Queens Streets Bleed While City Hall Sleeps

A 32-year-old male driver suffered back injuries and whiplash after his SUV struck an object on Grand Central Parkway. The vehicle's left front bumper and center front end were damaged. The driver was conscious and restrained by a lap belt.

According to the police report, a 32-year-old male driver operating a 2019 Ford SUV was traveling westbound on Grand Central Parkway when the vehicle impacted an object with its left front bumper. The driver was not ejected and was wearing a lap belt. He sustained back injuries and complained of whiplash, classified as injury severity level 3. The report lists no specific contributing factors or driver errors. The vehicle sustained damage to the center front end. The driver was licensed in New York and was going straight ahead prior to the crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4608888 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09

Senate passes S 4647. Bill hikes penalties for endangering highway workers. It funds more enforcement. It pushes work zone safety awareness. Lawmakers move to protect workers from reckless drivers.

Senate bill S 4647, titled "Increases penalties for endangerment of a highway worker, promotes work zone safety awareness, and establishes a fund for additional work zone safety enforcement," advanced through committee on April 15, 2024. Sponsored by Timothy M. Kennedy, with Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Pamela Helming, Mario Mattera, Robert Rolison, and James Skoufis as co-sponsors, the bill passed multiple Senate votes. The measure targets drivers who endanger highway workers, boosts safety awareness, and funds enforcement. The bill aims to curb driver recklessness in work zones, where danger is high and impact is deadly.

• File S 4647, Open States, Published 2023-02-28

Senate passes S 4647. Bill hikes penalties for endangering highway workers. It funds more enforcement. It pushes work zone safety awareness. Lawmakers move to protect workers from reckless drivers.

Senate bill S 4647, titled "Increases penalties for endangerment of a highway worker, promotes work zone safety awareness, and establishes a fund for additional work zone safety enforcement," advanced through committee on April 15, 2024. Sponsored by Timothy M. Kennedy, with Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Pamela Helming, Mario Mattera, Robert Rolison, and James Skoufis as co-sponsors, the bill passed multiple Senate votes. The measure targets drivers who endanger highway workers, boosts safety awareness, and funds enforcement. The bill aims to curb driver recklessness in work zones, where danger is high and impact is deadly.

• File S 4647, Open States, Published 2023-02-28

A driver killed Dolma Naadhun, age 7, at Newtown Road and 45th Street. Her father and Council Member Julie Won want a traffic light. DOT refuses. Officials and advocates demand broader, bolder street redesigns. Paint and signs are not enough. Lives hang in the balance.

""We have to bigger and we have to be bolder. We have to be thinking about traffic-calming measures across all of our intersections ... because quite simply, if it saves lives, it's worth doing."" -- Tiffany Cabán

After the death of 7-year-old Dolma Naadhun at Newtown Road and 45th Street, Council Member Julie Won and Dolma’s father, Tsering Wangdu, called for a traffic light. The Department of Transportation (DOT) declined, offering only daylighting and crosswalk improvements. The matter, highlighted on February 26, 2023, drew support from Council Member Tiffany Caban, State Sen. Mike Gianaris, and Assembly Member Jessica Gonzalez Rojas. Caban said, “We have to be bigger and we have to be bolder. We have to be thinking about traffic-calming measures across all of our intersections.” Advocates and officials criticized DOT’s reactive approach and urged proactive, community-driven safety changes. They stressed that only street design and physical infrastructure—not piecemeal fixes—can prevent deaths and protect vulnerable road users.

• Dolma’s Grieving Father, Pols Seek Traffic Light at Fatal Corner — But Larger Safety Improvements are Needed, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-02-26

A driver killed 7-year-old Dolma Naadhun at a Queens intersection. City workers made minor fixes. Council members demanded daylighting and real barriers. DOT resisted, citing flexibility. Advocates want curb extensions. The city’s slow action leaves streets deadly.

On February 24, 2023, Council Members Julie Won, Tiffany Cabán, and Selvena Brooks-Powers sent a letter to the Department of Transportation (DOT) after a driver killed Dolma Naadhun. They demanded daylighting, neckdowns, speed bumps, stop signs, and reflective markings at Newtown Road intersections. The lawmakers wrote, “Nothing can bring back Dolma Naadhun, but we can prevent further loss of life so that no family must experience the loss of a loved one.” DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez opposed a Council bill mandating 100 daylighted intersections per year, arguing for flexibility and physical infrastructure in daylit spaces. Advocates and experts agree: daylighting without barriers is flawed. They call for curb extensions to slow drivers and protect people. Residents remain frustrated by the city’s slow, limited response after repeated deaths and injuries.

• R.I.P. DOLMA: A Deep Dive on DOT’s Daylighting Dilemma, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-02-24

Assembly Bill 4637 would use cameras to keep cars out of bike lanes. The bill targets drivers who block protected lanes. Sponsors say it will protect cyclists from deadly crashes.

Assembly Bill A 4637, now in the sponsorship stage, aims to create a bicycle lane safety program in New York City. The bill, introduced on February 21, 2023, enforces restrictions on protected bike lanes using photo devices. The matter title reads: 'Establishes in the city of New York a bicycle lane safety program to enforce certain restrictions on the use of protected bicycle lanes by means of bicycle lane photo devices.' Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani leads as primary sponsor, joined by Brian Cunningham, Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, Harvey Epstein, Amy Paulin, and others. The bill targets drivers who endanger cyclists by blocking protected lanes. No safety analyst note is available.

• File A 4637, Open States, Published 2023-02-21

Assembly and Senate passed A 602. The bill sets state funding rules for federally assisted and municipal complete street projects. Lawmakers moved fast. Streets shaped by budgets, not safety.

Bill A 602, titled 'Relates to the percentage responsibility of the state for federally assisted projects,' passed committee votes in the Assembly on January 24, 2023, and in the Senate on February 13, 2023. Sponsored by Patricia Fahy, the bill addresses how much the state pays for federally assisted projects and for municipal projects with complete street designs. The measure saw broad support, with near-unanimous yes votes in both chambers. The bill's focus is on funding, not on direct safety improvements for pedestrians, cyclists, or other vulnerable road users. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File A 602, Open States, Published 2023-02-13

Assembly and Senate passed A 602. The bill sets state funding rules for federally assisted and municipal complete street projects. Lawmakers moved fast. Streets shaped by budgets, not safety.

Bill A 602, titled 'Relates to the percentage responsibility of the state for federally assisted projects,' passed committee votes in the Assembly on January 24, 2023, and in the Senate on February 13, 2023. Sponsored by Patricia Fahy, the bill addresses how much the state pays for federally assisted projects and for municipal projects with complete street designs. The measure saw broad support, with near-unanimous yes votes in both chambers. The bill's focus is on funding, not on direct safety improvements for pedestrians, cyclists, or other vulnerable road users. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File A 602, Open States, Published 2023-02-13

Assembly and Senate passed A 602. The bill sets state funding rules for federally assisted and municipal complete street projects. Lawmakers moved fast. Streets shaped by budgets, not safety.

Bill A 602, titled 'Relates to the percentage responsibility of the state for federally assisted projects,' passed committee votes in the Assembly on January 24, 2023, and in the Senate on February 13, 2023. Sponsored by Patricia Fahy, the bill addresses how much the state pays for federally assisted projects and for municipal projects with complete street designs. The measure saw broad support, with near-unanimous yes votes in both chambers. The bill's focus is on funding, not on direct safety improvements for pedestrians, cyclists, or other vulnerable road users. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File A 602, Open States, Published 2023-02-13

Assembly and Senate passed A 602. The bill sets state funding rules for federally assisted and municipal complete street projects. Lawmakers moved fast. Streets shaped by budgets, not safety.

Bill A 602, titled 'Relates to the percentage responsibility of the state for federally assisted projects,' passed committee votes in the Assembly on January 24, 2023, and in the Senate on February 13, 2023. Sponsored by Patricia Fahy, the bill addresses how much the state pays for federally assisted projects and for municipal projects with complete street designs. The measure saw broad support, with near-unanimous yes votes in both chambers. The bill's focus is on funding, not on direct safety improvements for pedestrians, cyclists, or other vulnerable road users. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File A 602, Open States, Published 2023-02-13

Assembly and Senate passed A 602. The bill sets state funding rules for federally assisted and municipal complete street projects. Lawmakers moved fast. Streets shaped by budgets, not safety.

Bill A 602, titled 'Relates to the percentage responsibility of the state for federally assisted projects,' passed committee votes in the Assembly on January 24, 2023, and in the Senate on February 13, 2023. Sponsored by Patricia Fahy, the bill addresses how much the state pays for federally assisted projects and for municipal projects with complete street designs. The measure saw broad support, with near-unanimous yes votes in both chambers. The bill's focus is on funding, not on direct safety improvements for pedestrians, cyclists, or other vulnerable road users. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File A 602, Open States, Published 2023-02-13

A Ford SUV stopped in traffic was hit from behind by a Hyundai sedan traveling north on Steinway Street. The sedan’s front collided with the SUV’s rear. A front passenger in the SUV suffered whiplash and full-body injuries, wearing a lap belt and harness.

According to the police report, a 2017 Ford SUV was stopped in traffic on Steinway Street when a 2020 Hyundai sedan traveling north struck it from behind. The impact occurred at the center back end of the SUV and the center front end of the sedan. The SUV carried two occupants; the front passenger, a 33-year-old woman, suffered whiplash and injuries to her entire body. She was restrained with a lap belt and harness and was not ejected. The report lists alcohol involvement as a contributing factor. The driver errors include failure to maintain control or attention leading to a rear-end collision. No other contributing factors or victim errors were noted.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4608992 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09

MTA Chair Janno Lieber told lawmakers the agency needs $350 million yearly to avoid fare hikes. Legislators pushed back. They called for taxing the wealthy, not straphangers. The fight centers on who pays for transit. Riders wait. The stakes are high.

On February 6, 2023, during a legislative hearing on MTA funding and fare policy, MTA Chair Janno Lieber testified that the agency needs $350 million more each year to prevent subway and bus fare hikes. The hearing, part of the state budget process, saw Lieber defend Governor Hochul’s proposed 5.5-percent fare increase as a return to regular hikes paused during the pandemic. Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani and colleagues pushed the 'Fix the MTA' package to freeze fares, boost service, and make buses free. Mamdani argued, 'It is simply not acceptable to put the cost of a basic public good on the backs of working class New Yorkers.' Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris criticized Lieber for insisting on fare hikes while dismissing other budget solutions. Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas opposed making her constituents pay more. Lieber expressed concern about free buses, preferring targeted affordability programs. The hearing highlighted a sharp divide: lawmakers want to protect riders; the MTA wants stable funding. No direct safety impact for vulnerable road users was assessed.

• MTA Could Nix Fare Hikes with Just $350M More Per Year, Lieber Says, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-02-06

MTA Chair Janno Lieber told lawmakers the agency needs $350 million yearly to avoid fare hikes. Legislators pushed back. They called for taxing the wealthy, not straphangers. The fight centers on who pays for transit. Riders wait. The stakes are high.

On February 6, 2023, during a legislative hearing on MTA funding and fare policy, MTA Chair Janno Lieber testified that the agency needs $350 million more each year to prevent subway and bus fare hikes. The hearing, part of the state budget process, saw Lieber defend Governor Hochul’s proposed 5.5-percent fare increase as a return to regular hikes paused during the pandemic. Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani and colleagues pushed the 'Fix the MTA' package to freeze fares, boost service, and make buses free. Mamdani argued, 'It is simply not acceptable to put the cost of a basic public good on the backs of working class New Yorkers.' Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris criticized Lieber for insisting on fare hikes while dismissing other budget solutions. Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas opposed making her constituents pay more. Lieber expressed concern about free buses, preferring targeted affordability programs. The hearing highlighted a sharp divide: lawmakers want to protect riders; the MTA wants stable funding. No direct safety impact for vulnerable road users was assessed.

• MTA Could Nix Fare Hikes with Just $350M More Per Year, Lieber Says, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-02-06

Assembly bill A 3180 demands complete street design on state and federally funded projects. Sponsors push for safer roads. The bill calls for public guidance. Streets must serve people, not just cars.

Assembly Bill A 3180 was introduced on February 2, 2023, and is 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 planners to think of people first. Didi Barrett leads as primary sponsor, joined by Rebecca Seawright, Amy Paulin, and others. The bill also orders the department to publish street design guidance. No safety analyst note is available, but the bill’s intent is clear: streets must protect all users, not just drivers.

• File A 3180, Open States, Published 2023-02-02

Nineteen council members demand Mayor Adams back state bills for six-minute transit and free buses. They urge Albany to fund the MTA, calling transit a public good. Fast, frequent service means safer, fuller streets. The council stands united. Riders wait.

On January 27, 2023, nineteen New York City Council members, led by Tiffany Cabán, sent a letter urging Mayor Adams to support the Fix the MTA package in Albany. The package, introduced by Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani and Senator Mike Gianaris, includes eight bills: funding for six-minute off-peak subway and bus service, four years of free bus rides, and closing the MTA's fiscal gap. Council Member Amanda Farías introduced a resolution backing six-minute service. The letter states, 'Just as fund libraries and schools, we must fund transit—a public good that creates access to opportunities in life.' Cabán called the push a 'critical public safety initiative,' linking frequent, reliable transit to safer streets. The council's action signals a unified demand for robust, equitable transit funding.

• Council Members Join Push For Six-Minute Transit Service And Free Buses, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-01-27

Assembly bill A 2610 targets bus lane cheaters. Sponsors back cameras and owner liability. The goal: keep bus lanes clear, speed up buses, cut crashes. No votes yet. The fight for safer streets rolls on.

Assembly bill A 2610, now in sponsorship, aims to extend bus rapid transit camera enforcement. The bill, titled "Relates to owner liability for failure of operator to comply with bus operation-related local law or regulation traffic restrictions," was introduced January 26, 2023. Primary sponsor Alicia Hyndman leads, joined by Deborah Glick, Sarahana Shrestha, Manny De Los Santos, Zohran Mamdani, and others. The bill would hold vehicle owners liable for bus lane violations and expand photo enforcement. No votes have been recorded. The measure seeks to keep bus lanes clear, speed up transit, and reduce risk for those outside cars.

• File A 2610, Open States, Published 2023-01-26

Assembly and Senate passed A 602. The bill sets state funding rules for federally assisted and municipal complete street projects. Lawmakers moved fast. Streets shaped by budgets, not safety.

Bill A 602, titled 'Relates to the percentage responsibility of the state for federally assisted projects,' passed committee votes in the Assembly on January 24, 2023, and in the Senate on February 13, 2023. Sponsored by Patricia Fahy, the bill addresses how much the state pays for federally assisted projects and for municipal projects with complete street designs. The measure saw broad support, with near-unanimous yes votes in both chambers. The bill's focus is on funding, not on direct safety improvements for pedestrians, cyclists, or other vulnerable road users. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File A 602, Open States, Published 2023-01-24

Senate bill S 1952 orders advanced safety tech in all New York vehicles. DMV must set rules. Hoylman-Sigal leads. Gianaris and Gonzalez back him. No safety analyst review yet. Action at sponsorship stage.

Senate bill S 1952, now at the sponsorship stage, sits with the New York State Senate. Filed January 17, 2023, it 'mandates the use of advanced safety technology in vehicles in the state; requires the commissioner of motor vehicles to promulgate certain rules and regulations.' Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal sponsors, joined by Michael Gianaris and Kristen Gonzalez. No safety analyst has reviewed the bill's impact on vulnerable road users. The bill awaits further action and committee assignment.

• File S 1952, Open States, Published 2023-01-17

Assembly bill A 1280 pushes for streets built for all. Dozens of lawmakers back the plan. The bill demands roads that protect walkers, cyclists, and riders. It calls for design, not luck, to keep people safe.

Assembly bill A 1280, now in sponsorship, aims to 'enable safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles.' Introduced January 13, 2023, the bill sits with the Assembly. Jonathan Rivera leads as primary sponsor, joined by over 70 co-sponsors including Patrick Burke, Kenny Burgos, and Catalina Cruz. Their action signals strong legislative momentum. The bill’s focus: force planners to build streets for people, not just cars. No safety analyst note is available, but the intent is clear—systemic change for vulnerable road users. The bill’s progress can be tracked at the New York Assembly website.

• File A 1280, Open States, Published 2023-01-13