Speed Kills Here. How Many More Will We Bury?

Voters chose candidates who back bike lanes, open streets, and transit. Opponents lost. The message is clear: New Yorkers want safer roads. No new laws yet, but the council’s direction is set. Vulnerable road users watch and wait.

On June 25, 2025, New York City held local elections with major implications for street safety. The event, covered by Streetsblog NYC, saw candidates who championed 'the importance of bike lanes, public transit, and open streets' win across the city. Council members Lincoln Restler, Shahana Hanif, Shekar Krishnan, Chi Oss, Crystal Hudson, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams all prevailed on platforms supporting safer streets. Mark Levine, who called for bold highway changes, won the Comptroller race. The safety analyst notes: 'The event text is a vague statement of support for livable streets but does not describe a specific policy action or legislative change, so its direct safety impact on pedestrians and cyclists cannot be determined.' The victories signal a mandate for people-first streets, but concrete safety gains depend on future action.

• Down-Ballot Recap: A Great Night for the Livable Streets Movement, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-25

A cyclist died on Astoria Boulevard. A fleeing driver struck her. She flew from her bike, hit a parked car, and never got up. Police stopped the chase. The driver kept going. The street stayed deadly.

According to the New York Post (published June 24, 2025), Bekim Fiseku, 53, was charged after fatally striking cyclist Amanda Servedio, 36, while fleeing a burglary in Queens. Surveillance video showed Servedio "went flying off her bicycle and slammed into a parked BMW while Fiseku sped off." Police ended their pursuit to help Servedio, who died at Elmhurst Hospital. Fiseku was on supervised release for a prior federal conviction at the time. The article highlights that Fiseku had three passengers and was fleeing police, raising questions about police pursuit protocols and the risks to vulnerable road users. The crash underscores ongoing dangers for cyclists on city streets.

• Cyclist Killed In Queens Hit-And-Run, New York Post, Published 2025-06-24

A driver in Queens struck a man crossing Hempstead Avenue. The SUV stopped, idled, then sped off. The victim was dragged for three blocks. Bystanders screamed. The man died at the scene. The driver later surrendered to police.

NY Daily News reported on June 3, 2025, that Warren Rollins surrendered to police for a December 2023 hit-and-run in Queens. Rollins allegedly ran over Gary Charlotin, who was crossing Hempstead Ave., then stopped for two minutes before fleeing. According to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Rollins 'proceeded to speed away from the scene while dragging the victim's body, while the victim was still alive.' Bystanders pleaded for the driver to stop. The incident highlights the lethal consequences of driver inattention and failure to yield, as well as the dangers posed by drivers who flee crash scenes. The NYPD Highway Patrol investigated the fatality.

• Queens Driver Drags Pedestrian Three Blocks, NY Daily News, Published 2025-06-03

The city dropped plans to ban bikes on Rockaway’s boardwalk after fierce protest. Council Member Joann Ariola welcomed the reversal but demanded tougher enforcement against reckless cyclists. Locals pushed for clearer signs and marked lanes. The board voted for new safety measures.

On May 14, 2025, a proposed ban on bicycles along Rockaway Beach’s boardwalk was canceled after public backlash. The plan, discussed at a community board meeting, would have barred cyclists from Beach 108th to Beach 73rd Street during summer months. Council Member Joann Ariola, representing District 32, expressed relief at the reversal, stating, 'I’m glad that the Parks Department is going to continue allowing Rockaway residents to enjoy their bikes on the boardwalk this summer, but now we need real enforcement.' Instead of a ban, the Parks Department will increase signage and enforcement, especially near concessions. The community board voted 30-1 for new signs and called for marked bike lanes, an 8 mph speed limit, and clearer right-of-way rules. Board chair Dolores Orr stressed these safety improvements have been needed since the boardwalk’s post-Sandy rebuild.

• Controversial NYC boardwalk bicycle ban scrapped after local outrage, protests: ‘Bad timing’, nypost.com, Published 2025-05-14

A motorcycle slammed into a stopped sedan on Metropolitan Ave near Jackie Robinson Parkway. One rider was ejected and injured. Police cite following too closely and driver inexperience. The crash left broken bodies and battered metal in Queens before dawn.

A motorcycle traveling west on Metropolitan Ave struck the rear of a stopped sedan near Jackie Robinson Parkway. According to the police report, one 25-year-old male motorcycle driver was ejected and suffered a fractured leg. Four other occupants, including passengers in the sedan and another motorcycle occupant, sustained unspecified injuries. The police report lists 'Following Too Closely' and 'Driver Inexperience' as contributing factors. The motorcycle driver was wearing a helmet. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash underscores the danger when drivers fail to maintain safe distance and lack experience behind the wheel.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4812099, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-27

Lawmakers stripped Hochul’s safety plans from the state budget. No daylighting near schools. No lower bike lane speed limits. No new e-bike rules. City and state leaders bickered. Streets stay dangerous. Pedestrians and cyclists remain exposed. The system failed them again.

On May 9, 2025, during New York State’s $254-million budget negotiations, lawmakers rejected Governor Hochul’s proposed street safety measures. The legislature dropped a mandate for daylighting—banning parking at corners near elementary schools—deferring instead to New York City, where Council Member Julie Won’s universal daylighting bill faces opposition from the Department of Transportation. Assembly Member Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, herself a crash survivor, vowed to keep fighting for daylighting, saying, 'I think daylighting would have helped me.' Hochul’s proposals to let the city set lower bike lane speed limits and to reclassify heavy e-bikes as mopeds were also cut. Critics argued these would not address core safety issues. The Adams administration opposes a City Council bill for e-bike registration and plates, while State Sen. Jenifer Rajkumar’s state version would shift licensing to the DMV. As Ben Furnas of Transportation Alternatives put it, 'A daylighting requirement would have made intersections safer around elementary schools, and it’s disappointing that this provision was cut from the New York State budget.'

• Live from Albany: Hochul’s ‘Safety’ Measures Stripped from Budget, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-09

Council passed a bill forcing taxis and for-hire cars to post warnings on rear doors. The decals tell riders to watch for cyclists before swinging open. The law aims to cut dooring. Signs come free from the city. Cyclists face less risk.

Int 0193-2024, now at the Mayor's desk, moved through the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and passed the Council on May 1, 2025. The bill reads: 'requiring taxis and for-hire vehicles to display a decal warning passengers to look for cyclists when opening the door.' Lincoln Restler led as primary sponsor, joined by Jennifer Gutiérrez and a long list of co-sponsors. The Council voted overwhelmingly in favor. The law orders all taxis and for-hire vehicles to post warning decals on rear passenger doors, alerting riders to check for cyclists before opening. The Taxi and Limousine Commission will provide the signs at no cost. The measure targets dooring, a common threat to cyclists. The bill takes effect 120 days after becoming law.

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

A man crossed Linden Boulevard. A black car hit him and fled. Another car ran over him. He died in the hospital. The first driver vanished. The second stayed. Police search. The street stayed open. Blood on the asphalt.

Patch reported on May 1, 2025, that Christopher Gayton, 62, was killed at Linden Boulevard and 166 Street in Queens. He was struck by an eastbound black vehicle whose driver fled, then run over by a 2024 Ford Edge. The Ford's driver remained at the scene. Police said, 'Police are still searching for the first driver who fled the scene.' No charges have been filed. The NYPD Highway District's Collision Investigation Squad is investigating. The crash highlights the dangers of multi-lane arterial roads and the ongoing risks for pedestrians in Queens. No arrests have been made.

• Pedestrian Killed In Queens Double Collision, Patch, Published 2025-05-01

Council Member Joann Ariola blasted congestion pricing after a fatal subway stabbing. Assaults on trains are up. Riders feel trapped between danger and high tolls. Police patrols have grown, but fear lingers. The city’s most vulnerable face the risk underground.

On April 26, 2025, City Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola (District 32) publicly criticized New York’s congestion pricing policy, linking it to rising subway assaults. The event, covered by nypost.com, followed a fatal stabbing and NYPD data showing felony assaults up 9% this year. Ariola warned, 'Forcing more New Yorkers underground with this ridiculous congestion pricing scheme is going to put more people into contact with the dangerously unwell.' She called the subway the city's 'de facto mental institution and homeless shelter.' The policy, supported by Governor Hochul, has increased subway and bus ridership by 6% and 9%. Ariola’s stance: congestion pricing endangers vulnerable riders, forcing them into unsafe conditions. The city has responded with more police and outreach, but many riders remain fearful.

• Riders seeing ‘crazy s–t’ in NYC subways as ridership — and assaults — surge, nypost.com, Published 2025-04-26

A motorcycle roars through a red at Woodhaven Boulevard. Metal collides with flesh. A young woman, twenty-three, falls broken in the night. The street runs red. She dies there, as the city sleeps, struck down by speed and disregard.

According to the police report, a fatal crash occurred on Woodhaven Boulevard near 83rd Street in Queens at 2:20 a.m. A motorcycle, traveling north, 'barrels fast, ignoring the light.' The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors for the driver. The motorcycle struck a 23-year-old woman crossing at the intersection. The report states she was 'crossing against the signal,' but the focus remains on the driver's actions: running the light and speeding. The impact was severe, with the victim suffering fatal injuries to her entire body. The police narrative describes the scene: 'Metal strikes flesh. The street runs red. She dies there, whole body broken, as the city sleeps.' Driver error—disregard for traffic control and unsafe speed—stands at the center of this tragedy.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4808010, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-27

A Brooklyn man lost control on Belt Parkway. His SUV struck a tree near JFK. Emergency crews arrived but could not save him. The road stayed quiet. Police kept watch. The investigation continues.

The Brooklyn Paper reported on April 23, 2025, that a 57-year-old Brooklyn man died after crashing his SUV on the Belt Parkway near JFK Airport. Police said the driver "failed to navigate the roadway and struck a tree." Emergency services pronounced him dead at the scene. The NYPD's Highway District Collision Investigation Squad is handling the case, and no arrests have been made. The article highlights the crash location—westbound Belt Parkway, just west of 130th Street—and notes the ongoing investigation. The incident underscores the dangers present on high-speed parkways and the unforgiving design of tree-lined medians.

• Driver Dies After Belt Parkway Crash, The Brooklyn Paper, Published 2025-04-23

Metal bolts crashed through a windshield in Queens. Glass exploded over the passenger. The No. 7 train rumbled above. Danger rained down. This was not the first time. The system failed to shield those below.

ABC7 reported on April 21, 2025, that debris from the No. 7 subway train fell onto a car at Queens Plaza, shattering the windshield and denting the hood. Rahimi, the driver, said, "We were driving right off here. Something fell off the train, damaging the windshield." Passenger Malnick described, "A bolt hit and then right away just the sound of glass exploding and glass all over me." The incident echoes previous cases: in 2019, falling debris from elevated tracks struck vehicles three times in a month. The MTA responded then by intensifying inspections, but the problem persists. The agency now says it is investigating and will inspect the area. The repeated incidents highlight ongoing risks from aging infrastructure above city streets.

• Falling Subway Debris Strikes Car In Queens, ABC7, Published 2025-04-21

A fire truck turned onto Juniper Boulevard. It hit a man on a bike. He died there, on the street. Police are investigating. The crash happened in Middle Village, Queens. Metal met flesh. The city keeps moving.

ABC7 reported on April 20, 2025, that an FDNY truck struck and killed a bicyclist in Middle Village, Queens. The collision happened as the truck was 'turning onto Juniper Boulevard from 80th Street.' The victim, an adult male, was pronounced dead at the scene. The NYPD is investigating the incident. The article notes the truck's turning movement but does not detail further driver actions. This fatal crash highlights the risks at intersections where large vehicles and cyclists cross paths. No information was provided about charges or policy changes.

• FDNY Truck Strikes Cyclist In Queens, ABC7, Published 2025-04-20

A firetruck turned onto Juniper Boulevard. The wheels crushed a cyclist. Sirens wailed. Sheets covered the scene. Two firefighters stood stunned. The body lay beneath the truck. One life ended. The street stayed silent.

According to the New York Post (April 19, 2025), an FDNY Rescue Company 4 firetruck struck and killed a cyclist while turning onto Juniper Boulevard near Juniper Valley Park in Queens. The truck was responding to a call with lights and sirens. The victim, reportedly in his 50s, was pronounced dead at the scene after being trapped under the rear wheels. Photos showed the aftermath, with sheets covering the truck’s back wheels. A witness told the Post, “We stopped at the red light and there was the FDNY truck... One of them seemed concerned, like shaken, like shocked.” The incident is under investigation. The article highlights the risks at intersections and the dangers large emergency vehicles pose to vulnerable road users in city traffic.

• Firetruck Kills Cyclist Near Queens Park, New York Post, Published 2025-04-19

A Mercedes tore through a red light at 83 mph. It slammed into a BMW. The crash killed Justin Diaz, 23, on his way to work. The driver, Michael Pena, had a record of school zone speeding. He was high, drunk, and now faces prison.

NY Daily News (April 17, 2025) reports that Michael Pena, a former FDNY firefighter, drove 83 mph in a 25 mph zone and ran a red light, t-boning Justin Diaz’s BMW in Queens. Prosecutors revealed Pena had '25 tickets for speeding in school zones' in recent years. Surveillance showed both cars spinning out after the crash; Diaz died at Elmhurst Hospital. Pena tested positive for cocaine, marijuana, and had a blood-alcohol content of 0.156%. He faces 14 charges, including manslaughter and DWI. Diaz’s family called for stronger laws, with his mother stating, 'They need to look at the laws and see that people need to be charged accordingly.' Pena’s license was suspended and he was remanded to Rikers. The case highlights repeated driver violations and questions about enforcement and bail policy.

• Speeding Driver Kills Young Man In Queens, NY Daily News, Published 2025-04-17

Council passed a law forcing DOT to post updates on every street safety project. Each month, the public will see which projects are planned, which are stalled, and which are done. No more hiding delays or cost overruns. Sunlight on every mile.

Bill Int 1105-2024, now on the Mayor's desk, came through the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It was introduced November 13, 2024, and passed committee and full Council votes on April 10, 2025. The law, titled 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to tracking progress made towards the requirements of the streets master plan,' demands the Department of Transportation post annual and monthly updates on all benchmark projects—protected bike lanes, bus lanes, signals, and upgrades. Council Member Julie Won led as primary sponsor, joined by Brooks-Powers, Hanif, Ayala, and others. The law requires public reporting on project status, funding, delays, and overruns. This measure brings hard oversight and transparency to the city’s street safety promises.

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

Council calls on the MTA to study QueensLink. The project would reconnect Queens by rail. The vote passed. Lawmakers want answers on impact. Riders in transit deserts wait. The city pushes for data before tracks return.

Resolution 0059-2024, adopted by the City Council on April 10, 2025, urges the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to conduct a comprehensive Environmental Impact Study on the proposed QueensLink project. The resolution, handled by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced February 28, 2024. The matter title reads: 'Resolution calling upon the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to conduct a comprehensive Environmental Impact Study on the viability of the proposed QueensLink project.' Council Member Robert F. Holden led as primary sponsor, joined by Brooks-Powers, Ariola, Banks, Joseph, Gennaro, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. All committee members voted 'affirmative.' The QueensLink would restore 3.5 miles of dormant rail, linking northern and southern Queens, and could serve tens of thousands daily. The Council demands a full study before any track is laid, seeking facts on impact, cost, and safety for all who move through Queens.

• File Res 0059-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-10

A BMW and motorcycle collided on Woodhaven Boulevard. Both vehicles burned. The motorcyclist died at the scene. The BMW driver survived. No arrests. Police continue to investigate. The street bore the marks of violence and loss.

According to NY Daily News (published April 5, 2025), a BMW SUV and a motorcycle collided while traveling south on 60th Drive and Woodhaven Blvd. in Rego Park, Queens. The article reports, 'Both vehicles caught on fire, with only the car driver surviving the collision, police said.' Emergency services pronounced the motorcycle rider dead at the scene. The BMW driver was hospitalized in stable condition. No arrests have been made and police are still investigating. The crash highlights the lethal risks faced by vulnerable road users on major city corridors, underscoring ongoing dangers in street design and traffic enforcement.

• Motorcyclist Killed In Queens Collision Fire, NY Daily News, Published 2025-04-05

Metal screamed as an SUV slammed into a slowing Kia on Jackie Robinson Parkway. The SUV driver, a 35-year-old man, suffered a bruised back. The crash left twisted metal and flashing sirens in the night.

According to the police report, a 2023 Mitsubishi SUV traveling west on Jackie Robinson Parkway struck the rear center of a 2025 Kia that was slowing or stopping. The SUV driver, a 35-year-old man, was injured with a back contusion but remained conscious. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor in the crash. The SUV sustained center front-end damage, while the Kia was hit at the center back end. The driver was wearing a lap belt and harness and was not ejected. No other injuries or contributing victim behaviors were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4802817, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-27

A speeding firefighter ran a red light on Northern Boulevard. He slammed into Justin Diaz’s car. Diaz died. The driver was drunk, high, and off duty. He did not help. The city fired him. The family mourns and demands justice.

According to the New York Post (published March 29, 2025), probationary firefighter Michael Pena was fired after he drove drunk and high, ran a red light, and crashed into Justin Diaz’s car in Queens on February 26, 2025. Surveillance footage showed Pena’s Mercedes striking Diaz’s BMW at high speed, sending it skidding down the street. Diaz, 23, died. Pena admitted at the scene, 'I hit him. I ran the red light. And I'm a firefighter.' The FDNY cited conduct rules in his dismissal. The article highlights Pena’s failure to render aid and notes his attempt to invoke his firefighter status. The case raises questions about accountability for city employees and the dangers of impaired, reckless driving on city streets.

• Firefighter Runs Red, Kills Queens Motorist, New York Post, Published 2025-03-29