Blood on the Asphalt, Silence in City Hall

Feb 23 - Brooklyn’s Community Board 7 voted 32-1 to support DOT’s plan for a road diet on deadly Third Avenue. The redesign cuts car lanes, adds protected bike lanes, and builds pedestrian islands. Fourteen people have died here since 2016. Locals demand real change.

On February 23, 2024, Brooklyn’s Community Board 7 nearly unanimously endorsed the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) proposal to redesign Third Avenue, a corridor where 14 people have died since 2016. The board’s transportation committee chair called the changes 'long overdue.' The plan, discussed in workshops since spring 2023, would reduce the avenue from three to two moving lanes each way, add parking-protected bike lanes, and install painted pedestrian islands. Board members, including Katie Walsh and Gabino Morales, voiced strong support, with Morales stating, 'This is just a beginning of what we could do to fix our community.' Diana Gonzalez described the avenue as a place where 'they're gonna kill you.' The board will urge DOT to go beyond paint and install hard infrastructure. DOT aims to finalize plans after further traffic analysis, with implementation possible in late 2024.

• Community Board Backs DOT Road Diet for Brooklyn’s Deadly Third Av., Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-02-23

Feb 20 - The MTA will build a real bike lane on the Henry Hudson Bridge by 2025. Cyclists and pedestrians will get an eight-foot path, replacing the narrow, unsafe walkway. The project promises safer, legal passage between Manhattan and the Bronx for all non-drivers.

On February 20, 2024, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced a $20-million overhaul for the Henry Hudson Bridge. The plan will close the current narrow walkway this fall and replace it with an eight-foot-wide path for cyclists and pedestrians by year’s end. The project is part of a broader push to make three MTA bridges accessible to non-drivers. MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said, 'The MTA has made great progress in planned capital improvements to pedestrian and bike accessibility on bridges.' Local cyclist Allegra LeGrande called the move overdue, noting, 'If they build it they will come.' The project includes a cantilevered ramp for wheelchair access and improved exits. While the path is closed, a shuttle bus may run for six weeks. The overhaul answers years of calls for safe, direct bike connections between the Bronx and Manhattan, and throws down a challenge to city agencies to fix the patchwork of local bike paths.

• Henry Hudson Bridge Will Get a Real Bike Lane By 2025, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-02-20

Feb 13 - A high-speed police pursuit on Staten Island ended in a violent multi-vehicle crash. Unsafe speed and lane changes by a driver led to severe whiplash injuries for four male occupants. The impact damaged front and side panels of involved vehicles.

According to the police report, the crash occurred on Brighton Avenue at 21:38 during a police pursuit involving multiple vehicles. One driver, unlicensed and traveling west in a 2004 sedan, contributed to the collision through unsafe speed and unsafe lane changing. The crash involved three vehicles: a sedan from Texas, and two New York-registered vehicles including a 2017 SUV and a 2019 sedan. The impact points included center front end, right front quarter panel, and left front bumper. Four male occupants, aged 24 to 33, suffered whiplash injuries to the neck and head, all conscious and restrained by lap belts and harnesses. The report highlights driver errors—unsafe speed and lane changing—as primary factors, with no contributing victim behaviors noted.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4703888 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 13 - City plows hit bike lanes early. Narrow machines cut paths on bridges and avenues. Streets gleamed. But sidewalks stayed buried. Pedestrians faced ice and slush. Officials praised their work. Landlords lagged. The city’s promise stopped at the curb.

On February 13, 2024, city agencies responded to the second major snowstorm of the year. The Departments of Sanitation and Transportation used narrow plows to clear bike lanes, including the East River bridges and key protected paths. Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, "We put salt on every street, every highway, every bike lane in the city, we've done multiple passes at it." The DOT boasted about clearing the Brooklyn Bridge bike path before sunrise. Citi Bike stayed open. But sidewalks, left to property owners, remained treacherous. Mayor Adams praised road crews while standing by snow-covered pedestrian space. Commissioner Tisch warned, "We want those sidewalks safe tomorrow." The city’s effort favored cyclists and drivers. Pedestrians were left behind, forced to wait for landlords to shovel. The gap in sidewalk clearing remains a systemic danger.

• NYC’s Second Snow Day of 2024 Brings Clearer Bike Lanes, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-02-13

Feb 6 - State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and others joined a lawsuit to block New York’s congestion pricing. The editorial rails against tolls, calling them a blow to working New Yorkers. No mention of pedestrian or cyclist safety. The fight centers on driver costs.

On February 6, 2024, an editorial titled 'Time for insane NYC congestion pricing plan to hit the road' opposed the city’s congestion pricing scheme. State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-23) joined 17 other lawmakers in a lawsuit against the plan, which would charge drivers entering Midtown Manhattan. The editorial claims, 'solving [MTA fiscal problems] by punishing average New Yorkers simply for driving is insane,' and highlights concerns over economic burden. The piece quotes union leaders and lawmakers, including Scarcella-Spanton, City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli, and US Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, all opposing the tolls. There is no assessment of the impact on vulnerable road users—pedestrians, cyclists, or transit riders. The focus remains on driver expenses and political backlash.

• Time for insane NYC congestion pricing plan to hit the road, nypost.com, Published 2024-02-06

Feb 4 - Eighteen lawmakers, including Joseph Borelli, sued to stop New York’s $15 congestion pricing. They claim the toll shifts pollution, burdens drivers, and fails communities with poor transit. The MTA defends the plan, saying it funds safer, less crowded streets.

On February 4, 2024, Council Member Joseph C. Borelli (District 51) joined seventeen other lawmakers in a federal lawsuit to block New York City’s $15 congestion pricing toll for Midtown Manhattan. The suit, supported by both Democrats and Republicans, argues the toll 'is a detriment to those that will be affected by this toll, environmentally and financially,' and claims it will shift traffic and pollution to other neighborhoods. Other plaintiffs include State Senators James Skoufis, Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, Iwen Chu, Monica Martinez, and Assemblymembers Aileen Gunther, Jamie Williams, and David Weprin. The MTA, backed by Governor Hochul, says the toll will raise $1 billion yearly for transit upgrades, promising safer, less congested streets and better transit for the majority who rely on public transportation. The case highlights the political and environmental battle over how to fund and shape New York’s streets.

• 18 NY lawmakers join suit to block $15 congestion toll, nypost.com, Published 2024-02-04

Feb 4 - Eighteen lawmakers, including Joseph Borelli, sued to stop New York’s $15 congestion pricing. They claim the toll shifts pollution, burdens drivers, and fails communities with poor transit. The MTA defends the plan, saying it funds safer, less crowded streets.

On February 4, 2024, Council Member Joseph C. Borelli (District 51) joined seventeen other lawmakers in a federal lawsuit to block New York City’s $15 congestion pricing toll for Midtown Manhattan. The suit, supported by both Democrats and Republicans, argues the toll 'is a detriment to those that will be affected by this toll, environmentally and financially,' and claims it will shift traffic and pollution to other neighborhoods. Other plaintiffs include State Senators James Skoufis, Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, Iwen Chu, Monica Martinez, and Assemblymembers Aileen Gunther, Jamie Williams, and David Weprin. The MTA, backed by Governor Hochul, says the toll will raise $1 billion yearly for transit upgrades, promising safer, less congested streets and better transit for the majority who rely on public transportation. The case highlights the political and environmental battle over how to fund and shape New York’s streets.

• 18 NY lawmakers join suit to block $15 congestion toll, nypost.com, Published 2024-02-04

Feb 1 - New York will install fixed trash containers in West Harlem’s curb lanes by spring 2025. Sidewalk garbage bags will vanish. Custom trucks will haul the bins. The plan removes 150,000 parking spots. Streets clear. Rats drop. Sidewalks open for people, not cars.

On February 1, 2024, the city announced an expansion of trash containerization in West Harlem. The Department of Sanitation will install stationary curbside trash enclosures for buildings with 31 or more units in Manhattan Community Board 9 by spring 2025. The policy, championed by Mayor Adams, follows a pilot that cut rat sightings by 68 percent. Adams called the new side-loading truck 'the future of New York City garbage collection.' The plan replaces about 150,000 parking spots—five percent of the city’s total—with trash containers. Smaller buildings will use wheeled bins on sidewalks. Advocates support the move, urging shared containers to keep sidewalks clear. Some warn that too many bins could harm businesses and streetscapes. The city will study environmental impacts before rollout. The expansion aims to reclaim space from cars, clear sidewalks, and improve safety for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.

• No Parking: City is Expanding Harlem Trash Containerization — And Getting the Trucks to Do It Right, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-02-01

Feb 1 - SUVs and pickups crush safety. They kill more, clog streets, burn more fuel. Komanoff says electrification and downsizing are not enough. Driving must fall. Road pricing, better transit, and livable streets matter as much as cleaner cars. The toll is real.

On February 1, 2024, Charles Komanoff published an op-ed in Streetsblog NYC warning of the dangers of rising SUV and pickup truck use. He writes, 'The increasing size of passenger vehicles has been catastrophic for road safety, traffic congestion, climate viability, and household budgets.' Komanoff opposes SUV and pickup proliferation and supports downsizing, electrification, and policies like road pricing and better transit. He stresses that larger vehicles are far more likely to kill other road users. He argues that electrification and smaller cars alone cannot cut emissions or deaths enough. Only less driving, paired with systemic changes—congestion pricing, curb pricing, and livable streets—will protect the vulnerable and the climate. No council bill is attached, but the warning is clear: car bloat endangers everyone outside the vehicle.

• Komanoff: Get the Facts About ‘Car Bloat’ and Pollution, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-02-01

Jan 31 - Five years after passage, the city’s commercial waste overhaul crawls forward. Only one zone starts in 2024. Fewer trucks, fewer miles, but delays keep danger rolling. Streets still wait for safer rigs. Cyclists and pedestrians remain exposed.

Bill creating the Commercial Waste Zone program, sponsored by Antonio Reynoso, passed in 2019 after deadly crashes involving private haulers. The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) announced on January 31, 2024, that only one of twenty zones—Jackson Heights, Corona, Elmhurst—will launch this year. The law aims to cut truck miles in half, add backup cameras, GPS, and safety training. DSNY spokesperson Joshua Goodman said contracts target safety and worker protections. Reynoso urged ongoing oversight, saying, 'It is important that DSNY continuously reassess implementation and course correct as needed.' Yet, delays persist, especially on installing guard rails to prevent pedestrians and cyclists from being swept under trucks. Justin Wood of NYLPI voiced concern over the slow rollout. The program promises fewer trucks and safer streets, but for now, most neighborhoods wait.

• Long-Delayed Business Waste Program to Start Later This Year, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-01-31

Jan 23 - Every day, 9,000 trucks thunder through Sunset Park and Red Hook. Warehouses choke streets. Black and Latino residents breathe the fumes and dodge danger. Lawmakers push the Clean Deliveries Act to curb the chaos. The burden falls hard. The fight is on.

The Clean Deliveries Act, now under consideration in Albany, aims to regulate last-mile warehouse traffic and emissions across New York State. The bill responds to a new report showing Sunset Park and Red Hook face the city's highest truck volumes—over 9,000 daily trips—linked to sprawling Amazon, FedEx, and UPS facilities. The report states, 'a quarter of residents across the Empire State live within half a mile of a distribution center that’s at least 50,000 square feet, disproportionately harming Black and Latino communities.' State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, representing the affected Brooklyn neighborhoods, calls for urgent action 'for the sake of our climate and the safety of our streets.' Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes, whose district sees the most daily truck traffic, urges colleagues to pass the Act. Advocates like Kevin Garcia say the bill is 'key legislation to protect frontline communities from increased vehicular traffic and tailpipe emissions.' The Act would require emissions reviews, pollution minimization, and studies of low-emission zones in hotspots.

• Poorer Brooklynites Bear the Brunt of Online Delivery Boom: Report, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-01-23

Jan 21 - A 61-year-old woman was injured crossing Bement Avenue with the signal when a sedan turning left struck her. The driver failed to yield right-of-way and turned improperly. The pedestrian suffered a hip and upper leg contusion but remained conscious.

According to the police report, the crash occurred on Bement Avenue in Staten Island at 3:43 PM. A sedan traveling west was making a left turn when it struck a 61-year-old female pedestrian crossing with the signal at the intersection. The pedestrian sustained a contusion and bruising to her hip and upper leg but remained conscious. The report cites the driver’s failure to yield right-of-way and improper turning as contributing factors to the collision. The vehicle showed no damage despite the impact to its center front end. The pedestrian’s crossing with the signal is noted, but the crash was caused by the driver’s errors. No other factors or victim behaviors were listed as contributing in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4697098 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jan 16 - Thousands of cars without plates clog city streets. Enforcement is weak. Only a fraction get towed. Council Member Sandy Nurse calls ghost plates a public safety risk. The city’s response is slow. Vulnerable road users pay the price for inaction.

On January 16, 2024, the City Council held an oversight hearing on traffic enforcement for plateless vehicles. The Sanitation Committee, chaired by Council Member Sandy Nurse (District 37), led the debate. The hearing focused on the city’s failure to remove unregistered, plateless cars. In 2023, over 51,000 complaints were filed, but only 1,821 cars were towed. Nurse said, 'Cars with ghost plates are a risk to public safety.' Council Member Shaun Abreu pushed for a bill to streamline the Department of Sanitation’s towing process, but DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch opposed it, citing legal and operational hurdles. The NYPD and DSNY formed a task force, but advocates and councilmembers say it is not enough. The city’s lack of action leaves vulnerable road users exposed to reckless, untraceable drivers.

• No License Plates? No Problem! Scofflaw Drivers Remove Tags Yet Rarely Get Caught, streetsblog.org, Published 2024-01-16

Jan 16 - Thousands of cars without plates clog New York streets. City agencies barely act. Drivers dodge tickets and accountability. Council Members Nurse and Abreu demand action. The city shrugs. Plateless cars stay. Vulnerable road users pay the price.

Council Member Shaun Abreu introduced a bill in September 2023 to streamline the Department of Sanitation’s (DSNY) towing of plateless vehicles. The bill remains stalled after DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch testified against it, citing operational and legal hurdles. The matter, discussed in the Sanitation Committee led by Council Member Sandy Nurse, highlights a citywide crisis: over 51,000 complaints about plateless cars in 2023, but only 1,821 removals. The article quotes Nurse—'Cars with ghost plates are a risk to public safety'—and Abreu, who calls the city’s inaction a repurposing of public space for dumping. Despite a DSNY/NYPD task force, enforcement remains weak. The city’s failure leaves reckless drivers unaccountable and endangers everyone outside a car.

• No License Plates? No Problem! Scofflaw Drivers Remove Tags Yet Rarely Get Caught, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-01-16

Jan 12 - Concrete barriers on Park Avenue bike lanes promised safety. Drivers ignored them. Cars block both ends. Cyclists forced into traffic. Police rarely ticket. Council stalls on citizen reporting. The city’s fix failed. Cyclists pay the price.

On January 12, 2024, Streetsblog NYC reported on the failure of new concrete barriers meant to protect bike lanes on Park Avenue in the Bronx. The Department of Transportation, led by Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, installed these barriers in fall 2023, aiming to 'harden' bike lanes in a borough with few safe cycling routes. Cyclists like Joseph Rienti say the barriers are better than nothing, but drivers now park at both ends, forcing riders into car traffic. Rienti urges better design or enforcement, not removal. Police enforcement is almost nonexistent: less than 2 percent of 76,000 complaints led to tickets. City Council, including Transportation Committee Chair Selvena Brooks-Powers, has not advanced a bill allowing citizen reporting of blocked lanes, despite majority support. DOT spokeswoman Mona Bruno promises to work with police, but for now, the barriers fail to protect vulnerable cyclists.

• Barriers Fail To Keep Drivers From Blocking Bronx Bike Lanes, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-01-12

Jan 9 - Senator Lanza pushes to kill congestion pricing. Streets may see more cars, more chaos. The bill strips a key tool for safer, calmer roads. Vulnerable New Yorkers face greater risk.

Senate Bill S 8149, sponsored by Andrew J. Lanza of District 24, seeks to repeal congestion pricing. Introduced on January 9, 2024, the bill is at the sponsorship stage. The measure's title is blunt: 'Repeals congestion pricing.' Lanza stands as the primary sponsor. If passed, this repeal would remove a policy designed to limit car traffic in crowded city streets. No safety analyst has yet weighed in, but the move threatens to flood roads with more vehicles, putting pedestrians and cyclists in harm’s way.

• File S 8149, Open States, Published 2024-01-09

Jan 5 - A 26-year-old woman driving an SUV on Victory Boulevard suffered knee and lower leg injuries after a collision caused by driver inattention during a lane change. The impact damaged the vehicle's front center, leaving the driver bruised but conscious.

According to the police report, the crash occurred on Victory Boulevard in Staten Island at 13:38. The driver, a 26-year-old female occupant of a 2020 Chevrolet SUV, was changing lanes when the collision happened. The report cites 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. The vehicle sustained damage to the center front end. The driver was not ejected and was conscious after the crash but suffered contusions and injuries to her knee, lower leg, and foot. She was secured with a lap belt and harness at the time of the collision. No other vehicles or pedestrians were reported injured. The crash highlights the dangers of distracted driving during lane changes in urban traffic.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4693724 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jan 3 - Vendors vanished from the Brooklyn Bridge. City workers swept the span at midnight. Tourists walked free of tables and hawkers. The walkway opened up. No ducking, weaving, or crowding. The city seized eight vendor tables. The bridge stayed packed, but clear.

On January 3, 2024, the city implemented a total vendor ban on the Brooklyn Bridge. The Department of Transportation and NYPD cleared all souvenir stands and food sellers at midnight. A sign now reads, 'No vending allowed.' Councilmember Gale A. Brewer, District 6, was mentioned for introducing a related bill last month to restrict sales only on narrow sections. Mayor Eric Adams said, 'Tourists and New Yorkers alike deserve to walk across it and enjoy its beauty without being packed together like sardines or risking their safety.' The ban aims to improve pedestrian flow on the crowded bridge, which sees over 34,000 walkers on a fall weekend. Supporters of vendors mourned the loss of affordable food and art. Tourists welcomed the extra space and easier passage.

• Tourists enjoy vendor-free Brooklyn Bridge as ban goes into effect, gothamist.com, Published 2024-01-03

Dec 29 - Downtown Brooklyn saw new public spaces, art, and transit upgrades in 2023. City leaders cut sidewalk sheds, opened plazas, and boosted subway access. Over $40 million was pledged for streets, transit, and pedestrian safety. Lincoln Restler and others pushed for these changes.

Council Member Lincoln Restler (District 33) and city leaders announced major transportation and public space improvements in Downtown Brooklyn on December 29, 2023. The announcement, titled 'A jam-packed 2023: A look back at Downtown Brooklyn improvements and enhancements this year,' highlighted new public spaces, art installations, and infrastructure upgrades. Notably, the Hoyt Street Subway Station entrance at Fulton Mall was renovated with a new elevator for better accessibility. The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, with Restler's support, pushed for the removal of long-standing sidewalk sheds at Willoughby Plaza, restoring open space to the public. Mayor Eric Adams pledged over $40 million for streetscape, transportation, and pedestrian safety enhancements, with $8 million earmarked for Fulton Mall. These actions aim to make Brooklyn safer and more accessible for all road users.

• ‘A jam-packed 2023’: A look back at Downtown Brooklyn improvements and enhancements this year, brooklynpaper.com, Published 2023-12-29

Dec 28 - A hit-and-run truck killed an 82-year-old cyclist on Northern Boulevard. The driver fled. This marks the 29th cyclist death in 2023. Councilmember Brooks-Powers blasted DOT for missing legal bike lane targets. Streets remain deadly. Progress is slow. Accountability is lacking.

On December 28, 2023, Council Transportation Committee Chair Selvena Brooks-Powers responded to the death of an 82-year-old cyclist killed by a hit-and-run truck on Northern Boulevard. This incident marked the 29th cyclist fatality in 2023, a grim milestone in a year of rising traffic violence. Brooks-Powers criticized the Adams administration and the Department of Transportation for failing to meet the Streets Plan's legal requirement of 50 miles of protected bike lanes, achieving only about 30 miles. She stated, 'Thirty-plus miles of completed new bike lane is of course better than none, but falls far short of Streets Plan requirements.' Brooks-Powers also condemned the missed bus lane targets and called out DOT's lack of transparency, pledging to hold the agency accountable and push for safer, more equitable streets. The city faces more cars, more crashes, and more injuries, while vulnerable road users pay the price.

• Another Cyclist Killed in One of the Deadliest Years on Record, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-12-28