Thirteen Dead, Still No Action: How Many More?

District 39: Jan 1, 2022 - Jul 16, 2025

The Deaths Keep Coming

In District 39, the numbers do not lie. Thirteen people killed. Over 2,300 injured. These are not just numbers. They are neighbors, children, elders. In the last twelve months alone, four lives ended on these streets. Five more suffered injuries so grave they may never recover, according to NYC Open Data.

Pedestrians and cyclists pay the highest price. An 83-year-old woman was killed by a turning dump truck at Butler and Bond, as shown in crash records. A 16-year-old cyclist was crushed by a box truck at Ditmas and Coney Island Avenue, according to the same data. The old and the young, both struck down while moving through their own city.

“We Need Political Courage”

Council Member Shahana Hanif has not been silent. She has called out the mayor for “undoing street safety” and demanded a city that “prioritizes pedestrians, and ends these senseless murders,” said Hanif. She has co-sponsored bills to force curb extensions at the most dangerous intersections and to ban parking near crosswalks. She joined other Brooklyn leaders to demand universal daylighting with hardened materials at every corner.

But the pace is slow. Bills sit in committee. Paint fades. The city waits.

The System Favors Speed, Not Safety

Cars and trucks do most of the harm. In District 39, they are responsible for the vast majority of deaths and injuries, according to NYC Open Data. Enforcement often falls hardest on cyclists and delivery workers, not the drivers who kill. Hanif has pushed back, calling it “unjust” to “hold cyclists to a far higher standard than motor vehicle drivers,” as reported here.

Act Now: Demand Action, Not Excuses

Every day, someone else pays the price for delay. Call Council Member Hanif. Call the mayor. Demand a citywide 20 mph speed limit, curb extensions, and real protection for people on foot and bike. Do not wait for another name to become a number.