East Midtown Bleeds While Leaders Stall

Oct 16 - Two sedans slammed together on East 53rd. Both drivers erred in lane use. One man took a blow to the head, shaken and in pain. Metal twisted. The street bore witness.

According to the police report, two sedans collided at 8:10 AM on East 53rd Street in Manhattan. One driver was making a left turn, the other going straight. Both were cited for 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper.' The crash struck the right side doors of one car and the left front bumper of the other. A 46-year-old male driver suffered a head injury and shock, reporting pain or nausea. Both drivers held New York licenses. The report lists improper lane usage by both drivers as the cause. No contributing factors were attributed to the injured driver beyond the cited driver errors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4763845 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Oct 15 - A moped hit a 41-year-old man riding a bike west on East 49th. The crash left the cyclist bruised and limping. No helmet. No listed driver errors. Manhattan street, hard impact.

According to the police report, a moped collided with a 41-year-old male bicyclist near 309 East 49th Street in Manhattan at 19:10. The bicyclist, riding westbound, suffered contusions and bruises to his knee, lower leg, and foot. The moped struck the cyclist at an unspecified point of impact. No contributing factors or driver errors are listed in the report. The bicyclist was unlicensed and wore no safety equipment, as noted after the absence of driver errors. The moped had no occupants at the time of the crash. The report documents the cyclist as conscious and not ejected. The incident underscores the dangers faced by vulnerable road users in Manhattan traffic.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4763693 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Oct 15 - A taxi struck the back of a stopped bus on 2nd Avenue in Manhattan. The taxi driver suffered neck injuries and shock. Police cited following too closely as the cause. The bus was halted in traffic when hit from behind.

According to the police report, a taxi traveling south on 2nd Avenue rear-ended a bus that was stopped in traffic. The collision occurred at 9:52 AM in Manhattan near zip code 10022. The taxi driver, a 45-year-old man, was injured with neck pain and experienced shock. He was wearing a lap belt and harness at the time. The report identifies 'Following Too Closely' as the contributing factor, indicating driver error by the taxi operator. The bus, also traveling south, was stationary when struck. The taxi sustained damage to its center front end, while the bus was damaged at its center back end. The taxi driver was licensed, but the SUV involved in the crash was driven by an unlicensed driver, though the SUV was not directly involved in this impact. No pedestrian or cyclist was involved or cited as contributing to the crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4763679 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Oct 5 - A sedan hit a man crossing with the signal at Lexington Avenue. The impact broke and dislocated his leg and foot. He stayed conscious. The car’s right front bumper took the blow.

According to the police report, a 45-year-old man was crossing Lexington Avenue in Manhattan with the signal when a southbound sedan struck him at 8:00 AM. The sedan hit the pedestrian with its right front bumper, causing fractures and dislocations to his knee, lower leg, and foot. The man remained conscious after the crash. The report lists unspecified contributing factors and does not cite explicit driver errors. The collision at a signalized intersection underscores the persistent risks pedestrians face on Manhattan’s streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4761162 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 26 - A helmeted e-scooter rider was ejected and injured when an SUV made a left turn on 2 Avenue. The driver’s inattention caused a violent impact to the rider’s shoulder and upper arm, leaving abrasions and serious injury.

According to the police report, the crash occurred on 2 Avenue near East 56 Street in Manhattan at 6:50 AM. A 34-year-old male riding an e-scooter southbound was struck by a 2022 Honda SUV making a left turn in the same direction. The report cites "Driver Inattention/Distraction" as the contributing factor. The e-scooter rider, wearing a helmet, was ejected from the vehicle and sustained upper arm and shoulder injuries classified as severity level 3, along with abrasions. The SUV sustained front center-end damage. The report does not list any contributing factors related to the victim’s behavior, placing full emphasis on the driver’s failure to maintain attention during the turn.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4759661 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 26 - Council ends jaywalking penalties. Pedestrians now cross anywhere, any time. No summons. Law strips drivers of excuses. Streets shift. Power tilts to people on foot.

Int 0346-2024, now enacted, rewrites New York’s pedestrian rules. The bill, heard by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, passed on September 26, 2024, and became law on October 26, 2024. Its title: “A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to pedestrian crossing guidelines and right of way.” Sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán and co-sponsored by Narcisse, Won, Hanif, Hudson, and Restler, the law lets pedestrians cross streets anywhere, even against signals. No more tickets for crossing outside crosswalks. The Department of Transportation must educate all street users on new rights and responsibilities. The law removes a tool police used to target walkers. It shifts blame from people on foot to the system and those behind the wheel.

• File Int 0346-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-09-26

Sep 24 - Taxi driver, distracted, struck a 29-year-old woman riding west on East 51st. She hit the taxi’s side, suffered shoulder bruises. Police blame driver inattention. The street turned violent in a blink.

A taxi collided with a 29-year-old female bicyclist on East 51st Street in Manhattan at 9:10 AM. According to the police report, the taxi was parked, then moved, and was struck on its right side doors by the cyclist’s front wheel as both traveled west. The bicyclist suffered shoulder and upper arm contusions. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' twice as the sole contributing factor, pointing to the taxi driver's errors. The cyclist wore a helmet, as noted in the report, but no cyclist errors were cited. This crash underscores the danger posed by inattentive drivers to people on bikes.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4758428 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 23 - A 28-year-old woman suffered a fractured knee and lower leg after being struck while crossing 2 Avenue at East 57 Street. She was conscious but seriously hurt, with dislocations and fractures to her lower extremity. The driver’s errors remain unspecified.

According to the police report, a 28-year-old female pedestrian was injured at the intersection of 2 Avenue and East 57 Street in Manhattan at 3:10 PM. She was crossing with the signal when the collision occurred, sustaining a fracture, distortion, and dislocation to her knee, lower leg, and foot. The report lists no contributing factors attributed to the pedestrian. The vehicle involved is unspecified, and no driver errors or contributing factors such as failure to yield or speeding are documented in the data. The victim was conscious at the scene and suffered serious lower extremity injuries. The absence of identified driver errors in the report highlights systemic dangers at this intersection but does not assign fault to the pedestrian.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4758749 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 15 - A taxi and an e-scooter collided on East 57th Street in Manhattan. The e-scooter driver, a 20-year-old man, was ejected and sustained abrasions and upper leg injuries. Both vehicles were traveling straight before impact at the front ends.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 13:21 on East 57th Street near 2 Avenue in Manhattan. A taxi traveling west and an e-scooter traveling south collided head-on, with impact on the taxi's right front bumper and the e-scooter's center front end. The e-scooter driver, a 20-year-old male, was ejected from his vehicle and suffered abrasions and injuries to his hip and upper leg. He was conscious at the scene. Both drivers were licensed and traveling straight ahead prior to the collision. The report lists unspecified contributing factors but does not indicate any pedestrian or victim fault. The data highlights the dangers of interactions between motorized vehicles and micromobility devices in busy urban streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4755911 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 9 - A 76-year-old woman suffered upper leg injuries and shock after a cyclist struck her at an East 58th Street intersection. The crash unfolded as the cyclist failed to yield right-of-way, compounding driver inattention and distraction.

According to the police report, a collision occurred at 3:50 PM on East 58th Street in Manhattan involving a bicycle and a 76-year-old female pedestrian. The pedestrian was injured in the hip and upper leg area and experienced shock. The report cites 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors to the crash. The pedestrian was located at the intersection, described as 'Getting On/Off Vehicle Other Than School Bus' at the time of impact. The cyclist was traveling south, going straight ahead, and struck the pedestrian with the center front end of the bike. The report does not list any contributing factors related to the pedestrian's behavior or safety equipment. The incident highlights driver errors, specifically failure to yield and distraction, as central causes of the injury.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4760476 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 6 - A woman walking outside an intersection on 1 Avenue suffered knee and lower leg injuries after an e-scooter collided with her front center. The driver’s inattention caused the crash, leaving the pedestrian bruised but conscious.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 17:18 on 1 Avenue near East 58 Street in Manhattan. A female pedestrian was injured with contusions and trauma to her knee, lower leg, and foot after being struck by an e-scooter traveling southbound. The report identifies 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the sole contributing factor, cited twice, indicating the e-scooter operator failed to maintain proper attention. The pedestrian was located outside an intersection and engaged in 'Other Actions in Roadway' at the time of impact. The e-scooter sustained no damage, and the driver was licensed in New York. The victim remained conscious but suffered injury severity level 3. No victim behaviors were listed as contributing factors. This incident highlights the dangers posed by distracted e-scooter operators to pedestrians outside crosswalks.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4753537 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 28 - A 27-year-old woman bicyclist was ejected and injured with abrasions and lower leg trauma after a collision on Manhattan’s 2 Avenue. The crash involved a distracted driver making a left turn, causing impact to the bike’s front center.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 20:14 on 2 Avenue near East 57 Street in Manhattan. The injured party was a 27-year-old female bicyclist traveling southbound, riding straight ahead when struck. The report identifies 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor, specifically noting a vehicle making a left turn with no damage reported to that vehicle. The bicyclist was ejected from her bike, suffering abrasions and injuries to her knee, lower leg, and foot. The bike sustained damage to its center front end. The report does not list any contributing factors related to the bicyclist’s behavior or safety equipment. The incident highlights the dangers posed by distracted drivers to vulnerable road users.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4751636 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 19 - Locals and leaders want the parking lot under the FDR Drive gone. They demand public space, not car storage. The city brought cars back after flood wall work. Residents call it a missed chance. They want a waterfront for people.

On August 19, 2024, Manhattan’s Community Board 6 and Council Member Keith Powers pushed to convert the parking lot under the FDR Drive, between E. 18th and E. 23rd streets, into public space. The lot, closed for years during flood wall construction, reopened for parking despite calls for change. The matter summary reads: 'An underused parking lot below the FDR Drive should finally turn into a community space instead of car storage, according to residents and politicians.' Sandy McKee, CB6 chair, said, 'If we took away the cars, it would be a visible connection through to the waterfront.' Powers backed the move, stressing the need for public access. The board sent a resolution to the Economic Development Corporation. The city claims it still needs the space for construction and right-of-way management. No formal bill number or committee is listed. The push echoes similar highway conversions in Toronto and Brooklyn.

• Parking Lot Under the FDR Should Become Public Space: Locals, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-08-19

Aug 15 - City law now forces DOT to reveal where bikes and scooters go. Streets and bridges, protected or not. Data goes public. Riders’ movement, danger, and safety projects laid bare. No more hiding the facts.

Int 0745-2024, now enacted, came through the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It was introduced April 11, 2024, and passed on August 15, 2024. The law orders the Department of Transportation to post current bicycle and micromobility ridership data online, updated monthly or at least yearly. The matter summary reads: 'requiring the department of transportation to provide information about bicycle and other micromobility device activity.' Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers led as primary sponsor, joined by Farías, Restler, Hudson, Schulman, and others. The law demands transparency on where riders travel and what DOT does to keep them safe. This opens the books on bike movement and exposes gaps in protection.

• File Int 0745-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-08-15

Aug 13 - A 37-year-old female bicyclist was ejected and injured after an SUV made a left turn on East 58th Street in Manhattan. The impact hit the bike’s front center and the SUV’s left side doors. Driver distraction was cited as a factor.

According to the police report, at 9:53 AM on East 58th Street near 2 Avenue in Manhattan, a 2018 Nissan SUV driven by a licensed female driver was making a left turn when it struck a southbound bicyclist traveling straight ahead. The point of impact was the SUV’s left side doors and the bike’s center front end. The bicyclist, a 37-year-old woman, was ejected from her bike and sustained head injuries and abrasions. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor to the crash. No other contributing factors related to the bicyclist were specified. The collision highlights the dangers posed by distracted driving during turning maneuvers in busy city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4747926 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 8 - SUV slammed into a cyclist’s front wheel on East 45th. The rider flew off, hit his head, and scraped skin. Police blame driver distraction and bad lane use. The street turned violent in seconds.

According to the police report, an SUV struck a 36-year-old male bicyclist on East 45th Street in Manhattan at 8:00 AM. Both vehicles were heading west. The SUV’s right rear quarter panel collided with the bike’s front end. The cyclist was partially ejected, suffering head injuries and abrasions. The report lists 'Passenger Distraction' and 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' as contributing factors, pointing to driver error. The cyclist was not wearing safety equipment, but this was not cited as a cause. The SUV carried two people and was traveling straight ahead at impact. Damage was noted to the SUV’s right rear and the bike’s front.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4746550 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jul 30 - A 27-year-old man suffered severe leg injuries while crossing East 50 Street at an intersection. The pedestrian was struck despite crossing with the signal. The crash left him conscious but with fractures and dislocations to his lower leg and foot.

According to the police report, a 27-year-old male pedestrian was injured at the intersection of East 50 Street and 2 Avenue in Manhattan at 9:50 p.m. The pedestrian was crossing with the signal when he was struck, resulting in fractures and dislocations to his knee, lower leg, and foot. The pedestrian remained conscious after the crash. The report does not specify the vehicle type or driver details, nor does it list any contributing factors such as driver errors or pedestrian fault. The absence of noted driver errors in the report leaves the circumstances of the collision unclear, but the pedestrian was legally crossing with the signal at the time of impact.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4744694 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jul 26 - A dump truck slammed into a cyclist on East 57th. The rider took full-body injuries. Police cite driver distraction and blocked views. Heavy steel met flesh. The street stayed open. The danger stayed real.

According to the police report, a dump truck traveling west on East 57th Street near 2 Avenue struck a southbound bicyclist at 5:42 AM. The cyclist, a 56-year-old man, suffered abrasions and trauma to his entire body but remained conscious and was not ejected. The report lists 'View Obstructed/Limited' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The truck's right front bumper hit the bike's left front quarter panel. The cyclist wore a helmet. No vehicle damage was reported. The crash highlights the threat posed by large trucks and distracted driving to vulnerable road users.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4743285 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jul 25 - A taxi and a sedan collided on FDR Drive at midnight. The sedan driver was merging when impact struck the taxi’s right front bumper. A 59-year-old female passenger suffered back injuries and whiplash, restrained by a lap belt and harness.

According to the police report, the crash occurred on FDR Drive around midnight involving a 2022 Honda sedan and a 2015 Toyota taxi, both traveling north. The sedan driver was merging when the collision occurred, striking the taxi’s right front bumper with the sedan’s left front quarter panel. The report cites 'Tinted Windows' as a contributing factor, potentially impairing the sedan driver's visibility. The taxi carried four occupants, and the sedan had one driver. A 59-year-old female passenger in the sedan, seated in the right rear, was injured with back trauma and whiplash. She was restrained by a lap belt and harness and remained conscious. The police report does not indicate any fault or contributing behavior from the passenger. The collision’s impact damaged the left side doors of the sedan and the right front quarter panel of the taxi.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4743043 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jul 24 - State Sen. Jeremy Cooney calls out Governor Hochul. He demands a 100-day plan to fill the $16.5 billion MTA gap left by her congestion pricing pause. Projects for safer, more accessible transit hang in the balance. Albany leaders mostly stay silent.

On July 24, 2024, State Sen. Jeremy Cooney, new chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, issued a public demand for Governor Hochul to deliver a '100-day plan' to replace the $16.5 billion MTA funding shortfall caused by her cancellation of congestion pricing. In his op-ed, Cooney wrote, 'the time for debating the merits of congestion pricing has passed,' urging the governor to convene finance, labor, and passenger representatives to find a solution. Cooney’s push comes as the MTA faces threats to station accessibility, signal upgrades, and new trains and buses. Other Albany leaders, including Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate President Andrea Stewart-Cousins, have offered little response. Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger called Hochul’s move illegal. The bill or action is not numbered, but the committee involved is the Senate Transportation Committee. No direct safety analyst note was provided, but the loss of funding jeopardizes projects vital to vulnerable road users.

• Hochul Must Put Up or Shut Up on Congestion Pricing, New Senate Transportation Chair Says, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-07-24