Cunningham Park Bleeds While Leaders Stand Still

• Nude Queens man indicted for kicking bike riders, attacking 3 NYPD officers, NY Daily News, Published 2025-09-18

• Man accused of intentionally killing Queens teen with his car, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-16

• 16-year-old girl dies after being hit by SUV in Queens, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-13

Sep 5 - A 13-year-old girl rode south on Union Turnpike at 193 St. She was hurt. A leg abrasion. Police logged a bicyclist-error code. No motorist was identified. A second vehicle was listed but not described.

Police recorded a crash at Union Turnpike and 193 St in Queens. A 13-year-old girl rode a bike south and was injured. She reported an abrasion to the lower leg. She was conscious. No motorist was identified in the file. A second vehicle was listed but had no details and no occupants. According to the police report, "Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion" was recorded as the contributing factor. No driver errors were recorded in the data. Police recorded the rider going straight ahead.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4839950 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

• Queens bus network redesign draws mixed reviews from riders, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-02

Aug 15 - Southbound sedans met on Union Turnpike. One stopped. One didn’t. The striking car crumpled its nose into the Toyota’s tail. A front-seat passenger was hurt. Night, quiet road, hard hit. Distraction named. Flesh pays for haste.

A southbound Hyundai going straight struck the center rear of a stopped Toyota on Union Turnpike at Francis Lewis Boulevard in Queens. A 57-year-old front-seat passenger was injured; the Hyundai’s 22-year-old driver was also reported injured. According to the police report, the contributing factor was “Driver Inattention/Distraction.” The data show a classic rear-end impact: the Toyota was “Stopped in Traffic,” and the Hyundai hit with “Center Front End” damage. Driver error is clear: distraction leading to a failure to stop. Only after that do we note equipment details listed in the report: one driver had “None” for safety equipment.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4835083 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 12 - A car slammed into a food truck in Astoria. Three people died. Metal twisted. Lives ended. The street became a scene of sudden loss.

CBS New York reported on August 12, 2025, that a car crashed into a food truck at 19th Avenue and 42nd Street in Astoria, Queens, killing three people. The article quotes witnesses, including a man who 'narrowly escaped tragedy.' Details on the driver's actions remain scarce, but the crash highlights the lethal risk vehicles pose to people on city streets. The incident raises questions about street design and the exposure of workers and customers at curbside businesses.

• Car Plows Into Queens Food Truck, CBS New York, Published 2025-08-12

Aug 8 - Floods drowned Bay Terrace. Streets vanished. Leaders demand signs and real fixes. Pedestrians and cyclists still face danger. Signs warn, but water keeps coming.

"Just as Queens was about to get hundreds of millions of dollars in the federal infrastructure plan to address some of the severe flooding issues right here in Queens, the Trump administration yanked it, revoked that funding, and this is what we’re going to have to be faced with even more." -- John Liu

On August 8, 2025, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Council Member Vickie Paladino, joined by State Sen. John Liu and others, called for flood-related street signage and storm mitigation in Bay Terrace. They urged the Department of Transportation to act after flash floods submerged the Cross Island Parkway. The matter, described as a 'call for flood-related street signage and storm mitigation efforts,' saw Richards call signage a 'small step' and Paladino stress the need for warnings. The safety analyst notes these efforts may help general conditions but do not address the core safety needs of pedestrians and cyclists or shift burdens away from vulnerable users.

• Queens leaders call for flood signage and infrastructure in Bay Terrace, AMNY, Published 2025-08-08

Aug 1 - A car struck and killed a 23-year-old man in Ozone Park. The driver fled, then turned himself in. Police say the crash followed a heated confrontation. The victim died at Jamaica Hospital.

ABC7 reported on August 1, 2025, that a 23-year-old man died after being hit by a car at 101st Avenue and Liberty Boulevard in Queens. Police said the incident followed a domestic dispute. The driver, who was the woman's current boyfriend, told police the victim approached his car "while flashing what appeared to be a gun" and was struck as the driver tried to leave. The driver later went to the police. No charges had been filed as of publication, with the district attorney still reviewing the case. The crash highlights the lethal risk when vehicles are used during conflicts.

• Man Killed By Car In Queens Dispute, ABC7, Published 2025-08-01

Jul 29 - City and business leaders back a $3 million study to overhaul 14th Street. The plan aims to carve out space for walkers, bikers, and buses. Cars lose ground. Streets grow safer. The city bets on change.

On July 29, 2025, Christopher Bonanos reported a sweeping proposal to remake 14th Street. No council bill number or committee is listed. The Adams administration, local BIDs, and the NYC Economic Development Corporation pledged $3 million for a 24-month study. The plan, described as 'transformative' and 'generational,' aims to create a 'complete street' for pedestrians, cyclists, delivery workers, and transit. Mayor Eric Adams and city officials support the move. According to safety analysts, such overhauls, especially when led by city and business groups, often yield safer, more equitable streets for vulnerable users.

• Everyone Wants to Fix 14th Street, New York Magazine - Curbed, Published 2025-07-29

Jul 14 - Council bill lets ambulettes use bus lanes and double-park to help passengers. More vehicles in bus lanes, more double-parking. Vulnerable road users face tighter, riskier streets.

Int 1339-2025, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced July 14, 2025 by Council Member Linda Lee. The bill, titled 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to exempting ambulettes from certain bus lane restrictions and allowing them to double park to assist passengers,' lets ambulettes drive, park, and double-park in bus lanes to help passengers. Lee sponsored the bill. If passed, more vehicles will block bus lanes and sidewalks, squeezing pedestrians and cyclists. The city’s most vulnerable will face more danger at the curb.

• File Int 1339-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-07-14

Jul 14 - Council bill lets ambulettes drive and park in bus lanes. Double-parking allowed to help passengers. Streets grow tighter. Danger for walkers and riders rises.

Bill Int 1339-2025 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced July 14, 2025, by Council Members Julie Menin and Linda Lee, it would 'exempt ambulettes from certain bus lane restrictions and allow them to double park to assist passengers.' The bill grants ambulettes the right to drive, stop, and double-park in bus lanes while helping passengers. Menin and Lee sponsor the measure, which was referred to committee on July 14. No safety analysis was provided. The change would squeeze vulnerable road users, making sidewalks and crossings riskier.

• File Int 1339-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-07-14

Jul 14 - Council bill lets ambulettes drive and double-park in bus lanes. More vehicles in bus lanes mean more risk for people walking, biking, and waiting at curbs. Danger grows where curb chaos reigns.

Bill Int 1339-2025 sits with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure since July 14, 2025. The bill, titled 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code...exempting ambulettes from certain bus lane restrictions and allowing them to double park to assist passengers,' would let ambulettes drive, stop, and double-park in bus lanes to help passengers. Council Member Julie Menin sponsors, joined by Linda Lee, Frank Morano, Eric Dinowitz, Lynn C. Schulman, Kamillah Hanks, Carlina Rivera, and Chris Banks. Allowing more vehicles to double-park and block bus lanes increases risk for pedestrians and cyclists at the curb. The city’s most vulnerable will face more conflict and less safe space.

• File Int 1339-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-07-14

Jul 14 - Council bill lets ambulettes use bus lanes and double-park to help passengers. More vehicles in bus lanes, more double-parking. Vulnerable road users face tighter, riskier streets.

Int 1339-2025, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced July 14, 2025 by Council Member Linda Lee. The bill, titled 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to exempting ambulettes from certain bus lane restrictions and allowing them to double park to assist passengers,' lets ambulettes drive, park, and double-park in bus lanes to help passengers. Lee sponsored the bill. If passed, more vehicles will block bus lanes and sidewalks, squeezing pedestrians and cyclists. The city’s most vulnerable will face more danger at the curb.

• File Int 1339-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-07-14

Jul 14 - Council bill lets ambulettes drive and double-park in bus lanes to help passengers. Streets narrow. Danger grows for walkers and riders. Vulnerable users pay the price.

Bill Int 1339-2025 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced July 14, 2025, by Council Member Linda Lee, it would 'exempt ambulettes from certain bus lane restrictions and allow them to double park to assist passengers.' Lee sponsored the measure, which was referred to committee the same day. The bill lets ambulettes drive, park, and double-park in bus lanes to help passengers board and deboard. No safety review was provided. The move risks more blocked lanes and sightlines, putting pedestrians and cyclists in harm’s way.

• File Int 1339-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-07-14

Jul 14 - Council bill lets ambulettes drive and double-park in bus lanes to help passengers. Streets narrow. Danger grows for walkers and riders. Vulnerable users pay the price.

Bill Int 1339-2025 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced July 14, 2025, by Council Member Linda Lee, it would 'exempt ambulettes from certain bus lane restrictions and allow them to double park to assist passengers.' Lee sponsored the measure, which was referred to committee the same day. The bill lets ambulettes drive, park, and double-park in bus lanes to help passengers board and deboard. No safety review was provided. The move risks more blocked lanes and sightlines, putting pedestrians and cyclists in harm’s way.

• File Int 1339-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-07-14

Jul 8 - Hillside Avenue chokes on cars. Buses crawl at four miles per hour. New lanes promise relief for 215,000 riders. Space shifts from cars to buses. Streets change. Riders wait.

Gothamist (2025-07-08) reports new bus lanes are coming to Hillside Avenue, Queens. Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said the corridor suffers from 'an inconsistent, patchwork design' and blocked lanes. Buses crawl at four miles per hour due to congestion. Only a third of road space serves buses, though 83% of transit users ride them. The project adds camera-enforced bus lanes, parking, and loading zones. Policy shifts road space from private cars to public transit, aiming to speed up service for 215,000 daily riders.

• Bus Lanes Target Congestion On Hillside Avenue, Gothamist, Published 2025-07-08

Jul 5 - City aims to carve bike lanes into 31st Street. Merchants fear lost access. Residents cite danger. DOT points to dozens hurt, two killed. The street stays deadly. The fight over space continues.

According to the New York Post (2025-07-05), the NYC Department of Transportation plans to narrow lanes and add bike paths on 31st Street in Astoria, Queens. The DOT cites 126 injured vehicle occupants, 33 injured pedestrians, 24 injured cyclists, and two deaths from 2020 to 2024, calling it 'one of the most dangerous streets in Queens.' Business owners warn the changes will block deliveries and threaten livelihoods. Residents worry about access and safety, especially for the elderly and students. The plan highlights the tension between street redesigns and the needs of vulnerable road users.

• City Bike Lane Plan Sparks Queens Clash, New York Post, Published 2025-07-05

Jul 4 - A boy, 15, fell from a No. 7 train at Queensboro Plaza. He landed on the tracks. Medics rushed him to the hospital. He died. The NYPD is investigating. Two other subway incidents happened that morning.

ABC7 reported on July 4, 2025, that a 15-year-old boy died after falling from the top of a No. 7 train at Queensboro Plaza station. The article states, "Police say the 15-year-old boy was riding on top of a No. 7 train around 2:45 a.m." and "He fell onto the tracks as it pulled into the Queensboro Plaza station." The NYPD is investigating this and two other incidents: a person struck by a J train and another killed while walking between cars on a No. 2 train. The events highlight ongoing dangers in the subway system and raise questions about platform and train safety.

• Teen Dies Falling From No. 7 Train, ABC7, Published 2025-07-04

Jun 30 - Council orders swift removal of abandoned, derelict cars. Streets clear in 72 hours. No plates, no stickers, no excuses. Police and sanitation must act. Safer crossings for all who walk, ride, or wait.

Bill Int 0857-2024, now at the Mayor's desk, passed the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and full Council on June 30, 2025. The bill, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code...in relation to vehicles reported as abandoned to the department of sanitation," requires the Department of Sanitation to remove derelict vehicles within 72 hours of report. The NYPD must tow cars lacking valid plates or stickers. Prime sponsor Selvena N. Brooks-Powers led, joined by Crystal Hudson, Amanda Farías, Lincoln Restler, and others. The law targets street hazards, clearing blocked sightlines and crosswalks. It aims to cut risks for pedestrians and cyclists by removing abandoned vehicles fast.

• File Int 0857-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-06-30