Queens Streets Bleed While City Stalls

A box truck swung right on Greenpoint Avenue. An e-bike rider, just 28, kept straight. She was thrown, her hip shattered. She died there, helmet on, beneath the Queens sun. Failure to yield and driver distraction ended her ride.

According to the police report, a box truck was making a right turn at Greenpoint Avenue and 43rd Street in Queens when it struck a 28-year-old woman riding an e-bike straight through the intersection. The impact ejected her from the bike, shattering her hip and causing fatal injuries. The police report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors on the part of the truck driver. The e-bike rider was wearing a helmet, as noted in the report, but this is mentioned only after the driver's errors. The collision occurred at 11:35 a.m., with the truck's right front bumper cited as the point of impact. The woman died at the scene, another life ended by a driver’s failure to yield and lack of attention.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4741425, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A moped turned right, striking a bicycle from behind on Queens Boulevard. A GMC SUV then hit a 36-year-old pedestrian head-on, crushing his lower body. Both drivers failed to yield right-of-way, causing chaos at the intersection.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at Queens Boulevard and Jackson Avenue in Queens around 19:43. A moped was making a right turn and struck a bicycle from behind, damaging the moped's left side doors and the bike's center back end. Subsequently, a GMC SUV traveling straight ahead struck a 36-year-old pedestrian head-on, causing contusions and crush injuries to his knee, lower leg, and foot. The pedestrian was conscious at the scene. The report cites 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as a contributing factor for both the moped and SUV drivers. Additionally, the pedestrian was noted for 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Turning Improperly,' while the bicyclist was cited for 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded.' The sequence highlights systemic dangers when multiple drivers fail to yield at busy intersections.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4739338, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Ford carry-all turned left at 47th Avenue and 46th Street. The truck struck a 16-year-old girl in the center of the crosswalk. She suffered fatal head wounds. The driver’s view was obstructed. The truck showed no damage. The license remained.

A deadly collision unfolded at the corner of 47th Avenue and 46th Street in Queens when, according to the police report, a Ford carry-all making a left turn struck a 16-year-old pedestrian in the center of the crosswalk. The report states the girl was crushed and suffered fatal head wounds. The driver’s actions are underscored by the police report’s citation of 'View Obstructed/Limited' as a contributing factor. The truck sustained no damage, and the driver kept his license, according to the police report. No contributing factors were attributed to the victim. The report details the systemic danger faced by pedestrians at intersections, especially when drivers proceed with limited visibility.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4735938, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Council calls for five mile per hour speed cap on Open Streets. The move aims to slow cars where people walk, bike, and gather. Resolution passes. Streets may breathe easier. The city pushes Albany to let it set its own pace.

Resolution 0079-2024, adopted June 6, 2024 by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, urges the State Legislature and Governor to pass S.315/A.1416. The measure would let New York City set a five mile per hour speed limit on streets in the Open Streets program. The matter title reads: 'authorize New York City to set a five mile per hour speed limit on streets participating in the Open Streets program.' Council Member Shahana K. Hanif led as primary sponsor, joined by Amanda Farías, Crystal Hudson, Julie Won, and Carlina Rivera. The committee approved the resolution with strong support. The bill targets streets where pedestrians and cyclists mix with traffic. Lower speeds mean fewer crashes and less severe injuries. The council’s action puts pressure on Albany to give the city the power to protect people where they are most exposed.

• File Res 0079-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-06-06

A Mazda SUV slammed into a parked taxi on 36th Avenue. The SUV driver lost consciousness and died at the wheel. The taxi’s left side crumpled. No passengers. No escape. Metal bent. Silence followed where breath once was.

A fatal collision unfolded on 36th Avenue near 36-13 in Queens when a Mazda SUV veered into a parked taxi, according to the police report. The crash occurred at 2:00 p.m. The SUV driver, age 42, lost consciousness and died at the wheel. The police report lists 'Lost Consciousness' as the contributing factor. The impact buckled the taxi’s left side doors. No passengers were present in either vehicle. The narrative states, 'No escape. Just silence where breath once was.' The report does not cite any contributing behaviors from the taxi driver or any other victims. The focus remains on the sudden incapacitation of the SUV driver, which led directly to the collision and fatality.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4729469, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

An 18-year-old cyclist bled from the head after a head-on crash on Honeywell Street. Blood pooled on the pavement. The driver failed to see him. The street kept moving. The cyclist stayed conscious, injured and alone.

An 18-year-old cyclist was struck head-on on Honeywell Street near Skillman Avenue in Queens, sustaining a severe head injury and bleeding heavily, according to the police report. The crash occurred at 7:30 a.m. The report states, 'The driver did not see him,' and lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the primary contributing factor. The cyclist, who was not wearing a helmet, remained conscious at the scene, but blood pooled on the pavement. The police report does not cite any cyclist behavior as a contributing factor. The incident underscores the danger posed when drivers fail to pay attention, leaving vulnerable road users exposed to grave harm.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4727727, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A distracted SUV driver turned left on 65th Street. A moped slammed into the bumper. The rider crashed, blood streaming from his head onto the pavement. He lay conscious, helmetless, as the SUV’s torn bumper marked the violent impact.

According to the police report, a Ford SUV was making a left turn at the corner of 65th Street and 43rd Avenue in Queens when a southbound moped, traveling straight, collided with the SUV’s right front bumper. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The moped rider, a 50-year-old man, was thrown from his vehicle and suffered severe bleeding from the head, remaining conscious at the scene. The narrative describes blood pouring from his head onto the pavement. The SUV’s bumper was torn in the crash. The police report notes the moped rider was not wearing a helmet, but this detail is mentioned only after the driver error. The crash underscores the danger posed when drivers fail to pay attention while turning across traffic.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4722243, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A moped struck a turning sedan on Queens Boulevard. A 17-year-old boy lost part of his arm. Blood pooled on the asphalt. He stayed conscious, silent, as speed and steel tore through the evening air.

At Queens Boulevard and 69th Street, a moped traveling east collided violently with a sedan making a right turn. According to the police report, the primary cause was 'Unsafe Speed.' The impact severely injured the 17-year-old moped driver, resulting in the amputation of part of his lower arm and hand. The report states, 'A moped slammed into a turning sedan. A 17-year-old boy lost part of his arm. Blood pooled on the street. He stayed awake. He did not scream.' Damage was concentrated on the sedan's right front quarter panel and the moped's center front end. The police report explicitly cites 'Unsafe Speed' as the contributing factor, highlighting the dangers posed by excessive speed in urban traffic. No victim behavior was listed as contributing to the crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4720532, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A man crossed Roosevelt Avenue before dawn. A Ford SUV hit him chest-first. The street was quiet. He died there, broken beneath the grille, his body still in the hush of morning.

A 38-year-old man was killed while crossing Roosevelt Avenue near 70th Street in Queens, according to the police report. The crash occurred at 5:10 a.m. when a 2011 Ford SUV, traveling east, struck the pedestrian in the chest with its center front end. The report states the man was crossing outside an intersection, with no signal or crosswalk present. The narrative notes, 'A man crossed alone before dawn. A 2011 Ford SUV struck him chest-first. The street was quiet. He died there, broken beneath the grille, his body still in the hush of morning.' The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified' for both the driver and the pedestrian, offering no further explanation for the fatal impact. The focus remains on the lethal consequences of vehicle movement through pedestrian space in the early morning hours.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4719380, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A taxi rolled backward on Woodside Avenue. Its broken brakes failed. The rear bumper hit a man standing off the road. Blood pooled at his feet. He stayed conscious, leg torn open, as the street watched in silence.

According to the police report, a taxi with defective brakes rolled backward near 68-02 Woodside Avenue in Queens. The vehicle's rear bumper struck a 46-year-old man who was standing off the roadway. The report states the pedestrian suffered severe bleeding to his lower leg and foot but remained conscious at the scene. The primary contributing factor listed is 'Brakes Defective.' The taxi was backing up at the time of the crash. No driver errors beyond the mechanical failure are cited in the report. The pedestrian was not in the roadway and is not listed as contributing to the collision. The incident underscores the danger posed by vehicle equipment failures, especially in busy city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4714116, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Cars choke the Queensbridge Baby Park Greenway. Drivers park and drive where children walk and cyclists ride. Councilmember Julie Won calls it unacceptable. She pushes for fencing, bollards, and NYPD enforcement. The city stalls. Vulnerable users remain at risk.

On March 29, 2024, Councilmember Julie Won (District 26) condemned illegal car encroachment on the Queensbridge Baby Park Greenway. The matter, titled 'Queens advocates demand action on greenway being slowly invaded by cars,' highlights years of drivers parking atop a car-free path. Won told Gothamist, 'It's unacceptable that cars park and drive illegally through the Queensbridge Baby Park Greenway, endangering our neighbors and treating this green space like a private parking lot.' She urged the Parks Department to install fencing and bollards and pressed the NYPD for regular enforcement. The Parks Department and NYCHA are working on a barricade plan but have not set a timeline. NYPD officers claim they cannot ticket cars due to insufficient signage. The city’s inaction leaves pedestrians and cyclists exposed to daily danger.

• Queens advocates demand action on greenway being ‘slowly invaded by cars’, gothamist.com, Published 2024-03-29

Cars choke the Queensbridge Baby Greenway. Police refuse to act. Residents plead for help. Council Member Julie Won calls for fencing and bollards. The Parks Department promises a barricade plan. No timeline. The greenway remains a parking lot. Pedestrians lose ground.

On March 29, 2024, Council Member Julie Won called for urgent action to stop illegal car parking on the Queensbridge Baby Greenway in Long Island City. The matter, described as 'lawlessness on the greenway,' has seen police ignore months of resident complaints. Won, through Chief of Staff Nick Gulotta, demanded the Parks Department install fencing and bollards to block cars. 'Council Member Won fully supports the call for the Parks Department to install fencing and bollards to prevent cars from illegally parking and driving through the Queensbridge Baby Park Greenway,' Gulotta said. The Parks Department claims to be working on a 'barricade plan' with NYCHA, but offers no timeline. The greenway, once a haven for pedestrians and cyclists, now serves as a parking lot. The NYPD and Parks Department pass blame. Vulnerable road users remain exposed. The system fails to protect them.

• Can We Just Keep Cars Off the Queensbridge Baby Greenway?, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-03-29

Council wants signs at every school door. Paint on the street. Metal overhead. Drivers warned: children cross here. The bill sits in committee. Kids walk. Cars speed. The city waits.

Int 0714-2024 sits before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced March 19, 2024, the bill would require the Department of Transportation to paint and install overhead school safety signs on every street with a school entrance. The matter title reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to installing safety signs near schools.' Council Member Susan Zhuang leads as primary sponsor, joined by Rivera, Gennaro, Won, Hanif, Gutiérrez, Louis, Cabán, Restler, Farías, Banks, and Riley as co-sponsors. The bill aims to alert drivers to the presence of school-aged children and pedestrians. It remains in committee, with no vote or enactment date set. The measure targets a simple truth: children cross streets, drivers often do not see them. Signs alone will not stop cars, but they mark danger.

• File Int 0714-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-03-19

An unlicensed 18-year-old on a 2023 ZHEJIANG motorscooter slammed headfirst, ejected, and died on Laurel Hill Boulevard. The streetlight flickered above his crushed skull. No helmet. No one else involved. The road claimed another young life.

According to the police report, an 18-year-old male, operating a 2023 ZHEJIANG motorscooter, crashed near Laurel Hill Boulevard and 49th Street in Queens at 22:37. The report states he was 'unlicensed and bareheaded,' and that he was ejected from the vehicle, suffering fatal head injuries. The narrative describes the victim as slamming 'headfirst' and dying alone on the pavement. Police records indicate the driver had no license and wore no safety equipment. The vehicle sustained damage to the center front end, consistent with a high-impact collision. The police report lists 'Unspecified' as the contributing factor, but the data makes clear the driver was unlicensed and not wearing a helmet. No other vehicles or persons were involved. The crash underscores the lethal risk of unlicensed operation and lack of protective equipment, as documented in the official report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4709150, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Council moves to outlaw driving with fake or expired plates. The bill sets fines and a short grace period for expired tags. Lawmakers say this targets scofflaws who dodge accountability. The measure now sits with the Public Safety Committee.

Int 0177-2024, now in the Committee on Public Safety, was introduced on February 28, 2024. The bill reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to prohibiting the operation of a motor vehicle with fraudulent or expired license plates.' Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers leads as primary sponsor, joined by Feliz, Salamanca, Powers, Restler, Won, Brewer, Schulman, Ung, Marte, Hudson, Avilés, De La Rosa, and the Brooklyn Borough President. The bill makes it unlawful to drive with fake or expired plates, including temporary ones. Civil penalties apply, but drivers with expired plates get a 10-day window to fix the issue. The bill aims to close loopholes that let reckless drivers evade detection and accountability. It awaits further action in committee.

• File Int 0177-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

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

Council members push for a new DOT unit to crack down on illegal parking. The bill sits in committee. Streets choke with blocked lanes. Pedestrians and cyclists pay the price. The city waits for action.

Bill Int 0264-2024, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced on February 28, 2024. The measure, titled '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,' would require DOT to create a dedicated parking enforcement unit. Council Member Lincoln Restler leads as primary sponsor, joined by Joseph, Feliz, Louis, Marte, Won, Salaam, Farías, Riley, Bottcher, and Hudson. The bill aims to enforce laws and rules on parking violations. No safety analyst has yet assessed its impact on vulnerable road users. The bill remains under committee review, with no vote or enactment date set.

• File Int 0264-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council moves to create a parking permit enforcement unit. The bill targets misuse of city-issued permits. Sponsors say the new unit will enforce rules long ignored. The measure sits with the Transportation Committee. Streets wait for action.

Int 0173-2024, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced on February 28, 2024. The bill's title: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the establishment of a parking permit enforcement unit within the department of transportation.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads as primary sponsor, joined by Farías, Louis, Hudson, Joseph, Won, and Bottcher. The bill would require the Department of Transportation to create a unit dedicated to enforcing laws against misuse of city-issued parking permits. The measure was referred to committee on the day of introduction. Lawmakers say the unit will focus on a problem that endangers pedestrians and cyclists by allowing illegal parking and blocked sightlines. No safety analyst has yet assessed the direct impact on vulnerable road users.

• File Int 0173-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council bill Int 0263-2024 demands the DOT act. It expands what counts as a serious crash. It orders investigations to start within a week, finish in a month. Reports must be detailed. The bill sits in committee. Streets remember every delay.

Int 0263-2024, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 requiring the department of transportation to investigate vehicle collisions,' would force the DOT’s crash investigation unit to broaden its definition of serious crashes. Investigations must begin within one week and wrap up in a month. Reports must dig deeper. Council Members Lincoln Restler (primary sponsor), Rita C. Joseph, Oswald Feliz, Farah N. Louis, Julie Won, Yusef Salaam, Kevin C. Riley, and Chris Banks back the bill. The measure aims to expose the facts behind every crash, not let them fade in silence.

• File Int 0263-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council bill pushes DOT to open streets wider and longer on busy holidays. Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July Fourth, Labor Day, Halloween—cars barred, people free. Community groups get a say. Streets shift from danger to refuge, if the city acts.

Int 0270-2024 sits with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced February 28, 2024, it amends city law to require the Department of Transportation to expand Open Streets hours on holidays with heavy foot traffic. The bill’s summary reads: 'special activation of the Open Streets program on certain holidays and time periods with significant pedestrian traffic.' Council Member Shekar Krishnan leads as primary sponsor, joined by Rivera, Brooks-Powers, Louis, Nurse, Ossé, Sanchez, Cabán, Banks, Avilés, Riley, Salaam, Hanif, Feliz, Won, Restler, and Joseph. The bill directs DOT to seek community input for more activation days. Applications for these special activations follow the same review as regular Open Streets. The measure aims to give pedestrians and cyclists more space and time, cutting car risk when crowds surge.

• File Int 0270-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28