No More Names on Asphalt: Demand Action Before the Next Death

A child steps from a bus. A cyclist strikes. Bedford Avenue’s protected bike lane will vanish. City listens to complaints, not data. Streets stay dangerous. Cyclists and children caught in the crossfire. Policy shifts, safety left behind.

CBS New York reported on June 14, 2025, that Mayor Eric Adams will remove three blocks of the protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn after several crashes, including one involving a child exiting a school bus. The mayor cited 'community concerns' and stated, 'After several incidents—including some involving children...we decided to adjust the current design.' City Council Member Lincoln Restler criticized the move, calling it 'pure politics' and warning, 'He is going to make this area less safe for pedestrians, for cyclists.' The article highlights tension between local complaints and street safety policy. No driver error is cited; the crash involved a cyclist and a child. The decision raises questions about how New York responds to vulnerable road users and whether removing infrastructure addresses underlying dangers.

• Brooklyn Bike Lane Removed After Crashes, CBS New York, Published 2025-06-14

City strips protection from Bedford Avenue bike lane. Cyclists lose shield. Children dart from double-parked cars. Community complaints drive policy. Streets stay chaotic. Power struggles linger. Riders and walkers face new risk. Steel yields to politics.

Gothamist reported on June 13, 2025, that Mayor Eric Adams ordered the removal of protective barriers from a stretch of Brooklyn’s Bedford Avenue bike lane. The move follows complaints from local residents, especially after a viral video showed a child running into the lane from a double-parked car and colliding with an e-bike. Adams stated, 'we listened to community concerns and decided to adjust the current design to better reflect community feedback.' The Department of Transportation will revert the protected lane to its previous unprotected state between Willoughby and Flushing avenues. The article highlights ongoing political battles over street design and notes that double-parking and chaotic traffic remain unaddressed. Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro cited 'lack of action' on e-bike safety as a barrier to safer infrastructure. The decision removes a key safety measure for vulnerable road users.

• Adams Removes Bedford Avenue Bike Barriers, Gothamist, Published 2025-06-13

Mayor Adams will rip out the Bedford Avenue protected bike lane. The city put it in last year to tame a deadly stretch. Now, cyclists and pedestrians lose their shield. The street grows more dangerous. Safety for Brooklyn’s most vulnerable is stripped away.

On June 13, 2025, Mayor Adams announced the removal of the protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn. The lane, installed in 2024, calmed a corridor once plagued by crashes and deaths. Streetsblog NYC reported: 'A protected bike lane that was installed last year to calm a notoriously dangerous Brooklyn corridor will be removed by the Adams administration, making the roadway less safe.' Council Members Lincoln Restler and Chi Ossé condemned the move, calling it reckless and political. Brad Lander and Zohran Mamdani joined in opposition. No council bill or committee review occurred; this was a unilateral mayoral action. Removing the lane eliminates a proven safety intervention, increasing risk for cyclists and pedestrians and discouraging active transportation, which undermines safety in numbers and equitable street access.

• BREAKING: Mayor Adams to Remove Bedford Avenue Protected Bike Lane Citing, Bizarrely, Safety, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-13

The city will rip out the protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue between Flushing and Willoughby. Cyclists lose their shield. Painted lines replace real barriers. Crash risk rises. The city ignores proven safety. Vulnerable road users pay the price.

On June 13, 2025, Mayor Eric Adams and the Department of Transportation announced the removal of the protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue between Flushing and Willoughby Avenue. The city will replace it with a painted, unprotected lane. The official matter: 'Part of the parking-protected bike lane on a hazardous stretch of Bedford Avenue ... will be removed and replaced with a non-protected painted bike lane.' Council Member Lincoln Restler condemned the move, calling it 'a purely political decision to rip out a bike lane with no alternative.' Transportation Alternatives noted pedestrian injuries fell 10% and driver injuries 42% after the lane was installed. The safety analyst warns: 'Removing a parking-protected bike lane and replacing it with a painted lane reduces physical protection for cyclists, likely decreasing safety and discouraging cycling, especially on a hazardous stretch.' The city moves backward. Cyclists and pedestrians face more danger.

• Mayor Eric Adams, DOT to remove part of Bedford Avenue protected bike lane, Brooklyn Paper, Published 2025-06-13

Parents in Greenpoint want cars out. A cyclist died at Monitor and Driggs. Children walk and bike to PS 110. The street stays dangerous. The city has not acted. Families wait. The threat of cars remains.

Streetsblog NYC reported on June 11, 2025, that parents at Public School 110 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, are calling for a Paris-style school street to protect children. Their plan would turn Monitor Street into a cul-de-sac with a pedestrian plaza, add mid-block crossings, and close a slip lane to block cut-through traffic from the BQE. The push follows a fatal crash at Monitor and Driggs, where a driver killed 73-year-old cyclist Teddy Orzechowski. Streetsblog notes, 'Streets outside schools have higher crash and injury rates than the city average.' Most PS 110 families walk or bike, but the city has not responded to the proposal. The article highlights the persistent risk from drivers using local streets as shortcuts.

• Brooklyn Parents Demand Safer School Streets, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-11

Court Street bleeds from double parking and swerving cars. Cyclists and walkers dodge danger daily. DOT will cut a lane, add a protected bike path, and shrink space for reckless driving. Fewer lanes, fewer crashes. Safety, not speed, takes the street.

Streetsblog NYC (2025-06-06) reports the Department of Transportation will install a protected bike lane on Brooklyn’s Court Street, a corridor plagued by double parking and sideswipe crashes. DOT’s Chris Brunson said, “The narrower street width for vehicles will de-incentivize double parking on the corridor.” The redesign removes a travel lane, adds a protected bike lane, and aims to curb driver behavior that leads to crashes. Between 2022 and 2024, 165 crashes on this mile-long stretch caused one death and injured 15 cyclists and 23 pedestrians. Most pedestrian injuries happened while crossing with the light, showing drivers failed to yield. The plan targets excess road capacity and prioritizes vulnerable users on a Vision Zero Priority Corridor.

• DOT Plans Protected Bike Lane Court Street, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-06

City Hall forced Citi Bike to cap e-bike speeds at 15 mph. A child was hit weeks before. Injuries on e-bikes outnumber pedal bikes. Officials call it an emergency. The rule moves fast. Riders and workers face new limits.

Gothamist reported on June 5, 2025, that Mayor Adams ordered Citi Bike to limit e-bike speeds to 15 mph, citing an 'emergency threat to life and property.' The city rejected Lyft’s plan to add speedometers, demanding immediate compliance. Deputy Mayor Mastro wrote, 'We have requested that you immediately implement this new 15 mph speed limit for Citi Bike e-bikes, and you declined to do so.' Citi Bike agreed to the mandate, though previously voiced concerns. In 2021, e-bike injuries (1,170) and deaths (9) far outpaced those on pedal bikes (236 injuries, 2 deaths). The order follows a crash where a 3-year-old was struck by an e-bike in South Williamsburg. The city will collect public comments before finalizing the rule. The move highlights rising e-bike use and the city’s struggle to manage micromobility safety.

• City Orders 15 MPH Limit For E-Bikes, Gothamist, Published 2025-06-05

Another joins Families for Safe Streets. Another life lost. The toll rises. Grief sharpens the call for change. Streets stay deadly. The city fails to shield its own. The group grows. The danger remains.

On June 3, 2025, Gersh Kuntzman issued an advocacy statement, reported by Streetsblog NYC. The statement reads, 'There's a new member of Families for Safe Streets, which is not good news.' Joe Jankoski, mourning Amanda Servedio, spoke out after her death by a recidivist speeder. The group’s ranks swell with each tragedy. No specific bill or committee is named in this event. Kuntzman’s statement underscores the relentless danger faced by pedestrians and cyclists. The safety analyst notes: the event describes a new member joining an advocacy group, which does not directly affect pedestrian or cyclist safety at the population level. The city’s streets remain perilous. The group’s growth is a grim measure of failure.

• Tuesday’s Headlines: Stop Super Speeders Edition, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-03

Council bill pushes cheaper bike share for students sixteen and up. City’s Department of Transportation must set new rates. More teens could ride. Bill sits in committee. Streets may see more young cyclists. Danger remains. System must protect them.

Int 1287-2025, introduced May 28, 2025, sits 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 a discounted bike share rate for public school students aged 16 or older,” would require the Department of Transportation to set a discounted rate for eligible students. Council Member Christopher Marte leads as primary sponsor, joined by Gale A. Brewer, Shahana K. Hanif, Sandy Nurse, Linda Lee, Keith Powers, Lincoln Restler, Chi A. Ossé, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Althea V. Stevens, and Farah N. Louis. The measure aims to make cycling more accessible for youth, but the city must ensure safe streets as more young riders join traffic. The bill remains under committee review.

• File Int 1287-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-05-28

Brooklyn’s Democratic machine targets the Bedford Avenue protected bike lane. Power brokers demand removal. Cyclists and walkers lose ground. The mayor’s allies press for cars. Streets grow harsher. Vulnerable road users face rising danger.

On May 28, 2025, the New York City Council debated the future of the Bedford Avenue protected bike lane. No bill number or committee was cited. The matter: 'The Bedford Avenue protected bike lane is facing opposition from key figures in the Brooklyn Democratic machine.' Council Members Lincoln Restler and Chi Oss support the lane. Former Adams chief of staff Frank Carone and Brooklyn party chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn lead the opposition. Mayor Eric Adams calls for listening to bike lane critics. Challenger Sabrina Gates wants the lane rerouted. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez defends the lane’s safety record. A safety analyst warns: 'Threats to protected bike lanes undermine safe infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, potentially reducing mode shift and safety in numbers while increasing risk for vulnerable road users.' The fight is not just political. It is life and death for those outside a car.

• Democratic Party Machine Joins the Bikelash on Bedford Avenue, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-28

Night crash on Bedford Ave. Two sedans collide. Alcohol involved. One driver dies. A passenger suffers head injury. Metal and glass scatter. Sirens wail. Streets stained. System failed to protect the vulnerable inside.

A deadly crash unfolded on Bedford Avenue at North 11th Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, two sedans collided. Alcohol involvement was listed as a contributing factor. One male driver, age 50, was killed. A 29-year-old female passenger suffered a head injury. The report states: “Alcohol Involvement.” No other specific driver errors were listed. The crash left metal twisted and lives shattered. The system allowed danger to fester on city streets. No mention of helmet or signal use was made in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4813513, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Council members slammed NYPD brass for denying racial bias in traffic enforcement. Data shows Black drivers face more searches and arrests. NYPD blamed crime patterns. Lawmakers called it an excuse. The city’s history of biased policing loomed large.

On April 29, 2025, the City Council held an oversight hearing on NYPD traffic enforcement and racial bias. Council Members Yusef Salaam, Tiffany Caban, and Lincoln Restler pressed NYPD Director Joshua Levin about stark racial disparities. The matter: 'Council members criticized NYPD leadership over racial disparities in traffic enforcement after the department refused to acknowledge evidence of bias.' Restler called the disparity 'extreme.' Caban said, 'Black and brown people are being beaten up, searched, arrested, 10 times more than white people.' The NYPD claimed disparities stem from policing high-crime areas. Lawmakers rejected this, citing data showing Black and Latinx drivers are disproportionately stopped, searched, and arrested. The hearing referenced the city’s long record of racially biased enforcement, including jaywalking laws once used to target Black and Latinx New Yorkers. Experts, including the NYCLU, say the Adams administration’s surge in traffic stops continues a pattern of racist policing.

• Council Pols Fume as NYPD Disputes Report of Racial Bias in Traffic Enforcement, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-29

Council bill orders NYPD to verify temporary plates and VINs on ticketed cars. Cops must publish quarterly parking enforcement reports. Sponsors push for sunlight on enforcement. Committee shelves the bill for now. Streets wait. Danger lingers.

Int 1252-2025, introduced April 24, 2025, sits with the Committee on Public Safety. The bill, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to police department parking enforcement," demands the NYPD confirm license plates and VINs on vehicles with temporary tags or those ticketed for violations. The NYPD must also release quarterly reports on parking enforcement. Council Members Farah N. Louis (primary), Oswald Feliz, Lincoln Restler, Robert F. Holden, and Chris Banks sponsor the measure. On April 28, 2025, the committee laid the bill over. The bill aims to expose enforcement gaps and bring accountability, but for now, the city’s most vulnerable—pedestrians and cyclists—see no immediate relief. The system stalls. The risk remains.

• File Int 1252-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24

Council members push Albany to outlaw police courtesy cards. These cards let insiders dodge tickets for speeding, running lights, and other dangers. The resolution calls for equal enforcement. No more special treatment. The committee holds the line.

Resolution 0851-2025 sits with the Committee on Public Safety. Introduced April 24, 2025, it urges the State Legislature and Governor to ban police courtesy cards. The resolution states: 'prohibiting the issuance of police courtesy cards.' Council Members Chi A. Ossé (primary sponsor), Crystal Hudson, Lincoln Restler, and Tiffany Cabán back the measure. The cards, handed out by NYPD union members, let friends and relatives skirt penalties for traffic violations. The practice breeds unequal enforcement. A 2024 lawsuit exposed how officers faced pressure to honor these cards, even after a $175,000 city settlement. The bill demands an end to this shadow system. It seeks one law for all, no matter who you know.

• File Res 0851-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24

Council calls for speed limiters in cars of repeat speeders. The resolution urges Albany to pass S.7621/A.7979. The measure targets reckless drivers. It aims to cut deadly crashes. The bill sits in committee. Streets remain dangerous.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges the state to pass S.7621/A.7979. The resolution, introduced April 24, 2025, calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by Salaam, Hanif, Gutiérrez, Banks, and Brannan. The bill would force drivers with eleven or more points in eighteen months, or six speed/red light camera tickets in a year, to install speed-limiting tech. The Council cites data: 265 killed, 52,949 injured on city streets in 2023. The measure aims to put a brake on reckless driving. The committee has not yet advanced the resolution. Vulnerable road users wait for action.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24

DOT stands firm against a citywide ban on corner parking. Council members press for daylighting to save lives. DOT claims high costs and flawed data. Advocates cite proven safety gains. The battle pits parking against pedestrian survival.

On April 22, 2025, the City Council held a hearing on a bill to ban parking within 20 feet of intersections—known as daylighting. The bill, sponsored by Council Member Julie Won and backed by 25 sponsors, aims to improve visibility and protect pedestrians. DOT officials opposed the measure, citing a study that warns of increased injuries without costly infrastructure, estimating a $3 billion price tag. Won called the study 'deeply flawed.' Council Member Lincoln Restler blasted DOT for ignoring dangerous corners in his district. Chris Banks opposed the bill over parking concerns. Advocates and Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla countered, pointing to cheap, effective daylighting elsewhere. The debate exposes a stark choice: keep parking or save lives at the curb.

• DOT Still Opposes Push to Ban Corner Parking, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-22

A Honda sedan struck two teens on a bike at Driggs Avenue and North 9th Street. Metal crashed. Blood spilled. The unlicensed driver looked away, ignoring traffic controls. The night echoed with shock and pain, leaving young bodies torn and trembling.

According to the police report, a Honda sedan traveling east on Driggs Avenue collided with a bike carrying a 16-year-old boy and girl at North 9th Street in Brooklyn. Both teens were partially ejected and suffered severe lacerations to the head and chest, with shock noted in each case. The report states the sedan's driver was unlicensed and had 'looked away,' citing 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as contributing factors. The impact occurred at the center front end of the sedan and the right side doors of the bike. No safety equipment was used by the victims, but the report does not list this as a contributing factor. The collision underscores the lethal consequences of driver inattention and ignoring traffic controls, especially when an unlicensed driver is behind the wheel.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4807776, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A van rolled through Park and Franklin. A young cyclist struck metal, headfirst. Blood pooled on the street. The van’s driver walked away. The cyclist drifted, semiconscious, lacerated, left behind by a driver who disregarded the rules.

According to the police report, a panel van traveling south on Park Avenue at Franklin Avenue disregarded traffic control. The van’s driver continued straight ahead, while a 19-year-old cyclist rode east. The report states, 'A van rolled south. A bike came east. Metal struck flesh.' The cyclist collided headfirst with the van’s rear quarter panel, suffering severe head lacerations and partial ejection, and was found semiconscious with blood on the street. The van’s driver was uninjured. The only contributing factor cited in the report is 'Traffic Control Disregarded,' highlighting the van driver’s failure to obey traffic signals or signs. No contributing factors are attributed to the cyclist. The crash underscores the danger posed when drivers ignore traffic controls, leaving vulnerable road users exposed to grave harm.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4806577, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A parked SUV’s door bursts into a cyclist’s path on Atlantic Avenue. Metal edge rips flesh. Blood pools on the street. The young man’s arm is torn open. The driver stands unharmed. Distraction behind the door. Streets remain unforgiving.

A 26-year-old man riding his bike westbound on Atlantic Avenue collided with the door of a parked SUV, according to the police report. The report states the SUV driver, age seventy-one, opened the door into the cyclist’s path, causing a violent impact: 'Steel meets flesh. Blood on the street. The young man’s arm split open.' The cyclist suffered severe lacerations to his arm and was conscious at the scene. The SUV driver was not injured. Police cite 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor in the crash. The data does not list any cyclist actions as contributing factors. The collision underscores the persistent danger posed by inattentive drivers and the lethal consequences of a moment’s distraction behind the wheel or door.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4804626, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Steel struck a four-year-old crossing Court Street. The car turned left, bumper smashing his knee. The child stayed awake, pain sharp and sudden. The driver did not yield. Flesh gave way to metal. A boy lay broken at the curb.

A four-year-old boy was struck and injured at the intersection of Court Street and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, according to the police report. The crash occurred at 16:58 when a car making a left turn failed to yield the right-of-way. The police report states, 'A car turned left. A four-year-old boy crossed with the signal. The bumper struck his leg. His knee crushed.' The child, described as conscious, suffered crush injuries to his knee and lower leg. The report explicitly cites 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the primary contributing factor, with 'Passenger Distraction' also noted. The boy was crossing with the signal at the intersection. The driver’s failure to yield led directly to the collision, leaving the child injured on the street.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4803267, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14