Jamaica Estates–Holliswood: Two pedestrians gone, hundreds hurt, and speed still wins

Apr 18 - Council moves to hike fines for illegal ATVs and dirt bikes. First offense: $375–$750. Repeat: $750–$1,500. Law aims at reckless riders who menace city streets and endanger lives.

Bill Int 0856-2024 sits in the Committee on Public Safety. Introduced April 18, 2024, it seeks to amend city code to raise fines for unlawful ATV and dirt bike use. The bill states: 'The first offense would be punishable by a fine and/or a civil penalty of at least 375 dollars and up to 750 dollars. Any subsequent offense would be punishable by a fine and/or a civil penalty of at least 750 dollars and up to 1500 dollars.' Council Member Carmen N. De La Rosa leads as primary sponsor, joined by Salamanca Jr., Gennaro, Brannan, Louis, Ung, Restler, and Farías. The bill was referred to committee the same day. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File Int 0856-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-04-18

Apr 18 - Council orders swift removal of abandoned and unplated cars. Streets clear in 72 hours. Police target vehicles with missing or fake plates. Fewer hazards for those on foot and bike.

Int 0857-2024, now at the Mayor's desk, passed the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on April 18, 2024. The bill states: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code... in relation to vehicles reported as abandoned to the department of sanitation.' Sponsored by Selvena N. Brooks-Powers (primary) and co-sponsored by over a dozen council members, it forces the Department of Sanitation to remove derelict vehicles within 72 hours and empowers NYPD to tow cars with missing or obscured plates or stickers. The law aims to clear street hazards fast, reducing risks for pedestrians and cyclists.

• File Int 0857-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-04-18

Apr 11 - Council targets hidden plates. Bill makes it a crime to park, stop, or drive with covered tags. Fines reach $1,000. Jail time possible. Committee weighs action. Streets demand accountability.

Int 0766-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after introduction on April 11, 2024. The bill reads: “prohibiting the parking, standing, stopping, or operation of a motor vehicle with obscured or defaced license plates.” Council Member Oswald Feliz leads, joined by Holden, Bottcher, Gennaro, Marte, Restler, Ung, and Paladino. The bill sets fines up to $1,000 and possible jail for violators. Each offense is a misdemeanor. The council aims to strip cover for reckless drivers, making it harder to dodge tickets and accountability. No safety analyst note yet, but the intent is clear: end the shield for lawless driving.

• File Int 0766-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-04-11

Mar 27 - 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

Mar 24 - Three vehicles collided in a chain reaction on Grand Central Parkway. The 44-year-old sedan driver suffered back injuries but was conscious and restrained. Impact centered on the back of one sedan and fronts of two others, all traveling westbound.

According to the police report, a chain collision occurred on Grand Central Parkway involving a 2023 Hyundai sedan, a 2017 Jeep SUV, and another sedan, all traveling westbound. The point of impact was the center back end of the Hyundai sedan and the center front ends of the other two vehicles. The 44-year-old male driver of the Hyundai sedan was injured, sustaining back injuries classified as severity level 3. He was conscious and wearing a lap belt and harness at the time of the crash. The report lists unspecified contributing factors for the driver but does not specify any pedestrian or cyclist involvement. The collision appears to be a rear-end crash sequence with no ejections or pedestrian roles involved. Driver errors are not explicitly detailed but the nature of the crash suggests failure to maintain safe distance or attention.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4712120 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Mar 20 - 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

Mar 19 - 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

Mar 19 - Council bill orders DOT to repair broken curbs during street resurfacing. Hazardous curbs trip, trap, and injure. The fix is overdue. Pedestrians need solid ground. Council moves to force action.

Int 0724-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced March 19, 2024, the bill commands DOT to repair broken curbs that pose safety hazards during any resurfacing project. The matter title reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code... requiring that the department of transportation repair broken curbs as part of resurfacing projects.' Council Members Schulman, Gennaro (primary), Gutiérrez, Louis, Brewer, and Avilés sponsor the measure. The bill targets a simple danger: shattered curbs that trip and injure. If passed, DOT must fix these hazards as routine, not afterthought. The law would take effect 120 days after enactment.

• File Int 0724-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-03-19

Mar 12 - Three sedans slammed together on Grand Central Parkway. A 24-year-old woman behind the wheel took the hit. Neck pain. Whiplash. No clear driver errors named. Metal and bodies jarred. System failed to protect.

According to the police report, three sedans collided eastbound on Grand Central Parkway at 7:30 AM. The first car, a Dodge, struck the center front of a Lexus, which then hit the rear of a Ford. The 24-year-old female Lexus driver suffered neck injuries and whiplash but stayed conscious. The report lists unspecified contributing factors, with no driver errors like failure to yield or distraction named. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash left one young driver hurt, another mark on a dangerous road.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4709106 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Mar 7 - Council wants every e-bike and scooter tagged and tracked. Plates on wheels. Riders face new rules. Lawmakers say it’s about order. The bill sits in committee. Streets wait.

Int 0606-2024 was introduced on March 7, 2024, in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code...requiring that every bicycle with electric assist, electric scooter and other legal motorized vehicle be licensed and registered," would force all e-bikes, e-scooters, and similar vehicles not covered by DMV rules to register with DOT and display visible plates. Council Member Inna Vernikov is the primary sponsor, joined by 26 co-sponsors including Holden, Farías, Riley, and others. The bill was laid over in committee and has not advanced. No safety analysis for vulnerable road users was provided.

• File Int 0606-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-03-07

Mar 7 - Council wants every e-bike and scooter tagged and tracked. Plates on wheels. Riders face new rules. Lawmakers say it’s about order. The bill sits in committee. Streets wait.

Int 0606-2024 was introduced on March 7, 2024, in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code...requiring that every bicycle with electric assist, electric scooter and other legal motorized vehicle be licensed and registered," would force all e-bikes, e-scooters, and similar vehicles not covered by DMV rules to register with DOT and display visible plates. Council Member Inna Vernikov is the primary sponsor, joined by 26 co-sponsors including Holden, Farías, Riley, and others. The bill was laid over in committee and has not advanced. No safety analysis for vulnerable road users was provided.

• File Int 0606-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-03-07

Feb 29 - Two sedans crashed on Wexford Terrace in Queens. The front passenger in one vehicle suffered a head injury and bruising. Police cite traffic control disregard as the cause. Both drivers were licensed and traveling straight ahead at impact.

According to the police report, two sedans collided on Wexford Terrace in Queens at 7:55 PM. The vehicles were traveling east and north, respectively, both going straight ahead. The point of impact was the right front bumper of one sedan and the center front end of the other. The front passenger, a 27-year-old female, was injured with a head contusion and bruising but was conscious and wearing a lap belt and harness. The report identifies 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as a contributing factor to the crash, indicating driver error in obeying traffic signals or signs. Both drivers were licensed in their respective states. No other contributing factors or victim behaviors were noted in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4706070 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 28 - Council bill would pay up to $1,000 for tips that help catch hit-and-run drivers who injure or kill. Police and city workers are barred from rewards. The measure targets unsolved crashes that leave victims behind.

Int 0143-2024, now in the Committee on Public Safety, was introduced February 28, 2024. The bill states: 'establishing a reward for individuals who provide information leading to the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of a person who seriously injures or kills another individual in a hit-and-run accident.' Council Member Rita C. Joseph leads as primary sponsor, joined by Brooks-Powers, Narcisse, Vernikov, Louis, Bottcher, Hudson, Gennaro, and Williams. The bill excludes law enforcement and city employees from eligibility. The aim is to mobilize the public to help solve hit-and-run cases, many of which remain unsolved, and bring justice for victims.

• File Int 0143-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Feb 28 - Council passed a law forcing taxis and for-hire cars to post bold warnings on doors. The signs tell passengers: look for cyclists before you open up. A small step. The city hands out the decals. No cost to drivers.

Int 0193-2024 became law on May 31, 2025, after action by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill, titled 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code...requiring taxis and for-hire vehicles to display a decal warning passengers to look for cyclists when opening the door,' was sponsored by Lincoln Restler and co-sponsored by over twenty council members, including Gutiérrez, Hudson, and Rivera. The law mandates clear warning decals on all rear passenger doors of taxis and for-hire vehicles. The Taxi and Limousine Commission will provide the signs at no cost. The measure aims to cut down on 'dooring'—a threat to cyclists citywide. The mayor returned the bill unsigned, but it became law.

• File Int 0193-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Feb 10 - SUV backed up on Union Turnpike. Struck a man crossing. Hip and leg bruised. Night. No driver errors listed. System failed to protect the walker.

According to the police report, an SUV reversed eastbound on Union Turnpike in Queens and struck a 30-year-old male pedestrian at 20:04. The man was crossing at the intersection and suffered a hip and upper leg contusion. He was conscious at the scene. The report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' as a contributing factor. No driver errors such as failure to yield or speeding are cited. The SUV's center back end was damaged. The driver was licensed and operating the vehicle in reverse at the time of impact.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4701492 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 8 - Council moves to hike fines for riding bikes, e-bikes, and scooters on city sidewalks. The bill targets sidewalk riding with stiffer penalties. No mention of street safety or driver accountability.

Bill Int 0037-2024 sits with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure since February 8, 2024. The measure, titled 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code...increasing civil penalties for operating a bicycle, bicycle with electric assist, or electric scooter on the sidewalk,' seeks to raise fines for sidewalk riding. Council Members Stevens (primary), Gennaro, Ung, Brewer, Brannan, and Morano sponsor the bill. The action: referral to committee. The summary states, 'This bill would increase each of the existing civil penalties for operating a bicycle, a bicycle with electric assist (commonly referred to as an “e-bike”), or an electric scooter on the sidewalk.' No safety analyst assessment is available. The bill focuses on penalties, not on street design or driver behavior.

• File Int 0037-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-08

Feb 4 - Eighteen lawmakers, including Joseph Borelli, sued to stop New York’s $15 congestion pricing. They claim the toll shifts pollution, burdens drivers, and fails communities with poor transit. The MTA defends the plan, saying it funds safer, less crowded streets.

On February 4, 2024, Council Member Joseph C. Borelli (District 51) joined seventeen other lawmakers in a federal lawsuit to block New York City’s $15 congestion pricing toll for Midtown Manhattan. The suit, supported by both Democrats and Republicans, argues the toll 'is a detriment to those that will be affected by this toll, environmentally and financially,' and claims it will shift traffic and pollution to other neighborhoods. Other plaintiffs include State Senators James Skoufis, Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, Iwen Chu, Monica Martinez, and Assemblymembers Aileen Gunther, Jamie Williams, and David Weprin. The MTA, backed by Governor Hochul, says the toll will raise $1 billion yearly for transit upgrades, promising safer, less congested streets and better transit for the majority who rely on public transportation. The case highlights the political and environmental battle over how to fund and shape New York’s streets.

• 18 NY lawmakers join suit to block $15 congestion toll, nypost.com, Published 2024-02-04

Feb 3 - Sedans and SUVs slammed together in a chain-reaction crash on Grand Central Parkway. Drivers followed too close. A 20-year-old man at the wheel took an elbow scrape. Metal and glass bore the brunt.

According to the police report, multiple vehicles collided on Grand Central Parkway in Queens. Sedans and SUVs, all slowing or stopping, were struck in a chain-reaction crash. The report lists "Following Too Closely" as the sole contributing factor, repeated for each vehicle. A 20-year-old male driver suffered an abrasion to his elbow and lower arm. He was conscious, not ejected, and wore a lap belt and harness. The injury was classified as severity level 3. The crash involved rear-end impacts, with damage focused on the center front and back ends of vehicles. The report makes clear: driver failure to maintain distance caused the pileup.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4700362 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jan 24 - A 42-year-old woman suffered upper leg injuries while crossing Union Turnpike outside an intersection. She was conscious with bruising. The crash involved an unspecified vehicle. No driver errors or contributing factors were reported in the police data.

According to the police report, a 42-year-old female pedestrian was injured while crossing Union Turnpike near 180 Street in Queens at 8:30 AM. She was not at an intersection and was crossing without a signal or crosswalk. The pedestrian sustained contusions and bruising to her hip and upper leg and remained conscious. The vehicle involved was unspecified, and the report does not list any contributing factors or driver errors such as failure to yield or speeding. No information on driver license status or vehicle details was provided. The report does not attribute any fault or contributing behavior to the pedestrian.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4697371 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jan 19 - Two SUVs collided eastbound on Grand Central Parkway. The striking driver suffered head injuries and whiplash. Rear-end impact crushed metal. No pedestrians or cyclists involved.

According to the police report, two Station Wagon/Sport Utility Vehicles traveled east on Grand Central Parkway at 8:00 a.m. The New York-registered SUV struck the rear of a Mississippi-registered SUV. The impact hit the center back end of the lead vehicle and the center front end of the striking vehicle. The 29-year-old female driver of the striking SUV sustained head injuries and whiplash. The report lists unspecified contributing factors. The crash involved a rear-end collision, a scenario often linked to driver error. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. No victim behavior contributed. Both vehicles had single occupants. The injured driver was not ejected.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4696385 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19