Howard Beach-Lindenwood: cars kill here. the fixes wait.

Sep 27 - A driver in a sedan hit the back of a taxi on the Belt Parkway in Queens. A 67-year-old passenger and a 47-year-old driver were hurt. Police recorded Following Too Closely.

A westbound driver in a sedan hit the back of a taxi on the Belt Parkway in Queens. Two people were injured: a 67-year-old passenger and a 47-year-old driver. According to the police report, both vehicles were going straight west and police recorded “Following Too Closely.” Impact details list front-end damage to the sedan and rear-end damage to the taxi, consistent with a rear-end crash. The report lists no other contributing factors for the people involved. No pedestrians or cyclists were reported in this crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4845660 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

• 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

Sep 18 - A 47-year-old moped driver was ejected on North Conduit Avenue near Linden Boulevard in Queens. Police recorded defective pavement and debris. He was conscious and injured. The moped was listed demolished.

A 47-year-old man driving a moped west on North Conduit Avenue near Linden Boulevard in Queens was injured and ejected. "According to the police report, contributing factors included 'Pavement Defective' and 'Obstruction/Debris'." The rider was listed conscious with abrasions and whole-body injury. The moped had one occupant and was going straight before the crash. Vehicle damage was recorded as demolished. No driver errors were recorded in the report. Only the moped is listed in the crash data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4843390 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

• 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

Sep 3 - On the Belt Parkway, eastbound, a box truck driver hit a sedan’s rear. A 20-year-old front-seat passenger was hurt with whiplash and back pain. Police noted unsafe speed and distraction, and cited unsafe lane changing.

According to the police report, an eastbound box truck driver rear-ended an eastbound sedan on the Belt Parkway, striking the sedan’s left rear bumper with the truck’s front end. A 20-year-old woman riding in the front passenger seat of the sedan was injured; she reported whiplash and back pain and was conscious at the scene. Police recorded driver inattention/distraction and unsafe speed as contributing factors. Unsafe lane changing was also cited by police. The crash involved a box truck and a sedan; both drivers were licensed. The report lists the point of impact as center back end for the sedan and center front end for the truck, consistent with a rear-end crash in the eastbound lanes.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4839985 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 29 - A driver in a sedan rear-ended an SUV on S Conduit Avenue at 149th. The SUV driver suffered a neck injury. According to the police report, contributing factors were "Unsafe Speed" and "Following Too Closely."

The driver of an eastbound sedan hit the center rear of an eastbound SUV on South Conduit Avenue at 149th Avenue in Queens. The SUV driver suffered a neck injury and was listed as injured. According to the police report, contributing factors were "Unsafe Speed" and "Following Too Closely." The sedan had center-front damage; the SUV had center-rear damage, consistent with a rear-end collision while both vehicles traveled straight. Police recorded those driver errors in the report. No other contributing factors were recorded in the data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4839246 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 20 - The driver of a tractor-trailer hit the rear of a sedan that was changing lanes on the Nassau Expressway at Cohancy. A front-seat passenger suffered an upper-arm contusion. Police cited traffic control disregarded and driver inattention/distraction.

According to the police report, "Traffic Control Disregarded" and "Driver Inattention/Distraction" were listed as contributing factors. The driver of a tractor-trailer traveling east struck the center back end of an eastbound sedan that was changing lanes on the Nassau Expressway near Cohancy Street in Queens. A 39-year-old front-seat passenger suffered a shoulder/upper-arm contusion and was conscious at the scene. Police recorded the driver errors as Traffic Control Disregarded and Driver Inattention/Distraction. The truck sustained left-front damage; the sedan sustained right-rear bumper damage. Both drivers were licensed and were traveling east at the time of the crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4836413 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 14 - Eastbound SUVs collide on Shore Parkway. One rear-ended, one front crushed. A woman passenger hurt. The driver hurt too. Speed ruled the cause. Steel buckled. Sirens cut the heat.

Two eastbound SUVs collided near 92-10 Shore Parkway in Queens. The front of a Chevrolet SUV struck the back of a Toyota SUV. A 39-year-old female passenger and a 53-year-old male driver were injured. According to the police report, the contributing factor was “Unsafe Speed.” Vehicle data show a center front impact to the striking SUV and a center rear impact to the struck SUV. Driver errors cited include Unsafe Speed. No other contributing factors were identified in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4837802 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

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 7 - City scales back Creedmoor plan. Density cut 27%. The car-free model dies. Walkers and cyclists lose safety and 'safety in numbers'. Local pols beat back bold urban design. Streets stay hostile. The chance for a people-first, low-car neighborhood vanishes.

Bill number: none — this is a policy statement, not legislation. Status: announced August 7, 2025; no committee review. Matter quoted: "NYC Could Have Its First Car-Free Neighborhood (But Won’t Get It Due To Revanchist Pols)." Eastern Queens Greenway condemned the decision to downscale the Creedmoor redevelopment from 2,775 units by 27 percent. Assembly Member Ed Braunstein and Council Member Joann Ariola opposed higher density and pressed the rollback. Empire State Development framed the change as a compromise. Safety impact: the cut reduces potential mode shift, walkability, and "safety in numbers" for pedestrians and cyclists, preserving car dependence and dangerous streets.

• NYC Could Have Its First Car-Free Neighborhood (But Won’t Get It Due To Revanchist Pols), Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-08-07

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