No More Waiting for Blood: Make Oakland Gardens Streets Safe Now

Oakland Gardens-Hollis Hills: Jan 1, 2022 - Jun 4, 2025

The Toll in Plain Sight

In Oakland Gardens-Hollis Hills, the numbers do not scream. They whisper, steady and cold. No one has died in a crash here since 2022. But the pain is real. In the last twelve months, 62 people were injured in 124 crashes. Not one was called a “serious injury.” But a broken leg, a bruised chest, a life changed—these do not always show up in the numbers. NYC Open Data

Pedestrians are not spared. In February, a man crossing Bell Boulevard was struck by an SUV making a left turn. He went down at the intersection, his knee torn open. He survived. Others were not so lucky on nearby streets. A 12-year-old was hit crossing Union Turnpike last fall. The street does not care about age.

The Machines That Hit

Cars and SUVs do the most damage. In the last three years, not a single bike or motorcycle killed or seriously injured anyone here. But sedans, SUVs, and trucks keep hitting. A sedan rear-ends a truck on the expressway. An SUV clips a pedestrian at the curb. The pattern is old. The pain is fresh.

What Leaders Have Done—and Not Done

Local leaders talk about safety. The city boasts of new laws. Sammy’s Law lets New York lower speed limits to 20 mph. Cameras catch speeders day and night. But in Oakland Gardens-Hollis Hills, the pace of change is slow. The streets look the same. The crashes keep coming. No bold redesign. No flood of protected bike lanes.

The silence is loud. No public push from local council or board for more crosswalks, curb extensions, or protected space for people walking. No outcry after the child was hit. No plan to end the steady drip of injuries.

What Comes Next

This is not fate. Lower the speed limit. Build real protection for people on foot and bike. Flood the council and the mayor’s office with calls. Demand action. Do not wait for the first death.

Take action now.