Williamsburg Bleeds—And City Hall Lets It Happen

Williamsburg: Jan 1, 2022 - Jun 4, 2025

Blood on the Asphalt

In Williamsburg, the toll does not stop. Three dead. Ten left with serious injuries. In the last twelve months, 242 people have been hurt in crashes. Two of the dead were in their forties and fifties. One was a man on a bike, crushed and left unconscious on Kent Avenue. Another was a driver, gone before dawn on Lorimer Street. A 26-year-old woman, walking where she should have been safe, was struck and left bleeding on Hope Street. A pair of teenagers, riding a bike together, were thrown and cut open on Driggs Avenue. The numbers are not just numbers. They are lives, broken and ended. NYC Open Data

The Machines That Kill

Cars and trucks did most of the damage. Sedans, SUVs, and trucks together caused the bulk of pedestrian injuries. Bikes and mopeds hurt people too, but the steel and speed of cars leave the deepest wounds. In one crash, a truck flipped on the BQE, downed a pole, and set off a chain of collisions. “A truck had downed a pole, triggering another crash on the opposite side of the expressway,” reported the NY Daily News. One person was taken to Woodhull Hospital. The road was left scattered with debris and fear.

What Has Been Done—And What Has Not

Local leaders have tools. Albany passed Sammy’s Law. The city can now lower speed limits to 20 mph. But the limit in Williamsburg is still higher. Speed cameras, proven to cut speeding and injuries, are at risk if Albany does not act again. The city has redesigned intersections and added some protected bike lanes, but the pace is slow. The carnage is not. Every day of delay is another day someone does not come home.

The Next Step Is Yours

This is not fate. It is policy. Call your council member. Call the mayor. Demand a 20 mph speed limit. Demand more cameras, more safe crossings, more protected lanes. Do not wait for another name to be added to the list. Take action now.