Six Dead, No Change: Auburndale’s Streets Are Killing Us

Aug 14 - Int 1362-2025 strips ‘protected’ bus and bicycle lane definitions and drops lane quotas from the Streets Master Plan. It tears out accountability. Transit priority and safe cycling face rollback. Pedestrians and riders lose clear targets.

Int 1362-2025 was introduced and sponsored by Council Member Vickie Paladino on August 14, 2025, and is in 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 from the streets master plan and repealing certain definitions in relation thereto." Paladino is the sponsor. The bill repeals the definitions of "protected bicycle lane" and "protected bus lane" and removes lane benchmarks from the Streets Master Plan. Safety analysts say eliminating these definitions and quotas weakens commitments to high‑quality, traffic‑calming, mode‑shift infrastructure and is likely to reduce cycling uptake and bus priority, undermining safety‑in‑numbers and street equity. Status: in committee; no vote yet.

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

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 13 - A driver struck a man crossing 155th Street near JFK. The driver fled. The man died at Jamaica Hospital. Police search for answers. Seventeen killed in Queens South this year. The toll climbs.

Gothamist (2025-08-13) reports a 52-year-old man was killed crossing 155th Street and South Conduit Avenue near JFK Airport at 2:30 a.m. The driver fled. Police said, "the driver hit the 52-year-old man as he crossed" and left the scene. No vehicle description was released. NYPD data shows 17 traffic deaths in Queens South this year, up from 13 last year. The incident highlights ongoing risks for pedestrians and the persistent issue of hit-and-run drivers in the area.

• Hit-And-Run Kills Pedestrian Near JFK, Gothamist, Published 2025-08-13

Aug 12 - A speeding car tore through Astoria. The driver struck two men at a coffee cart. All three died. Parked cars blocked sightlines. The street was narrow. Danger came fast and left devastation.

Streetsblog NYC (2025-08-12) reports an 84-year-old driver sped onto 42nd Street in Astoria, hitting two pedestrians and a coffee cart. The crash killed the driver and both men. Streetsblog notes, 'The block has several auto repair shops that leave cars parked all over the sidewalk, limiting visibility.' The article highlights the city's power to lower speed limits to 20 mph, granted by the state legislature, but points out that local officials did not mention this in their initial responses. The crash underscores the risks of speeding and poor street design.

• Speeding Driver Kills Two Pedestrians in Astoria, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-08-12

Aug 11 - A driver of an SUV hit a 12-year-old riding an e-bike at 195 Street and 56 Avenue in Queens. The boy was ejected and suffered whole-body injuries. Police recorded Failure to Yield by the driver.

An adult female driver of an SUV traveling east on 56 Avenue struck a 12-year-old male riding an e-bike southbound on 195 Street. The boy was ejected and suffered injuries to his entire body; police logged contusion/bruise complaints. According to the police report, the contributing factor was "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way." The SUV's center front is listed as the point of impact and damage. The e-bike operator is recorded as unlicensed. Both vehicles are listed as going straight before the crash. Police list the rider as injured and ejected.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4834296 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

Aug 8 - Flash floods swamped Cross Island Parkway. Leaders demanded flood signage and storm fixes. Signs may warn drivers but do little for pedestrians and cyclists. Only real infrastructure will cut the risks they face.

"called for city, state, and federal agencies to act and criticized the Trump administration for cutting federal funding for flood protection." -- John Liu

Action: infrastructure request (no bill number). Status: public call on August 8, 2025; not advanced to committee or vote. The matter was described as a "call for flood-related street signage and storm mitigation efforts." Queens Borough President Donovan J. Richards called signage a "small step" and "low-hanging fruit." Council Member Vickie Paladino urged signs to warn drivers unfamiliar with the area. State Sen. John Liu pressed city, state and federal agencies and criticized federal funding cuts. Safety analyst note: "Flood warning signage may help alert motorists but does little to address the underlying risks to pedestrians and cyclists... only comprehensive infrastructure improvements would yield significant safety benefits for vulnerable road users."

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

Aug 8 - Flash floods swamped Cross Island Parkway. Leaders demanded flood signage and storm fixes. Signs may warn drivers but do little for pedestrians and cyclists. Only real infrastructure will cut the risks they face.

Action: infrastructure request (no bill number). Status: public call on August 8, 2025; not advanced to committee or vote. The matter was described as a "call for flood-related street signage and storm mitigation efforts." Queens Borough President Donovan J. Richards called signage a "small step" and "low-hanging fruit." Council Member Vickie Paladino urged signs to warn drivers unfamiliar with the area. State Sen. John Liu pressed city, state and federal agencies and criticized federal funding cuts. Safety analyst note: "Flood warning signage may help alert motorists but does little to address the underlying risks to pedestrians and cyclists... only comprehensive infrastructure improvements would yield significant safety benefits for vulnerable road users."

• Queens leaders call for flood signage and infrastructure in Bay Terrace, AMNY, 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

Aug 1 - A teen drove a BMW at 100 mph without a license. He lost control. The car hit a truck. Fourteen-year-old Fortune Williams was ejected and killed. The driver now faces prison. Parents faced charges too.

Gothamist (2025-08-01) reports an 18-year-old Queens resident was sentenced to up to four years for a 2023 crash that killed 14-year-old Fortune Williams. The teen, unlicensed and speeding at over 100 mph in a 30-mph zone, lost control and struck a parked UPS truck. Prosecutors said he only had a learner's permit and had been previously ticketed for unlicensed driving. His parents, who gave him the BMW, were convicted of child endangerment. DA Melinda Katz called it 'a landmark case where both an unlicensed teenage driver and his parents were held responsible.' The case highlights failures in supervision and enforcement.

• Unlicensed Teen Driver Kills Passenger, Gothamist, Published 2025-08-01

Jul 31 - A driver in an SUV turned left on Hollis Court Blvd at 50 Ave. He hit a 55-year-old woman on an e-bike going straight. She suffered fatal chest injuries.

A 55-year-old woman riding an e-bike was killed after a driver in an SUV made a left turn on Hollis Court Blvd at 50 Ave in Queens and hit her as she went straight south. According to the police report, both were traveling south and the SUV’s right front quarter panel hit the e-bike’s left front. The rider was ejected and suffered fatal chest injuries. Police recorded all contributing factors as “Unspecified” and cited no driver error. The crash took the cyclist’s life and left another block marked by a turn gone wrong.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4832001 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

Jul 30 - The driver of a sedan collided with another sedan at 46 Ave and 192 St in Queens. An 83-year-old woman driving one car suffered a bruised lower leg. Police recorded driver inattention and failure to yield.

The driver of an eastbound sedan collided with a northbound sedan at 46 Avenue and 192 Street in Queens. An 83-year-old woman driving one of the cars was injured, sustaining a contusion to her lower leg. According to the police report, "Driver Inattention/Distraction" and "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way" were contributing factors. Police recorded failure to yield by the driver. The front ends of both vehicles were damaged. No other injuries were specified in the report. Both named contributing factors are driver errors listed in the police data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4831525 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

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 7 - Carlos Oliver, 15, fell from a train at Queensboro Plaza. Paramedics found him on the tracks. He died at Bellevue Hospital. Another teen fell last month. The rails remain deadly for the young.

NY Daily News reported on July 7, 2025, that Carlos Oliver, 15, died after falling from the top of a subway train at Queensboro Plaza in Queens. Police said it was unclear if he fell while climbing or lost balance as the train entered the station. The article notes, 'He was shy and quiet but at the end of the day he started hanging out with the wrong crowd.' Last month, another teen was critically injured in a similar incident. The report highlights ongoing risks for youth on city transit, but does not cite driver error. The incident underscores the dangers present in the subway system for young riders.

• Teen Dies Subway Surfing In Queens, NY Daily News, Published 2025-07-07

Jul 5 - BMW lost control, flew divider, struck two cars. Fire trapped five. Two critical. Belt Parkway shut. Metal twisted. Lives changed in seconds.

According to NY Daily News (2025-07-05), a 24-year-old BMW driver lost control near Cross Bay Blvd on the Belt Parkway. The car hit a divider, went airborne, and crashed into a Honda and a Hyundai. The article states, "their out-of-control luxury car vaulted into oncoming traffic... slamming into two unsuspecting motorists in a fiery crash." Two BMW occupants were critically injured; three others had minor injuries. Both drivers of the struck vehicles were hospitalized. NYPD's Collision Investigation Squad closed the westbound lanes to probe the cause. The crash highlights the dangers of high-speed loss of control and the risk posed to all road users.

• BMW Vaults Divider, Slams Oncoming Cars, NY Daily News, Published 2025-07-05

Jul 4 - A 15-year-old fell from a No. 7 train at Queensboro Plaza. He lay on the tracks, lifeless. Paramedics rushed him to Bellevue. He died. Subway surfing kills. The city counts the bodies. The system endures.

NY Daily News (2025-07-04) reports a 15-year-old boy died after falling from the top of a No. 7 train at Queensboro Plaza. Police found him unconscious on the tracks at 2:45 a.m. and said he was 'either riding the top of a No. 7 train entering the station or attempting to get onto the top.' The article notes six people, mostly teens, died subway surfing last year. This year, three have died. The MTA and NYPD have launched campaigns and drone patrols to deter such incidents, but the deaths continue. No driver error is cited; the focus is on systemic risk and enforcement.

• Teen Dies Falling From Subway Train, NY Daily News, 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

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

Jun 24 - Two cars crashed on Francis Lewis Blvd. Three men hurt. Drivers failed to obey traffic control. Metal twisted. Pain followed. Streets stayed dangerous.

Two vehicles, an SUV and a sedan, collided at Francis Lewis Blvd and 45 Dr in Queens. Three men were injured: a 55-year-old driver with a fractured arm, a 70-year-old front passenger with chest pain, and an 83-year-old driver with chest pain. According to the police report, the crash was caused by 'Traffic Control Disregarded.' Both vehicles suffered front-end damage. The data lists no other contributing factors before driver error. The report does not mention pedestrians or cyclists.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4822803 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02