Whitestone’s Toll: Broken Bodies, Broken Promises, No More Delays

• Motorcyclist killed in multiple collisions on Long Island Expressway, NYPD says, Gothamist, Published 2025-09-26

• Woman killed after being pinned under car while crossing Queens intersection, ABC7, Published 2025-09-21

• Female construction worker killed on Queens job site, hit-and-run driver arrested, NY Daily News, Published 2025-09-20

• Man struck and killed by two vehicles while trying to cross Belt Parkway in South Ozone Park: NYPD, amny, Published 2025-09-16

• Suspect in deadly DWI crash sexually harassed teen before intentionally striking her with SUV, Queens DA says, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-15

• 16-year-old girl struck and killed in Queens, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-13

Aug 20 - The driver of an SUV turned left from Cross Island Parkway onto 160 Street and struck with the vehicle’s center front end. A 79-year-old driver suffered an elbow abrasion and remained conscious. Police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction.

The driver of an SUV made a left turn from Cross Island Parkway onto 160 Street and struck with the vehicle’s center front end. A 79-year-old male driver was injured, reporting an abrasion to the elbow and remaining conscious. According to the police report, "Driver Inattention/Distraction" was listed as a contributing factor for the driver. Police data record the driver’s pre-crash action as Making Left Turn and the point of impact as Center Front End. The driver was not ejected and was reported using a Lap Belt & Harness. No pedestrians or cyclists are recorded in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4836485 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 14 - Int 1362-2025 strips ‘protected’ bus and bicycle lane definitions and drops lane quotas from the Streets Master Plan. It tears out accountability. Transit priority and safe cycling face rollback. Pedestrians and riders lose clear targets.

"The definitions of protected bicycle lane and protected bus lane as set forth in subdivision a of section 19-199.1 of the administrative code of the city of New York are REPEALED." -- Vickie Paladino

Int 1362-2025 was introduced and sponsored by Council Member Vickie Paladino on August 14, 2025, and is in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The matter is titled, "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to removing benchmarks for bus lanes and bicycle lanes from the streets master plan and repealing certain definitions in relation thereto." Paladino is the sponsor. The bill repeals the definitions of "protected bicycle lane" and "protected bus lane" and removes lane benchmarks from the Streets Master Plan. Safety analysts say eliminating these definitions and quotas weakens commitments to high‑quality, traffic‑calming, mode‑shift infrastructure and is likely to reduce cycling uptake and bus priority, undermining safety‑in‑numbers and street equity. Status: in committee; no vote yet.

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Int 1362-2025 strips protected bus and bike lane definitions and benchmarks. It removes firm targets and accountability. Safety analysts warn this will likely slow mode shift and increase crash exposure for cyclists and pedestrians.

"The definitions of protected bicycle lane and protected bus lane ... are REPEALED." -- Vickie Paladino

Int 1362-2025, introduced August 14, 2025, was sent to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and reached the Council vote stage. The matter is described as "removing benchmarks for bus lanes and bicycle lanes from the streets master plan." Council Member Vickie Paladino pushed the change and backed removal of the definitions and quotas. The Council vote failed at the full body stage. Safety analysts note the bill "eliminates clear targets and accountability for building a connected, low-stress network and bus priority," and warn it will likely slow mode shift and raise crash exposure for cyclists and pedestrians despite retention of other upgrades.

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Int 1362-2025 strips protected bus and bicycle lane definitions and removes lane benchmarks from the Streets Master Plan. It rips out clear targets. Cyclists and pedestrians lose accountability as exposure and crash risk rise.

"The definitions of "protected bicycle lane" and "protected bus lane" ... are REPEALED." -- Vickie Paladino

Int 1362-2025 was introduced on August 14, 2025 and referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The matter is described as "removing benchmarks for bus lanes and bicycle lanes from the streets master plan and repealing certain definitions." Sponsored and advanced by Council Member Vickie Paladino, the bill repeals the definitions of "protected bicycle lane" and "protected bus lane" in Admin Code §19-199.1 and strips lane quotas from the master plan. Removing definitions and benchmarks eliminates clear targets and accountability for building a connected, low-stress network and bus priority. That likely slows mode shift and safety-in-numbers gains, increasing crash exposure for cyclists and pedestrians despite other upgrades.

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Int 1362-2025 strips ‘protected’ bus and bicycle lane definitions and drops lane quotas from the Streets Master Plan. It tears out accountability. Transit priority and safe cycling face rollback. Pedestrians and riders lose clear targets.

Int 1362-2025 was introduced and sponsored by Council Member Vickie Paladino on August 14, 2025, and is in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The matter is titled, "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to removing benchmarks for bus lanes and bicycle lanes from the streets master plan and repealing certain definitions in relation thereto." Paladino is the sponsor. The bill repeals the definitions of "protected bicycle lane" and "protected bus lane" and removes lane benchmarks from the Streets Master Plan. Safety analysts say eliminating these definitions and quotas weakens commitments to high‑quality, traffic‑calming, mode‑shift infrastructure and is likely to reduce cycling uptake and bus priority, undermining safety‑in‑numbers and street equity. Status: in committee; no vote yet.

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Int 1362 repeals the definitions of “protected bicycle lane” and “protected bus lane” and strips explicit benchmarks for protected lanes from the streets master plan. It preserves signal and pedestrian targets but weakens commitments to physical protection, threatening safety and equity.

Bill Int 1362-2025. Status: Sponsorship, introduced Aug 14, 2025. Referred to Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The measure, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to removing benchmarks for bus lanes and bicycle lanes from the streets master plan and repealing certain definitions in relation thereto," repeals the definitions of "protected bicycle lane" and "protected bus lane" and removes related benchmarks in the master plan (master plan dates referenced include Dec. 1, 2021 and Dec. 1, 2026). Primary sponsor: Robert F. Holden. Co-sponsors: Inna Vernikov, Joann Ariola, Chris Banks, Vickie Paladino. Safety analysts warn: "Removing explicit benchmarks and definitions for protected bus and bicycle lanes weakens commitments to physically protected infrastructure... likely reducing mode shift to walking and cycling and worsening equity and safety-in-numbers; the retained measures focus on signals and pedestrian amenities but do not replace the protective effect of designated protected lanes."

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Int 1362 strips definitions for protected bus and bike lanes and removes benchmarks from the streets master plan. It guts measurable targets. Safe space for pedestrians and cyclists is at risk. The city could slow needed separated infrastructure.

Bill: Int. No. 1362 (Int 1362-2025). Status: SPONSORSHIP. Committee: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Event date: 2025-08-14. The matter reads: "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to removing benchmarks for bus lanes and bicycle lanes from the streets master plan and repealing certain definitions in relation thereto." Council Member Robert F. Holden is the primary sponsor. Joann Ariola and Vickie Paladino are co-sponsors. The draft repeals the definitions of "protected bicycle lane" and "protected bus lane" and removes explicit benchmarks tied to transit signal priority, bus stop upgrades, accessible pedestrian signals and intersection redesigns. Removing those benchmarks weakens commitments to high‑quality separated infrastructure and measurable mode‑shift targets, likely slowing deployment of safe space for pedestrians and cyclists and undermining equitable street redesigns.

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Int. No. 1362 strips city definitions and benchmarks for protected bicycle lanes and protected bus lanes. It removes targets and accountability. The change will slow deployment of separated bike and bus infrastructure and erode safety and equity for pedestrians and cyclists.

Int. No. 1362 (filed Aug. 14, 2025; stage: SPONSORSHIP) was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The matter is titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to removing benchmarks for bus lanes and bicycle lanes and repealing certain definitions in relation thereto." Council Member Robert F. Holden is the primary sponsor. Co-sponsors are Vickie Paladino, Joann Ariola, and Inna Vernikov. The bill repeals the definitions of "protected bicycle lane" and "protected bus lane" and removes benchmark requirements from the streets master plan. Safety analysts note that removing explicit benchmarks and definitions weakens accountability for building separated cycling and bus infrastructure, likely decreasing street equity and safety-in-numbers for pedestrians and cyclists.

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 12 - A car tore through an Astoria intersection. It struck a food truck. Two men died on the sidewalk. The driver died too. Metal, flesh, coffee, blood. The street swallowed them. It happened fast. No one stood a chance.

According to the New York Post (2025-08-12), an 84-year-old driver sped through 42nd Street and 19th Avenue in Astoria, Queens, crashing into a food truck and killing two customers and himself. Surveillance showed the car "going about 60 miles an hour" before impact. The article quotes a witness: "Someone screamed really loudly, and I just had stepped back, like right up to the sidewalk." The force severed a victim's foot. The crash highlights the lethal risk when drivers lose control at high speed in pedestrian zones. No charges were filed; the driver died at the scene.

• Speeding Car Slams Food Truck, Kills Two, New York Post, Published 2025-08-12

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 - Flash floods swamped Cross Island Parkway. Leaders demanded flood signage and storm fixes. Signs may warn drivers but do little for pedestrians and cyclists. Only real infrastructure will cut the risks they face.

Action: infrastructure request (no bill number). Status: public call on August 8, 2025; not advanced to committee or vote. The matter was described as a "call for flood-related street signage and storm mitigation efforts." Queens Borough President Donovan J. Richards called signage a "small step" and "low-hanging fruit." Council Member Vickie Paladino urged signs to warn drivers unfamiliar with the area. State Sen. John Liu pressed city, state and federal agencies and criticized federal funding cuts. Safety analyst note: "Flood warning signage may help alert motorists but does little to address the underlying risks to pedestrians and cyclists... only comprehensive infrastructure improvements would yield significant safety benefits for vulnerable road users."

• Queens leaders call for flood signage and infrastructure in Bay Terrace, AMNY, Published 2025-08-08

Aug 5 - Police car struck at Beach 35th and Rockaway. Three hurt. Sirens cut through Edgemere. Cause unknown. Streets stained. Investigation begins.

CBS New York reported on August 5, 2025, that an NYPD cruiser crashed at Beach 35th Street and Rockaway Freeway in Edgemere, Queens. Three people were injured. The article states, 'Police are now trying to determine the cause of the crash.' No details on driver actions or contributing factors were released. The incident highlights risks at busy intersections and the need for thorough investigation when emergency vehicles are involved.

• NYPD Cruiser Crash Injures Three In Queens, CBS New York, Published 2025-08-05

Aug 1 - A car struck and killed a 23-year-old man in Ozone Park. The driver fled, then turned himself in. Police say the crash followed a heated confrontation. The victim died at Jamaica Hospital.

ABC7 reported on August 1, 2025, that a 23-year-old man died after being hit by a car at 101st Avenue and Liberty Boulevard in Queens. Police said the incident followed a domestic dispute. The driver, who was the woman's current boyfriend, told police the victim approached his car "while flashing what appeared to be a gun" and was struck as the driver tried to leave. The driver later went to the police. No charges had been filed as of publication, with the district attorney still reviewing the case. The crash highlights the lethal risk when vehicles are used during conflicts.

• Man Killed By Car In Queens Dispute, ABC7, Published 2025-08-01

Jul 31 - Water rose fast. Cars stranded. People climbed roofs to escape. Rescue teams pulled them out. Rain hammered Queens. The road drowned, then cleared. Danger came quick. Relief came late.

ABC7 reported on July 31, 2025, that flash flooding trapped drivers on the Clearview Expressway in Queens. Video showed people perched atop cars, waiting for rescue. A witness described, "10 feet deep, people sitting on top of cars, 6 or 7." Mayor Eric Adams declared a localized State of Emergency. The flooding left vehicles stranded and forced emergency response. The article highlights the risk of sudden, severe weather overwhelming city infrastructure, stranding vulnerable road users in harm’s way.

• Flash Flood Traps Cars On Expressway, ABC7, Published 2025-07-31