Blood on Broadway: Slow the Cars, Save the Living

Washington Heights (South): Jan 1, 2022 - Jul 16, 2025

The Toll in Blood and Bone

In Washington Heights (South), the numbers do not flinch. Four people killed. Fourteen left with serious injuries. Since 2022, there have been 1,655 crashes. The dead do not speak. The wounded limp, or do not walk at all.

A 76-year-old man was killed crossing Broadway. The car kept going straight. The man did not. No policy brought him back (NYC Open Data).

A cyclist, 73, died on Saint Nicholas Avenue. He was riding north. The bike did not survive. Neither did he (NYC Open Data).

Most of the pain falls on the young and working-age. In the last year, 239 people were hurt. Two died. The streets do not care who you are.

Who Bears the Blame? Who Bears the Cost?

Cars and SUVs did the most harm. They killed. They broke bodies. Trucks and motorcycles followed. Bikes, too, left scars, but the numbers are small. The city blames speed. The city blames distraction. The city blames the dead for crossing wrong. But the dead cannot answer.

What Leaders Have Done—and What They Haven’t

Local leaders have taken steps. Senator Robert Jackson voted yes to extend school speed zones and to require speed limiters for repeat speeders. Assembly Member Al Taylor co-sponsored the speed limiter bill. These are steps, not leaps.

The city touts a drop in deaths. “Traffic deaths reached the lowest level in recorded history during the first six months of this year,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez (DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said). But the bodies still fall. The pain is not gone. The work is not done.

The Next Step Is Yours

Call your council member. Call your senator. Demand a 20 mph speed limit. Demand real protection for people who walk and bike. The city moves slow. The cars move fast. Only you can force the change.