Whitestone’s Toll: Broken Bodies, Broken Promises, No More Delays

Jan 13 - Senate bill S 1675 would force carmakers to face the facts. Every vehicle gets a pedestrian safety score. The public sees it. No more hiding danger behind steel and glass.

Senate bill S 1675, now at the sponsorship stage, sits with the New York State Senate. Filed January 13, 2025, it aims to 'create a pedestrian safety rating system for motor vehicles which shall be posted on the department of motor vehicles' website.' Senator Andrew Gounardes leads, joined by Leroy Comrie, Michael Gianaris, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Robert Jackson, Liz Krueger, Zellnor Myrie, Gustavo Rivera, Julia Salazar, Luis R. Sepúlveda, and Toby Ann Stavisky. The bill demands transparency. It would show the public which cars endanger walkers and which spare them. No safety analyst has yet weighed in, but the intent is clear: expose the risk, protect the vulnerable.

• File S 1675, Open States, Published 2025-01-13

Dec 7 - Two sedans collided on Cross Island Parkway in the early morning hours. The driver of one vehicle suffered head injuries and whiplash but was conscious and restrained. Both vehicles sustained damage at center impact points, indicating a rear-end collision.

According to the police report, at 2:18 AM on Cross Island Parkway, two sedans traveling west and north collided. The driver of one sedan, a 38-year-old male occupant, was injured with head trauma and whiplash but remained conscious and was secured by a lap belt and harness. The point of impact was the center back end of one vehicle and the center front end of the other, consistent with a rear-end collision. Both drivers were licensed in New York. The report lists contributing factors as unspecified, providing no direct attribution to driver error such as failure to yield or speeding. No pedestrian or cyclist was involved. The focus remains on the collision dynamics and resulting injuries to the vehicle occupant.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4776896 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Nov 16 - A motorcycle collided with the right side of a sedan on Parsons Blvd in Queens. The motorcycle driver was ejected and suffered full-body injuries including fractures and dislocations. Driver distraction was cited as a key factor in the crash.

According to the police report, a collision occurred on Parsons Blvd in Queens involving a sedan traveling east and a motorcycle traveling north. The motorcycle struck the right side doors of the sedan, causing the motorcycle driver to be ejected. The 23-year-old male motorcycle driver sustained injuries to his entire body, including fractures and dislocations, and was conscious at the scene. The report identifies 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor for the motorcycle driver. The sedan driver was licensed and traveling straight ahead. The impact point and vehicle damage confirm the motorcycle struck the sedan's right side. No victim behaviors were listed as contributing factors. The crash highlights the dangers posed by driver distraction in multi-vehicle collisions.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4771683 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Oct 24 - A 66-year-old male driver suffered chest injuries and shock after crashing his SUV into a parked vehicle on 10 Avenue in Queens. The driver fell asleep at the wheel, impaired by prescription medication, causing the collision at dawn.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 6:20 AM on 10 Avenue in Queens. The driver, a 66-year-old man, was operating a 2021 Toyota SUV traveling west when he collided with a parked 2013 Volvo SUV. The point of impact was the left front quarter panel on both vehicles. The report cites 'Prescription Medication' and 'Fell Asleep' as contributing factors to the crash, indicating driver impairment and loss of control. The driver was injured with chest trauma and experienced shock but was not ejected from the vehicle. He was restrained by a lap belt and harness. The parked vehicle was unoccupied at the time. No other contributing factors or victim behaviors were noted in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4766198 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 26 - Council ends jaywalking penalties. Pedestrians now cross anywhere, any time. No summons. Law strips drivers of excuses. Streets shift. Power tilts to people on foot.

Int 0346-2024, now enacted, rewrites New York’s pedestrian rules. The bill, heard by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, passed on September 26, 2024, and became law on October 26, 2024. Its title: “A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to pedestrian crossing guidelines and right of way.” Sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán and co-sponsored by Narcisse, Won, Hanif, Hudson, and Restler, the law lets pedestrians cross streets anywhere, even against signals. No more tickets for crossing outside crosswalks. The Department of Transportation must educate all street users on new rights and responsibilities. The law removes a tool police used to target walkers. It shifts blame from people on foot to the system and those behind the wheel.

• File Int 0346-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-09-26

Sep 17 - Queens lawmakers slammed e-scooters, calling them chaos. They claimed danger, but city data shows no deaths or serious injuries. Council Member Ung introduced a bill to ban the program. Gennaro and Schulman support it. DOT says the program is safe and popular.

On September 17, 2024, Council Member Sandra Ung announced a bill to ban the Queens e-scooter share program. The bill, co-sponsored by Council Members James Gennaro and Lynn Schulman, follows a press conference where lawmakers denounced the program as hazardous. Gennaro said, "The program, as designed, leads to chaos." Ung called her bill a last resort. Assembly Members Sam Berger and David Weprin, and Community Board 8 Chair Martha Taylor, joined the opposition, citing sidewalk clutter and lack of outreach. However, DOT data contradicts their claims: since the program's June launch, 37,000 riders have taken 290,000 trips with no reported serious injuries or deaths. DOT says it held 35 briefings and implemented parking corrals in dense areas. Despite high ridership and safety records, the bill seeks to end the program, centering political frustration over proven outcomes.

• Queens Pols Have Lots of Claims About the Evils of Scooter-Share, But Few Facts, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-09-17

Sep 13 - A van rolled down 147th Street, brakes failed. It pinned a 26-year-old man, crushing his legs. Blood pooled on the quiet pavement. Metal pressed flesh. Parked cars stood by, silent. The man stayed conscious, pain sharp, morning still.

A 26-year-old pedestrian suffered severe crush injuries to his legs when a van rolled from rest on 147th Street near 13th Avenue in Queens, according to the police report. The incident occurred at 8:51 a.m. The report states the van’s brakes were defective, causing it to move unexpectedly and strike the man. The narrative describes the van as having 'failed brakes' and details how it 'crushed a 26-year-old man’s legs.' The victim remained conscious on the pavement, bleeding. Two parked vehicles—a van and an SUV—were involved, but only the van moved. The police report lists 'Brakes Defective' as the primary contributing factor. No driver errors beyond mechanical failure are cited. The report does not attribute any contributing actions to the pedestrian. The focus remains on the van’s mechanical failure and the resulting harm to the pedestrian.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4756178 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 13 - A tractor truck slammed into the back of a sedan on the Whitestone Expressway. Three occupants in the sedan suffered neck injuries and whiplash. The crash exposed driver errors including following too closely and inexperience, causing serious harm.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 1:27 AM on the Whitestone Expressway involving a tractor truck and a sedan traveling northbound. The truck struck the sedan at its center back end, causing damage to both vehicles. The sedan carried three occupants: a licensed male driver and two female passengers, all conscious but injured with neck trauma and complaints of whiplash. The report identifies driver errors as contributing factors: the truck driver exhibited 'Following Too Closely' and 'Driver Inexperience,' while the sedan driver also showed 'Driver Inexperience.' All occupants were restrained with lap belts and harnesses and none were ejected. The collision and resulting injuries highlight the dangers posed by driver errors on high-speed roadways.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4756179 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 29 - New York will close 71 streets to cars outside schools this fall. The city adds more car-free zones for kids. Streets once deadly will now be safer for walking, play, and learning. The move targets neighborhoods hit hardest by crashes.

On August 29, 2024, the Department of Transportation announced a record 71 school streets will close to cars this fall. The expansion, not tied to a specific council bill, builds on the Open Streets program, made permanent in 2021. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodríguez said, 'We have created a new framework to give this space back to our school children.' Councilwoman Vickie Paladino celebrated the new open street at PS 129, calling it a win for safe pick-up, drop-off, and play. Funding comes from the Public Space Equity Program, with $30 million focused on under-resourced areas. Street Lab will provide programming and street furniture. The program responds to past investigations showing higher crash and injury rates outside schools, especially in poorer neighborhoods. The city will directly fund management and operations starting in 2025, aiming to make these safety gains permanent.

• More Safe School Streets Coming To NYC This Fall, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-08-29

Aug 28 - A taxi slowed on 149th Street. The driver’s eyes left the road. A woman’s leg broke beneath the wheel. She went into shock. The car sat unharmed. The street held its breath as pain and silence filled the dusk.

According to the police report, a taxi traveling on 149th Street near 5th Avenue in Queens struck a 60-year-old woman who was standing in the roadway. The report states, 'The taxi slowed, but the driver looked away.' The woman suffered crush injuries to her knee and lower leg and went into shock. The police list 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor, with additional mention of 'Passenger Distraction.' The taxi itself sustained no damage. The victim was not at an intersection and was engaged in 'Other Actions in Roadway,' but the report identifies driver distraction as the primary cause. The focus remains on the driver’s failure to maintain attention, resulting in severe injury to a pedestrian.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4751449 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 15 - City law now forces DOT to reveal where bikes and scooters go. Streets and bridges, protected or not. Data goes public. Riders’ movement, danger, and safety projects laid bare. No more hiding the facts.

Int 0745-2024, now enacted, came through the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It was introduced April 11, 2024, and passed on August 15, 2024. The law orders the Department of Transportation to post current bicycle and micromobility ridership data online, updated monthly or at least yearly. The matter summary reads: '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, Restler, Hudson, Schulman, and others. The law demands transparency on where riders travel and what DOT does to keep them safe. This opens the books on bike movement and exposes gaps in protection.

• File Int 0745-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-08-15

Jul 11 - A diesel truck rammed a northbound pickup on Whitestone Expressway. Metal folded, glass burst, three young adults trapped inside. Neck bones cracked. The truck’s nose caved, the pickup’s rear torn open. All survived, but the scars will linger.

According to the police report, a diesel tractor truck struck the rear of a northbound Ford pickup truck on Whitestone Expressway at 8:37 a.m. The report states, 'A diesel truck slammed into a northbound Ford pickup. The truck’s nose folded. The pickup’s rear tore open.' Three young adults inside the pickup—ages 20, 27, and 29—suffered severe neck crush injuries. None were ejected; all remained strapped in as the vehicle crumpled around them. The police report lists 'Following Too Closely' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors for the crash. The force of the impact left the pickup’s right rear bumper destroyed and the truck’s front end mangled. The data makes clear: driver error behind the wheel of the tractor truck led to devastating injuries for the pickup’s occupants.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4740029 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jun 25 - A motorcycle rider suffered a fractured shoulder and partial ejection after a side impact with an SUV on Willets Point Boulevard. Both vehicles traveled west when the SUV passed too closely, striking the motorcycle's front center and injuring the driver.

According to the police report, the crash occurred on Willets Point Boulevard in Queens at 16:24. A 32-year-old male motorcycle driver, wearing only a helmet, was partially ejected and sustained a fractured, distorted, and dislocated upper arm. The motorcycle, traveling west, was struck on its center front end by a 2021 SUV also traveling west. The SUV impacted the motorcycle on its right side doors, damaging its right front quarter panel. The report cites "Passing Too Closely" and "Passing or Lane Usage Improper" as contributing factors attributed to the SUV driver. The motorcycle driver was injured but conscious. No victim behaviors were listed as contributing factors. The collision highlights dangerous passing maneuvers by the SUV driver leading to severe injury of the vulnerable motorcycle rider.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4735612 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jun 20 - Two sedans collided on Clintonville Street in Queens. Both drivers failed to yield right-of-way, causing a crash that struck the left side doors of one vehicle. A 23-year-old female driver suffered a shoulder abrasion but remained conscious and restrained.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 15:10 on Clintonville Street in Queens involving two sedans traveling southeast and south. Both drivers were cited for Failure to Yield Right-of-Way, a critical factor leading to the collision. The impact hit the left side doors of the Hyundai sedan, driven by a 23-year-old female who was wearing a lap belt and harness. She sustained an upper arm and shoulder abrasion but was not ejected and remained conscious. The other vehicle, a 2014 Honda sedan, sustained front-end damage. The report highlights driver errors as the cause, with no contributing factors attributed to the injured occupant. The collision underscores the dangers of failing to yield in vehicle-to-vehicle crashes.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4735234 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jun 11 - A Mazda SUV swung right on 160th Street. Metal met flesh. A 53-year-old woman on a bike went down, her leg shattered beneath the front left wheel. Blood pooled. She stayed conscious, silent, helmetless, pain radiating through the dusk.

A collision unfolded on 160th Street near Council District 19 at 7:40 p.m., involving a Mazda SUV and a woman riding a bicycle, according to the police report. The report states the SUV was making a right turn when it struck the cyclist, who was traveling east. The cyclist, a 53-year-old woman, suffered crush injuries to her lower leg after the SUV’s front left quarter panel hit her. She remained conscious but was bleeding on the pavement. According to the police report, 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' was cited as the contributing factor, highlighting a critical driver error. The report notes the cyclist was not wearing a helmet, but this detail is listed only after the driver’s failure to yield. The impact and resulting injury underscore the dangers faced by cyclists when drivers do not yield as required.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4731994 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jun 7 - Assembly passes A 7652. Schenectady gets school speed cameras. Law aims to slow drivers near kids. Cameras expire in 2028. Vote split. Streets may get safer for children on foot.

Bill A 7652, titled 'Establishes a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the city of Schenectady,' passed the Assembly on June 7, 2024. The measure, sponsored by Assemblymembers Phil Steck and Angelo Santabarbara, creates a camera program to catch speeding drivers near schools. The program ends December 31, 2028. The Assembly vote saw strong support but also opposition. Steck and Santabarbara led the push. The bill's text is blunt: 'Establishes a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the city of Schenectady.' No formal safety analyst note was provided, but speed cameras have a record of reducing driver speed and protecting children walking to school.

• File A 7652, Open States, Published 2024-06-07

Jun 7 - 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 2024-06-07

Jun 7 - Senate backs S 9752. Mt. Vernon gets green light for up to 20 school speed zones. Law aims to slow cars near kids. Most senators vote yes. A few say no. Streets may change. Danger remains for the young.

Senate Bill S 9752, sponsored by Jamaal Bailey, authorizes Mt. Vernon to launch a school speed zone demonstration program, with up to twenty zones allowed. The bill passed the Senate on June 7, 2024, during a committee vote. The matter title reads: 'Authorizes the city of Mt. Vernon to establish a school speed zone demonstration program; authorizes installation in no more than twenty school speed zones in such city.' Bailey and a majority of senators voted yes, while a handful opposed. The bill targets speeding near schools, a known threat to children and other vulnerable road users. No formal safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 9752, Open States, Published 2024-06-07

Jun 6 - 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

Jun 3 - 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