Bay Street bleeds: four deaths, hundreds hurt, and the clock keeps going

Jan 31 - Cities and states rip out parking minimums. Planners shift focus. Streets change. Fewer cars, more homes. Demand-based pricing rises. Public space gets new life. The old rules crumble. The car’s grip loosens. Vulnerable road users watch the system bend.

This policy analysis, published January 31, 2022, reviews the swift rollback of mandatory parking minimums across U.S. cities and states. The article, 'Analysis: The Decline and Fall of Mandatory Parking Minimums,' highlights reforms like removing off-street parking requirements, charging demand-based prices, and investing parking revenue in public services. Cities such as South Bend, Sacramento, Berkeley, Minneapolis, and others lead the charge. State-level changes in Oregon, California, and Connecticut follow. The analysis credits UCLA Professor Donald Shoup’s influence. No council bill number or committee is cited, as this is a legislative trend, not a single bill. The piece notes, 'Minimum parking requirements are on the way out.' These reforms embed parking changes within broader housing and zoning efforts, aiming to cut car dependency and boost affordable housing. No direct safety analyst note is included, but the trend signals a shift in urban priorities that could reshape streets for all users.

• Analysis: The Decline and Fall of Mandatory Parking Minimums, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-01-31

Jan 27 - Charles Komanoff’s model shows a $13 congestion toll falls short. The real number for maximum benefit is $80. Politicians settle low. The city leaves billions on the table. Transit, air, and streets stay dangerous. Cars keep winning. Vulnerable lives pay.

This editorial, published January 27, 2022, argues for a much higher congestion pricing toll than the $13–$15 range under discussion. Contributor Charles Komanoff, using his Balanced Transportation Analyzer, finds that an $80 toll would maximize net societal benefit, nearly $10 billion yearly. The article states: 'A $13 or $15 congestion toll might be all the politicians think they can achieve, but such a low fee will fail to maximize the net societal benefit.' Komanoff’s analysis shows the current plan extracts only half the possible benefit while charging less than a fifth of the optimal toll. No council member is named; this is an expert’s call to action. The piece notes that higher tolls could fund subway safety upgrades and faster trains, but the city’s political will remains weak. Vulnerable road users remain at risk as cars dominate.

• OPINION: The Congestion Pricing Toll Really Should Be $80, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-01-27

Jan 25 - A 75-year-old woman lies in critical condition after a driver struck her on McGuinness Boulevard. The wide, fast road has long endangered walkers. Assemblymember Emily Gallagher calls for urgent safety changes. Neighbors demand a road diet, bike lanes, and traffic calming.

On January 25, 2022, Assemblymember Emily Gallagher responded to a severe crash on McGuinness Boulevard in Council District 50. A 75-year-old pedestrian was hit midblock by a driver in a Lincoln Corsair. Gallagher wrote, 'Extremely distressing to see another serious crash injuring a pedestrian on McGuinness. I’m thinking about the victim and continuing to fight for our improvements, which can’t come soon enough.' The street, notorious for speeding and poor crossings, is slated for a $39 million redesign after years of advocacy and deadly crashes. The Make McGuinness Safe Coalition and residents have pushed for a road diet, bike lanes, and traffic calming. The Department of Transportation is gathering public feedback, with construction expected later this year. Gallagher’s stance and the community’s demands highlight the urgent need to protect vulnerable road users on this dangerous stretch.

• Elderly pedestrian in critical condition after being hit by car in Greenpoint, brooklynpaper.com, Published 2022-01-25

Jan 12 - Tesla’s ‘assertive’ self-driving mode lets cars tailgate, roll stops, and break laws. The company programs machines to endanger people. U.S. law targets drivers, not automakers. Regulators stall. Vulnerable road users pay the price. No one holds Tesla to account.

On January 12, 2022, Streetsblog NYC reported on Tesla’s Full Self Driving (FSD) ‘assertive’ mode. The article, titled “Why Tesla Can Program Its Cars to Break Road Safety Laws,” exposes how Tesla’s October 2021 software update lets drivers select aggressive profiles. In ‘assertive’ mode, Teslas tailgate, perform unsafe passes, and roll through stops—illegal actions in most states. Phil Koopman, an autonomous vehicle expert, said, “Basically, Tesla is programming its cars to break laws.” The report highlights a regulatory gap: U.S. law punishes drivers, not manufacturers. Some states shield automakers, while others seek accountability. NHTSA investigates, but action lags. Tesla faces no immediate recall. The result: automated vehicles threaten pedestrians and cyclists, while lawmakers and regulators look away.

• Why Tesla Can Program Its Cars to Break Road Safety Laws, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-01-12

Jan 10 - A sedan turning left struck a northbound bicyclist on Broad Street in Staten Island. The cyclist suffered knee and lower leg abrasions. Police cited driver inattention as the cause. The rider remained conscious and was not ejected from the bike.

According to the police report, a 25-year-old male bicyclist traveling north on Broad Street was hit by a 2020 Dodge sedan making a left turn southbound. The point of impact was the sedan's right front quarter panel striking the bike's center front end. The bicyclist sustained abrasions to his knee, lower leg, and foot but remained conscious and was not ejected. The report lists "Driver Inattention/Distraction" as the primary contributing factor for the crash. No other driver errors or victim factors were noted. The cyclist was wearing no specified safety equipment. The sedan driver, a licensed female from Connecticut, was alone in the vehicle at the time.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4495310 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jan 6 - Transit leaders debated how boards handle homelessness. They challenged policing as a fix. They called for social services, not crackdowns. Riders and the unhoused share the system. Boards shape whether transit is safe for all, or just some.

On January 6, 2022, a panel at the Railvolution conference, moderated by former BART GM Grace Crunican, brought together Monica Tibbits-Nutt (former MBTA board) and Christof Spieler (former Houston Metro board) to discuss transit board policy. The session, titled 'Building a Better Transit Board,' focused on how agencies address homelessness. Tibbits-Nutt argued, 'as long as we continue to have these discussions in just that safety standpoint... we’re not going to be able to address any of these issues.' Spieler added, 'they have a right to be on the bus as much as anyone else.' Both opposed policing as the main response and urged boards to involve social services. The discussion underscored that transit boards can either foster inclusive safety or reinforce exclusion and danger for vulnerable riders.

• Talking Headways Podcast: Building a Better Transit Board, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-01-06