Sunnyside Bleeds While City Sleeps: Drop the Speed, Save a Life

Lawmakers back speed cameras near Kingston schools. Cameras catch drivers who speed. The bill passed both chambers. It sunsets in 2029. Children and families walk safer, but the fix is temporary.

Senate Bill S 8607, titled 'Establishes a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the city of Kingston,' passed the Senate on June 6, 2024, and the Assembly on June 7, 2024. The bill, sponsored by Senator Michelle Hinchey, creates a camera program to catch speeding drivers near schools. The program ends December 31, 2029. The measure saw broad support in both chambers, but some lawmakers voted no. The bill aims to protect children and families on foot near schools, but its impact will end unless renewed. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 8607, Open States, Published 2024-06-06

Lawmakers back speed cameras near Kingston schools. Cameras catch drivers who speed. The bill passed both chambers. It sunsets in 2029. Children and families walk safer, but the fix is temporary.

Senate Bill S 8607, titled 'Establishes a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the city of Kingston,' passed the Senate on June 6, 2024, and the Assembly on June 7, 2024. The bill, sponsored by Senator Michelle Hinchey, creates a camera program to catch speeding drivers near schools. The program ends December 31, 2029. The measure saw broad support in both chambers, but some lawmakers voted no. The bill aims to protect children and families on foot near schools, but its impact will end unless renewed. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 8607, Open States, Published 2024-06-06

Council calls for five mile per hour speed limit on Open Streets. Streets slow. Danger drops. Pedestrians and cyclists get space. Resolution adopted. Albany must act.

Res 0079-2024, adopted by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on June 6, 2024, urges Albany to let New York City set a five mile per hour speed limit on Open Streets. The resolution states: "authorize New York City to set a five mile per hour speed limit on streets participating in the Open Streets program." Council Member Shahana K. Hanif led as primary sponsor, joined by Amanda Farías, Crystal Hudson, Julie Won, and Carlina Rivera. The measure passed committee and full council on June 6. The bill aims to cut speed and risk where people walk, bike, and gather. The council's push now waits for state lawmakers and the governor.

• File Res 0079-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-06-06

Senate backs S 9718. Bill orders safe street design for all. Cyclists, walkers, and riders get new protections. Some senators vote no. The car’s grip loosens, but danger remains.

Senate bill S 9718, titled 'Enables safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles,' passed committee votes on May 28 and June 3, 2024. Primary sponsor Sean Ryan, with co-sponsors Liz Krueger, Monica Martinez, Jack M. Martins, Anthony H. Palumbo, and Julia Salazar, pushed the measure. The bill mandates street designs that protect everyone, not just drivers. Most senators voted yes, but a block of no votes showed resistance. The bill’s language centers vulnerable users. It marks a shift: streets must serve people, not just cars.

• File S 9718, Open States, Published 2024-06-03

Senate backs S 9718. Bill orders safe street design for all. Cyclists, walkers, and riders get new protections. Some senators vote no. The car’s grip loosens, but danger remains.

Senate bill S 9718, titled 'Enables safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles,' passed committee votes on May 28 and June 3, 2024. Primary sponsor Sean Ryan, with co-sponsors Liz Krueger, Monica Martinez, Jack M. Martins, Anthony H. Palumbo, and Julia Salazar, pushed the measure. The bill mandates street designs that protect everyone, not just drivers. Most senators voted yes, but a block of no votes showed resistance. The bill’s language centers vulnerable users. It marks a shift: streets must serve people, not just cars.

• File S 9718, Open States, Published 2024-05-28

Senate backs S 9718. Bill orders safe street design for all. Cyclists, walkers, and riders get new protections. Some senators vote no. The car’s grip loosens, but danger remains.

Senate bill S 9718, titled 'Enables safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles,' passed committee votes on May 28 and June 3, 2024. Primary sponsor Sean Ryan, with co-sponsors Liz Krueger, Monica Martinez, Jack M. Martins, Anthony H. Palumbo, and Julia Salazar, pushed the measure. The bill mandates street designs that protect everyone, not just drivers. Most senators voted yes, but a block of no votes showed resistance. The bill’s language centers vulnerable users. It marks a shift: streets must serve people, not just cars.

• File S 9718, Open States, Published 2024-05-28

An 18-year-old cyclist bled from the head after a head-on crash on Honeywell Street. Blood pooled on the pavement. The driver failed to see him. The street kept moving. The cyclist stayed conscious, injured and alone.

An 18-year-old cyclist was struck head-on on Honeywell Street near Skillman Avenue in Queens, sustaining a severe head injury and bleeding heavily, according to the police report. The crash occurred at 7:30 a.m. The report states, 'The driver did not see him,' and lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the primary contributing factor. The cyclist, who was not wearing a helmet, remained conscious at the scene, but blood pooled on the pavement. The police report does not cite any cyclist behavior as a contributing factor. The incident underscores the danger posed when drivers fail to pay attention, leaving vulnerable road users exposed to grave harm.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4727727 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-06

Queens lawmakers demand more express buses before the $15 congestion toll hits. They say MTA left Queens behind. Riders in transit deserts face long, costly trips. Lawmakers call the exclusion unacceptable. They want fair service before new fees begin.

On May 16, 2024, ten Queens lawmakers, including Julia Salazar (District 18), urged the MTA to expand express bus service to Queens before the $15 Manhattan congestion toll starts. The group wrote to MTA chairman Janno Lieber, stating, "Express buses play a vital role in Queens’ public transit network and only stand to become even more pivotal in the near and distant future." They criticized the MTA for boosting express bus service in Brooklyn and Staten Island but not Queens, calling the exclusion "unacceptable." The lawmakers stressed that many southeast and northeast Queens residents lack subway access and rely on express buses to reach Midtown. They argued the 10 percent LIRR discount is no substitute for robust bus service. Salazar and her colleagues support congestion pricing but insist its success depends on expanded, equitable transit for all vulnerable riders.

• Queens lawmakers demand more MTA bus service to Manhattan before $15 congestion toll begins, nypost.com, Published 2024-05-16

A 23-year-old driver and 21-year-old passenger suffered serious injuries in a Queens crash. The SUV struck an object or vehicle with its left front bumper while making a left turn. Alcohol and driver distraction played key roles in the collision.

According to the police report, the crash occurred on Laurel Hill Boulevard in Queens at 4:18 a.m. The involved vehicle was a 2021 Dodge SUV traveling west, making a left turn when it impacted with its left front bumper. The driver, a 23-year-old male, and a 21-year-old male passenger were both trapped inside the vehicle and sustained injuries classified as severity level 3. The driver suffered abrasions to his knee, lower leg, and foot, while the passenger had contusions and bruises over his entire body. The report explicitly cites alcohol involvement and driver inattention or distraction as contributing factors to the crash. Both occupants were conscious but injured. The driver held a valid New York license. The collision caused damage to the vehicle's left front bumper. No pedestrian or cyclist was involved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4724128 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-06

Albany killed the MTA’s fare-free bus pilot. No more free rides. Lawmakers gave $12 million for better service, but not enough. Riders lose a lifeline. The city’s poorest feel the blow. Congestion pricing looms. Buses stay crowded, fares return.

On April 21, 2024, the New York State budget ended the MTA’s fare-free bus pilot. The pilot, which began in September 2023, made one bus in each borough free. Lawmakers, including Senator Michael Gianaris, pushed to expand it to 15 lines. The budget did not include this. Instead, $12.3 million was set aside to improve bus frequency, far short of the $45 million needed for expansion. The bill’s summary states, 'The MTA's experiment in fare-less city bus service will soon end after Albany lawmakers did not reauthorize it.' Gianaris pledged to keep fighting for affordable transit. Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani called the pilot 'crucial' for working-class New Yorkers. The MTA’s Janno Lieber criticized the program. No safety analyst reviewed the impact on vulnerable road users. The loss hits riders who depend on buses most.

• MTA’s free bus experiment will end after not being reauthorized in state budget, amny.com, Published 2024-04-21

An SUV driver, distracted and failing to yield, struck a moped traveling east in Queens. The moped driver, a 32-year-old man, suffered head contusions but remained conscious. The collision damaged the front ends of both vehicles.

According to the police report, the crash occurred around 12:30 a.m. in Queens near 45-35 39 Street. A 32-year-old male moped driver traveling east was hit by a southbound SUV. The report cites 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as contributing factors on the part of the SUV driver. The moped driver sustained a head contusion and was conscious at the scene. The SUV's right front bumper and the moped's center front end were damaged. The moped driver was not ejected and was the sole occupant of his vehicle. The SUV driver was licensed, but the moped driver was unlicensed. The report focuses on the SUV driver's errors without attributing fault to the moped rider.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4718371 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-06

Council orders DOT to reveal bike and micromobility numbers. Streets and bridges get counted. Riders’ paths mapped. City must show where safety fails and where it works. Data goes public. No more hiding the truth.

Int 0745-2024, now enacted, came through the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It was introduced April 11, 2024, and became law September 14, 2024, as Local Law 88. The law’s title: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code...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, Schulman, Hudson, Restler, and others. The law forces DOT to publish monthly and annual data on bike and micromobility use, plus crash and safety project details. The city must show where riders go, where danger lurks, and what it does to fix it. The mayor returned the bill unsigned, but it stands.

• File Int 0745-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-04-11

Cars choke the Queensbridge Baby Greenway. Police refuse to act. Residents plead for help. Council Member Julie Won calls for fencing and bollards. The Parks Department promises a barricade plan. No timeline. The greenway remains a parking lot. Pedestrians lose ground.

On March 29, 2024, Council Member Julie Won called for urgent action to stop illegal car parking on the Queensbridge Baby Greenway in Long Island City. The matter, described as 'lawlessness on the greenway,' has seen police ignore months of resident complaints. Won, through Chief of Staff Nick Gulotta, demanded the Parks Department install fencing and bollards to block cars. 'Council Member Won fully supports the call for the Parks Department to install fencing and bollards to prevent cars from illegally parking and driving through the Queensbridge Baby Park Greenway,' Gulotta said. The Parks Department claims to be working on a 'barricade plan' with NYCHA, but offers no timeline. The greenway, once a haven for pedestrians and cyclists, now serves as a parking lot. The NYPD and Parks Department pass blame. Vulnerable road users remain exposed. The system fails to protect them.

• Can We Just Keep Cars Off the Queensbridge Baby Greenway?, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-03-29

Senate passes S 2714. Bill pushes complete street design. Aim: safer roads for all. Pedestrians, cyclists, and riders get space. Car dominance challenged. Lawmakers move to cut street carnage.

Senate bill S 2714, titled 'Enables safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles,' advanced through committee and passed several Senate votes, most recently on March 27, 2024. Sponsored by Timothy M. Kennedy with support from Jake Ashby, Jamaal Bailey, and others, the bill mandates street designs that protect everyone—not just drivers. The measure saw strong support but faced opposition from some senators. By requiring complete street principles, S 2714 aims to reduce danger for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users. The bill marks a shift away from car-first planning, forcing cities to build streets for people, not just traffic.

• File S 2714, Open States, Published 2024-03-27

A 49-year-old man on an e-scooter suffered severe leg injuries after a crash on Review Avenue in Queens. The impact struck the scooter’s left front bumper and the other vehicle’s right front quarter panel. Driver inattention caused the collision.

According to the police report, a collision occurred on Review Avenue in Queens involving an e-scooter and another unspecified vehicle. The e-scooter driver, a 49-year-old man, was injured with fractures and dislocations to his knee, lower leg, and foot. The crash happened around 2 p.m. The point of impact was the left front bumper of the e-scooter and the right front quarter panel of the other vehicle. The report explicitly cites 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor to the crash. The injured driver was not ejected from the vehicle. No other contributing factors or victim behaviors were noted in the report. The collision highlights the dangers posed by distracted driving in Queens streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4712276 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-06

An SUV making a right turn struck a westbound e-bike on Queens Boulevard. The e-bike rider, a 56-year-old man, suffered severe leg injuries. Police cite driver inattention and improper turning as key factors in the crash.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 7:15 AM on Queens Boulevard in Queens. A 2002 Ford SUV was making a right turn when it collided with a westbound e-bike. The e-bike rider, a 56-year-old man, was injured with fractures and dislocations to his knee, lower leg, and foot. The report identifies 'Turning Improperly' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors on the SUV driver's part. The point of impact was the SUV's right front bumper and the e-bike's left front quarter panel. The e-bike rider was conscious and wearing a helmet at the time. No other contributing factors related to the victim were noted. The collision highlights the dangers posed by improper turning maneuvers and distracted driving.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4711341 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-06

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 2024-03-20

Council wants bold signs at every school entrance. Paint on pavement. Metal overhead. The aim: warn drivers, shield kids. The bill sits in committee. Streets wait. Danger does not.

Bill Int 0714-2024, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced March 19, 2024. The bill reads: 'installing safety signs near schools.' Council Member Susan Zhuang leads, joined by Rivera, Gennaro, Won, Hanif, Gutiérrez, Louis, Cabán, Restler, Farías, Banks, Riley, and Feliz. The bill orders the Department of Transportation to paint and hang school safety signs on every street with a school entrance. The goal: alert drivers to children and pedestrians. The bill awaits further action. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File Int 0714-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-03-19

Lawmakers push $90 million for faster, freer buses. The plan boosts service and expands free routes. Riders win more access. The bill also funds rail links and fare breaks for low-income, seniors, and disabled. Enforcement on tolls gets softer. Streets shift for people.

On March 12, 2024, state lawmakers released a budget proposal targeting New York City transit. The bill, led by Andrea Stewart-Cousins and mentioned in the Assembly and Senate one-house budgets, calls for $90 million to increase bus frequency and expand the MTA's free bus pilot. The matter summary states: 'State lawmakers proposed spending $90 million this year to improve bus service frequency and expand the scope of the MTA's free bus pilot.' The proposal, supported by Sen. Michael Gianaris and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, also adopts the FARES Act, extending half-price MetroCards to commuter rail, and funds new discounts for seniors and people with disabilities. Lawmakers back the QueensLink rail project and recommend subway improvements. They reject tougher toll enforcement, instead supporting the Toll Payer Protection Act. The plan aims to make transit faster, cheaper, and more accessible for millions of riders.

• State lawmakers propose $90 million for more frequent buses, fare-free pilot in budget response, amny.com, Published 2024-03-12

Albany lawmakers want more buses and cheaper fares. They propose $90 million for frequent service and 15 new free routes. The plan targets gridlock and aims to boost ridership before congestion pricing hits. Riders in every borough stand to gain.

Bill proposals in the New York State Assembly and Senate, introduced in February 2024 by State Sen. Michael Gianaris and Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, seek $90 million for increased bus service and 15 more free bus routes. These measures, part of the 'Get Congestion Pricing Right' package, appear in both houses’ 'one-house' budgets as of March 12, 2024. The matter summary states: 'City buses would run more frequently under new proposals from state legislators in Albany, who included increased bus services and new fare discounts in budget proposals.' Mamdani and Gianaris led the push, citing the need for better transit before congestion pricing launches this summer. Their plan includes expanded Fair Fares, new discounts for seniors and disabled riders, and a weekly CityTicket for unlimited intracity rail travel. Advocates and lawmakers argue these steps are critical for equity and access, especially as the city prepares to charge drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street. The proposals now enter negotiations with Governor Hochul.

• Legislators Propose More Bus Service, Transit Discounts In State Budget Negotiations, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-03-12