East Midtown Bleeds While Leaders Stall

• German tourist killed in hit-and-run was in NYC with husband to celebrate anniversary, NY Daily News, Published 2025-09-28

• Driver charged in fatal Midtown Manhattan hit-and-run, NYPD says, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-25

• German Woman Killed by Hit and Run Driver Near Bryant Park, West Side Spirit, Published 2025-09-24

Sep 13 - A motorcyclist going east on E 59 St hit a 72-year-old woman in the marked crosswalk at Lexington Ave. She stayed conscious with bruising. Police recorded unsafe speed by the driver.

At E 59 St and Lexington Ave in Manhattan, the driver of a motorcycle traveling east hit a 72-year-old woman who was crossing in a marked crosswalk. She reported bruising and was conscious at the scene. According to the police report, officers recorded "Unsafe Speed" by the driver. The report also lists "Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion." The motorcycle's point of impact and damage were at the center front end, and the pre-crash action was going straight ahead. The crash was recorded at 16:50 on September 13, 2025.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4842028 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Sep 5 - A driver hit an 81-year-old woman near 225 East 57th Street in Manhattan. She suffered a head injury and was unconscious. Police listed the site as not at an intersection. The report logged no driver contributing factors.

An 81-year-old woman was hit by a driver near 225 East 57th Street in Manhattan at 12:54 p.m. She suffered a head injury. Police recorded that she was unconscious. According to the police report, the crash involved one unspecified vehicle and a pedestrian. Police did not record any driver contributing factors. The driver’s actions were not described. The report listed the location as not at an intersection. Vehicle type, direction, and point of impact were left blank.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4839841 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Sep 5 - A driver heading west on East 57th hit an 81-year-old woman near 225. Center-front impact. She suffered a hip and upper leg fracture and dislocation. She was conscious. Police recorded no contributing factors for the driver.

An SUV driver traveling west on East 57th Street hit an 81-year-old woman near 225 East 57th Street in Manhattan. She suffered a reported hip and upper leg fracture and dislocation and was conscious at the scene. According to the police report, the driver was going straight and the point of impact was the center front. The report lists no contributing factors for the driver. No other injuries were documented. Location data lists ZIP code 10022. The crash was recorded under collision ID 4839904.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4839904 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

• Box cutter-wielding Mercedes driver slashes bike-riding dad in NYC road rage clash: cops, sources, New York Post, Published 2025-09-05

• Videos allegedly show ‘reckless’ NYC subway operator allowing minors to take MTA train out for a joyride, New York Post, Published 2025-09-03

• Man fatally struck by train at Harlem subway station, NY Daily News, Published 2025-08-31

Aug 19 - A southbound sedan turned left on E 46th and struck two cyclists on 2nd Avenue. Both riders went down with leg injuries. The driver was distracted. He failed to yield. Steel met flesh in Midtown traffic.

Two cyclists riding south on 2nd Avenue were struck by a southbound Mazda sedan making a left turn at E 46th Street in Manhattan. Both cyclists suffered leg injuries. According to the police report, contributing factors were “Driver Inattention/Distraction” and “Failure to Yield Right-of-Way.” The car’s left front quarter panel hit, consistent with a left-turn conflict. The report lists the bicyclists with no safety equipment noted, but only after naming driver inattention and failure to yield as the primary factors. The data shows the driver was licensed and turning left when he hit the riders.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4836412 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 11 - Astoria shopkeepers fight a protected bike lane on 31st Street. They claim city plans threaten their business and public safety. The lawsuit lands in Queens Supreme Court. The city faces pushback, progress stalls.

NY1 reported on August 11, 2025, that over a dozen Astoria business owners filed suit to block a protected bike lane on 31st Street. The petition, lodged in Queens Supreme Court, claims the redesign from 36th Avenue to Newton Avenue would 'hurt their day-to-day operations and jeopardize public safety.' Owners accuse the city of acting in an 'arbitrary and capricious' way, moving forward despite objections. The case highlights ongoing tension between street safety projects and local business concerns. The outcome could shape future protected bike lane installations citywide.

• Astoria Businesses Sue Over Bike Lane, NY1, Published 2025-08-11

Aug 8 - A driver sped at 109 mph. Concrete barriers now ring the crash site. DOT will shrink lanes and cut speed limits. Change comes slow. Pedestrians and cyclists paid the price.

Streetsblog NYC (2025-08-08) reports DOT will install concrete barriers and narrow lanes at Manhattan Bridge's Canal Street exit after a driver killed a cyclist and pedestrian at 109 mph. DOT plans to lower the speed limit from 35 to 20 mph, pending public comment. The article notes, 'the bridge currently functions like a Mario Kart-style speed boost.' DOT will also 'fast-track community engagement on a full redesign.' The crash highlights the danger of wide lanes and high speeds at a busy pedestrian crossing. Policy changes lagged until tragedy forced action.

• DOT Lowers Speed, Adds Barriers On Canal, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-08-08

Aug 8 - Officials raced the M34 on Aug. 7. Walkers beat the bus by seven minutes. The M34 averages 5.5 mph for 28,000 daily riders. Sponsors push a car-free 34th Street busway and pedestrianized Broadway to speed service and cut congestion.

""It's time to get buses moving faster, and the busway will do just that,"" -- Keith Powers

Bill/file number: none listed. Status: SPONSORSHIP. Committees: NYC Council subcommittees on Zoning and Franchises, and Land Use approved the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan one day earlier. Key dates: race on Aug. 7, 2025; article published Aug. 8, 2025. Matter titled "Victory on 34th Street: Transit groups, Manhattan pols, leave bus in the dust in bustling Midtown" centers a proposed car-free 34th Street busway. Zohran Mamdani joined the Aug. 7 stunt and said, "These are the slowest buses in the United States of America." CM Erik Bottcher and CM Keith Powers backed the plan. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez and Mayor Eric Adams also voiced support. Transportation Alternatives' Ben Furnas praised the busway. No formal safety impact note was provided.

• Victory on 34th Street: Transit groups, Manhattan pols, leave bus in the dust in bustling Midtown, amny.com, Published 2025-08-08

Aug 8 - A rush-hour race on Aug 8, 2025 showed walkers beat the M34. City leaders pushed a 34th Street busway to cut cars, speed buses and free crosstown trips. Prioritizing buses and pedestrians should reduce traffic violence and boost equity.

"Council Member Keith Powers also supported the busway, stating it would speed up bus service." -- Keith Powers

Bill number: none. Status: demonstration and momentum for the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan after subcommittees approved it the day before. Committee: NYC Council subcommittees. Key dates: Aug 7, 2025 (subcommittee approval), Aug 8, 2025 (bus-versus-walk race). Matter quoted: "The Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan... includes a busway limiting cars on a major segment of 34th Street." Council Member Barbara Russo-Lennon joined the demonstration. Zohran Mamdani raced and called buses the slowest in the nation. Council Members Erik Bottcher and Keith Powers publicly backed the busway; Mayor Eric Adams and DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez also voiced support. Limiting car access and prioritizing buses and pedestrians is likely to reduce traffic violence, improve equity, and help vulnerable road users.

• Victory on 34th Street: Transit groups, Manhattan pols leave bus in the dust in bustling Midtown, AMNY, Published 2025-08-08

Aug 8 - Mayor approved a car-free busway on 34th Street after walkers beat the crosstown bus in a 1.2‑mile race. The move targets faster, more reliable service for nearly 30,000 daily riders and to clear jams caused by congestion and illegal parking.

"If you look around us right now, we're in a pretty tough jam here... I don't see a lot of officials getting on the bus, and if they did, they would experience this. They would live with buses that don't show up in the morning and get jammed by the cars." -- Keith Powers

Bill number: none listed. Status: approval announced; stage: SPONSORSHIP. Committee: not listed. Key date: 2025-08-08, the day the crosstown race and public approval were reported. The matter is the "construction of a car-free busway on 34th Street between Third and Ninth avenues." Mayor Adams abandoned opposition and approved construction. Council member Zohran Mamdani celebrated, calling the buses "the slowest buses in the United States of America." Comptroller Brad Lander, Council Members Keith Powers and Erik Bottcher, and state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal backed the plan. Advocates say the busway will speed service for almost 30,000 daily riders. No formal safety impact analysis was provided.

• Team Pedestrian Trounces Team Bus in Annual 'Crosstown Bus Challenge', streetsblog.org, Published 2025-08-08

Aug 7 - A stolen car tore through Canal and Bowery. Two lives ended. One sat on a bench. One rode a bike. The city now promises changes. Steel and speed met flesh. The street stays dangerous.

NY1 reported on August 7, 2025, that after a deadly crash at Canal Street and Bowery, the city will upgrade the intersection. On July 19, a stolen car, allegedly driven over 100 mph, killed Kevin Cruickshank and May Kwok. Kwok was sitting on a bench. Cruickshank rode his bike on the sidewalk. The article quotes authorities: 'A stolen vehicle, allegedly driven at more than 100 miles per hour...crashed into them.' The crash highlights risks from reckless driving and exposes gaps in street design. The Department of Transportation now plans safety improvements.

• Deadly Crash Spurs Chinatown Upgrades, NY1, Published 2025-08-07

Aug 6 - A driver in a standing vehicle hit a 53-year-old woman at Lexington Avenue and East 52nd Street. She suffered a contusion and arm injuries and was conscious at the scene. Police listed contributing factors as unspecified.

A 53-year-old woman was struck at the intersection of Lexington Avenue and East 52nd Street and suffered a contusion and injuries to her elbow and lower arm. "According to the police report, the pedestrian was crossing at the intersection when the crash occurred." The vehicle sustained center front-end damage. The report lists contributing factors as "Unspecified." No driver errors were cited in the data. The vehicle record shows the driver was going straight ahead and the point of impact was the center front end. Police details in the file record the injured pedestrian as conscious at the scene.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4834503 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 6 - Officials revived a 34th Street busway as part of the Midtown South rezoning. The corridor (3rd–9th Ave) would prioritize buses, boost speeds up to 15%, and curb private traffic. Council subcommittees approved the plan; full council approval still required.

"We are transforming Midtown South into a vibrant live-work neighborhood, alongside historic community investments in schools, transit, parks, and more." -- Keith Powers

File number: none listed. Status: SPONSORSHIP. Committees: NYC Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and Committee on Land Use approved the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan (MSMX) on Aug. 6, 2025. Matter quoted: "34th Street busway gets another go as part of larger Midtown rezoning plan." Council Member Erik Bottcher, representing the area, backed the rezoning and the busway. Council Member Keith Powers urged full council approval. Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the busway will continue. DOT said it did not suspend the project. The proposal would create a busway from 3rd to 9th Avenues, serve about 24 routes and aim to speed buses by up to 15%. No safety impact assessment was provided in the record.

• 34th Street busway gets another go as part of larger Midtown rezoning plan, amny.com, Published 2025-08-06

Aug 6 - A man lay on Harlem tracks. The northbound 5 train struck him. He died at the scene. Police found no crime. His name remains unknown. Subway lines stalled. The system moved on.

NY Daily News (2025-08-06) reports a 47-year-old man was killed by a northbound 5 train at 125th St. station in Harlem. Police said, "The man was unconscious and unresponsive on the tracks." No arrests were made. The cause of his presence on the tracks is unclear. Police stated, "There was no criminality." The incident halted 4 and 5 trains. The case highlights ongoing dangers for people in subway spaces and the lack of platform barriers.

• Man Killed By Train At Harlem Station, NY Daily News, Published 2025-08-06

Aug 6 - Committees cleared the Midtown South rezoning. 9,535 homes allowed across 42 blocks. City won a car-free 34th Street busway and a $325M Broadway rebuild. Streets shift from cars to people. Pedestrians and cyclists gain safer space.

Bill: Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan (file number not listed). Status: Approved by the City Council Land Use Committee and Zoning Subcommittee on August 6, 2025. The matter, titled "42-block Midtown South housing plan clears hurdle as Council trims some units," permits about 9,535 homes across 42 blocks. Council Members Keith Powers and Erik D. Bottcher led negotiations; Bottcher called it "bold, balanced and long overdue." Committees trimmed some bulk and protected mid-block manufacturing in the Garment District. The plan secures a car-free busway on 34th Street and a $325 million pedestrian-oriented Broadway rebuild. These measures prioritize vulnerable road users and reclaim public space, likely increasing safety and encouraging mode shift toward walking and cycling.

• 42-block Midtown South housing plan clears hurdle as Council trims some units, Crain's New York Business, Published 2025-08-06