May 28 - Council pushes a bill to cut bike share costs for New Yorkers over 65. The measure aims to open city cycling to more seniors. The committee now weighs its next move.

Bill Int 1288-2025, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced May 28, 2025. 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 seniors,' would require the Department of Transportation to mandate lower bike share rates for those 65 and older. Council Member Farah N. Louis leads as primary sponsor, joined by Marte, Powers, Lee, Nurse, Hanif, Brewer, Banks, Menin, Feliz, Hanks, Avilés, Gutiérrez, and Restler. The bill was re-referred to committee June 4. The move aims to make cycling more accessible for older New Yorkers.

• File Int 1288-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-05-28

May 28 - Council pushes cheaper bike share for students 16 and up. More teens on bikes. Streets shift. Danger remains. The bill sits in committee. Cyclists wait.

Int 1287-2025, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced May 28, 2025. The bill would require the Department of Transportation to set a discounted bike share rate for public school students aged 16 or older. The matter title reads: "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." Council Member Christopher Marte leads as primary sponsor, joined by Louis, Stevens, Brooks-Powers, Ossé, Restler, Powers, Lee, Nurse, Hanif, Brewer, and Banks. The bill was referred to committee and awaits further action. No safety analysis has been provided.

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

May 27 - A police cruiser swerved from a taxi and slammed into two people eating outside. Sirens screamed. Metal struck flesh. Both diners and officers landed in the hospital. The street stayed open. The city kept moving. The system failed the vulnerable.

According to the New York Post (May 27, 2025), an NYPD squad car struck two people seated at an outdoor dining area on Broadway and West 112th Street. The crash happened when a taxi made a left turn, prompting the police car to swerve. The article states, “The 37-year-old cab driver was given a summons for failure to yield to oncoming traffic.” Both diners and police vehicle occupants were hospitalized in stable condition. The report notes, “It was not immediately clear if authorities were responding to a call when the incident unfolded.” The incident highlights risks at curbside dining areas and ongoing dangers from driver error and street design. The investigation continues.

• Police Car Hits Diners In Manhattan Crash, New York Post, Published 2025-05-27

May 20 - City targets 34th Street. Buses get priority. Cars must turn off. Goal: faster rides, fewer crashes. Officials cite 14th Street’s gains—speed up, crashes down. Change comes for Midtown. Riders wait for relief.

amNY reported on May 20, 2025, that New York City’s Department of Transportation proposed a dedicated busway for 34th Street between 3rd and 9th Avenues. The plan aims to boost bus speeds by 15% for tens of thousands of daily riders. Private cars and taxis could enter but must turn off at the first legal opportunity. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said, 'After seeing tremendous success on 14th Street where buses have sped up, traffic has virtually disappeared, and far fewer New Yorkers are getting hurt in crashes we are excited to propose a similar design on 34th Street.' The 14th Street busway, launched in 2019, increased bus speeds by up to 24% and reduced crashes. The 34th Street plan seeks similar safety and efficiency gains, with community input shaping the final design.

• City Plans 34th Street Busway Overhaul, amny, Published 2025-05-20

May 19 - Police handcuff cyclists. Judges toss tickets. Lawmakers protest. NYPD issues criminal summonses for minor bike infractions. Riders face court for actions once legal. Anger grows. The city’s crackdown targets the vulnerable, not the dangerous.

West Side Spirit reported on May 19, 2025, that opposition is mounting against the NYPD’s new policy of issuing criminal court summonses to cyclists for minor traffic violations. Council Member Gale Brewer criticized the move, stating, "A civil summons is a more appropriate response and thrusting people into the criminal justice system unnecessarily is bad public policy." The article notes that some officers issued summonses for actions legalized in 2019, such as cyclists proceeding with a pedestrian walk signal. Many tickets were dismissed in court due to errors by police. A class action lawsuit has been filed by a cyclist ticketed for a legal maneuver. The crackdown raises questions about enforcement priorities and the risk of criminalizing vulnerable road users instead of addressing systemic dangers.

• NYPD Faces Backlash Over Bike Summonses, West Side Spirit, Published 2025-05-19

May 16 - Council Member Gale Brewer calls for regulation, not criminal summonses, for e-bike riders. She blasts NYPD crackdowns that endanger immigrant delivery workers. Brewer urges holding delivery apps accountable for unsafe practices, not punishing the most vulnerable on city streets.

On May 16, 2025, Council Member Gale A. Brewer (District 6) took a public stance against the NYPD’s surge in criminal summonses for e-bike violations. In her editorial, Brewer wrote, 'Regulation, not criminal summonses, makes sense.' She condemned the 4,000% spike in summonses, highlighting the grave risks these pose to immigrant delivery workers, who face potential deportation for minor traffic infractions. Brewer argued that unsafe riding stems from unrealistic delivery deadlines set by companies like Grubhub and Uber, not from inherent recklessness. She called for regulation targeting delivery app practices and for companies to set realistic delivery times and prioritize safety. Brewer’s position: punish the companies, not the workers. No safety analyst note was provided.

• Do better on e-bikes: Regulation, not criminal summonses, makes sense, nydailynews.com, Published 2025-05-16

May 14 - Council leaders slam NYPD’s bike crackdown. Criminal summonses hit e-bike riders hard. Critics say cars kill, bikes don’t. Immigrant workers fear ICE. Lawmakers demand civil fines, not jail. Data shows bike complaints down. NYPD acts on vibes, not facts.

On May 14, 2025, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Manhattan Council Member Gale Brewer opposed the NYPD’s new policy turning minor cycling infractions into criminal court summonses. The crackdown, announced April 28, targets e-bike riders—90 percent of criminal summonses hit them. The NYPD admits the move is based on community complaints, not crash data. Brewer said, 'A civil summons is more appropriate when they are necessary. Car drivers rarely get criminal summonses even when they are deserved.' Mara Davis, speaking for Adams, called the policy 'misguided.' Rep. Dan Goldman warned of harm to immigrants: 'We need to be careful about criminal charges.' Advocates say the policy increases fear among delivery workers and does not address real road danger. The council calls for education, civil penalties, and action on app companies, not criminalization.

• NYPD Admits Bike Crackdown Based on 'Community' Vibes, Not Data, streetsblog.org, Published 2025-05-14

May 14 - NYPD targets e-bike riders with criminal summonses for minor traffic offenses. Council members and advocates push back. They say the crackdown is not backed by crash data. Delivery workers and immigrants bear the brunt. Calls grow for civil, not criminal, penalties.

On May 14, 2025, the NYPD admitted its e-bike crackdown was driven by community complaints, not data. The policy, announced April 28, 2025, issues criminal—not civil—summonses for minor cycling infractions like running red lights. Ninety percent of these summonses hit e-bike riders, mainly delivery workers and immigrants. Council Member Gale Brewer opposes the move: 'A civil summons is more appropriate.' Mara Davis, for Speaker Adrienne Adams, calls it 'misguided.' Rep. Dan Goldman urges civil fines first, warning of harm to immigrants. The council’s stance: criminalizing minor cycling violations does not protect vulnerable road users. Data shows e-bikes are a minor source of injuries and deaths. Lawmakers demand fair, data-driven enforcement.

• NYPD Admits Bike Crackdown Based on ‘Community’ Vibes, Not Data, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-14

May 13 - Police ticket cyclists for obeying walk signals. Law says cyclists can cross with pedestrians. NYPD ignores it. Tickets pile up. One rider fights back in court. The city’s policy stands, unmoved by the law.

According to the New York Post (May 13, 2025), cyclist Oliver Casey Esparza filed a federal lawsuit against the NYPD, alleging officers wrongfully ticket cyclists for running red lights even when they follow pedestrian crossing signals, as permitted by a 2019 City Council law. The suit claims, 'the city maintains a policy and practice of detaining, ticketing, and prosecuting cyclists who lawfully ride through an intersection when the pedestrian control signal indicates white/walk.' Esparza received a $190 summons at Third Avenue and East 42nd Street, Manhattan, despite acting within the law. The lawsuit names current and former NYPD commissioners, accusing them of knowingly violating civil rights. The article notes a sharp rise in tickets for cyclists in early 2025. The NYPD declined to comment. The case highlights a gap between city law and police enforcement, raising questions about policy compliance and systemic accountability.

• Cyclist Sues NYPD Over Red Light Tickets, New York Post, Published 2025-05-13

May 7 - Six died when a sightseeing helicopter shattered midair over the Hudson. The fuselage, rotor, and tail tore loose. Loud bangs echoed. The craft plunged. No black box. No warning. Only fragments and silence left behind.

NY Daily News reported on May 7, 2025, that federal officials released images showing a sightseeing helicopter breaking apart in midair before crashing into the Hudson River, killing six. The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report details how the Bell 206L-4 split into three pieces: 'the fuselage, the main rotor system, and the tail boom.' Witnesses heard 'several loud 'bangs'' before the breakup. The helicopter had flown eight tours that day, all with the same pilot, who had less than 50 hours in this model. The aircraft had a prior maintenance issue with its transmission assembly and lacked flight data recorders. The NTSB noted the pilot wore video-capable sunglasses, but they remain missing. The crash highlights gaps in oversight and the risks of repeated tour flights without robust recording or inspection requirements.

• Helicopter Breaks Apart Over Hudson River, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-07

May 3 - A van door swung open. The e-biker hit it, thrown into the street. A truck rolled over him. He died in the gutter, Broome and Centre. The city lost a musician. The street stayed the same.

NY Daily News reported on May 3, 2025, that George Smaragdis, known as synthwave artist Starcadian, died after being doored by a Mercedes van while riding his e-bike westbound on Broome Street in Manhattan. The impact threw him into the path of a red delivery truck, which ran him over. Police said Smaragdis suffered severe head trauma and died at Bellevue Hospital. The article notes, 'The man who died after being doored while riding an e-bike and then run over by a passing truck...was a popular and influential synthwave artist.' The crash highlights the ongoing danger of dooring and the lethal consequences when street design and driver actions fail to protect cyclists. No mention of charges or policy changes followed.

• E-Biker Doored, Killed in Soho Crash, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-03

May 1 - Council passes law. Taxis and for-hire cars must post bold warnings on rear doors. Riders face the message: look for cyclists before swinging the door. A move to cut dooring. City acts. Cyclists stay in the crosshairs.

Int 0193-2024, now law, cleared the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and passed City Council on May 1, 2025. The bill, titled 'A Local Law...requiring taxis and for-hire vehicles to display a decal warning passengers to look for cyclists when opening the door,' demands clear warning signs on all rear passenger doors. Lincoln Restler led as primary sponsor, joined by Gutiérrez, Hudson, Rivera, Won, and others. The Taxi and Limousine Commission must provide decals at no cost. The law aims to fight dooring, a threat to cyclists citywide. Enacted May 31, 2025, it takes effect in 120 days.

• File Int 0193-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-05-01

Apr 29 - A car flipped on the West Side Highway. Southbound traffic froze. Metal blocked the morning rush. The city’s arteries clogged. No word on injuries. The crash left commuters stranded, the danger plain.

CBS New York reported on April 29, 2025, that an overturned car on the West Side Highway caused major delays for southbound commuters. The article states, "An overturned car on the West Side Highway is causing delays in the southbound direction for the early morning commute." No details on injuries or the cause were given. The crash highlights the persistent risk posed by vehicles losing control on high-speed city arteries. Overturned cars signal possible driver error or hazardous road conditions. The incident underscores the vulnerability of all road users and the need for systemic safety improvements on major corridors.

• Overturned Car Snarls West Side Highway, CBS New York, Published 2025-04-29

Apr 27 - Francisco Guzman Parra died in a burning car after a police chase in Inwood. Officers left the scene unreported. Family demands answers. Two investigations run. Streets stay dangerous. System failed to protect. The dead remain silent.

CBS New York reported on April 27, 2025, that Francisco Andres Guzman Parra, 31, died after crashing a stolen vehicle on Dyckman Street in Manhattan following an NYPD pursuit. The article states, "NYPD sources said the two officers in pursuit returned to their stationhouse without reporting the crash." The FDNY later found Guzman Parra dead in the burning car. Patrick Hendry of the Police Benevolent Association claimed officers "lost sight of the car and did not know it crashed," but the family's attorney, Jeremy Feigenbaum, said their investigation "has not corroborated the officers' claim." The officers remain on leave as both the NYPD and the New York attorney general's office investigate. The case raises questions about police pursuit protocols and reporting failures.

• NYPD Pursuit Ends In Fatal Crash, CBS New York, Published 2025-04-27

Apr 24 - A 74-year-old man rides east on West 70th. Illness seizes him. His bike hits a parked bus. He suffers chest trauma. He dies in the street. The helmet could not save him.

A 74-year-old cyclist traveling east on West 70th Street struck a parked bus and died from chest injuries. According to the police report, 'Illness takes him. The bus is parked. The bike strikes metal. Chest injury. The man dies there, in the afternoon light.' The only listed contributing factor is illness. The cyclist wore a helmet, as noted in the report. No driver errors or moving vehicles are cited. The bus was stationary at the time of the crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4807979 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 23 - A Ford SUV hit a 57-year-old man crossing West 86th at Broadway. The street was quiet. The man died beneath the wheels. No driver errors listed. The driver wore her belt.

A 57-year-old man was killed when a Ford SUV struck him as he crossed West 86th Street at Broadway. According to the police report, the SUV moved east and hit the man, who was crossing against the signal. The impact crushed his body. The street was quiet. The driver, a 41-year-old woman, wore her seatbelt. No driver errors or contributing factors were listed in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4807749 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 22 - Three new microhubs now stand on Upper West Side streets. Trucks unload cargo. E-cargo bikes and hand carts finish the job. Fewer trucks double-park. Streets clear. Council Member Gale Brewer backs the move. The city tests safer, cleaner delivery.

On April 22, 2025, the NYC Department of Transportation launched a microhub pilot on the Upper West Side. The program opened three delivery hubs at Amsterdam Avenue at 85th Street, Amsterdam at 73rd Street, and Broadway at 77th Street. According to the DOT, these hubs are part of a three-year pilot under the Curb Management Action Plan. The official matter summary states: 'The DOT unveiled three new microhubs to promote cleaner, greener, last-mile deliveries.' Council Member Gale A. Brewer, representing District 6, applauded the initiative, saying, 'It is incredibly important to have these hubs where we can pull the trucks off the streets and get the delivery via bicycle.' The pilot aims to cut truck congestion, reduce double parking, and shift deliveries to low-emission modes. Delivery giants like Amazon and UPS will use the hubs. The city hopes to make streets safer for everyone.

• Three new microhubs now allocated for delivery drop off on Upper West Side streets, amny.com, Published 2025-04-22

Apr 12 - A stolen car slammed into a Manhattan building. Flames followed. The driver, Francisco Guzman Parra, died on impact. His family waited days for answers. Police actions now face scrutiny. The city counts another life lost to speed and steel.

The New York Times (April 12, 2025) reports on the death of Francisco Guzman Parra after a stolen Honda CRV crashed into a building in Inwood, Manhattan. The crash followed a police chase; two officers involved were suspended pending investigation. The article notes, "The police are investigating whether the officers left the scene without reporting the crash." The medical examiner found Guzman Parra died from blunt impact and thermal injuries. The NYPD force investigation unit and state attorney general are reviewing the incident. The police have not disclosed why the chase began or details about the pursuit. The case highlights ongoing questions about police pursuit policies and the dangers that follow high-speed chases through city streets.

• Police Chase Ends Inwood Crash Death, The New York Times, Published 2025-04-12

Apr 11 - Including Thursday's deadly crash, 25 people have been killed in New York City sightseeing helicopter accidents in the last 40 years.

• Lawmakers aim to make changes after New York City sightseeing helicopter crash, ABC7, Published 2025-04-11

Apr 10 - Council passed a law forcing DOT to post sharp, regular updates on street safety projects. Progress on bike lanes, bus lanes, and signals must go public. No more hiding delays or cost overruns. The city must show its work.

Bill Int 1105-2024, now enacted, came through the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced November 13, 2024, it passed Council on April 10, 2025, and became law May 10, 2025. The bill's title: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code...in relation to tracking progress made towards the requirements of the streets master plan.' Council Member Julie Won led sponsorship, joined by Brooks-Powers, Hanif, Ayala, and others. The law demands DOT post annual and monthly updates on every project tied to the master plan—listing details, timelines, funding, and setbacks. This law brings sunlight to street safety work, making the city answer for every mile and missed deadline.

• File Int 1105-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-10