Williamsburg Bleeds: Speed Kills, Leaders Stall, Children Pay

Jun 6 - Council calls for five mile per hour speed limit on Open Streets. Streets slow. Danger drops. Pedestrians and cyclists get space. Resolution adopted. Albany must act.

Res 0079-2024, adopted by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on June 6, 2024, urges Albany to let New York City set a five mile per hour speed limit on Open Streets. The resolution states: "authorize New York City to set a five mile per hour speed limit on streets participating in the Open Streets program." Council Member Shahana K. Hanif led as primary sponsor, joined by Amanda Farías, Crystal Hudson, Julie Won, and Carlina Rivera. The measure passed committee and full council on June 6. The bill aims to cut speed and risk where people walk, bike, and gather. The council's push now waits for state lawmakers and the governor.

• File Res 0079-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-06-06

Jun 6 - Council calls for five mile per hour speed limit on Open Streets. Streets slow. Danger drops. Pedestrians and cyclists get space. Resolution adopted. Albany must act.

Res 0079-2024, adopted by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on June 6, 2024, urges Albany to let New York City set a five mile per hour speed limit on Open Streets. The resolution states: "authorize New York City to set a five mile per hour speed limit on streets participating in the Open Streets program." Council Member Shahana K. Hanif led as primary sponsor, joined by Amanda Farías, Crystal Hudson, Julie Won, and Carlina Rivera. The measure passed committee and full council on June 6. The bill aims to cut speed and risk where people walk, bike, and gather. The council's push now waits for state lawmakers and the governor.

• File Res 0079-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-06-06

Jun 6 - Council calls for five mile per hour speed limit on Open Streets. Streets slow. Danger drops. Pedestrians and cyclists get space. Resolution adopted. Albany must act.

Res 0079-2024, adopted by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on June 6, 2024, urges Albany to let New York City set a five mile per hour speed limit on Open Streets. The resolution states: "authorize New York City to set a five mile per hour speed limit on streets participating in the Open Streets program." Council Member Shahana K. Hanif led as primary sponsor, joined by Amanda Farías, Crystal Hudson, Julie Won, and Carlina Rivera. The measure passed committee and full council on June 6. The bill aims to cut speed and risk where people walk, bike, and gather. The council's push now waits for state lawmakers and the governor.

• File Res 0079-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-06-06

Jun 6 - Lawmakers back speed cameras near Kingston schools. Cameras catch drivers who speed. The bill passed both chambers. It sunsets in 2029. Children and families walk safer, but the fix is temporary.

Senate Bill S 8607, titled 'Establishes a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the city of Kingston,' passed the Senate on June 6, 2024, and the Assembly on June 7, 2024. The bill, sponsored by Senator Michelle Hinchey, creates a camera program to catch speeding drivers near schools. The program ends December 31, 2029. The measure saw broad support in both chambers, but some lawmakers voted no. The bill aims to protect children and families on foot near schools, but its impact will end unless renewed. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 8607, Open States, Published 2024-06-06

Jun 4 - Lawmakers blasted city officials for letting trash haulers with deadly records win new contracts. Council grilled DSNY for picking low bids over safety. Victims’ lives lost in the math. Oversight weak. Dangerous firms keep rolling. Streets stay risky for all.

On June 4, 2024, the City Council held an oversight hearing on commercial waste zone implementation and contractor selection. The hearing spotlighted the Commercial Waste Zones law, which aims to cut crashes by limiting private trash haulers in each zone. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, author of the 2019 reform, and Council Member Shaun Abreu led the charge, questioning why companies like Cogent Waste Solutions—with poor safety records—were awarded contracts. Reynoso declared, "Saving $20 for a business is not worth five human lives." DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch defended the process, promising to terminate contracts after multiple at-fault fatalities. BIC Commissioner Liz Crotty admitted, "Safety is not a factor" in license denial. Lawmakers condemned the city for putting cost before safety, leaving vulnerable road users at risk.

• Pols Slam City For Giving Rogue Carters Permits for New Zones, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-06-04

Jun 3 - A dump truck backing unsafely on North 9 Street was struck by a westbound SUV. The truck’s front passenger suffered neck injuries and whiplash. The crash exposed the dangers of unsafe vehicle maneuvers in Brooklyn’s streets.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 6:48 AM on North 9 Street in Brooklyn. A dump truck was backing unsafely when it was struck by a westbound station wagon/SUV traveling straight ahead. The report lists 'Backing Unsafely' as the contributing factor, highlighting driver error by the truck operator. The SUV impacted the center back end of the truck, causing damage to the SUV’s center front end. The front passenger in the dump truck, a 33-year-old male, was injured with neck trauma and whiplash but was not ejected and was conscious at the scene. He was restrained with a lap belt and harness. The report does not cite any contributing factors related to the passenger or other road users, focusing solely on the truck driver’s unsafe backing maneuver as the cause.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4730082 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jun 3 - Senate backs S 9718. Bill orders safe street design for all. Cyclists, walkers, and riders get new protections. Some senators vote no. The car’s grip loosens, but danger remains.

Senate bill S 9718, titled 'Enables safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles,' passed committee votes on May 28 and June 3, 2024. Primary sponsor Sean Ryan, with co-sponsors Liz Krueger, Monica Martinez, Jack M. Martins, Anthony H. Palumbo, and Julia Salazar, pushed the measure. The bill mandates street designs that protect everyone, not just drivers. Most senators voted yes, but a block of no votes showed resistance. The bill’s language centers vulnerable users. It marks a shift: streets must serve people, not just cars.

• File S 9718, Open States, Published 2024-06-03

Jun 3 - Senate backs S 9718. Bill orders safe street design for all. Cyclists, walkers, and riders get new protections. Some senators vote no. The car’s grip loosens, but danger remains.

Senate bill S 9718, titled 'Enables safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles,' passed committee votes on May 28 and June 3, 2024. Primary sponsor Sean Ryan, with co-sponsors Liz Krueger, Monica Martinez, Jack M. Martins, Anthony H. Palumbo, and Julia Salazar, pushed the measure. The bill mandates street designs that protect everyone, not just drivers. Most senators voted yes, but a block of no votes showed resistance. The bill’s language centers vulnerable users. It marks a shift: streets must serve people, not just cars.

• File S 9718, Open States, Published 2024-06-03

May 30 - A box truck veered distractedly on the BQE, smashing its rear quarter into a motorcycle. The rider, 33, stayed upright but suffered a fractured arm and hand. The truck driver failed to pay attention. The road did not forgive.

According to the police report, a crash occurred at 22:20 on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. A 33-year-old male motorcycle driver was injured, sustaining a fracture and dislocation to his elbow, lower arm, and hand. The report cites the box truck driver's errors as 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Turning Improperly' while changing lanes northbound. The motorcycle was traveling straight ahead when the truck's right rear quarter panel struck its right front bumper. The motorcycle driver was conscious and not ejected but suffered serious injuries. No contributing factors related to the motorcycle driver were noted in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4732009 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

May 28 - Senate backs S 9718. Bill orders safe street design for all. Cyclists, walkers, and riders get new protections. Some senators vote no. The car’s grip loosens, but danger remains.

Senate bill S 9718, titled 'Enables safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles,' passed committee votes on May 28 and June 3, 2024. Primary sponsor Sean Ryan, with co-sponsors Liz Krueger, Monica Martinez, Jack M. Martins, Anthony H. Palumbo, and Julia Salazar, pushed the measure. The bill mandates street designs that protect everyone, not just drivers. Most senators voted yes, but a block of no votes showed resistance. The bill’s language centers vulnerable users. It marks a shift: streets must serve people, not just cars.

• File S 9718, Open States, Published 2024-05-28

May 24 - A moped driver suffered knee and lower leg injuries after an improper left turn collided with a northbound taxi on Lorimer Street in Brooklyn. The moped driver was in shock and bleeding, with no damage reported to either vehicle.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 10:15 on Lorimer Street in Brooklyn involving a taxi and a moped. The moped driver, a 31-year-old male with a permit license, was making a left turn when the collision happened. The taxi, driven by a licensed male driver, was traveling straight north. The report identifies 'Turning Improperly' as the contributing factor, indicating the moped driver’s error in executing the turn. The moped driver sustained injuries to the knee, lower leg, and foot, experienced shock, and had minor bleeding. Neither vehicle showed damage upon impact. The taxi driver was uninjured. The report does not list any victim behaviors as contributing factors, focusing the cause on the moped driver’s improper turning maneuver.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4727771 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

May 23 - A sedan struck an e-bike rider as the cyclist started from parking on Ainslie Street in Brooklyn. The e-bike driver suffered knee and lower leg injuries. Police cited the sedan driver’s failure to yield right-of-way as the cause.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 14:50 on Ainslie Street in Brooklyn. The e-bike, traveling south, was starting from parking when it was struck on the right side doors by a sedan traveling east. The sedan's point of impact was its center front end. The e-bike driver, a 40-year-old male, sustained injuries to his knee, lower leg, and foot, described as contusions and bruises. He was conscious and not ejected from the vehicle. The police report explicitly cites 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' by the sedan driver as the contributing factor. No other contributing factors were specified, and no victim behaviors were noted as contributing. The collision highlights the dangers posed by drivers failing to yield to vulnerable road users starting from parking positions.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4728803 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

May 21 - Lawmakers back speed cameras near Kingston schools. Cameras catch drivers who speed. The bill passed both chambers. It sunsets in 2029. Children and families walk safer, but the fix is temporary.

Senate Bill S 8607, titled 'Establishes a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the city of Kingston,' passed the Senate on June 6, 2024, and the Assembly on June 7, 2024. The bill, sponsored by Senator Michelle Hinchey, creates a camera program to catch speeding drivers near schools. The program ends December 31, 2029. The measure saw broad support in both chambers, but some lawmakers voted no. The bill aims to protect children and families on foot near schools, but its impact will end unless renewed. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 8607, Open States, Published 2024-05-21

May 17 - A Honda SUV turned left across Union Avenue. A woman pedaled straight. Metal struck flesh. She flew, head slamming down. Blood pooled on South 2nd Street. Shock swallowed her. The city kept moving. The driver failed to yield.

A collision occurred at Union Avenue and South 2nd Street in Brooklyn when, according to the police report, a Honda SUV 'turned left' while a 26-year-old woman on a bike 'went straight.' The report states, 'Metal met bone. She flew. Her head struck. Blood pooled. Shock took her.' The cyclist suffered a head injury with severe bleeding and was ejected from her bike. Police cite 'Alcohol Involvement' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as contributing factors. The SUV's point of impact was the center front end, while the bike was struck on the left front quarter panel. The report does not list any cyclist behaviors as contributing factors. The focus remains on the driver's left turn and failure to yield, compounded by alcohol involvement.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4726548 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

May 16 - SUV driver distracted. Failed to yield. Hit cyclist head-on. Cyclist suffered facial abrasions. Blood on the street. Brooklyn night. System failed the vulnerable.

According to the police report, a crash occurred at 290 Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn at 8:10 p.m. An SUV, parked before the incident, struck a 39-year-old male bicyclist traveling east. The cyclist was injured, suffering abrasions to the face but remained conscious and was not ejected. The report lists "Driver Inattention/Distraction" and "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way" as contributing factors. The SUV was hit on its left side doors, while the bike was damaged at the center front. The police report highlights driver distraction and failure to yield as the primary causes. No contributing actions by the cyclist are noted.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4727778 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

May 16 - Council moves to light up step streets. At least 25 stairways each year will get new lamps. Dark paths become visible. Pedestrians gain ground. Shadows shrink. Danger loses its cover.

Int 0875-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after introduction on May 16, 2024. The bill reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the installation of pedestrian lighting on step streets.' Prime sponsor Joann Ariola, joined by sixteen co-sponsors, pushes for at least 25 step streets to be lit each year until all are covered. Step streets are open-air staircases linking streets at different heights. The bill aims to strip darkness from these paths, making them safer for people on foot. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File Int 0875-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-05-16

May 16 - Queens lawmakers demand more express buses before the $15 congestion toll hits. They say MTA left Queens behind. Riders in transit deserts face long, costly trips. Lawmakers call the exclusion unacceptable. They want fair service before new fees begin.

On May 16, 2024, ten Queens lawmakers, including Julia Salazar (District 18), urged the MTA to expand express bus service to Queens before the $15 Manhattan congestion toll starts. The group wrote to MTA chairman Janno Lieber, stating, "Express buses play a vital role in Queens’ public transit network and only stand to become even more pivotal in the near and distant future." They criticized the MTA for boosting express bus service in Brooklyn and Staten Island but not Queens, calling the exclusion "unacceptable." The lawmakers stressed that many southeast and northeast Queens residents lack subway access and rely on express buses to reach Midtown. They argued the 10 percent LIRR discount is no substitute for robust bus service. Salazar and her colleagues support congestion pricing but insist its success depends on expanded, equitable transit for all vulnerable riders.

• Queens lawmakers demand more MTA bus service to Manhattan before $15 congestion toll begins, nypost.com, Published 2024-05-16

May 16 - Council moves to light up step streets. At least 25 stairways each year will get new lamps. Dark paths become visible. Pedestrians gain ground. Shadows shrink. Danger loses its cover.

Int 0875-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after introduction on May 16, 2024. The bill reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the installation of pedestrian lighting on step streets.' Prime sponsor Joann Ariola, joined by sixteen co-sponsors, pushes for at least 25 step streets to be lit each year until all are covered. Step streets are open-air staircases linking streets at different heights. The bill aims to strip darkness from these paths, making them safer for people on foot. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File Int 0875-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-05-16

May 13 - Two sedans collided in Brooklyn at dusk. The female driver suffered a head injury and concussion. Police cited unsafe speed as a contributing factor. Impact occurred at the right rear bumper. The crash left one occupant injured and conscious.

According to the police report, the crash occurred in Brooklyn near Ten Eyck Street at 7:20 p.m. Two sedans traveling east collided, with impact at the right rear bumper. The injured party was a 27-year-old female driver who sustained a head injury and concussion but was conscious and not ejected. The report identifies 'Unsafe Speed' as a contributing factor to the collision. Both vehicles were initially parked before the crash, indicating driver error in vehicle movement or control. No other contributing factors were specified. The report focuses on driver actions leading to the collision and does not attribute fault to the injured driver.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4724740 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

May 8 - A 38-year-old woman crossing with the signal was struck by a northbound bicyclist on Metropolitan Avenue. The pedestrian suffered a head injury and remained conscious. The crash involved confusion or error by the pedestrian, according to the police report.

At approximately 8:15 AM on Metropolitan Avenue near Havemeyer Street, a 38-year-old female pedestrian was injured when struck by a northbound bicyclist. According to the police report, the pedestrian was crossing with the signal but was involved in a crash attributed to "Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion." The bicyclist, a single occupant female licensed in New York, was traveling straight ahead and impacted the pedestrian at the left front bumper area. The pedestrian sustained a head injury and was conscious following the collision. The report does not cite any driver errors such as failure to yield or speeding. Vehicle damage was not reported. The contributing factor listed focuses on pedestrian confusion rather than bicyclist fault, with no mention of helmet use or other victim behaviors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4723211 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19