East Flatbush Bleeds—And City Hall Looks Away

Council orders DOT to repaint pavement lines within five days after resurfacing. Delays must be explained to the public. Clear markings mean fewer deadly crossings for walkers and riders.

Int 1160-2025, now enacted by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, forces the Department of Transportation to install pavement markings or temporary lines within five business days after any street resurfacing. The bill, sponsored by Farah N. Louis (primary) and co-sponsored by Brannan, Schulman, Banks, Farías, Carr, Ariola, and others, passed on March 15, 2025. The law demands annual reporting on compliance and reasons for any delay. The matter title reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to installing pavement markings.' Quick, visible lines cut confusion and protect people crossing or riding. The law took effect immediately.

• File Int 1160-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-01-08

Senate bill S 131 demands complete street design for state-funded projects. Sponsors push for safer roads. Guidance will go public. Streets could change. Pedestrians and cyclists stand to gain.

Senate bill S 131 was introduced on January 8, 2025, now in the sponsorship stage. The bill, titled 'Requires the consideration of complete street design for certain transportation projects which receive federal or state funding,' aims to force safer street planning. Primary sponsor Sean Ryan leads, joined by co-sponsors Jamaal Bailey, Jabari Brisport, Samra Brouk, Cordell Cleare, Leroy Comrie, Jeremy Cooney, Nathalia Fernandez, Michael Gianaris, Kristen Gonzalez, Robert Jackson, Rachel May, Kevin S. Parker, Christopher Ryan, and Luis R. Sepúlveda. The bill also orders the department to publish guidance on street design. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 131, Open States, Published 2025-01-08

A white Audi struck Michael Foster on Caton Avenue. The car dragged him for blocks. The driver never stopped. Foster died in the street. The Audi vanished into the night. No arrests. The city’s danger stays.

NY Daily News reported on January 1, 2025, that Michael Foster, 64, was killed after a white Audi hit him on Caton Ave. near Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn. The driver, described as speeding, dragged Foster for half a mile before leaving him near Linden Blvd. and Nostrand Ave. The article quotes a witness: "I saw him at the stop light. He would go out to the cars and beg for change." The driver fled the scene and has not been caught. No arrests have been made. The incident highlights the lethal risk for pedestrians in city streets and the ongoing issue of hit-and-run drivers evading responsibility.

• Audi Driver Drags Man Half Mile, NY Daily News, Published 2025-01-01

A turning vehicle cut across Bedford Avenue. The sedan driver took the hit. Back pain and whiplash followed. Metal twisted. The street stayed open. The system failed to protect.

According to the police report, a crash happened at 6:45 AM near 2193 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. A sedan heading south struck a vehicle making an improper right turn. The sedan’s left rear quarter panel and the turning vehicle’s left front bumper collided. The sedan driver, a 35-year-old man, suffered back injuries and whiplash. The report lists "Turning Improperly" and "Failure to Keep Right" as contributing factors, both driver errors. No other contributing factors or victim actions were noted. The crash left the sedan driver hurt and both vehicles damaged.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4782151 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A Dodge sedan struck from behind on Cortelyou Road. Rear passenger, thirty-one, sliced at the neck. Two sedans mangled, one parked car crushed. Blood on the seat, silence on the street. Distraction behind the wheel left violence in its wake.

A violent rear-end collision unfolded on Cortelyou Road near East 31st Street in Brooklyn, according to the police report. A Dodge sedan was struck from behind, leaving its left rear passenger, a 31-year-old man, with severe neck lacerations. The report states, 'A Dodge sedan struck from behind. Rear passenger, 31, gashed at the neck. Two sedans wrecked. One parked car crushed. Distraction behind the wheel.' The primary contributing factor cited is 'Driver Inattention/Distraction.' The impact also damaged a parked sedan. The police report makes no mention of passenger actions as contributing factors. The crash underscores the consequences of driver distraction, with blood and silence marking the aftermath.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4782167 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Metal groaned on Nostrand Avenue. Two cars trapped, one stacked atop the other. A bus driver, a woman, a girl—hurt but alive. Emergency crews worked fast. The street bore the scars. The cause stayed hidden in the wreckage.

NY Daily News reported on December 18, 2024, that a multi-vehicle crash at Nostrand Ave. and Park Ave. in Brooklyn left three people injured. The article states, 'Three people were injured, including an MTA bus driver and a young girl, in a collision that pinned two cars between a box truck and a city bus.' Footage showed two vehicles sandwiched between the bus and truck, with one car stacked atop another. The injured included a 59-year-old MTA driver, a 33-year-old woman, and a 9-year-old girl. All were hospitalized in stable condition. The cause of the crash was not determined at the time of reporting. The incident highlights the risks at busy intersections and the dangers posed by large vehicles in dense urban traffic.

• Cars Crushed Between Bus And Truck, NY Daily News, Published 2024-12-18

A corruption probe toppled Ingrid Lewis-Martin, City Hall’s top aide and a key road safety foe. Her resistance stalled the McGuinness Blvd. redesign, leaving pedestrians and cyclists at risk. Only after investigators seized phones did the city revive its safety plan.

This story centers on the McGuinness Boulevard safety redesign, a project to protect pedestrians and cyclists on a deadly Brooklyn street. No council bill number applies, but the saga unfolded across 2023 and 2024, with City Hall’s powerful aide Ingrid Lewis-Martin at the center. The matter: 'What role did a single bike lane play in Ingrid Lewis-Martin's undoing?' Lewis-Martin, Mayor Adams’s closest advisor, fought the road diet and bike lane, siding with Broadway Stages and its CEO Gina Argento, who opposed the plan. Under their pressure, Adams abandoned the Department of Transportation’s safety design. After both women’s phones were seized in a corruption probe, City Hall reversed course and advanced the safety project. The episode exposes how political interference delayed life-saving street changes, leaving vulnerable road users exposed to ongoing danger.

• The Lewis-Martin Probe and McGuinness Blvd.: What We Know, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-12-17

Power and money stalled safety on McGuinness Boulevard. A teacher died. Eleven pedestrians and three cyclists killed since 1995. City Hall caved to donors. Bike lanes and road diets delayed. Vulnerable road users paid the price. The fight continues.

This controversy centers on the McGuinness Boulevard safety redesign, with Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn (District 42) mentioned at a pivotal June 15, 2023, town hall. The saga unfolded as City Hall, under pressure from Broadway Stages and its donors, repeatedly stalled or watered down the Department of Transportation’s plan to calm the deadly Brooklyn roadway. The matter’s summary: 'Under pressure from Broadway Stages, Mayor Adams abandoned his own Department of Transportation's plan to calm the notoriously dangerous Brooklyn roadway.' Despite neighborhood support and a history of fatal crashes, City Hall intervened, delaying life-saving changes. Bichotte Hermelyn appeared alongside DOT Commissioner Rodriguez at a meeting dominated by project opponents. The watered-down redesign, installed north of Calyer Street, did 'nothing' for pedestrian safety, according to local officials. The pattern: political influence trumped safety, leaving vulnerable road users at risk.

• The Lewis-Martin Probe and McGuinness Blvd.: What We Know, streetsblog.org, Published 2024-12-17

A 14-year-old girl crossing with the signal suffered a neck contusion after a sedan making a left turn struck her at a Brooklyn intersection. The driver failed to yield right-of-way, causing serious injury despite no vehicle damage.

According to the police report, a 14-year-old female pedestrian was injured at the intersection of Nostrand Avenue and Tilden Avenue in Brooklyn at 18:12. The pedestrian was crossing with the signal when a 2024 sedan, traveling north and making a left turn, struck her with its center front end. The report explicitly cites the driver’s failure to yield right-of-way as the contributing factor. The pedestrian sustained a neck contusion and was conscious at the scene. The vehicle sustained no damage. The driver was licensed and from Massachusetts. This crash highlights the critical danger posed by drivers failing to yield to pedestrians legally crossing intersections.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4781114 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A truck changing lanes struck an SUV’s rear on Nostrand Avenue. The 72-year-old SUV driver suffered back injuries and whiplash. Both vehicles were damaged. The truck failed to maintain lane control.

According to the police report, a tractor truck traveling south on Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn changed lanes and struck the left rear bumper of a southbound SUV. The SUV driver, a 72-year-old man, was injured with back pain and whiplash but remained conscious. The truck’s right front bumper and the SUV’s left rear bumper were damaged. The report lists the truck driver’s pre-crash action as 'Changing Lanes,' indicating a failure to maintain lane control or yield. No contributing factors were listed for the SUV driver. The report does not cite any victim behavior as a factor.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4779633 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

An SUV making a left turn collided with a westbound motorscooter in Brooklyn. The motorscooter driver, a 42-year-old man wearing a helmet, suffered a fractured and dislocated lower arm injury. The SUV sustained right front bumper damage.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 12:00 in Brooklyn near 245 Lenox Rd. A 2021 Jeep SUV was making a left turn eastbound when it struck a westbound 2018 Vesp motorscooter going straight ahead. The point of impact was the SUV's right front quarter panel and the motorscooter's center front end. The motorscooter driver, a 42-year-old male wearing a helmet, sustained a fractured, distorted, and dislocated injury to his elbow, lower arm, and hand. The SUV driver, a licensed female, had no reported injuries. The report lists unspecified contributing factors but does not attribute fault to the motorscooter driver. The collision highlights the dangers posed by turning vehicles to vulnerable road users like motorscooter riders.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4779639 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Two SUVs crashed at Rogers Ave and Clarendon Rd. Four people hurt. Both drivers blew past traffic controls. Metal twisted. Bodies slammed. All survived. The cause: disregard for the rules.

According to the police report, two Nissan SUVs collided at 2:25 AM on Rogers Ave near Clarendon Rd in Brooklyn. Both drivers disregarded traffic controls. The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as the primary contributing factor for both. Four occupants—two drivers and two passengers—suffered whiplash and full-body injuries. All were conscious and restrained. The crash damaged the center front end of one SUV and the right front quarter panel of the other. No ejections occurred. The report highlights driver errors in ignoring traffic controls as the cause of the crash and resulting injuries.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4778709 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Maritza Davila endorsed Mark Levine’s run for Comptroller. Levine vows to cut living costs, build housing, and make streets safer. He supports congestion pricing and more cycling lanes. Davila’s support signals a push for citywide safety and accountability.

On December 12, 2024, Mark Levine announced his candidacy for New York City Comptroller. The campaign launch drew endorsements from Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Assembly Members Brian Cunningham and Maritza Davila, and others. The campaign summary states Levine will 'drive affordability, solve the housing crisis, support working families, demand fiscal responsibility, and make streets safer.' Davila, representing District 53, publicly backed Levine. Levine’s record includes advocacy for congestion pricing, e-commerce reform, and expanding cycling infrastructure. These stances align with efforts to protect vulnerable road users and reduce traffic violence. The campaign’s focus on safer streets and better transit marks a shift toward systemic change for New Yorkers.

• Mark Levine launches campaign for Comptroller, backed with citywide support, amny.com, Published 2024-12-12

A sedan making a right turn struck a westbound e-bike on Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn. The 36-year-old bicyclist was ejected and injured, suffering abrasions to his elbow and lower arm. Driver distraction was cited as a contributing factor.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 8:29 PM on Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn. A 2014 Ford sedan, driven by a licensed male driver, was making a right turn when it collided with a westbound 2021 Zhen e-bike. The point of impact was the sedan's right front quarter panel and the e-bike's left front quarter panel. The bicyclist, a 36-year-old man, was ejected from the e-bike and sustained abrasions to his elbow and lower arm, classified as injury severity level 3. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor to the collision. No other contributing factors related to the bicyclist were noted. The crash highlights the dangers posed by driver distraction during turning maneuvers in Brooklyn.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4777528 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

At a heated mayoral forum, Zellnor Myrie demanded a dedicated busway for Flatbush Avenue. Candidates slammed slow buses and empty promises. They called for more bus lanes, free rides, and less fare policing. Riders want action, not talk. Streets remain dangerous.

On December 6, 2024, a mayoral candidate forum spotlighted New York City's broken bus service. State Senator Zellnor Myrie, representing District 20, called for a dedicated busway on Brooklyn's Flatbush Avenue, echoing the success of Manhattan's 14th Street. The forum, hosted by Riders Alliance, saw candidates—including Myrie, Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, Jessica Ramos, Scott Stringer, and Jim Walden—debate urgent transit reforms. The matter: 'improving NYC's slow bus service.' Myrie and others backed more bus lanes, fare-free buses, and expanding Fair Fares for low-income riders. Mamdani vowed not to cave to local opposition. All criticized Mayor Adams for stalled bus projects. The forum exposed deep frustration with city inaction and highlighted the need for bold, street-level changes to protect riders and speed up commutes.

• Could a new mayor fix New York City's terrible bus service?, gothamist.com, Published 2024-12-06

Council bill bars cars from blocking crosswalks. No standing or parking within 20 feet. City must install daylighting barriers at 1,000 intersections yearly. Streets clear. Sightlines open. Danger cut.

Int 1138-2024, now laid over in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced December 5, 2024. The bill states: “prohibiting standing or parking a vehicle within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.” Council Member Erik D. Bottcher leads, joined by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and over two dozen co-sponsors. The law orders the Department of Transportation to install daylighting barriers at a minimum of 1,000 intersections each year, up from 100. The city must also run outreach and education. The bill aims to keep crosswalks clear, improve visibility, and protect people on foot and bike. No more hiding behind parked cars. The committee laid the bill over on April 21, 2025.

• File Int 1138-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-12-05

DOT built just 5.3 miles of new bus lanes in 2024. The law demands 30. Commissioner Rodriguez called it a great job. Critics slammed the city for falling short. Riders wait. Streets stay clogged. Vulnerable New Yorkers pay the price.

On December 4, 2024, DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez defended the agency’s bus lane record before critics. The Streets Master Plan requires 30 new miles of bus lanes each year. In 2024, DOT delivered only 5.3 miles—just 17 percent of the legal mandate. Rodriguez claimed, “We are doing a great job,” citing national comparisons and blaming delays on community board processes and local opposition, especially around the 96th Street project. State Sen. Jessica Ramos, Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, and State Sen. Zellnor Myrie condemned the city’s self-praise and legal failure. The matter title reads: ‘We Are Doing A Great Job’ … Falling Short of Bus Lane Requirement. Several projects are planned for 2025, but completion is uncertain. The city’s slow pace leaves bus riders and other vulnerable road users exposed to dangerous, congested streets.

• DOT Commish: ‘We Are Doing A Great Job’ … Falling Short of Bus Lane Requirement, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-12-04

Six mayoral hopefuls faced off on transit. They promised bus lanes, free buses, and fair fares. Each slammed the mayor’s record. They called for less fare enforcement, more service. Riders, not drivers, took center stage. Words flew. Streets stayed dangerous.

On December 3, 2024, six candidates for New York City mayor—Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, Scott Stringer, and Jim Walden—spoke at a Riders Alliance forum. The event focused on transit policy. Candidates pledged support for bus lanes, free buses, expanded Fair Fares, and shifting gas tax funds to mass transit. Lander vowed to end subway and street homelessness for the severely mentally ill by connecting them to stable housing. Mamdani promised a world-class bus network. Myrie pushed for citywide bus lanes. Ramos called for automatic Fair Fares registration. Stringer backed more bus routes. Walden opposed fare evasion crackdowns, urging resources go to service instead. All criticized Mayor Adams’ record on bus lanes and congestion pricing. The forum highlighted a united front for safer, more accessible transit, but offered no immediate relief for vulnerable road users.

• Promises, Promises: What the Candidates Said At The Transit Forum, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-12-03

Mayoral hopefuls hammered Eric Adams for broken bus lane promises. At a transit forum, they called out City Hall’s slow pace. The law demands 30 miles a year. Adams delivered half. Candidates pledged pro-transit reforms. Riders wait. Streets stay dangerous.

On December 3, 2024, a mayoral candidate forum on NYC bus service and transportation policy spotlighted City Hall’s failures. The event, organized by Riders Alliance, saw candidates attack Mayor Eric Adams for not meeting the Streets Master Plan law, which mandates 30 new miles of bus lanes each year. Adams’ administration installed only 15.7 miles last fiscal year. State Sen. Jessica Ramos said, 'The current mayor promised 150 miles of bus lanes and hasn't delivered.' Comptroller Brad Lander promised a 'professional, world-class DOT commissioner.' Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani vowed to resist business interests blocking bus projects. Sen. Zellnor Myrie, mentioned at the forum, made pro-transit promises. The forum exposed how political inaction and broken promises keep streets unsafe for bus riders and pedestrians.

• Mayoral candidates hit Adams on failed promises to boost NYC's bus service, gothamist.com, Published 2024-12-03

Six mayoral hopefuls faced off on transit. They clashed over congestion pricing, bus expansion, and subway safety. Zellnor Myrie pledged to defend congestion pricing. Others called for more police, more buses, and mental health teams. Streets and subways remain battlegrounds.

On December 3, 2024, at a Riders Alliance forum, six Democratic mayoral candidates—Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, Scott Stringer, and Jim Walden—debated New York City transit policy. The event focused on congestion pricing, set to begin January 5, and subway safety. The matter summary reads: 'NYC mayoral candidates participated in a transit-focused forum... discussing congestion pricing, subway safety, and transit upgrades.' Zellnor Myrie, representing District 20, criticized Mayor Adams for not defending congestion pricing and promised to support it regardless of federal politics. Ramos pushed for congestion pricing revenue to fund the MTA. Stringer called for bus expansion and DOT reform. Walden wanted more police and exemptions for seniors and disabled riders. Lander and Mamdani argued for housing and outreach teams over policing. The forum highlighted sharp divides on how to protect vulnerable New Yorkers on streets and subways.

• 2025 NYC mayoral candidates sound off on congestion pricing, subway safety, amny.com, Published 2024-12-03