Glendale Bleeds: Demand Safe Streets Now

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

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 2024-06-03

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

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

A moped driver was ejected and injured after a collision with a sedan in Queens. The impact struck the moped’s right side doors and the sedan’s front end. The rider suffered hip and upper leg injuries but remained conscious.

According to the police report, a collision occurred at 15:10 in Queens near 65-05 Cooper Avenue involving a moped and a sedan. The moped, traveling west, was struck on its right side doors by the sedan, which was traveling south. The moped driver, a 20-year-old male wearing a helmet, was ejected from the vehicle and sustained injuries to his hip and upper leg, including contusions and bruises. The driver remained conscious after the crash. Both vehicles were moving straight ahead prior to impact. The report lists unspecified contributing factors but does not specify any driver errors such as failure to yield or speeding. No pedestrian or cyclist victim behaviors were noted as contributing factors. The collision highlights the vulnerability of moped riders in multi-vehicle crashes.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4732598 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-06

Abandoned poles and wires block sidewalks, trap walkers, and threaten cyclists. This bill sets strict deadlines for removal and transfer. Delay ends. Streets clear. Danger cut.

Int 0921-2024 sits with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after introduction on May 23, 2024. The bill, sponsored by Justin L. Brannan with Holden, Vernikov, Marmorato, and Paladino, demands owners remove abandoned or unsafe utility poles, wires, and appurtenances within 60 days—or immediately if dangerous. Transfers to new poles must happen in 30 days. The matter title reads: 'timelines for the removal of abandoned or unsafe utility poles, wires, and appurtenances, and the transfer of appurtenances to newly erected poles.' Swift action means fewer sidewalk traps and less risk for those on foot or bike.

• File Int 0921-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-05-23

Senate bill S 9490 raises penalties for endangering highway workers. It pushes work zone safety and funds more enforcement. Lawmakers move to shield workers from reckless drivers.

Senate bill S 9490 was introduced on May 16, 2024, and is at the sponsorship stage. The bill aims to 'increase penalties for endangerment of a highway worker; promote work zone safety awareness; establish a fund for additional work zone safety enforcement.' Senator Jeremy Cooney leads as primary sponsor, joined by Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Pamela Helming, Mario Mattera, Robert Rolison, and James Skoufis as co-sponsors. The bill targets drivers who threaten highway workers, seeking to make work zones less deadly. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 9490, Open States, Published 2024-05-16

Council bill targets repeat pedal-assist bike violators. Three strikes trigger a mandatory safety course. Ignore the course, lose your bike. DOT will track results. Three-year pilot. Enforcement, not education, leads.

Int 0874-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced May 16, 2024, by Council Members Ariola (primary), Hanks, Hudson, Louis, Mealy, and Banks, the bill orders DOT to launch a pilot abatement program for unsafe pedal-assist bicycle operators. The bill summary states: 'Pedal-assist bicycle operators who accrue 3 or more moving violations under city law would be required to take a safe pedal-assist bicycle operation course offered by DOT.' Noncompliance means bike impoundment. DOT must report on course completions, impounds, and program effectiveness. The pilot sunsets after three years. The bill aims to curb reckless riding through strict enforcement.

• File Int 0874-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-05-16

Council bill redefines major transit projects. Bike lanes, busways, and bus lanes now trigger community board notice. DOT must present plans, boards get sixty days to respond. Progress reports go public. Holden and Ariola sponsor.

Int 0880-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced May 16, 2024, by Council Members Joann Ariola and Robert F. Holden, it amends city code to require community notification for any bus lane, busway, or bike lane project, no matter the size. The bill states: 'construction or removal of a bus lane, busway, or bike lane' counts as a major project. DOT must present plans to affected boards, who get sixty days to comment. DOT must post quarterly updates online. Ariola is the primary sponsor; Holden co-sponsors. The bill aims to increase transparency and community input on street changes that shape safety for all.

• File Int 0880-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-05-16

Council moves to light up step streets. At least 25 stairways each year will get new lamps. Dark paths become visible. Pedestrians gain ground. Shadows shrink. Danger loses its cover.

Int 0875-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after introduction on May 16, 2024. The bill reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the installation of pedestrian lighting on step streets.' Prime sponsor Joann Ariola, joined by sixteen co-sponsors, pushes for at least 25 step streets to be lit each year until all are covered. Step streets are open-air staircases linking streets at different heights. The bill aims to strip darkness from these paths, making them safer for people on foot. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File Int 0875-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-05-16

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

Council bill redefines major transit projects. Bike lanes, busways, and bus lanes now trigger community board notice. DOT must present plans, boards get sixty days to respond. Progress reports go public. Holden and Ariola sponsor.

Int 0880-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced May 16, 2024, by Council Members Joann Ariola and Robert F. Holden, it amends city code to require community notification for any bus lane, busway, or bike lane project, no matter the size. The bill states: 'construction or removal of a bus lane, busway, or bike lane' counts as a major project. DOT must present plans to affected boards, who get sixty days to comment. DOT must post quarterly updates online. Ariola is the primary sponsor; Holden co-sponsors. The bill aims to increase transparency and community input on street changes that shape safety for all.

• File Int 0880-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-05-16

A bicyclist riding east on Central Avenue was injured when a parked sedan struck her on the left side. The cyclist suffered bruises and elbow injuries. Police cited the cyclist’s confusion and passing too closely as contributing factors in the crash.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 13:56 on Central Avenue in Queens. A 32-year-old female bicyclist traveling east collided with a parked 2017 Honda sedan. The point of impact was the left side doors of the sedan and the center front end of the bike. The bicyclist sustained contusions and injuries to her elbow, lower arm, and hand but was conscious and not ejected. The report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' and 'Passing Too Closely' as contributing factors. The sedan was stationary before the crash, indicating the bicyclist’s actions led to the collision. No driver errors by the sedan operator are noted. The bicyclist’s helmet status is not reported as a factor.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4725720 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-06

Two sedans collided on Woodhaven Boulevard in Queens. A five-year-old passenger suffered a head injury and whiplash. The crash involved a rear-end impact caused by a driver following too closely. The child was conscious and not ejected from the vehicle.

According to the police report, two sedans traveling south on Woodhaven Boulevard collided at 18:20. The point of impact was the center back end of one vehicle and the center front end of the other, indicating a rear-end collision. The contributing factor cited was 'Following Too Closely,' pointing to driver error. A five-year-old female passenger in the right rear seat of the struck vehicle sustained a head injury and whiplash but remained conscious and was not ejected. The injured child was not using any safety equipment. Both drivers were licensed and traveling straight ahead. The collision caused damage to the center rear and front ends of the vehicles. No other contributing factors or victim behaviors were noted in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4721181 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-06

A Queens driver suffered lower leg injuries after his SUV rear-ended a parked vehicle. The crash, caused by reaction to an uninvolved vehicle, left the driver in shock with complaints of pain. Multiple SUVs were damaged in the collision.

According to the police report, the crash occurred on Cooper Avenue in Queens at 3:59 PM. A 33-year-old male driver of a Jeep SUV was injured when his vehicle struck the center back end of a parked Honda SUV. The report cites the contributing factor as "Reaction to Uninvolved Vehicle," indicating the driver’s error in responding to traffic conditions. The driver was not ejected but sustained injuries to his knee, lower leg, and foot, and was in shock with complaints of pain or nausea. The collision caused damage to the front center of the Jeep and the rear center of the parked Honda. Additional parked SUVs nearby also sustained rear-end damage. The report does not attribute any fault or contributing factors to the injured driver beyond the reaction to an uninvolved vehicle.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4720704 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-06

A sedan surged from its spot on Myrtle Avenue. Its front bumper slammed a 46-year-old cyclist. He flew, hit pavement, crushed. The car rolled on. Blood pooled. The street bore witness to another brutal collision.

According to the police report, a sedan pulled from its parking spot near 67-03 Myrtle Avenue in Queens and struck a 46-year-old man riding a bike. The cyclist was hit by the sedan's left front bumper, ejected from his bike, and suffered crush injuries to his entire body. The report states the cyclist remained conscious after the impact. The crash occurred at 2:00 PM. Police cite 'Passing Too Closely' as the contributing factor, highlighting the sedan driver's failure to provide adequate space for the cyclist. The narrative notes the car 'kept rolling' after the collision. The report also mentions the cyclist was not wearing a helmet, but this detail is listed after the primary driver error. The crash underscores the persistent danger faced by cyclists on city streets when drivers disregard safe passing distance.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4721160 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-06

A bus struck a stopped bike at Myrtle Avenue and 69th Street. The rider, fifty-four, was thrown off, bleeding and conscious, pain everywhere. The bus did not stop. The bike lay broken, the street stained, the city indifferent.

According to the police report, a bus traveling west on Myrtle Avenue at 69th Street collided with a stopped bicycle. The narrative states, 'A bus hit a stopped bike. The rider, 54, flew off. No helmet. Blood ran. He was awake, hurting everywhere. The bus kept going. The bike stayed down.' The cyclist suffered injuries to his entire body and was ejected from the bike, sustaining severe bleeding but remaining conscious. The report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' as a contributing factor, but the primary sequence of events centers on the bus striking a stationary cyclist. The bus driver continued without stopping. No driver-specific errors are cited in the data, but the impact and aftermath underscore the systemic dangers facing cyclists on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4720081 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-06