumph of our thriving Open Streets program ... this Halloween, providing greater access to safer, shared community spaces.' Assembly Member Catalina Cruz and Council Member Shekar Krishnan backed the move, stressing the deadly risk cars pose to children. DOT data shows a 42% drop in pedestrian injury crashes on 34th Avenue since it went car-free. The city cites national spikes in child pedestrian deaths on Halloween. The message is clear: car-free streets save lives.

• NO TRICK, ALL TREAT: City to Ban Cars on Some Streets for Halloween, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-10-24

A Volkswagen hit a man crossing Northern Boulevard. Blood ran from his head. He stayed conscious. The street fell silent. The crash left the man injured and the city colder.

A westbound Volkswagen sedan struck a 43-year-old man crossing Northern Boulevard in Queens. According to the police report, 'a man stepped into the dark road against the light. A westbound Volkswagen struck him head-on. Blood poured from his head. He stayed conscious.' The pedestrian suffered a head injury with severe bleeding. No driver errors were listed in the data. The police report notes the pedestrian was crossing against the signal, but does not cite any contributing factors for the driver. No other injuries were reported among the vehicle occupants.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4572743 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Opponents of the 34th Avenue Open Street hurled slurs and lies. Community Board 3 spread false claims. Volunteers faced homophobia and xenophobia. Officials condemned the hate. The city’s plan aims to cut car traffic and give space to people, not cars.

On September 13, 2022, Queens Community Board 3 and the Jackson Heights Coop Alliance opposed the Department of Transportation’s Paseo Park plan for 34th Avenue. The board circulated an email with misinformation about emergency access and parking. Jim Burke, the open street’s volunteer leader, was targeted with homophobic and xenophobic abuse. Council Member Shekar Krishnan and Borough President Donovan Richards condemned the hate, with Krishnan stating, 'Hate, homophobia, bigotry, threats have no place in our community.' Richards, a supporter of Paseo Park, said, 'We can disagree, but we need to be adults.' DOT spokesman Scott Gastel said the open street benefits the entire community, prioritizing pedestrians and children. The city’s plan removes curbside parking and adds plaza blocks, making streets safer for people.

• Opponents of 34th Ave. Open Street Resort to Bigotry, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-09-13

A parked Ford sedan on Britton Avenue. Rear crushed by a motorcycle. A man, 46, lifeless in the driver’s seat. Morning light on twisted metal. No sound. No movement. Just the aftermath on a quiet Queens street.

A fatal crash unfolded on Britton Avenue near Judge Street in Queens. According to the police report, a parked Ford sedan was struck in the rear by a motorcycle. The impact left the rear of the car crumpled. Inside the sedan, officers found a 46-year-old man, the driver, dead at the scene. The report states, 'A man, 46, found lifeless in a Ford sedan. A parked motorcycle struck. Rear of the car crumpled.' No contributing factors or driver errors were specified in the police data. The crash involved both a sedan and a motorcycle, both listed as parked before the collision. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4560846 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

DOT will turn 34th Avenue into Paseo Park. Cars slow to five miles per hour. Two blocks go fully to people. Five more half-blocks close to traffic. Councilmember Krishnan backs it. Advocates cheer. Implementation starts June. Streets shift. Safety rises.

On April 28, 2022, the Department of Transportation presented its final plan for 34th Avenue, now called Paseo Park, to Community Board 3. The plan, described as 'bold,' creates a 1.3-mile stretch where vehicles are guests on shared streets, with two blocks and five half-blocks fully pedestrianized. Councilmember Shekar Krishnan, who campaigned for this change, voiced strong support: 'This design improves pedestrian safety and expands accessibility for all people.' DOT officials committed to ongoing collaboration. Some Community Board 3 leaders raised concerns about transparency, scooters, disability access, and environmental review, but DOT called these minor and solvable. The plan has broad support from local advocates and is set to begin implementation in June, with more improvements in 2023. The move marks a major shift for Jackson Heights, prioritizing people over cars and setting a new standard for city streets.

• 34TH AVE. UPDATE: DOT Presents ‘Bold’ Plan for the Permanent Open Street Called ‘Paseo Park’, Streetsblog NYC, 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

A Cadillac struck a 70-year-old man standing off Broadway near Baxter Avenue. His head split. Blood pooled. He stayed awake. Two parked SUVs took the crash’s force. Steel crumpled. The street fell silent. The man was badly hurt. Others suffered pain.

A Cadillac sedan hit a 70-year-old man who was standing off the roadway on Broadway near Baxter Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, 'A Cadillac struck a 70-year-old man standing off the roadway. His head split. Blood pooled. He stayed awake. Two parked SUVs caught the crash’s force. Steel crumpled. The street fell silent.' The pedestrian suffered severe head lacerations but remained conscious. Two parked SUVs were damaged in the impact. A 53-year-old male driver also reported neck pain. The police report lists all contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors were identified in the data. No mention of helmet use or signaling as a factor. The crash left the pedestrian and at least one driver injured.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4517798 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Council Member Krishnan slammed the city for letting cars invade park space. He called the move a broken promise. He demanded the Adams administration remove the car dealership’s access. Parks officials pledged to work with DOT. The fight for safe, car-free streets continues.

On March 29, 2022, the City Council held a hearing on the pedestrianization of 78th Street in Jackson Heights. The matter, described as a 'broken promise and failure of the prior administration,' centers on the city’s failure to ban cars from the full length of 78th Street between 34th Avenue and Northern Boulevard. Council Member Shekar Krishnan led the charge, criticizing the city for allowing Koeppel Mazda to use park space as a service entrance. Krishnan called this 'offensive to the notion of parks equity' and demanded urgent action to remove car access. Parks Commissioner Susan Donoghue acknowledged the issue and committed to working with DOT and City Hall to resolve it. The push aims to reclaim public space for pedestrians and children, not cars.

• Jackson Heights Pol to Mayor Adams: Fix de Blasio’s Travers Park Failure, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-03-29

Parks Commissioner Donoghue praised the 34th Avenue open street but refused to commit. She deferred to DOT. Council Member Krishnan pushed for a linear park and more parks funding. The city’s most vulnerable wait as agencies talk.

On March 23, 2022, the City Council held a hearing on open streets and parks funding. Parks Commissioner Susan Donoghue called the 34th Avenue open street 'absolutely amazing,' but said she cannot unilaterally convert it into a linear park. She stressed the need for interagency cooperation, especially with the Department of Transportation. Council Member Shekar Krishnan, a supporter of the park conversion, said, 'We are so excited to work on transforming it into a linear park for a community that needs it so badly.' Krishnan also called for the Parks budget to be raised to 1 percent of the city budget. Donoghue made no firm commitment, repeating the administration’s focus on collaboration. Budget talks with the mayor continue. No direct safety assessment was provided.

• Parks Commish Was ‘Impressed’ By 34th Avenue Open Street, But Will Defer to DOT, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-03-23

Mayor Adams toured 34th Avenue’s open street. He played with kids. He listened to locals. He made no promises. Council Member Krishnan pushed for a car-free park. The mayor stayed silent on funding. The street’s future remains in limbo.

On February 20, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams visited the 34th Avenue open street in Queens, a 1.5-mile stretch hailed as the 'gold standard' of open space. The visit drew Council Member Shekar Krishnan, who lobbied Adams to convert the street into a permanent, car-free linear park. Krishnan said, 'I advocated for a linear park and how transformative it would be for our city.' Despite Adams’ past support—he once signed a petition for the park—he made no commitments during the visit. Funding for the conversion and for Citi Bike expansion was left out of the Department of Transportation budget. DOT and City Hall offered no clear answers on future plans or funding. The future of 34th Avenue’s open street remains uncertain, leaving vulnerable road users waiting.

• SEE IT! Mayor Adams Visits 34th Avenue — But His Plans for ‘Gold Standard’ Open Street Remain Unclear, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-02-20

A 17-year-old boy crossed 37th Avenue in Queens. An SUV struck him head-on. His leg split open. Blood marked the street. The driver was distracted. The boy stayed conscious. The car showed no damage.

A 17-year-old pedestrian was struck by a westbound Toyota SUV while crossing 37th Avenue near 71st Street in Queens. According to the police report, the boy was in a marked crosswalk when the SUV hit him head-on, causing severe lacerations to his leg. The report states, 'The driver was distracted.' The crash left blood on the pavement, but the vehicle showed no damage. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. The boy remained conscious after the impact. No injuries were reported for the driver or other occupants. The data does not mention any other contributing factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4500733 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

When cars left 34th Avenue, crashes fell. Injuries to walkers and cyclists nearly vanished. In two years, reported crashes dropped 77 percent. Injuries dropped 89 percent. Advocates and city leaders now push for permanent car bans and parks. Data leaves no doubt.

This policy advocacy, highlighted in a Streetsblog NYC report dated January 11, 2022, focuses on the 34th Avenue open street. The Department of Transportation and Council Member Shekar Krishnan back a permanent car-free linear park. Mayor Adams has signed the petition. The article states: 'When cars are banished from roadways, total crashes drop dramatically and injuries to pedestrians and cyclists almost entirely disappear.' Luz Maria Mercado and Transportation Alternatives support expanding open streets citywide. DOT spokesman Seth Stein says, 'by reclaiming space from cars we make our streets safer.' The data is stark: from 2019 to 2021, crashes during open street hours fell from 26 to 6, injuries from 19 to 2. The evidence is clear—removing cars saves lives.

• BY THE NUMBERS: Car-Free Streets are Simply Safer, Data Continue to Show, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-01-11