NYPD claims to target reckless e-bike riders. Duggan finds a sweeping crackdown. Cyclists face tickets for minor offenses. Immigrant workers lose work. Police ignore official limits. Enforcement spreads fear, not safety. The crackdown hits the vulnerable hardest.

On May 22, 2025, journalist Kevin Duggan reported on the NYPD's e-bike enforcement policy. Commissioner Jessica Tisch claimed police focus on six reckless offenses along 14 corridors. Duggan's reporting, published by Streetsblog NYC, reveals a much broader and harsher crackdown. Cyclists and e-bike riders, many of them immigrant workers, face tickets for minor or unclear infractions. Community boards and elected officials oppose the crackdown. Duggan quotes riders who say police create hazards and confusion, sometimes standing in bike lanes or ticketing for actions not on the official list. The safety analyst notes: 'Selective enforcement against e-bike users, especially if not transparently or equitably applied, can discourage cycling, reduce mode shift, and increase street inequity, ultimately undermining population-level safety for vulnerable road users.' The NYPD's actions widen the gap between stated policy and street reality, putting the most vulnerable at greater risk.

• ‘The Biggest Complaint’? The Real Stories Behind NYPD Commissioner Tisch’s Bike Crackdown, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-22

Crowds filled the Javits Center. Voices demanded space for people, not cars. The West Side Highway divides Manhattan from its waterfront. Cyclists and walkers squeeze through a narrow path. Seven pedestrians and seven cyclists have died since 2011. The call for change is urgent.

On May 22, 2025, a public workshop on the redesign of Route 9A (West Side Highway) drew dozens to the Javits Center. Hosted by NYS DOT, the event focused on the need to widen the Hudson River Greenway by reclaiming car lanes for pedestrians and cyclists. The matter: 'the proposed redesign of the Hudson River Greenway seize adjacent space currently devoted to cars in order to widen the crowded bike and pedestrian path.' Christine Berthet, co-chair of CB4's Transportation Planning Committee, said, '[Taking some space from cars] to give space to pedestrians and bikes is necessary.' Jeffrey LeFrancois, executive director of the Meatpacking District BID, called the current allocation 'disproportionate.' Attendees supported eliminating a vehicle lane, adding bus lanes, and improving crossings. Safety analysts note that expanding bike and pedestrian paths reduces conflicts with cars and encourages walking and cycling, boosting safety through mode shift and numbers.

• Public Demands Safer West Side Highway at Packed Workshop, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-22

Manhattan’s CB7 fights back. Five to one, they vote to end NYPD’s crackdown on cyclists and e-bikes. They call the policy unjust. Immigrant workers suffer. Police lack data. The real danger rolls on four wheels, not two.

On May 21, 2025, Manhattan Community Board 7’s Transportation Committee passed a resolution opposing the NYPD’s criminal summons crackdown on cyclists and e-bike riders. The committee voted five in favor, one against, and three abstained. The resolution, described as calling on the NYPD to 'immediately end the policy ... and find another way to mitigate bad behavior,' targets the Adams administration’s escalation of traffic tickets to criminal court for minor cycling infractions. Members, including Ken Coughlin and Howard Yaruss, questioned the evidence and fairness, highlighting risks to immigrant delivery workers. The crackdown, led by Commissioner Jessica Tisch, lacked supporting data. The safety analyst notes no specific policy change or measurable impact on vulnerable road users, so no population-level safety effect can be assessed. The resolution now moves to the full board.

• ‘Cart Before Horse’: Upper West Siders Demand NYPD Halt Bike Crackdown, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-21

Andy Boenau slams car-first streets. Cities suffocate under private vehicles. He demands space for people, not machines. Parking mandates, bus neglect, and narrow sidewalks fuel danger. Boenau calls for bold change. Streets must serve humans. Safety depends on it.

On May 19, 2025, Andy Boenau issued a public statement, covered by Streetsblog NYC. No council bill or committee is attached; this is advocacy, not legislation. Boenau writes: 'There isn't enough physical space for every single household to store its fleet of personal vehicles in front of the home, nor is there space for everyone to drive at the same time.' He opposes minimum parking mandates and car-centric design, and supports bus priority, bike infrastructure, and pedestrian space. Boenau urges the city to reclaim streets for people. A safety analyst notes: Recognizing the spatial limits of car storage and use can lead to policies that prioritize more efficient, equitable street use, encouraging mode shift to walking and cycling and reducing car dominance, which improves safety for vulnerable road users.

• Car Harms Monday: Machines Took Over Cities and Left Humans in the Dust, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-19

A man crossing Targee Street was struck and killed by an e-bike moving at unsafe speed. The impact crushed his chest. The e-bike driver, ejected in the crash, suffered back injuries. Parked cars lined the block. The street stayed silent.

A 58-year-old man was killed while crossing Targee Street near Pierce Street in Staten Island. According to the police report, an e-bike traveling north at unsafe speed struck the pedestrian, causing fatal chest injuries. The e-bike driver, a 25-year-old man, was ejected and suffered back injuries. The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as a contributing factor. Parked vehicles, including a sedan and a pickup truck, were present but not involved in the movement. No driver errors other than unsafe speed are cited. The police report does not mention helmet use or signaling as contributing factors. The crash left one dead and another injured, underscoring the lethal consequences of speed on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4813412, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A sedan slammed into a parked garbage truck on Douglaston Parkway. The driver, unlicensed and twenty-two, died at the scene. Unsafe speed tore metal and ended a life. Three others were listed as involved. The road stayed silent after impact.

A deadly crash unfolded on Douglaston Parkway at the Grand Central Parkway Service Road. According to the police report, a sedan traveling north struck a parked garbage truck. The sedan's driver, a 22-year-old man, was killed. Three other occupants were listed in the report with unspecified injuries. The police report cites 'Unsafe Speed' as the contributing factor. The sedan driver was unlicensed. The garbage truck was parked and unoccupied at the time of the crash. The report notes the driver wore a lap belt and harness. No other contributing factors are listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4813411, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A woman, 55, died on Fulton Street. An SUV hit her as she crossed outside the crosswalk. The impact crushed her body. She died at the scene. The crash happened late at night in Brooklyn. The driver’s actions remain unclear.

A 55-year-old woman was killed when a Ford SUV struck her on Fulton Street at Washington Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the pedestrian was crossing the street, not at an intersection or marked crosswalk, when the vehicle’s right front bumper hit her. She suffered crush injuries to her entire body and was pronounced dead at the scene. The report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors are detailed in the data. No mention is made of helmet use or signaling as factors in this crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4813415, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Mercedes turned left onto Rutland Road. The car struck Maurette Lafleur, 68, in the crosswalk. Medics rushed her to the hospital. She died. The driver stayed. No charges. The street stayed open. The danger stayed.

NY Daily News reported on May 15, 2025, that Maurette Lafleur, 68, was killed while crossing Rutland Road at E. 94th St. in East Flatbush. The article states, "Maurette Lafleur was in the crosswalk...when the driver of the 2025 Mercedes-Benz slammed into her." Police said the 64-year-old driver was turning left from E. 95th St. onto Rutland Road when the crash occurred. Lafleur was transported to Kings County Hospital but could not be saved. The driver remained at the scene and faced no immediate charges. The incident highlights ongoing risks for pedestrians in marked crosswalks and raises questions about intersection safety and left-turn protocols.

• Mercedes Driver Kills Woman In Crosswalk, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-15

Night crash on Bedford Ave. Two sedans collide. Alcohol involved. One driver dies. A passenger suffers head injury. Metal and glass scatter. Sirens wail. Streets stained. System failed to protect the vulnerable inside.

A deadly crash unfolded on Bedford Avenue at North 11th Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, two sedans collided. Alcohol involvement was listed as a contributing factor. One male driver, age 50, was killed. A 29-year-old female passenger suffered a head injury. The report states: “Alcohol Involvement.” No other specific driver errors were listed. The crash left metal twisted and lives shattered. The system allowed danger to fester on city streets. No mention of helmet or signal use was made in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4813513, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A sedan struck a woman in the crosswalk. She crossed with the signal. The car hit her chest. She died at the scene. Police cite driver inattention. The street stayed busy. The system failed to protect her.

A 68-year-old woman was killed while crossing Rutland Road at East 95th Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, she was a pedestrian at the intersection, crossing with the signal, when a westbound sedan making a left turn struck her with its center front end. The report states, 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. The pedestrian suffered fatal crush injuries to her chest. The driver, a 64-year-old woman, and two other occupants in the sedan were not seriously hurt. The police report lists no contributing factors for the pedestrian. The crash highlights the deadly consequences of driver inattention in New York City crosswalks.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4812813, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Five dead. Forty badly hurt. The Conduit slices through Queens and Brooklyn, fast and wide. DOT will study a fix. Borough presidents called for urgent change. The city will listen to neighbors. The old highway’s days are numbered. Lives hang in the balance.

On May 13, 2025, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a city-funded public engagement process for a major safety redesign of Conduit Boulevard, a three-mile corridor linking Atlantic Avenue to the Belt Parkway and JFK Airport. The project follows urgent requests in 2023 from Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said, "Brooklyn and Queens deserve a Conduit Boulevard that improves daily life, not a roadway that puts pedestrians and drivers at risk and physically divides entire neighborhoods." The corridor has seen five deaths and 40 severe injuries in five years. The median’s dirt paths show heavy pedestrian use, but only 15 crosswalks span the stretch. The public process begins in June and may run into 2026. The redesign aims to end decades of danger for vulnerable road users.

• Can New York City Fix Its Deadly ‘Conduit’ to JFK Airport?, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-13

A motorcycle slammed into a sedan’s rear on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. The rider died. Four others survived. Police cite driver inattention and following too closely. Metal twisted. One life ended. The road stayed open. The danger remains.

A deadly crash unfolded on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway when a motorcycle struck the rear of a sedan. According to the police report, the motorcyclist, a 27-year-old man, was killed from internal chest injuries. Four other occupants, including the sedan’s driver and passenger, suffered unspecified injuries. Both vehicles were traveling west. The motorcycle was demolished. The sedan’s rear was crushed. Police list 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Following Too Closely' as contributing factors. The sedan’s driver was unlicensed. No helmet or signal use is mentioned as a factor. The report does not blame the victim. The crash highlights the lethal risk when drivers lose focus and crowd the road.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4812048, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A sedan struck a man at Webster Avenue and East 168th Street. The impact crushed his body. He died at the scene. Police cite unsafe speed. The street stayed quiet after. Another life ended by a fast car in the Bronx night.

A 43-year-old male pedestrian was killed when a sedan traveling south on Webster Avenue at East 168th Street struck him. According to the police report, the crash occurred at 12:44 a.m. The pedestrian suffered crush injuries to his entire body and died at the scene. The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as the contributing factor. The sedan’s center front end hit the victim while going straight ahead. No other vehicles or persons were involved. The data does not mention any helmet or signal use as a factor. The police report makes clear: unsafe speed by the driver led to this fatal impact.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4811637, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A man crossed East 160th Street. A black Mercedes hit him. The driver fled. Paramedics rushed the man to Lincoln Hospital. He died. Police search for the driver. The street holds silence. Another life lost to speed and steel.

ABC7 reported on May 10, 2025, that a 43-year-old man was killed in a hit-and-run at East 160th Street and Webster Avenue in the Bronx. The article states, "A preliminary investigation found that the man was crossing the street when he was struck by a black Mercedes traveling southbound on Webster Ave." The driver did not stop and has not been apprehended. Emergency services transported the victim to Lincoln Hospital, where he died from his injuries. ABC7 quotes an area resident: "That was like my brother. He remember he was a good guy, a family guy. A whole father." The crash highlights the ongoing danger faced by pedestrians and the persistent issue of drivers fleeing crash scenes. No arrests have been made.

• Hit-And-Run Kills Bronx Pedestrian, ABC7, Published 2025-05-10

Charles Komanoff blasts NYPD’s new crackdown on cyclists. He says criminal summonses for minor violations will backfire. Streets will grow more dangerous. Immigrant delivery workers will suffer most. He urges the city to focus on reckless drivers, not bikes.

On May 7, 2025, Charles Komanoff publicly criticized NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s new policy of issuing criminal citations to cyclists for minor moving violations. The policy, announced without clear data or complaint channels, targets actions like running red lights or reckless cycling. Komanoff’s statement, titled 'Tsk, Tsk, Tisch — Criminal Summonses for Cyclists Will Backfire,' warns that the crackdown will make streets less safe and hit immigrant delivery workers hardest, exposing them to risks like detainment or deportation. He urges rescinding the policy, pledging not to share citation data with ICE, and redirecting enforcement toward car and truck drivers, who inflict most harm on pedestrians. Komanoff calls for city officials to experience cycling firsthand before making policy.

• Komanoff: Tsk, Tsk, Tisch — Criminal Summonses for Cyclists Will Backfire, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-07

NYPD targets cyclists and e-bike riders with criminal charges for minor infractions. Streets grow tense. Advocates call it obscene. The crackdown lands hardest on people of color and immigrants. Safety takes a back seat. Punishment rises. Fear spreads.

On May 5, 2025, Streetsblog NYC reported a major NYPD policy shift. The department now issues criminal court summonses to cyclists and e-bike riders for low-level violations—red lights, stop signs, wrong-way riding. The article, 'NYPD’s Red Light Criminalization Marks ‘Obscene’ Escalation: Advocates,' details the move. Kevin Duggan covered the story. Transportation Alternatives’s Ben Furnas called the change 'an obscene escalation.' Legal experts like Daniel Lambright warned it will amplify racially biased policing, especially against immigrant workers. More than 90% of such summonses in 2024 went to New Yorkers of color. The new policy reverses a decade of decriminalization, exposing thousands to harsh penalties for minor acts. Safety analysts note: 'A quiet change in police practices often signals increased enforcement or surveillance that can disproportionately burden pedestrians and cyclists, potentially discouraging active transportation and undermining safety in numbers.'

• NYPD’s Red Light Criminalization Marks ‘Obscene’ Escalation: Advocates, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-05

A van door swung open. The cyclist struck it. He fell. A truck crushed him. Medics rushed him to Bellevue. He died. The street stayed busy. The drivers waited. The city moved on.

According to NY Daily News (May 3, 2025), Georgios Smaragdis, 44, was killed while riding his e-bike west on Broome Street in Soho. The article states, "he slammed into the door of a Mercedes van that its driver had just flung open," sending him into the path of a red delivery truck that ran him over. Both drivers remained at the scene. The van driver told the outlet, "I opened the door. I didn’t even see the guy." Police have not announced charges. The crash highlights the persistent danger of dooring and the lethal consequences for cyclists when drivers fail to check for oncoming traffic before opening doors. The incident underscores ongoing risks for vulnerable road users in Manhattan’s dense traffic.

• E-Bike Rider Killed After Dooring in Soho, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-03

A cyclist died on Broome Street. A box truck and SUV stood in the mix. The crash hit hard. The man, 44, was ejected. Head trauma ended his ride. No driver errors listed. The street claimed another life.

A 44-year-old male bicyclist was killed in a crash involving a box truck and a parked SUV on Broome Street at Centre Street in Manhattan. According to the police report, the cyclist was ejected and suffered fatal head injuries. The crash involved a box truck traveling west and a parked SUV. The police report lists all contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors such as failure to yield or distraction are noted in the data. The cyclist's use of safety equipment is listed as 'Unknown,' but this is not cited as a contributing factor. The collision resulted in the death of a vulnerable road user while all vehicle occupants reported only unspecified or no injuries.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4809521, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A man on an e-bike struck a van door on Broome Street. The door swung open. He fell into the path of a box truck. The truck ran him over. Medics tried to save him. He died at Bellevue Hospital.

NY Daily News reported on May 1, 2025, that an e-bike rider died in Manhattan after being doored by a Mercedes van and then run over by a box truck. The crash happened around 10:10 a.m. on Broome Street near Centre Street. The van driver told the outlet, "I opened the door. I didn’t even see the guy. I only saw the accident." The collision forced the cyclist into the path of a red delivery truck, which then struck him. The 54-year-old truck driver stayed at the scene. Police had not determined if charges would be filed. The article highlights the lethal risk of dooring and the vulnerability of cyclists in mixed traffic. The incident underscores systemic dangers at curbside and the consequences of inattentive door opening.

• E-Bike Rider Killed After Van Door Crash, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-01

A Ford SUV crashes head-on along Charles J Crimi Road near Pelham Parkway. The 42-year-old driver dies at the wheel, harness still buckled. Another man survives. Night air thickens with sirens. The road bears witness to sudden loss.

A fatal crash unfolded on Charles J Crimi Road near Pelham Parkway when a Ford SUV struck head-on, according to the police report. The driver, a 42-year-old man, was found dead behind the wheel, his lap belt and harness still fastened. The report states the vehicle was traveling straight ahead with a center front-end impact, and the driver was licensed. Another man, also 42, survived the crash. The police report lists 'Unspecified' as the contributing factor, offering no further detail on the precise cause. No evidence in the report points to any error or action by the victim beyond his role as driver. The narrative underscores the violence of the collision and the abruptness of loss, while the data leaves the systemic danger and unanswered questions hanging in the night air.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4808167, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14