Feb 14 - A 16-year-old girl was struck while crossing South Avenue with the signal. The driver, making a left turn in an SUV, was inattentive. The pedestrian suffered bruises and injuries to her knee and lower leg. No vehicle damage was reported.

According to the police report, a 16-year-old female pedestrian was injured at the intersection of South Avenue and Amador Street while crossing with the signal. The driver of a station wagon/SUV was making a left turn and failed to pay attention, contributing to the collision. The pedestrian sustained contusions and injuries to her knee, lower leg, and foot but remained conscious. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the primary contributing factor. The vehicle showed no damage, indicating a low-speed impact. No other contributing factors or victim errors were noted.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4503244 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 3 - Two SUVs smashed front ends on South Avenue near Goethals Road North. A 66-year-old woman suffered chest injuries and whiplash. Police blamed driver distraction for both drivers.

According to the police report, two sport utility vehicles collided head-on at South Avenue near Goethals Road North. The crash left a 66-year-old woman with chest trauma and whiplash. She was conscious and restrained by a lap belt and harness. The Nissan SUV was traveling south, going straight, while the Jeep SUV was heading north, making a left turn. Both vehicles struck at the front. The report lists driver inattention and distraction as contributing factors for both drivers. No other contributing factors or victim errors were noted.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4499591 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 2 - Mayor Adams named new climate chiefs. Advocates want less talk, more action. They demand bus lanes, bike lanes, and fewer cars. Transportation emissions barely dropped in 15 years. Car ownership climbs. The city’s climate targets slip further away.

On February 2, 2022, Mayor Adams announced his new climate team, appointing Rohit Aggarwala as Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner and Chief Climate Officer, and Kizzy Charles-Guzman as executive director of the Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice. The announcement, covered by Streetsblog NYC, focused on broad climate issues. Advocates, including Jaqi Cohen and Kevin Garcia, pressed the new office to prioritize transportation emissions, quoting, 'improving transit options and creating access for environmental justice communities, while also curbing harmful diesel emissions.' Aggarwala voiced support for congestion pricing, pedestrianization, and bus lanes, promising collaboration with the Department of Transportation. Transportation emissions have dropped only 5% since 2007, while car ownership rises. Advocates urge the climate team to work with DOT on bus and bike lanes, last-mile delivery, and cargo bikes to meet climate and justice goals.

• New City Hall Climate Teams Must Focus On Transportation Emissions Reductions, Advocates Say, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-02-02

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 - A 53-year-old man was struck by an SUV on Richmond Avenue. The pedestrian was crossing with the signal when the vehicle made a right turn. The driver was inattentive. The man suffered knee and lower leg injuries but remained conscious.

According to the police report, a 53-year-old male pedestrian was injured while crossing Richmond Avenue at an intersection with the walk signal. The driver of a 2017 Toyota SUV was making a right turn when the collision occurred. The point of impact was the center front end of the vehicle. The pedestrian sustained contusions and injuries to his knee, lower leg, and foot but was conscious and not ejected. The report lists "Driver Inattention/Distraction" as the sole contributing factor to the crash. There is no indication of any fault or error on the part of the pedestrian.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4494094 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

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 9 - A 21-year-old woman was hit by an SUV making a left turn on Forest Avenue. She was crossing with the signal. The impact fractured her knee and lower leg. The driver failed to yield and was inattentive. The pedestrian was conscious but injured.

According to the police report, a 21-year-old female pedestrian was injured when a Ford SUV making a left turn on Forest Avenue struck her at the intersection. The pedestrian was crossing with the signal. The report lists driver errors as "Driver Inattention/Distraction" and "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way." The pedestrian suffered fractures and dislocations to her knee, lower leg, and foot. The driver’s point of impact was the center front end of the vehicle. No other occupants were in the vehicle. The pedestrian was conscious after the crash. The report does not list any contributing factors related to the pedestrian’s actions or safety equipment.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4493220 - 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