Astoria Bleeds While Leaders Talk—Demand Safe Streets Now

A sedan making a right turn collided with an SUV going straight on 35 Avenue in Queens. The sedan driver, a 35-year-old man, suffered knee and lower leg injuries. Unsafe speed was a contributing factor in the crash.

According to the police report, a sedan traveling southwest was making a right turn on 35 Avenue when it collided with an SUV traveling west. The impact occurred at the left front quarter panel of the sedan and the right front bumper of the SUV. The sedan driver, a 35-year-old male occupant wearing a lap belt and harness, sustained contusions and injuries to his knee, lower leg, and foot. The report lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor. No other driver errors or victim factors were noted. The SUV had no occupants at the time of the crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4655680 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09

Assembly bill A 7979 targets reckless drivers. Eleven points or six camera tickets triggers a speed limiter. Lawmakers move to curb repeat danger. No more unchecked speeding. Streets demand it.

Assembly bill A 7979, now in sponsorship, sits before the New York State Assembly. Introduced August 18, 2023, it 'requires the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices if a driver accumulates eleven or more points on their driving record during an eighteen month period, or receives 6 speed camera or red light camera tickets during a twelve month period.' Assemblymember Emily Gallagher leads as primary sponsor, joined by Rebecca Seawright, Andrew Hevesi, Tony Simone, Jo Anne Simon, and others. The bill aims to force chronic speeders to slow down. No safety analyst note is available, but the intent is clear: rein in repeat offenders, protect those outside the car.

• File A 7979, Open States, Published 2023-08-18

An SUV traveling north hit a parked sedan on Steinway Street in Queens. Three women inside the sedan suffered back injuries and whiplash. The sedan’s driver failed to keep right. All occupants were conscious and restrained by seat belts.

According to the police report, an SUV traveling north collided with a parked sedan on Steinway Street in Queens. The sedan had three female occupants: the driver and two passengers, all aged 31 to 34. All three suffered back injuries and whiplash but were conscious and not ejected. The driver of the sedan was cited for failure to keep right, a contributing factor to the crash. The SUV struck the left rear quarter panel of the sedan with its right front bumper, causing damage to both vehicles. All occupants in the sedan were restrained by lap belts and harnesses. No other contributing factors or victim errors were noted in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4654162 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09

A sedan struck the back of a pick-up truck on 43 Street in Queens. Both driver and front passenger in the sedan suffered whiplash injuries. The crash happened as both vehicles traveled north. The sedan showed front-end damage; the truck had none.

According to the police report, a sedan rear-ended a pick-up truck traveling northbound on 43 Street in Queens. The sedan's driver and front passenger were injured, both reporting whiplash affecting their neck and entire body. The report lists "Following Too Closely" as a contributing factor, indicating the sedan driver failed to maintain a safe distance. The pick-up truck sustained no damage, while the sedan showed front-end damage. Both drivers were licensed and traveling straight ahead. No ejections occurred, and both injured occupants wore lap belts. The crash highlights the dangers of tailgating and the severe injuries that can result even without high-speed impact.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4653399 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09

A tow truck struck a parked SUV on Steinway Street in Queens. The SUV driver, a 53-year-old man, suffered abrasions to his elbow and lower arm. The impact hit the SUV’s left side doors. The tow truck’s right rear quarter panel was damaged.

According to the police report, a tow truck traveling north on Steinway Street passed too closely to a parked SUV, colliding with its left side doors. The SUV driver, a 53-year-old man, was injured with abrasions to his elbow and lower arm but was not ejected and remained conscious. The report lists "Passing Too Closely" as the contributing factor for the crash. The tow truck sustained damage to its right rear quarter panel. No other contributing factors or victim errors were noted in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4651867 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09

Senate bill S 7621 targets reckless drivers. Eleven points or six camera tickets trigger mandatory speed control tech. Sponsors push to curb repeat danger. No votes yet. Streets stay tense.

Senate bill S 7621, now in sponsorship, sits with the New York State Senate. Filed August 2, 2023, it 'relates to requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Senator Andrew Gounardes leads, joined by Jeremy Cooney, Michael Gianaris, Kristen Gonzalez, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Liz Krueger, Monica Martinez, and Luis R. Sepúlveda. The bill forces drivers with eleven points in eighteen months, or six speed/red light camera tickets in a year, to install speed-limiting devices. No safety analyst note yet. The measure aims to cut repeat speeding and protect those outside the car.

• File S 7621, Open States, Published 2023-08-02

A 43-year-old man was struck while crossing 34 Avenue at Steinway Street in Queens. The driver, making a right turn, failed to yield and was distracted. The pedestrian suffered back injuries and minor burns, left in shock at the scene.

According to the police report, a sedan traveling west on 34 Avenue made a right turn and struck a 43-year-old male pedestrian crossing with the signal at the intersection with Steinway Street in Queens. The pedestrian sustained back injuries and minor burns, and was reported to be in shock. The report lists driver errors including Driver Inattention/Distraction and Failure to Yield Right-of-Way. The vehicle showed no damage despite the impact at the center front end. The pedestrian was not at fault and was following traffic signals at the time of the collision.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4649634 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09

A motorcycle and sedan collided on Steinway Street in Queens. The motorcyclist was ejected, suffering head injuries and abrasions. Police cited improper lane usage and aggressive driving by the motorcyclist. The sedan was turning left at impact.

According to the police report, a motorcycle traveling north on Steinway Street collided with a sedan making a left turn. The motorcyclist, a 32-year-old male, was ejected from his vehicle and sustained head injuries and abrasions. The report lists the motorcyclist's contributing factors as "Passing or Lane Usage Improper" and "Aggressive Driving/Road Rage." The sedan's point of impact was its left rear bumper, while the motorcycle's front center end was damaged. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet, classified as "Helmet Only (In-Line Skater/Bicyclist)." The sedan driver was licensed and operating a 2009 vehicle. The crash highlights dangerous lane usage and aggressive behavior by the motorcyclist.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4648748 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09

SUVs kill. Their bulk crushes bodies and streets. Lawmakers want heavier vehicles to pay more. Revenue would fund safer roads. The bill follows a grim rise in deaths, especially among children. The city bleeds. The council moves. The fight is on.

Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani and Senator Andrew Gounardes introduced a bill to increase registration fees for heavy vehicles and SUVs in New York. The proposal, announced June 23, 2023, aims to direct new revenue toward street safety projects. The report behind the bill states: 'Injuries from crashes involving large vehicles increased by 91 percent and fatalities by 75 percent between 2016 and 2019.' Mamdani said, 'This is an initiative to make our streets safer for our children.' Gounardes called out the public cost of 'mini-tanks.' The bill responds to data showing nearly half of children killed on city streets were struck by drivers of large vehicles, rising to 80 percent in 2022. Lawmakers call this common-sense action to address the deadly toll of oversized cars.

• Report Provides More Reasons to Rein in Supersized SUVs (As If You Needed More), Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-06-23

Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani pushes a bill to raise registration fees for heavy vehicles. The move comes as injuries and deaths from SUVs surge. Lawmakers say the fees will fund safer streets. The city’s children pay the price for oversized cars.

Assembly Bill (no number cited) was introduced by Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani and Senator Andrew Gounardes on June 23, 2023. The bill, now under consideration, would 'raise the existing by-weight registration fees to make them more likely to disincentivize the purchase of larger cars.' The proposal responds to a Transportation Alternatives report showing a 91% jump in injuries and a 75% rise in fatalities from large vehicle crashes between 2016 and 2019. Mamdani, at a press conference, said, 'This is an initiative to make our streets safer for our children.' Gounardes added, 'We the public has had to bear the cost of people's decisions to drive these mini-tanks.' The bill earmarks new revenue for street safety projects, aiming to protect vulnerable road users from the growing threat of oversized vehicles.

• Report Provides More Reasons to Rein in Supersized SUVs (As If You Needed More), streetsblog.org, Published 2023-06-23

A motorcycle struck the right rear quarter panel of an SUV making a left turn on Broadway in Queens. The motorcyclist, a 34-year-old man, suffered knee and lower leg abrasions but remained conscious and helmeted. The SUV carried three occupants.

According to the police report, a motorcycle traveling east on Broadway collided with a GMC SUV turning left southwest. The motorcyclist, a 34-year-old male driver, was injured with abrasions to his knee and lower leg but was not ejected and remained conscious. The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as contributing factors. The SUV’s right rear quarter panel was the point of impact. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet at the time. The SUV had three occupants, and the driver was female. The crash highlights driver errors involving yielding and speed in a busy Queens intersection.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4640111 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09

Albany failed New York’s streets. Lawmakers blocked Sammy’s Law and other safety bills. Cyclists, pedestrians, and bus riders lost. Car culture ruled. Advocates called it a wasted session. Only transit funding and a bus pilot survived. No real progress for the vulnerable.

""I'm pretty devastated. The opposition comes from members who might have more car-centered districts and may be more transportation deserts. They argue that this would create traffic and their constituents hate it, but there's a misunderstanding of the bill, because it gives basically the discretion to the city."" -- Jessica González-Rojas

In the 2023 legislative session, Albany lawmakers failed to pass major street safety bills, including Sammy’s Law (which would let New York City set its own speed limits). The session ended June 13, 2023, with most safety and transit measures stalled in committee or blocked from a vote. The matter summary reads: 'This year's legislative session in Albany was considered one of the worst for livable streets and street safety, largely due to the failure to pass key bills such as Sammy's Law.' Council members and advocates like Eric McClure, Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, Amy Cohen, and Sara Lind voiced anger and disappointment. McClure said, 'We have to give the state legislature an 'F' for wasting an entire session without advancing legislation to make streets safer or to improve public transit.' The Assembly’s inaction left vulnerable road users exposed. Only increased MTA funding and a free bus pilot moved forward. The rest—protection for cyclists, pedestrians, and bus riders—died in committee.

• The Albany Report Card: A Scoundrel’s ‘F’, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-06-13

Two sedans crashed at 44 Street in Queens. A front passenger suffered a shoulder and upper arm injury. The collision involved driver inattention and glare. The passenger was conscious and restrained by a lap belt. Both vehicles sustained front-end damage.

According to the police report, two sedans collided on 44 Street in Queens. The front passenger in one vehicle, a 26-year-old man, was injured with contusions and upper arm trauma but was conscious and wearing a lap belt. The crash occurred as both vehicles traveled straight ahead, with impact on the left front bumper of one car and center front end of the other. Driver errors included traffic control disregarded and driver inattention or distraction, compounded by glare. The report lists no contributing factors related to the passenger. Both vehicles sustained significant front-end damage.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4637198 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09

Albany gets speed cameras near schools. Lawmakers pass A 7043. Cameras catch drivers who endanger kids. The program runs until 2028. Streets near schools face new watchful eyes.

Bill A 7043, titled 'Establishes a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the city of Albany,' moved forward after committee votes in June 2023. The Assembly passed it on June 6, the Senate on June 8. Patricia Fahy sponsored the bill. The measure allows speed cameras in school zones, aiming to catch drivers who speed near children. The program ends December 31, 2028. Many lawmakers voted yes, some no. The bill targets driver behavior in Albany school zones, putting enforcement where kids walk and cross.

• File A 7043, Open States, Published 2023-06-08

Albany gets speed cameras near schools. Lawmakers pass A 7043. Cameras catch drivers who endanger kids. The program runs until 2028. Streets near schools face new watchful eyes.

Bill A 7043, titled 'Establishes a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the city of Albany,' moved forward after committee votes in June 2023. The Assembly passed it on June 6, the Senate on June 8. Patricia Fahy sponsored the bill. The measure allows speed cameras in school zones, aiming to catch drivers who speed near children. The program ends December 31, 2028. Many lawmakers voted yes, some no. The bill targets driver behavior in Albany school zones, putting enforcement where kids walk and cross.

• File A 7043, Open States, Published 2023-06-06

Albany gets speed cameras near schools. Lawmakers pass A 7043. Cameras catch drivers who endanger kids. The program runs until 2028. Streets near schools face new watchful eyes.

Bill A 7043, titled 'Establishes a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the city of Albany,' moved forward after committee votes in June 2023. The Assembly passed it on June 6, the Senate on June 8. Patricia Fahy sponsored the bill. The measure allows speed cameras in school zones, aiming to catch drivers who speed near children. The program ends December 31, 2028. Many lawmakers voted yes, some no. The bill targets driver behavior in Albany school zones, putting enforcement where kids walk and cross.

• File A 7043, Open States, Published 2023-06-06

Albany gets speed cameras near schools. Lawmakers pass A 7043. Cameras catch drivers who endanger kids. The program runs until 2028. Streets near schools face new watchful eyes.

Bill A 7043, titled 'Establishes a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the city of Albany,' moved forward after committee votes in June 2023. The Assembly passed it on June 6, the Senate on June 8. Patricia Fahy sponsored the bill. The measure allows speed cameras in school zones, aiming to catch drivers who speed near children. The program ends December 31, 2028. Many lawmakers voted yes, some no. The bill targets driver behavior in Albany school zones, putting enforcement where kids walk and cross.

• File A 7043, Open States, Published 2023-06-06

Albany gets speed cameras near schools. Lawmakers pass A 7043. Cameras catch drivers who endanger kids. The program runs until 2028. Streets near schools face new watchful eyes.

Bill A 7043, titled 'Establishes a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the city of Albany,' moved forward after committee votes in June 2023. The Assembly passed it on June 6, the Senate on June 8. Patricia Fahy sponsored the bill. The measure allows speed cameras in school zones, aiming to catch drivers who speed near children. The program ends December 31, 2028. Many lawmakers voted yes, some no. The bill targets driver behavior in Albany school zones, putting enforcement where kids walk and cross.

• File A 7043, Open States, Published 2023-06-06

Albany gets speed cameras near schools. Lawmakers pass A 7043. Cameras catch drivers who endanger kids. The program runs until 2028. Streets near schools face new watchful eyes.

Bill A 7043, titled 'Establishes a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the city of Albany,' moved forward after committee votes in June 2023. The Assembly passed it on June 6, the Senate on June 8. Patricia Fahy sponsored the bill. The measure allows speed cameras in school zones, aiming to catch drivers who speed near children. The program ends December 31, 2028. Many lawmakers voted yes, some no. The bill targets driver behavior in Albany school zones, putting enforcement where kids walk and cross.

• File A 7043, Open States, Published 2023-06-06

Senate passes S 6808. The bill creates first responder safety zones. It sets speed limits in these zones. Lawmakers act after crashes and close calls. The vote is strong. The danger is real. The streets demand change.

Senate bill S 6808, titled 'Relates to establishing first responder safety zones and setting speed limits in such safety zones,' moved through committee and passed multiple Senate votes between May 2023 and March 2024. Primary sponsor John Mannion led the push, joined by Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Iwen Chu, and Pamela Helming. The bill aims to carve out protected zones for first responders and lower speed limits in those areas. The measure passed with broad support, reflecting urgency after repeated crashes near emergency scenes. The bill’s text and votes show lawmakers responding to the deadly toll of reckless driving near first responders. Vulnerable road users—pedestrians, passengers, and responders—stand in harm’s way. The bill targets that risk.

• File S 6808, Open States, Published 2023-06-01