District 32’s deadly roads: Belt, Woodhaven, Cross Bay

Oct 23 - Near 88‑17 on 78 Avenue, a westbound driver crashed. Three men in the roadway were hurt, not at an intersection. Police recorded driver inattention. A parked pickup showed rear damage. The men were conscious; one had crush injuries.

Three pedestrians were injured in a crash at 88‑17 78 Avenue in Queens at 6:55 a.m. The people hurt were men, ages 22, 34, and 59. They were listed as conscious. Two suffered lower‑leg injuries; one had a hip and upper‑leg injury with crush injuries noted. According to the police report, the collision involved a parked pickup truck with rear‑bumper damage and a westbound driver going straight. The pedestrians were recorded as being in the roadway, not at an intersection. Police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction as a contributing factor. The data lists a vehicle occupant with an unspecified condition; no other injuries are detailed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4852810 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

• More than a dozen hurt after two MTA buses collide in Queens: NYPD, NY1, Published 2025-10-13

• Bronx man accused of chopping off dog owner’s fingers with machete arrested in Queens hit-and-run, NY Daily News, Published 2025-10-12

• Boy, 15, driving SUV on LIE, rear-ends motorcyclist in deadly Queens collision: NYPD, NY Daily News, Published 2025-09-28

• Queens DA: Motorist arraigned after hit-and-run collision that left on-duty construction worker dead on Nassau Expressway, amny, Published 2025-09-21

• Nude Queens man indicted for kicking bike riders, attacking 3 NYPD officers, NY Daily News, Published 2025-09-18

• 2 children struck by driver in Queens, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-15

• 16-year-old girl struck and killed in Queens, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-13

• Queens teen with autism fatally struck by car after going missing from LI school, NY Daily News, Published 2025-09-05

Aug 27 - A westbound sedan driver on Rockaway Boulevard hit a 10-year-old girl at 97th Street in Queens. She suffered leg crush injuries. Police recorded driver inexperience and following too closely by the driver.

According to the police report, a driver in a sedan traveling west on Rockaway Boulevard hit a 10-year-old pedestrian at 97th Street in Queens. The child was injured in the lower leg and foot and suffered documented crush injuries. Police recorded driver inexperience and following too closely by the driver. The crash happened at an intersection. The point of impact was the left front bumper, and the vehicle showed center front-end damage. No other injuries were listed in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4839983 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

Aug 17 - Northbound on Cross Bay, a sedan smashed into a pickup’s rear. Metal tore. A rear passenger took a head hit. A driver bled from leg cuts. Police cite unsafe speed. Another night of speed on a wide Queens speedway.

Two northbound vehicles collided on Cross Bay Blvd at 165 Ave in Queens. The sedan hit the pickup’s right rear, demolishing the car. A 33-year-old male rear passenger suffered a head injury. A 27-year-old male driver sustained severe leg lacerations. According to the police report, the contributing factor was “Unsafe Speed.” That driver error sits at the center of this crash. No other contributing factors were listed for the drivers or passengers. The road’s wide, fast design leaves little margin when drivers barrel ahead. Here, speed turned a straight trip into trauma for people just riding along.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4836416 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

Aug 14 - An SUV and a sedan met hard at 84th and Rockaway. Speed ruled the crash. A toddler hurt. A child cut deep. Drivers banged up. Signals ignored. Steel buckled. Night streets took the blow.

Two cars collided at 84 St and Rockaway Blvd in Queens. An SUV and a sedan struck head‑on at the front ends. A 2‑year‑old passenger was injured. A 3‑year‑old boy suffered severe head lacerations. Multiple adults, including both drivers, reported pain. According to the police report, contributing factors were “Unsafe Speed” and “Traffic Control Disregarded.” Those driver errors led the list for every involved person. The crash involved a Honda sedan traveling southeast and a Mazda SUV traveling north, both going straight. No pedestrians or cyclists were listed among the injured. The report notes some occupants lacked safety equipment, but only after the primary driver failures.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4835025 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

Aug 14 - Int 1362 repeals the definitions of “protected bicycle lane” and “protected bus lane” and strips explicit benchmarks for protected lanes from the streets master plan. It preserves signal and pedestrian targets but weakens commitments to physical protection, threatening safety and equity.

Bill Int 1362-2025. Status: Sponsorship, introduced Aug 14, 2025. Referred to Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The measure, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to removing benchmarks for bus lanes and bicycle lanes from the streets master plan and repealing certain definitions in relation thereto," repeals the definitions of "protected bicycle lane" and "protected bus lane" and removes related benchmarks in the master plan (master plan dates referenced include Dec. 1, 2021 and Dec. 1, 2026). Primary sponsor: Robert F. Holden. Co-sponsors: Inna Vernikov, Joann Ariola, Chris Banks, Vickie Paladino. Safety analysts warn: "Removing explicit benchmarks and definitions for protected bus and bicycle lanes weakens commitments to physically protected infrastructure... likely reducing mode shift to walking and cycling and worsening equity and safety-in-numbers; the retained measures focus on signals and pedestrian amenities but do not replace the protective effect of designated protected lanes."

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Int 1362 strips definitions for protected bus and bike lanes and removes benchmarks from the streets master plan. It guts measurable targets. Safe space for pedestrians and cyclists is at risk. The city could slow needed separated infrastructure.

Bill: Int. No. 1362 (Int 1362-2025). Status: SPONSORSHIP. Committee: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Event date: 2025-08-14. The matter reads: "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to removing benchmarks for bus lanes and bicycle lanes from the streets master plan and repealing certain definitions in relation thereto." Council Member Robert F. Holden is the primary sponsor. Joann Ariola and Vickie Paladino are co-sponsors. The draft repeals the definitions of "protected bicycle lane" and "protected bus lane" and removes explicit benchmarks tied to transit signal priority, bus stop upgrades, accessible pedestrian signals and intersection redesigns. Removing those benchmarks weakens commitments to high‑quality separated infrastructure and measurable mode‑shift targets, likely slowing deployment of safe space for pedestrians and cyclists and undermining equitable street redesigns.

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Int. No. 1362 strips city definitions and benchmarks for protected bicycle lanes and protected bus lanes. It removes targets and accountability. The change will slow deployment of separated bike and bus infrastructure and erode safety and equity for pedestrians and cyclists.

Int. No. 1362 (filed Aug. 14, 2025; stage: SPONSORSHIP) was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The matter is titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to removing benchmarks for bus lanes and bicycle lanes and repealing certain definitions in relation thereto." Council Member Robert F. Holden is the primary sponsor. Co-sponsors are Vickie Paladino, Joann Ariola, and Inna Vernikov. The bill repeals the definitions of "protected bicycle lane" and "protected bus lane" and removes benchmark requirements from the streets master plan. Safety analysts note that removing explicit benchmarks and definitions weakens accountability for building separated cycling and bus infrastructure, likely decreasing street equity and safety-in-numbers for pedestrians and cyclists.

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 13 - A driver struck a man crossing 155th Street near JFK. The driver fled. The man died at Jamaica Hospital. Police search for answers. Seventeen killed in Queens South this year. The toll climbs.

Gothamist (2025-08-13) reports a 52-year-old man was killed crossing 155th Street and South Conduit Avenue near JFK Airport at 2:30 a.m. The driver fled. Police said, "the driver hit the 52-year-old man as he crossed" and left the scene. No vehicle description was released. NYPD data shows 17 traffic deaths in Queens South this year, up from 13 last year. The incident highlights ongoing risks for pedestrians and the persistent issue of hit-and-run drivers in the area.

• Hit-And-Run Kills Pedestrian Near JFK, Gothamist, Published 2025-08-13

Aug 12 - A speeding car tore through Astoria. The driver struck two men at a coffee cart. All three died. Parked cars blocked sightlines. The street was narrow. Danger came fast and left devastation.

Streetsblog NYC (2025-08-12) reports an 84-year-old driver sped onto 42nd Street in Astoria, hitting two pedestrians and a coffee cart. The crash killed the driver and both men. Streetsblog notes, 'The block has several auto repair shops that leave cars parked all over the sidewalk, limiting visibility.' The article highlights the city's power to lower speed limits to 20 mph, granted by the state legislature, but points out that local officials did not mention this in their initial responses. The crash underscores the risks of speeding and poor street design.

• Speeding Driver Kills Two Pedestrians in Astoria, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-08-12

Aug 9 - The driver of a 2025 Honda sedan struck the rear of a 2010 Toyota SUV on Jackie Robinson Parkway. A 32-year-old woman driver suffered whole-body injuries; her airbag deployed. Police recorded 'Reaction to Uninvolved Vehicle' as the contributing factor.

The driver of a 2025 Honda sedan hit the center rear of a 2010 Toyota SUV while both traveled eastbound on Jackie Robinson Parkway. The sedan driver, a 32-year-old woman, suffered injuries to her entire body and complained of crush injuries; her air bag deployed. Three people occupied the SUV; others were listed with unspecified injuries. According to the police report, the contributing factors were 'Reaction to Uninvolved Vehicle.' Police recorded the sedan's center front end striking the SUV's center back end. The report lists driver reaction to an uninvolved vehicle as the recorded error. No pedestrian or cyclist was reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4834654 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

Aug 7 - City scales back Creedmoor plan. Density cut 27%. The car-free model dies. Walkers and cyclists lose safety and 'safety in numbers'. Local pols beat back bold urban design. Streets stay hostile. The chance for a people-first, low-car neighborhood vanishes.

Bill number: none — this is a policy statement, not legislation. Status: announced August 7, 2025; no committee review. Matter quoted: "NYC Could Have Its First Car-Free Neighborhood (But Won’t Get It Due To Revanchist Pols)." Eastern Queens Greenway condemned the decision to downscale the Creedmoor redevelopment from 2,775 units by 27 percent. Assembly Member Ed Braunstein and Council Member Joann Ariola opposed higher density and pressed the rollback. Empire State Development framed the change as a compromise. Safety impact: the cut reduces potential mode shift, walkability, and "safety in numbers" for pedestrians and cyclists, preserving car dependence and dangerous streets.

• NYC Could Have Its First Car-Free Neighborhood (But Won’t Get It Due To Revanchist Pols), Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-08-07

Aug 2 - On 82nd Street at Atlantic Avenue, a driver reversing a sedan hit a man on a moped. The 53-year-old bled from deep leg cuts. Night in Queens. The report listed no driver errors.

A driver reversing a sedan on 82nd Street at Atlantic Avenue in Queens hit a man riding a moped. The rider, 53, suffered severe lacerations to his lower leg and foot. According to the police report, no contributing factors or driver errors were listed. The sedan was backing and the moped was traveling straight east. Impact was to the sedan’s right rear bumper and the moped’s front end. It was night. No other injuries were reported. The report notes the moped rider was unlicensed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4832491 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02