No More Bodies in the Road: Demand Streets That Don’t Kill

A Ford SUV struck a 48-year-old man crossing Fulton Street. The front end crumpled. The man died on the pavement. Police say the driver had been drinking. Alcohol fueled the crash. The street stayed silent after.

A Ford SUV traveling west on Fulton Street struck a 48-year-old man who was crossing outside a crosswalk. According to the police report, 'A Ford SUV hit a 48-year-old man crossing outside the crosswalk. The front end caved in. His body broke. He died there. The driver, a woman, had been drinking.' The pedestrian suffered fatal injuries to his entire body and died at the scene. The driver, a 29-year-old woman, was injured. The police report lists 'Alcohol Involvement' as a contributing factor for both the driver and the crash. The impact was to the center front end of the SUV. No other contributing factors are listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4574563, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A motorscooter slammed into a reversing SUV on Dean Street. The rider, a 32-year-old woman, was thrown from her seat. Her head struck the pavement. She died at the scene. A six-year-old passenger suffered bruises. Unsafe speed and backing errors led to tragedy.

A deadly crash unfolded on Dean Street when a motorscooter collided with the rear of a backing SUV. According to the police report, 'A motorscooter slammed into the rear of a backing SUV. The rider, 32, flew from the seat. No helmet. Head struck pavement. She died there.' The 32-year-old woman driving the motorscooter was killed. A six-year-old passenger on the scooter was ejected and suffered bruises. The SUV was reversing at the time of impact. Police listed 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Backing Unsafely' as contributing factors. The report notes the rider was not wearing a helmet, but only after citing driver errors. No blame is placed on the victims.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4545937, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A young man on an e-bike slammed into a parked SUV on Greene Avenue before dawn. His helmet shattered. His body was thrown and crushed. He died in the street. The SUV never moved. The city stayed silent.

A 25-year-old man riding an e-bike east on Greene Avenue struck a parked SUV. According to the police report, the rider was partially ejected and suffered fatal injuries to his entire body. His helmet cracked on impact. The SUV, registered in New Jersey, was parked and unoccupied. The report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors are recorded for the SUV, which did not move during the crash. The e-bike rider was unlicensed. No other injuries were reported. The police report states: 'His helmet cracked. His body broke. He was thrown, crushed, and left dying in the street. The SUV never moved. It didn’t have to.'

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4544251, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A sedan struck a woman on an e-bike at Lexington and Throop. She flew, hit her head, died in the street. Her bike lay crushed. The sedan’s bumper bore the mark. The driver had no license. The street was quiet. The loss was total.

A woman riding an e-bike was killed when a westbound sedan struck her at the corner of Lexington Avenue and Throop Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, 'A woman on an e-bike struck by a westbound sedan. She flew, hit her head, died in the street. Her bike lay crushed. The sedan’s bumper bore the mark. The driver had no license.' The sedan’s driver was unlicensed, as confirmed in the vehicle data. No other contributing factors were listed in the report. The e-bike rider suffered fatal head injuries and was ejected from her bike. No helmet use was reported as a contributing factor. The crash left the e-bike demolished and the woman dead at the scene.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4540551, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

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

Council bill Int 0500-2022 would kill private vehicle parking permits. All existing permits get revoked. Only disabled drivers and union contracts are spared. The bill targets abuse and privilege. It died in committee. Streets stay dangerous.

Int 0500-2022 was introduced on June 2, 2022, in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill sought to "prohibit the issuance of private vehicle parking permits and revoke such existing permits," with exceptions for people with disabilities and collective bargaining agreements. Council Member Christopher Marte led as primary sponsor, joined by Restler, Brewer, Joseph, Nurse, Cabán, Avilés, Bottcher, Won, Ossé, and Richardson Jordan, plus the Brooklyn Borough President. The bill aimed to end a system that let private cars claim curb space, fueling illegal parking and danger for those on foot or bike. It was filed at the end of session on December 31, 2023, without a vote. The status quo remains: permits still shield drivers, while vulnerable road users face the risk.

• File Int 0500-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-06-02

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

Brooklyn lawmakers tell developers: no more parking mandates. They want special permits to drop parking. They say parking rules drive up costs, block affordable homes, and fuel car use. The message is clear—build for people, not for cars.

On March 1, 2022, Brooklyn politicians announced a push to eliminate mandatory parking minimums for new developments. The action is not a formal bill, but a policy stance led by Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Council Member Lincoln Restler. The group, including Council Members Jennifer Gutierrez, Crystal Hudson, Chi Osse, Sandy Nurse, Alexa Avilés, Shahana Hanif, Rita Joseph, and Farah Louis, demands that developers seeking zoning changes first apply for a special permit to waive parking requirements. Restler said, 'Developers need our consent and approval, and we are telling them, plainly, that they have to file for a special permit to end parking requirements.' Reynoso added, 'You don't need to do that anymore.' Avilés called parking mandates a barrier to affordable housing and climate action. The group argues that parking minimums raise construction costs, encourage car use, and block green space. Restler warned he is 'far more likely to vote no' on projects without a parking waiver. Advocates and policy experts back the move, and related state legislation is pending.

• Brooklyn Pols Tell Developers to Eliminate Parking or Else, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-03-01

A box truck veered on Pacific Street. It struck a 23-year-old man working in the road. His head split open. Blood pooled. An SUV hit too. Aggressive driving and unsafe lane changes left the man unconscious. Steel met flesh. Silence followed.

A crash on Pacific Street near Schenectady Avenue in Brooklyn left a 23-year-old man, working in the roadway, severely injured. According to the police report, a box truck veered west and struck the man, causing severe head lacerations and unconsciousness. The report states, 'Aggression drove steel. Flesh gave way.' An SUV was also involved. The police report lists 'Aggressive Driving/Road Rage' and 'Unsafe Lane Changing' as contributing factors. The pedestrian was not at an intersection. No helmet or signal use is noted as a factor. The crash highlights the danger when large vehicles move with aggression and fail to maintain safe lanes.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4501423, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Five neighborhoods bleed under car wheels. East New York, East Flatbush, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Williamsburg, Jamaica. Council members speak. Some call for bike lanes, street redesigns, real safety. Others hesitate. The toll mounts. Streets remain hostile. Vision Zero falters.

This council action, highlighted in a January 3, 2022 Streetsblog NYC article, spotlights deadly streets in East New York, East Flatbush, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Williamsburg, and Jamaica. The matter, 'Vision Zero Epicenters: 5 Dangerous Neighborhoods that Should Be on Eric Adams’s Agenda,' draws statements from council members. Charles Barron (East New York) showed initial reluctance but later acknowledged the need for safety and equity. Rita Joseph (East Flatbush) demanded urgent improvements, saying, 'We can and must do better as a city.' Chi Ossé (Bedford-Stuyvesant) called for expanded safe corridors. Lincoln Restler (Williamsburg) pushed for 'Vision Zero on steroids' and a network of protected bike lanes. Nantasha Williams (Jamaica) recognized the need for redesigns to curb speeding. The council’s stance: most support protected bike lanes, street redesigns, and Vision Zero policy, but action lags as deaths and injuries climb.

• Vision Zero Epicenters: 5 Dangerous Neighborhoods that Should Be on Eric Adams’s Agenda, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-01-03