Ozone Park: Speed, night, and the body count

• Driver Fatally Doors Cyclist in Queens Yet is Not Charged, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-10-28

Oct 21 - A driver in a Honda sedan turned right at 102 St and 103 Ave and hit a 57-year-old man in the intersection. Police recorded failure to yield and distraction by the driver. The man suffered a head injury and fractures.

A 19-year-old driver in a 2009 Honda sedan made a right turn on 102 St at 103 Ave in Queens and hit a 57-year-old man in the intersection. The man suffered a head injury and fractures and was conscious. According to the police report, the crash happened at 3:48 p.m. on October 21, 2025, and the point of impact was the car's right front quarter panel. Police recorded Failure to Yield Right-of-Way and Driver Inattention/Distraction by the driver. The driver was licensed in New York. The crash occurred in the 106th Precinct area. The victim was a pedestrian at an intersection.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4852243 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-03

Oct 11 - Queens angle crash at 101 St and 101 Ave. An SUV driver northbound and a sedan driver eastbound collided. Police recorded traffic control disregarded. A 27-year-old driver suffered a head injury. Sirens cut the late-afternoon air.

Two drivers collided at 101 St and 101 Ave in Queens at 4:35 p.m. The driver of an SUV was heading north. The driver of a sedan was heading east. Impact crumpled the SUV’s left front and the sedan’s front. A 27-year-old male driver suffered a head injury and complained of whiplash. Another person was listed as unspecified. According to the police report, police recorded “Traffic Control Disregarded.” Both drivers were reported as going straight ahead. The crash was logged by the 102nd Precinct.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4848998 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-03

• Queens City Council candidate Jonathan Rinaldi accused of posting fabricated endorsements in District 29 race, AMNY, Published 2025-10-10

Sep 29 - A right-turning driver hit a 21-year-old motorcyclist going straight at 86 Street and Rockaway Boulevard in Queens. He was partially ejected and injured. Police did not record driver error.

A driver made a right turn at 86 Street and Rockaway Boulevard in Queens and hit a motorcyclist who was riding straight. It was 6:15 p.m. Both were headed north. The 21-year-old rider was partially ejected. He suffered a shoulder abrasion and was conscious. According to the police report, contributing factors were listed as "Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion," and no driver error was recorded. The report notes front-end damage and impact to the right front of the motorcycle and the left front of the turning vehicle. The crash injured a vulnerable road user while a driver turned.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4846431 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-03

Sep 21 - A driver was arraigned on manslaughter and assault charges after a hit-and-run killed an on-duty construction flag worker on the Nassau Expressway. Prosecutors say the case seeks accountability for dangerous driving; the worker did not survive.

"A driver who allegedly ran down a safety flag worker at a construction site in Queens last week, killing her, was arraigned on manslaughter and a list of other charges, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Sunday." -- Melinda R. Katz

This is not a council bill. Matter: "Queens DA: Motorist arraigned after hit-and-run collision that left on-duty construction worker dead on Nassau Expressway." Event date: 2025-09-21. Status: defendant Daveanand Budhai arraigned on second-degree manslaughter and second-degree assault charges after the fatal collision. Queens District Attorney Melinda R. Katz announced the indictment and pushed for prosecution. No council committee or councilmember sponsorship applies; Barbara Russo-Lennon is listed as the reporting source. Safety impact: prosecutors say accountability can deter dangerous driving — "Prosecuting a hit-and-run driver signals accountability for dangerous driving, which can deter similar behavior and support a culture of safety for vulnerable road users. However, without complementary infrastructure or systemic changes, the impact is likely modest."

• Queens DA: Motorist arraigned after hit-and-run collision that left on-duty construction worker dead on Nassau Expressway, AMNY, Published 2025-09-21

• Driver charged after woman directing traffic around expressway killed in Queens hit-and-run, ABC7, Published 2025-09-20

• Suspect who allegedly intentionally ran over, killed Queens teen is in the country illegally, ICE says, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-18

• Man struck and killed by two vehicles while trying to cross Belt Parkway in South Ozone Park: NYPD, amny, Published 2025-09-16

• Teenage girl fatally struck by SUV in Queens, suspect in custody, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-13

Sep 5 - A northbound sedan driver turned right at Woodhaven and 101 Ave and hit a westbound moped. An 18-year-old woman riding on the moped was hurt. Police recorded failure to yield and improper lane use by the driver.

A crash at 10:05 p.m. in Queens left a moped passenger hurt. A northbound sedan driver made a right turn at 101 Ave and Woodhaven Blvd and hit a westbound moped going straight. Impact marked the sedan’s right rear quarter panel and the moped’s front. An 18-year-old woman riding on the moped suffered a bruised hip and upper leg. Two 19-year-old men, the driver and a registrant, were listed with unspecified injury status. According to the police report, “Failure to Yield Right-of-Way” and “Passing or Lane Usage Improper” were recorded by the driver.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4841694 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-03

• MTA got busy with second phase of Queens bus network redesign this weekend, amny, Published 2025-09-01

• Second phase of Queens bus network redesign goes into effect, NY1, Published 2025-08-31

Aug 14 - An SUV and a sedan met hard at 84th and Rockaway. Speed ruled the crash. A toddler hurt. A child cut deep. Drivers banged up. Signals ignored. Steel buckled. Night streets took the blow.

Two cars collided at 84 St and Rockaway Blvd in Queens. An SUV and a sedan struck head‑on at the front ends. A 2‑year‑old passenger was injured. A 3‑year‑old boy suffered severe head lacerations. Multiple adults, including both drivers, reported pain. According to the police report, contributing factors were “Unsafe Speed” and “Traffic Control Disregarded.” Those driver errors led the list for every involved person. The crash involved a Honda sedan traveling southeast and a Mazda SUV traveling north, both going straight. No pedestrians or cyclists were listed among the injured. The report notes some occupants lacked safety equipment, but only after the primary driver failures.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4835025 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-03

Aug 14 - Int 1362 repeals the definitions of “protected bicycle lane” and “protected bus lane” and strips explicit benchmarks for protected lanes from the streets master plan. It preserves signal and pedestrian targets but weakens commitments to physical protection, threatening safety and equity.

Bill Int 1362-2025. Status: Sponsorship, introduced Aug 14, 2025. Referred to Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The measure, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to removing benchmarks for bus lanes and bicycle lanes from the streets master plan and repealing certain definitions in relation thereto," repeals the definitions of "protected bicycle lane" and "protected bus lane" and removes related benchmarks in the master plan (master plan dates referenced include Dec. 1, 2021 and Dec. 1, 2026). Primary sponsor: Robert F. Holden. Co-sponsors: Inna Vernikov, Joann Ariola, Chris Banks, Vickie Paladino. Safety analysts warn: "Removing explicit benchmarks and definitions for protected bus and bicycle lanes weakens commitments to physically protected infrastructure... likely reducing mode shift to walking and cycling and worsening equity and safety-in-numbers; the retained measures focus on signals and pedestrian amenities but do not replace the protective effect of designated protected lanes."

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Int 1362 strips definitions for protected bus and bike lanes and removes benchmarks from the streets master plan. It guts measurable targets. Safe space for pedestrians and cyclists is at risk. The city could slow needed separated infrastructure.

Bill: Int. No. 1362 (Int 1362-2025). Status: SPONSORSHIP. Committee: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Event date: 2025-08-14. The matter reads: "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to removing benchmarks for bus lanes and bicycle lanes from the streets master plan and repealing certain definitions in relation thereto." Council Member Robert F. Holden is the primary sponsor. Joann Ariola and Vickie Paladino are co-sponsors. The draft repeals the definitions of "protected bicycle lane" and "protected bus lane" and removes explicit benchmarks tied to transit signal priority, bus stop upgrades, accessible pedestrian signals and intersection redesigns. Removing those benchmarks weakens commitments to high‑quality separated infrastructure and measurable mode‑shift targets, likely slowing deployment of safe space for pedestrians and cyclists and undermining equitable street redesigns.

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Int. No. 1362 strips city definitions and benchmarks for protected bicycle lanes and protected bus lanes. It removes targets and accountability. The change will slow deployment of separated bike and bus infrastructure and erode safety and equity for pedestrians and cyclists.

Int. No. 1362 (filed Aug. 14, 2025; stage: SPONSORSHIP) was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The matter is titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to removing benchmarks for bus lanes and bicycle lanes and repealing certain definitions in relation thereto." Council Member Robert F. Holden is the primary sponsor. Co-sponsors are Vickie Paladino, Joann Ariola, and Inna Vernikov. The bill repeals the definitions of "protected bicycle lane" and "protected bus lane" and removes benchmark requirements from the streets master plan. Safety analysts note that removing explicit benchmarks and definitions weakens accountability for building separated cycling and bus infrastructure, likely decreasing street equity and safety-in-numbers for pedestrians and cyclists.

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 12 - A speeding car tore through a stop sign in Astoria, struck a parked coffee truck, killed two men on foot, and left wreckage and grief behind.

ABC7 reported on August 12, 2025, that an 84-year-old driver sped through a stop sign at 19th Avenue and 42nd Street, crashing into a parked coffee truck and striking two men. Both pedestrians, ages 41 and 70, died. The Toyota then spun and hit a Volvo making a U-turn. Witness George Giakoumis said the car was "going at least 60+ miles an hour just right through the stop sign." The crash highlights persistent speeding and dangerous driving at this Astoria intersection. The article notes the area is "prone to speeding and racing," raising questions about street safety and enforcement.

• Speeding Car Slams Coffee Truck, Kills Two, ABC7, Published 2025-08-12

Aug 8 - Businesses sued to block protected bike lanes on 31st Street. DOT stands firm. Two killed, 190 injured here since 2020. The street stays dangerous. The fight is over space, speed, and who gets to survive.

Streetsblog NYC (2025-08-08) reports that Astoria businesses sued to stop a DOT project adding protected bike lanes and traffic calming to 31st Street. The suit claims the redesign would "jeopardize" safety and hinder emergency access, despite DOT data showing 190 injuries and two deaths in the area since 2020. DOT says the project targets "unpredictable vehicle movements" and double parking, with design elements "found on streets across the city." The agency says it incorporated feedback from 90% of local businesses. The legal fight spotlights tension between safety improvements and business concerns, as the corridor ranks among Queens' most crash-prone.

• Astoria Bike Lane Lawsuit Challenges Safety, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-08-08

Aug 7 - City scales back Creedmoor plan. Density cut 27%. The car-free model dies. Walkers and cyclists lose safety and 'safety in numbers'. Local pols beat back bold urban design. Streets stay hostile. The chance for a people-first, low-car neighborhood vanishes.

Bill number: none — this is a policy statement, not legislation. Status: announced August 7, 2025; no committee review. Matter quoted: "NYC Could Have Its First Car-Free Neighborhood (But Won’t Get It Due To Revanchist Pols)." Eastern Queens Greenway condemned the decision to downscale the Creedmoor redevelopment from 2,775 units by 27 percent. Assembly Member Ed Braunstein and Council Member Joann Ariola opposed higher density and pressed the rollback. Empire State Development framed the change as a compromise. Safety impact: the cut reduces potential mode shift, walkability, and "safety in numbers" for pedestrians and cyclists, preserving car dependence and dangerous streets.

• NYC Could Have Its First Car-Free Neighborhood (But Won’t Get It Due To Revanchist Pols), Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-08-07