Blood on the Crosswalk: South Jamaica Pays for City Hall’s Inaction

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

Sep 24 - Two drivers collided at 143 St and 111 Ave in Queens at 8:20 p.m. A 31-year-old woman riding up front suffered back injuries. A 3-year-old girl in the rear seat was hurt. Police recorded Traffic Control Disregarded.

Two drivers in sedans crashed while going straight at 143 St and 111 Ave in Queens at 8:20 p.m. A 31-year-old front-seat passenger suffered back injuries. A 3-year-old girl in the right rear seat was injured. According to the police report, the contributing factor was 'Traffic Control Disregarded.' Both vehicles traveled straight, one southbound and one eastbound. The report noted front-end damage on one and right-rear damage on the other. Both drivers were licensed males. Driver injuries were listed as unspecified.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4845079 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

• 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 19 - Southbound Lexus SUV driver hit a 16-year-old at Merrick Boulevard and 111th Avenue. The boy stayed conscious. Hip and upper leg injured.

At 8:45 a.m., a driver in a 2021 Lexus SUV, heading south on Merrick Boulevard, went straight and hit a 16-year-old boy in the intersection at 111th Avenue. The teen was conscious. He suffered a hip and upper leg injury, listed as a contusion. According to the police report, the point of impact was the left front bumper and the crash location was Merrick Blvd at 111 Ave in Queens. The report lists the driver’s contributing factor as “Unspecified.” No driver errors are recorded in the data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4844027 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Sep 18 - Two drivers turned left at Remington and Liberty in Queens. The bus driver went straight. They collided. A 52-year-old driver suffered a neck injury and whiplash. Police recorded turning improperly by the drivers.

Three vehicles collided at Remington St and Liberty Ave in Queens. The drivers of a sedan and an SUV were making left turns. The bus driver was going straight east. Impact marked the sedan’s right front quarter, the SUV’s left rear, and the bus’s front bumper. A 52-year-old driver suffered a neck injury and whiplash. Others were listed with unspecified injuries. According to the police report, "Turning Improperly" was the contributing factor. Police recorded improper turning by the drivers. All three drivers were licensed in New York.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4846027 - 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 4 - Drivers collided at Waltham St and 107 Ave in Queens. Police recorded traffic control disregarded. An 85-year-old front passenger and a 64-year-old driver were hurt. A parked sedan was damaged.

At Waltham St and 107 Ave in Queens, a driver in a westbound Ford van and the driver of a southbound Toyota sedan collided, with a parked Honda sedan also damaged. An 85-year-old front passenger was injured and reported pain across her body. A 64-year-old male driver suffered a neck injury and whiplash. According to the police report, “Traffic Control Disregarded” was the contributing factor. Police recorded traffic control disregarded by the drivers. Officers noted front-end damage to the van and left-side damage to the moving sedan; the parked sedan showed left-side damage as well. No pedestrians or cyclists were listed in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4840208 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 20 - SUV south on 164th. Sedan east on 110th. Metal met at the right doors. Two drivers hurt. Shoulders and neck. Police cite speed and blind views. And failure to yield. Queens street, clear day, still brutal.

Two cars collided at 164 St and 110 Ave in Queens. An eastbound sedan struck the right side of a southbound SUV. Two drivers were injured; others were listed with unspecified injuries. According to the police report, contributing factors were “View Obstructed/Limited” and “Unsafe Speed.” The person records also list “Failure to Yield Right-of-Way.” These are driver errors that turn a simple crossing into an impact zone. The SUV’s right-side doors took the hit; the sedan’s front end crumpled. No pedestrians or cyclists were reported, but passengers still bore the force. The data points to speed, blocked sightlines, and a failure to yield as the causes named by police.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4836480 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 20 - A driver hit a 62-year-old man crossing 157 St at 107 Ave in Queens. He fell hard. Knee and lower-leg injury and abrasions. Police list him conscious and injured. The report gives no driver details.

A driver hit a 62-year-old man at 157 Street and 107 Avenue in Queens. The man suffered knee and lower-leg injury and abrasions and was conscious at the scene. According to the police report, the pedestrian was "Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian at Intersection" and "Crossing, No Signal, or Crosswalk." Police recorded no driver contributing factors, vehicle details, or driver actions in the report. The report documents the pedestrian's location and injuries but does not list a driver error. The impact and injuries are clearly recorded.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4838280 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 14 - Int 1347-2025 orders TLC, NYPD and DOT to use a compliance checklist and levy maximum fines on unlicensed commuter vans. Punitive enforcement may cut informal transit, push riders to cars and ride‑hail, and raise vehicle volumes that endanger pedestrians and cyclists.

Bill: Int 1347-2025. Status: Sponsorship; sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced and referred August 14, 2025. The matter: "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to enforcing violations against unlicensed commuter vans." Primary sponsor Nantasha M. Williams; co-sponsors Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Mercedes Narcisse, and Chris Banks. The law orders TLC, with NYPD and DOT, to maintain a checklist and requires officers to issue maximum fines for each violation. It takes effect 120 days after enactment. A safety assessment warns this punitive approach may reduce informal transit in underserved areas, shift trips to private cars and ride‑hail, and increase traffic volumes that endanger pedestrians and cyclists; it adds policing without system-wide safety gains.

• File Int 1347-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Int 1347-2025 orders TLC, NYPD and DOT to cite unlicensed commuter vans and levy maximum fines. It will likely shrink shared rides in transit deserts. Trips will shift to private cars and ride-hail. Pedestrians and cyclists face more exposure on the street.

Int 1347-2025 is at SPONSORSHIP and sits with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after introduction on August 14, 2025. The matter is titled, "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to enforcing violations against unlicensed commuter vans." Primary sponsor Nantasha M. Williams introduced the bill. Co-sponsors Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Mercedes Narcisse, Chris Banks, and Farah N. Louis joined her. The bill orders TLC, with NYPD and DOT, to maintain a compliance checklist and requires officers to issue maximum penalties for every listed violation. Analysts warn punitive enforcement and steep fines will likely reduce shared transit options in transit deserts, push trips to private cars and ride-hail, and increase traffic exposure for pedestrians and cyclists, prioritizing policing over safer operations or street redesign without clear system-wide safety gains.

• File Int 1347-2025, 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 6 - Land Use committee cleared the Midtown South Mixed-Use rezoning on Aug 6. The plan unlocks over 9,500 homes, creates a car-free 34th Street busway and pedestrianized Broadway, and directs funds to the Garment District and street upgrades.

"To confront the citywide housing and affordability crisis, our city must build more homes and invest in housing solutions that allow generations of New Yorkers to remain in this city." -- Adrienne Adams

Bill: Midtown South Mixed-Use (MSMX) plan. File number: none provided. Status: Approved by the City Council Committee on Land Use on 2025-08-06; advances to a full Council vote. Committee: City Council Committee on Land Use. The matter, quoted in the record, calls to "redesignate 42 blocks between West 23rd and 40th Streets and Fifth and Eighth Avenues for housing development." Councilmembers Erik Bottcher and Keith Powers backed the plan; Speaker Adrienne Adams and Mayor Eric Adams issued supportive statements. The plan includes a car-free 34th Street busway, a fully pedestrianized Broadway, $122M for Garment District support and $340M for streets and transit. No safety impact assessment or safety note was provided in the record.

• Midtown South rezoning proposal passes council land-use committee alongside community investment, amny.com, Published 2025-08-06

Aug 6 - A horse named Lady died in Hell's Kitchen. Photos reignited calls to ban carriages. The City Council stalled. Unions and leaders blocked hearings. Advocates warned of more injuries. Analysts say the ban would have minimal direct effect on pedestrians and cyclists.

Bill 2025, proposed to ban horse-drawn carriages, remained stalled as of August 6, 2025. The measure sits in the City Council health committee chaired by Lynn C. Schulman. Queens Councilman Robert F. Holden is the bill's sponsor. Speaker Adrienne Adams has not publicly taken a position. The article ran under the headline "Gruesome images unlikely to sway lawmakers to ban horse-drawn carriages." Advocates rallied and warned, "without a ban there will be more crashes, injuries, and possibly deaths." TWU Local 100 opposes the ban. The proposed ban on horse-drawn carriages may have minimal direct impact on pedestrian and cyclist safety, as these vehicles are a small share of street traffic; the primary safety risks for vulnerable road users stem from motor vehicles and street design.

• Gruesome images unlikely to sway lawmakers to ban horse-drawn carriages, Crain's New York Business, Published 2025-08-06

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 3 - Council weighs a 20-foot parking ban at crosswalks. Supporters say it saves lives. Critics warn of lost parking and risk. Streets stand at a crossroads.

""The safety of pedestrians and all street users remains a top priority for Speaker Adams and the council. Intro. 1138 is going through the council’s legislative process, which is deliberative and allows for thorough public engagement and input."" -- Adrienne Adams

Intro. 1138, now before the City Council as of August 3, 2025, targets cars parked within 20 feet of crosswalks. The transportation committee leads the review. The bill's summary: 'ban vehicles from parking within 20 feet of crosswalks to improve visibility and street safety.' Council Member Barbara Russo-Lennon supports the measure. Council Member Julie Won and advocates back it. DOT officials and some lawmakers oppose, citing cost and risk. The bill could cut 300,000 parking spots. Banning parking near intersections improves visibility for all road users, reducing collisions and making streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, even if it reduces parking.

• NYC to lose 300,000 parking spots in City Council bid to boost street safety, AMNY, Published 2025-08-03