Astoria (North)–Ditmars: Three Dead at Daybreak

May 9 - Lawmakers stripped Hochul’s safety plans from the state budget. No daylighting near schools. No lower bike lane speed limits. No new e-bike rules. City and state leaders bickered. Streets stay dangerous. Pedestrians and cyclists remain exposed. The system failed them again.

On May 9, 2025, during New York State’s $254-million budget negotiations, lawmakers rejected Governor Hochul’s proposed street safety measures. The legislature dropped a mandate for daylighting—banning parking at corners near elementary schools—deferring instead to New York City, where Council Member Julie Won’s universal daylighting bill faces opposition from the Department of Transportation. Assembly Member Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, herself a crash survivor, vowed to keep fighting for daylighting, saying, 'I think daylighting would have helped me.' Hochul’s proposals to let the city set lower bike lane speed limits and to reclassify heavy e-bikes as mopeds were also cut. Critics argued these would not address core safety issues. The Adams administration opposes a City Council bill for e-bike registration and plates, while State Sen. Jenifer Rajkumar’s state version would shift licensing to the DMV. As Ben Furnas of Transportation Alternatives put it, 'A daylighting requirement would have made intersections safer around elementary schools, and it’s disappointing that this provision was cut from the New York State budget.'

• Live from Albany: Hochul’s ‘Safety’ Measures Stripped from Budget, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-09

May 6 - Senate backs S 4804. The bill sets first responder safety zones and lowers speed limits. Lawmakers move to shield workers on chaotic streets. The vote is swift. The intent is clear. Danger zones get new rules.

Senate bill S 4804, titled 'Relates to establishing first responder safety zones and setting speed limits in such safety zones,' passed committee on April 29, 2025, and cleared the full Senate on May 6, 2025. Sponsored by Senator Christopher Ryan (District 50) with co-sponsors Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Pamela Helming, Robert Rolison, and William Weber, the bill aims to carve out protected zones for first responders and enforce lower speed limits in those areas. The measure won broad support, with nearly all senators voting yes. The bill targets the chaos and risk drivers pose to workers and bystanders at emergency scenes. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 4804, Open States, Published 2025-05-06

May 6 - Senate backs S 4804. The bill sets first responder safety zones and lowers speed limits. Lawmakers move to shield workers on chaotic streets. The vote is swift. The intent is clear. Danger zones get new rules.

Senate bill S 4804, titled 'Relates to establishing first responder safety zones and setting speed limits in such safety zones,' passed committee on April 29, 2025, and cleared the full Senate on May 6, 2025. Sponsored by Senator Christopher Ryan (District 50) with co-sponsors Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Pamela Helming, Robert Rolison, and William Weber, the bill aims to carve out protected zones for first responders and enforce lower speed limits in those areas. The measure won broad support, with nearly all senators voting yes. The bill targets the chaos and risk drivers pose to workers and bystanders at emergency scenes. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 4804, Open States, Published 2025-05-06

May 1 - Council passes law. Taxis and for-hire cars must post bold warnings on rear doors. Riders face the message: look for cyclists before swinging the door. A move to cut dooring. City acts. Cyclists stay in the crosshairs.

Int 0193-2024, now law, cleared the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and passed City Council on May 1, 2025. The bill, titled 'A Local Law...requiring taxis and for-hire vehicles to display a decal warning passengers to look for cyclists when opening the door,' demands clear warning signs on all rear passenger doors. Lincoln Restler led as primary sponsor, joined by Gutiérrez, Hudson, Rivera, Won, and others. The Taxi and Limousine Commission must provide decals at no cost. The law aims to fight dooring, a threat to cyclists citywide. Enacted May 31, 2025, it takes effect in 120 days.

• File Int 0193-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-05-01

Apr 29 - Council members slammed NYPD brass for denying racial bias in traffic enforcement. Data shows Black drivers face more searches and arrests. NYPD blamed crime patterns. Lawmakers called it an excuse. The city’s history of biased policing loomed large.

""When I tell you that Black and brown people are being beaten up, searched, arrested, 10 times more than white people, and you re sitting here and telling me you can t even acknowledge that that s a problem."" -- Tiffany Cabán

On April 29, 2025, the City Council held an oversight hearing on NYPD traffic enforcement and racial bias. Council Members Yusef Salaam, Tiffany Caban, and Lincoln Restler pressed NYPD Director Joshua Levin about stark racial disparities. The matter: 'Council members criticized NYPD leadership over racial disparities in traffic enforcement after the department refused to acknowledge evidence of bias.' Restler called the disparity 'extreme.' Caban said, 'Black and brown people are being beaten up, searched, arrested, 10 times more than white people.' The NYPD claimed disparities stem from policing high-crime areas. Lawmakers rejected this, citing data showing Black and Latinx drivers are disproportionately stopped, searched, and arrested. The hearing referenced the city’s long record of racially biased enforcement, including jaywalking laws once used to target Black and Latinx New Yorkers. Experts, including the NYCLU, say the Adams administration’s surge in traffic stops continues a pattern of racist policing.

• Council Pols Fume as NYPD Disputes Report of Racial Bias in Traffic Enforcement, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-29

Apr 27 - A sedan hit a man crossing with the signal on Hoyt Ave North. The driver failed to yield. The pedestrian suffered arm injuries. The street stayed open. The car showed no damage.

A sedan traveling north on 21st Street at Hoyt Ave North struck a 28-year-old man who was crossing with the signal. According to the police report, the driver failed to yield the right-of-way. The pedestrian suffered a contusion and injuries to his arm but remained conscious. The sedan’s center front end hit the pedestrian, yet the vehicle showed no damage. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor. No other causes were cited.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4808901 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-05

Apr 23 - A Brooklyn man lost control on Belt Parkway. His SUV struck a tree near JFK. Emergency crews arrived but could not save him. The road stayed quiet. Police kept watch. The investigation continues.

The Brooklyn Paper reported on April 23, 2025, that a 57-year-old Brooklyn man died after crashing his SUV on the Belt Parkway near JFK Airport. Police said the driver "failed to navigate the roadway and struck a tree." Emergency services pronounced him dead at the scene. The NYPD's Highway District Collision Investigation Squad is handling the case, and no arrests have been made. The article highlights the crash location—westbound Belt Parkway, just west of 130th Street—and notes the ongoing investigation. The incident underscores the dangers present on high-speed parkways and the unforgiving design of tree-lined medians.

• Driver Dies After Belt Parkway Crash, The Brooklyn Paper, Published 2025-04-23

Apr 21 - Metal bolts crashed through a windshield in Queens. Glass exploded over the passenger. The No. 7 train rumbled above. Danger rained down. This was not the first time. The system failed to shield those below.

ABC7 reported on April 21, 2025, that debris from the No. 7 subway train fell onto a car at Queens Plaza, shattering the windshield and denting the hood. Rahimi, the driver, said, "We were driving right off here. Something fell off the train, damaging the windshield." Passenger Malnick described, "A bolt hit and then right away just the sound of glass exploding and glass all over me." The incident echoes previous cases: in 2019, falling debris from elevated tracks struck vehicles three times in a month. The MTA responded then by intensifying inspections, but the problem persists. The agency now says it is investigating and will inspect the area. The repeated incidents highlight ongoing risks from aging infrastructure above city streets.

• Falling Subway Debris Strikes Car In Queens, ABC7, Published 2025-04-21

Apr 20 - A fire truck turned onto Juniper Boulevard. The driver struck a man on a bicycle. He died at the scene. Police closed the street. Another life ended in the crosswalk’s shadow. The city investigates. The street stays dangerous.

ABC7 reported on April 20, 2025, that an FDNY truck struck and killed a bicyclist in Middle Village, Queens. The crash happened as the truck turned onto Juniper Boulevard from 80th Street. According to police, 'the truck was turning onto Juniper Boulevard from 80th Street in Middle Village when the collision occurred.' The cyclist, an adult male, was pronounced dead at the scene. The NYPD is investigating. The incident highlights the risks faced by cyclists at intersections and the dangers of large vehicles turning across paths. Policy questions remain about intersection design and vehicle operation in dense neighborhoods.

• FDNY Truck Turns, Cyclist Killed In Queens, ABC7, Published 2025-04-20

Apr 19 - A fire truck turned onto Juniper Blvd North. It struck a cyclist. The crash happened by the park. The man died at the scene. No arrests. The investigation continues. The street stayed quiet. The loss is final.

According to NY Daily News (April 19, 2025), an FDNY fire truck collided with a cyclist near 80th St. and Juniper Blvd North in Middle Village, Queens. The article states, "An FDNY fire truck fatally struck a cyclist Saturday afternoon in Queens, police said." The cyclist, an unidentified man, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not made any arrests. It remains unclear if the fire truck was responding to an emergency call. The NYPD Collision Investigation Squad is reviewing the incident. The crash highlights risks at intersections and the dangers faced by cyclists near large vehicles, especially in busy city corridors.

• Fire Truck Kills Cyclist Near Queens Park, NY Daily News, Published 2025-04-19

Apr 14 - A new study finds fare-free buses would speed up rides by 12 percent and draw 169 million more riders yearly. Faster boarding slashes dwell times. Riders save time. Streets get safer, air gets cleaner. The city must weigh the cost—and the gains.

On April 14, 2025, a policy analysis by Charles Komanoff examined the impact of fare-free buses in New York City. The report, covered by Streetsblog NYC, found that eliminating fares would cut bus trip times by 12 percent and boost annual ridership by 169 million, a 23 percent jump. The study states: 'Each dollar of city government support would produce more than two dollars worth of benefits for residents, primarily by removing the burden of fare payments while providing faster and more reliable bus service.' Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani and State Senator Michael Gianaris, both of Queens, have pushed the MTA to consider free buses. Komanoff’s analysis shows that faster buses mean less time waiting, cleaner air, fewer crashes, and a small but real drop in car trips. The report adds fuel to the debate over city funding for free bus service.

• Free Buses Would Mean 12% Faster Rides And 20% More Riders: Study, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-14

Apr 12 - Activists marched the Queensboro Bridge, demanding space for people on foot. The city ignored them. Nine lanes for cars, one cramped path for everyone else. The mayor delayed the fix. The danger remains. The lane went back to cars.

On April 12, 2025, activists and elected officials gathered on the Queensboro Bridge to protest the city’s failure to restore the South Outer Roadway for pedestrians. The Department of Transportation had planned a ribbon-cutting for March 16, but Mayor Adams canceled it. Council Member Julie Won and State Senator Michael Gianaris attended, both supporting the reconfiguration. Won said, 'I have received no new information since Mayor Adams canceled the March 16 ribbon-cutting.' The protest highlighted the ongoing crisis: nine lanes for cars, one narrow, shared lane for cyclists and pedestrians. Crashes and near-misses are common. City Hall claims the project will impact several communities, but offers no timeline. The lane reverted to car use after the protest, leaving vulnerable road users exposed.

• Activists Walk the Queensboro Bridge to Demand More Space for Pedestrians, But Lane Reverts to Cars Anyway, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-12

Apr 10 - Council passed a law forcing DOT to post sharp, regular updates on street safety projects. Progress on bike lanes, bus lanes, and signals must go public. No more hiding delays or cost overruns. The city must show its work.

Bill Int 1105-2024, now enacted, came through the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced November 13, 2024, it passed Council on April 10, 2025, and became law May 10, 2025. The bill's title: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code...in relation to tracking progress made towards the requirements of the streets master plan.' Council Member Julie Won led sponsorship, joined by Brooks-Powers, Hanif, Ayala, and others. The law demands DOT post annual and monthly updates on every project tied to the master plan—listing details, timelines, funding, and setbacks. This law brings sunlight to street safety work, making the city answer for every mile and missed deadline.

• File Int 1105-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-10

Apr 9 - Seven lawmakers demand Mayor Adams open the Queensboro Bridge pedestrian path. The project sits finished. Cyclists and walkers still cram into a narrow, crash-prone lane. Delays keep thousands at risk. City Hall stalls. Advocates plan protest. Danger lingers.

On April 9, 2025, seven elected officials—including Council Members Julie Won and Julie Menin—sent a public letter demanding Mayor Adams open the long-promised Queensboro Bridge pedestrian path. The Department of Transportation had planned to open the dedicated walkway on March 16, but the mayor's office intervened, citing the need for a briefing. The lawmakers wrote, 'The reasons given for this delay are not satisfactory, as all communications from the DOT have indicated that the project is complete and ready to open to the public.' They warned, 'Any further delays to this project that is otherwise ready to open will unnecessarily put at risk the thousands of New Yorkers who cycle and walk the current shared path every day.' The project, in the works since at least 2017, remains stalled. Cyclists and pedestrians are forced to share a cramped, hazardous lane. City Hall insists on more review, while advocates plan a protest ribbon-cutting.

• Pols Demand Adams Open Queensboro Bridge Pedestrian Path, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-09

Apr 7 - A moped crashes into a taxi near Astoria Boulevard. The moped driver is thrown, scraping his shoulder. A child rides in the taxi. Metal bends. Sirens wail. Streets stay dangerous.

A moped struck the rear of a taxi on 49th Street near Astoria Boulevard in Queens. The moped driver was ejected and injured, scraping his shoulder. A child was among the taxi occupants. According to the police report, the crash was caused by 'Following Too Closely' and 'Reaction to Uninvolved Vehicle.' The taxi driver was unlicensed. The moped driver wore no safety equipment, but the primary factors were driver errors. No deaths were reported, but the impact left scars on bodies and steel.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4804560 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-05

Apr 4 - A woman without a license lost control near a Queens school. Her car hit two girls and a man on the sidewalk. The crash broke bones and sent all three to the hospital. Police charged her. Residents demand safer streets.

CBS New York reported on April 4, 2025, that Salmata Bah, driving without a license, struck two girls and a man outside an Astoria elementary school. Police said Bah 'lost control of her Nissan Versa and drove onto the sidewalk,' injuring the pedestrians. The younger girl suffered a broken leg and head injury; the older girl and a 58-year-old man had leg injuries. Bah was charged with reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and driving without a license. She has never held a valid New York driver's license. The Highway Collision Investigation Squad is reviewing how control was lost. Residents called for 'increased safety measures, like speed bumps.' The case highlights ongoing risks from unlicensed drivers and the need for stronger street protections.

• Unlicensed Driver Injures Three in Queens Crash, CBS New York, Published 2025-04-04

Mar 29 - A speeding firefighter ran a red light on Northern Boulevard. He slammed into Justin Diaz’s car. Diaz died. The driver was drunk, high, and off duty. He did not help. The city fired him. The family mourns and demands justice.

According to the New York Post (published March 29, 2025), probationary firefighter Michael Pena was fired after he drove drunk and high, ran a red light, and crashed into Justin Diaz’s car in Queens on February 26, 2025. Surveillance footage showed Pena’s Mercedes striking Diaz’s BMW at high speed, sending it skidding down the street. Diaz, 23, died. Pena admitted at the scene, 'I hit him. I ran the red light. And I'm a firefighter.' The FDNY cited conduct rules in his dismissal. The article highlights Pena’s failure to render aid and notes his attempt to invoke his firefighter status. The case raises questions about accountability for city employees and the dangers of impaired, reckless driving on city streets.

• Firefighter Runs Red, Kills Queens Motorist, New York Post, Published 2025-03-29

Mar 28 - A speeding Mercedes ran a red in Queens. The driver, high and drunk, struck a young airport worker headed to his job. The worker died. Two passengers survived. The driver, a probationary firefighter, now faces manslaughter charges.

NY Daily News reported on March 28, 2025, that Michael Pena, a probationary FDNY firefighter, was fired after being charged with vehicular manslaughter in a Queens crash. Prosecutors said Pena drove 83 mph in a 25 mph zone, ran a red light, and struck Justin Diaz, 23, who had the right-of-way. Pena's blood-alcohol content was 0.156%, nearly double the legal limit, and he tested positive for cocaine and marijuana. The article states, 'Pena was driving nearly 60 mph above the speed limit after a night of drinking at a bar.' Surveillance footage confirmed the sequence. Two passengers in Pena's car were hospitalized. The crash highlights ongoing risks from impaired and reckless driving, even among public servants.

• Firefighter Charged After Fatal Queens Crash, NY Daily News, Published 2025-03-28

Mar 23 - Two taxis collided on Queens' 79th Street. The driver of one taxi suffered a head injury and whiplash. Police cite failure to yield right-of-way as the cause. Both vehicles struck front and rear, leaving one driver injured but conscious.

According to the police report, two taxis collided at 79th Street and Ditmars Boulevard in Queens at 12:52 PM. The driver of one taxi, a 52-year-old man, sustained a head injury and whiplash but remained conscious and was not ejected. The report identifies 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as a contributing factor to the crash. Both vehicles were traveling straight ahead, with one taxi striking the center front end of the other, which was hit on its left rear bumper. The injured driver was not wearing any safety equipment. The collision and resulting injuries highlight the dangers posed by driver errors such as failure to yield, emphasizing systemic risks in vehicle interactions.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4801346 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-05

Mar 23 - Luis Cruz stepped from his car. An e-bike delivery worker sped through a stop sign. The crash was sudden. Cruz died on the street. The rider stayed. The intersection has seen this before. The system pushes speed. The danger remains.

Gothamist reported on March 23, 2025, that Luis Cruz, 49, died after an e-bike delivery worker "sped through a stop sign" and struck him as he exited his double-parked car in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Witness Jack Collins said, "He died basically on the spot." The e-bike rider remained at the scene. No arrests were made. The article notes this intersection is known for frequent stop sign violations: "It's not a unicorn incident. It's happened a lot." The piece highlights systemic issues, including delivery app pressures and gaps in e-bike regulation. City data shows e-bikes account for less than 2% of traffic deaths, but the policy debate continues. Lawmakers have called for tighter rules, as delivery workers face incentives to rush.

• E-Bike Rider Runs Stop, Kills Pedestrian, Gothamist, Published 2025-03-23