Another Body, Another Excuse: Who Pays for Senate District 26’s Deadly Streets?

Senate passes bill forcing delivery apps to insure workers and crash victims. Lawmakers tout support for the injured. But insurance comes after the hit. Speeders keep driving. Danger stays on the street. Prevention takes a back seat.

On June 13, 2025, the New York State Senate passed a bill requiring food delivery apps to provide insurance for delivery workers, pedestrians, and cyclists. The bill, sponsored by Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger, mandates up to $50,000 per person for basic economic loss, regardless of citizenship or employment status. Assembly Member Robert Carroll authored the original Assembly version, stating, 'It is time we require delivery apps to take responsibility for keeping delivery workers and pedestrians safe.' Sen. Andrew Gounardes defended a related speed-limiting bill, but it was weakened. Safety analysts warn: 'Focusing on insurance rather than speed limits shifts responsibility away from prevention and system design, failing to reduce crash risk and potentially discouraging mode shift by not addressing the root causes of danger for pedestrians and cyclists.' Lawmakers back insurance, but leave the streets risky.

• Senate Votes to Require Delivery Apps to Provide Insurance for Workers, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-13

Senate gutted the Super Speeder Bill at midnight. Over 130,000 reckless drivers dodge speed-limiter rules. Only the worst offenders face consequences. Pedestrians and cyclists stay exposed. Lawmakers chose drivers over safety. The city’s deadliest keep rolling. Streets stay dangerous.

On June 11, 2025, the New York State Senate amended the Super Speeder Bill, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Bay Ridge). The bill originally required drivers with six or more speed or red-light camera tickets in a year to install speed-limiting devices. The Senate raised the threshold to sixteen speed-camera tickets, and removed red-light violations from the count. Streetsblog NYC reports, 'the state Senate moved to help more than 130,000 reckless drivers avoid accountability.' Gounardes defended the change, saying it would allow the program to grow slowly. Assembly Member Michaell Novakhov (R-Midwood) argued the threshold was too low. The amendment means only 17,000 drivers, not 150,000, will face restrictions. According to safety analysts, this move undermines deterrence, increases risk to pedestrians and cyclists, and signals that dangerous driving is tolerated. Vulnerable road users remain at risk. The bill’s status now sets a weaker standard for accountability.

• State Senate Guts ‘Super Speeder Bill’ To Protect Reckless Drivers, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-11

Albany lawmakers set aside the Stop Super Speeders bill. Advocates erupted. The Assembly dodged action. Vulnerable New Yorkers stay in harm’s way. No relief. No justice. Streets remain deadly. Lawmakers offered excuses. Lives hang in the balance.

On June 10, 2025, the New York State Assembly set aside the Stop Super Speeders bill (S4045/A2299), halting its progress this legislative session. The bill, heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee, would have required drivers with six or more camera-issued speeding tickets in a year to install a device preventing them from exceeding the speed limit by more than five miles per hour. Advocates, including Amy Cohen of Families for Safe Streets, called the Assembly's move 'outrageous.' Senate sponsor Andrew Gounardes vowed to keep fighting. Assembly Transportation Chair William Magnarelli cited due process concerns. Brandy Nannini, Ben Furnas, and Frank Harris condemned the inaction. According to safety analysts, the event marks no direct change for pedestrian or cyclist safety, as the bill did not pass and no new protections were enacted.

• Advocates Slam Albany Pols After ‘Stop Super Speeders’ Bill is Set Aside, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-10

Court Street bleeds from double parking and swerving cars. Cyclists and walkers dodge danger daily. DOT will cut a lane, add a protected bike path, and shrink space for reckless driving. Fewer lanes, fewer crashes. Safety, not speed, takes the street.

Streetsblog NYC (2025-06-06) reports the Department of Transportation will install a protected bike lane on Brooklyn’s Court Street, a corridor plagued by double parking and sideswipe crashes. DOT’s Chris Brunson said, “The narrower street width for vehicles will de-incentivize double parking on the corridor.” The redesign removes a travel lane, adds a protected bike lane, and aims to curb driver behavior that leads to crashes. Between 2022 and 2024, 165 crashes on this mile-long stretch caused one death and injured 15 cyclists and 23 pedestrians. Most pedestrian injuries happened while crossing with the light, showing drivers failed to yield. The plan targets excess road capacity and prioritizes vulnerable users on a Vision Zero Priority Corridor.

• DOT Plans Protected Bike Lane Court Street, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-06

Another joins Families for Safe Streets. Another life lost. The toll rises. Grief sharpens the call for change. Streets stay deadly. The city fails to shield its own. The group grows. The danger remains.

On June 3, 2025, Gersh Kuntzman issued an advocacy statement, reported by Streetsblog NYC. The statement reads, 'There's a new member of Families for Safe Streets, which is not good news.' Joe Jankoski, mourning Amanda Servedio, spoke out after her death by a recidivist speeder. The group’s ranks swell with each tragedy. No specific bill or committee is named in this event. Kuntzman’s statement underscores the relentless danger faced by pedestrians and cyclists. The safety analyst notes: the event describes a new member joining an advocacy group, which does not directly affect pedestrian or cyclist safety at the population level. The city’s streets remain perilous. The group’s growth is a grim measure of failure.

• Tuesday’s Headlines: Stop Super Speeders Edition, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-03

Three vehicles crashed on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Metal twisted. One driver suffered head and crush injuries. Police blamed driver distraction. The road ran straight. The night was quiet. The system failed again.

A crash involving a pick-up truck and two SUVs tore through the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in Brooklyn. According to the police report, three vehicles were traveling east when they collided. One driver, a 32-year-old man, suffered head and crush injuries. Five others, including a child, were listed as occupants but did not have specified injuries. Police cited 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. No other errors or violations were listed. The report shows all vehicles were moving straight ahead before impact. The data does not mention helmet or signal use as a factor. The crash highlights the ongoing danger for all road users on New York’s highways.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4817170, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Senate moves to clamp down on repeat speeders. Bill forces reckless drivers to install speed limiters. Lawmakers act after years of carnage. Streets remain perilous for walkers and riders until the law takes hold.

On May 21, 2025, the Senate Transportation Committee advanced bill S4045B, known as the Stop Super Speeders bill. The measure passed with just two 'no' votes out of 13. The bill requires speed-limiting devices in cars of drivers with six or more camera-issued speeding tickets in a year. Streetsblog NYC reports, 'A bill that would prevent the most-reckless drivers from speeding easily moved forward on Tuesday.' Senator Andrew Gounardes sponsors the bill, emphasizing it targets the most dangerous drivers. Assembly sponsor Emily Gallagher raised concerns about cost and judicial bias, but stressed that speeding endangers everyone. Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins backs the bill's safety focus. According to safety analysts, restricting repeat speeders directly tackles a major threat to pedestrians and cyclists, likely reducing crashes and making streets safer citywide.

• ‘Stop Super Speeders’ Bill Advances in Senate Committee, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-21

Senator Palumbo, once wary, now backs the Stop Super Speeders bill. The measure targets repeat speeders with court-ordered limiters. Twenty-one percent of fatal pedestrian crashes involve such drivers. Speed limiters cut deaths by over a third. Action, not talk.

On May 16, 2025, the New York State Senate debated the Stop Super Speeders bill (S4045/A2029), which requires speed-limiting devices for drivers with six or more speed-camera violations in a year. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Gounardes, aims to curb reckless driving. Initially, Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-Suffolk) opposed the measure, citing concerns about government overreach and enforcement. He compared it to ignition locks for drunk drivers, which he supports. After discussion with Gounardes, Palumbo shifted, supporting the bill if it meets its goal. The bill’s summary states it targets repeat speeders with court orders and misdemeanor charges for non-compliance. Data shows 21 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes in NYC involve vehicles with six or more camera tickets in the prior year. Speed limiters have been shown to reduce traffic deaths by 37 percent. Palumbo now signals willingness to take strong action against reckless drivers.

• How One Anti-Gov’t Republican Signed onto a Street Safety Bill to Rein in Reckless Drivers, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-16

State Sen. Palumbo, once wary of government reach, now supports speed-limiting devices for repeat speeders. The bill targets drivers with six or more violations. Debate follows a fatal crash. Lawmakers clash, then unite. Vulnerable lives hang in the balance.

On May 16, 2025, State Sen. Anthony Palumbo, Republican from Suffolk, changed course on the Stop Super Speeders bill (S4045/A2029). The bill, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Gounardes, would require speed-limiting devices in cars of drivers with six or more speed-camera violations in a year. Palumbo first called the measure 'government overreach,' preferring license suspensions. After debate and a detailed comparison to ignition locks for drunk drivers, Palumbo agreed to support the bill if it meets its goal. Gounardes explained, 'We mimicked the ignition lock process and procedure.' The bill gained momentum after a deadly crash. According to the safety analyst, the event text does not describe a specific policy or legislative action affecting pedestrians or cyclists, so no safety impact can be determined.

• How One Anti-Gov’t Republican Signed onto a Street Safety Bill to Rein in Reckless Drivers, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-16

Senate Republicans forced a vote on S533 to repeal congestion pricing. Democrats may let it advance with a hollow 'Aye Without Recommendation.' Meanwhile, the Idaho Stop bill, which could save cyclists’ lives, remains stalled. NYPD cracks down on riders. Cyclists keep dying.

On May 13, 2025, the Senate Transportation Committee considered S533, a bill to repeal congestion pricing, after a procedural motion by Sen. Jack Martins. Committee Chair Jeremy Cooney was compelled to place it on the agenda. Democrats may use 'Aye Without Recommendation' to let the bill advance without clear support. A watchdog coalition, including Reinvent Albany and Bike New York, called the bill 'contrary to notions of basic fairness.' The same day, activists lobbied for the Idaho Stop bill (S639/A7071), sponsored by Sen. Rachel May and Assembly Member Karen McMahon. The bill would let cyclists treat red lights as stop signs and stop signs as yield signs, a move proven to reduce injuries. Despite support, the bill remains blocked. NYPD continues harsh enforcement against cyclists, who make up a small share of city trips but receive a disproportionate number of tickets. Cyclist deaths keep rising.

• How the Sausage Gets Made: Republicans Force Meaningless Vote on Congestion Pricing Repeal, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-13

Council Member Yusef Salaam pushes a resolution urging Albany to force repeat speeders to install speed governors. Families of crash victims and advocates rally behind the move. The bill targets drivers with six or more tickets. Support grows after deadly crashes.

On April 30, 2025, Council Member Yusef Salaam, Chair of the Committee on Public Safety, introduced a City Council resolution supporting New York State Senate Bill S7621. The bill, now pending, would let courts require drivers with six or more automated speeding tickets in a year to install speed limiter devices. Salaam’s resolution, co-sponsored by five council members, urges Albany to act. The matter title: 'Council Member Yusef Salaam Throws Support Behind Albany Push To Rein In Speeding Drivers.' Salaam said, 'It's very simple: it's to save lives.' The hearing drew families of crash victims and advocates like Amy Cohen and Darnell Sealy-McCrorey, who lost loved ones to reckless drivers. Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and other officials back the measure. Salaam’s leadership signals growing momentum for the first bill of its kind in the country.

• Council Member Yusef Salaam Throws Support Behind Albany Push To Rein In Speeding Drivers, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-30

Council calls for speed limiters in cars of repeat speeders. The resolution urges Albany to pass S.7621/A.7979. The measure targets reckless drivers. It aims to cut deadly crashes. The bill sits in committee. Streets remain dangerous.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges the state to pass S.7621/A.7979. The resolution, introduced April 24, 2025, calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by Salaam, Hanif, Gutiérrez, Banks, and Brannan. The bill would force drivers with eleven or more points in eighteen months, or six speed/red light camera tickets in a year, to install speed-limiting tech. The Council cites data: 265 killed, 52,949 injured on city streets in 2023. The measure aims to put a brake on reckless driving. The committee has not yet advanced the resolution. Vulnerable road users wait for action.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24

A cyclist slammed into the rear of a stopped SUV on 54th Street. He flew from his bike, landing hard. Blood pooled. Head wounds opened. Three others sat motionless in their cars, untouched. Distraction behind the wheel, again.

According to the police report, a cyclist traveling north on 54th Street collided with the back of a stationary SUV near 4th Avenue in Brooklyn at 21:55. The cyclist, a 32-year-old man, was ejected from his bike and suffered severe head lacerations. The report notes, 'He flew from the bike, landed hard. Head wounds. Blood.' Three other individuals in nearby vehicles were uninjured. The police report explicitly cites 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor in the crash. The SUV and a pick-up truck were both stopped in traffic at the time of the collision. No contributing factors related to the cyclist's behavior or safety equipment are listed in the report. The incident underscores the persistent danger posed by driver distraction on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4806587, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A RAM van, turning left at 3rd Avenue and 42nd Street, struck a 60-year-old woman. Blood streamed from her leg. The driver, distracted, kept his license. The van showed no damage. The street bore the weight of inattention.

According to the police report, a RAM van making a left turn at the corner of 3rd Avenue and 42nd Street in Brooklyn struck a 60-year-old woman who was crossing the intersection. The report states the driver was inattentive and distracted at the time of the crash. The pedestrian suffered severe bleeding to her knee, lower leg, and foot, but remained conscious at the scene. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the primary contributing factor. The van, a 2017 RAM, sustained no visible damage, and the driver retained his license after the incident. The pedestrian was noted as 'crossing against the signal,' but this is mentioned only after the driver’s failure. The report underscores the danger posed by driver distraction, especially during turning movements at busy intersections.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4806114, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez indicted a repeat speeder for killing three. He slammed weak laws. Tickets pile up, but drivers dodge real punishment. Gonzalez backed a bill for speed limiters on chronic offenders. He demanded action to stop reckless driving and protect lives.

On April 16, 2025, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez issued a forceful statement after indicting Miriam Yarimi, a repeat speeder, for killing three family members in Brooklyn. Gonzalez criticized New York’s laws, saying, 'The law is very restrictive in allowing district attorney’s to pursue murder charges in these types of cases.' He noted Yarimi’s 21 speeding and five red-light tickets did not trigger license points or insurance penalties. Gonzalez questioned why the NYPD cannot seize cars based on repeated violations and called for legislative change. He endorsed State Sen. Andrew Gounardes’s bill (S7621), which would require speed limiter technology for drivers with six or more automated enforcement tickets in a year, describing it as a way to fight 'violent car culture.' Gonzalez urged lawmakers to make it easier to prosecute and prevent reckless driving, centering the deadly risk to families and vulnerable road users.

• Brooklyn DA Lays Out Why Roads Are Unsafe, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-16

Senator Gounardes pushes S 7336. The bill expands speed camera use. It targets license plate obstruction. School zone protections grow. The city gains new tools. Drivers who hide plates face more scrutiny. Vulnerable road users get a fighting chance.

Senate bill S 7336, sponsored by Andrew Gounardes of District 26, sits at the sponsorship stage. The bill, titled 'Relates to the use of certain photo speed violation monitoring systems for the purposes of enforcement of license plate obstruction; repealer,' was introduced on April 11, 2025. It permits New York City to use speed cameras not just for speeding, but also to enforce against license plate obstruction, concealment, and distortion. The measure also extends speed camera enforcement in school zones. Gounardes leads the charge, aiming to close loopholes that let reckless drivers dodge accountability. The bill gives the city sharper teeth to catch those who hide from the law. Vulnerable road users—kids, walkers, cyclists—stand to benefit as the city cracks down on plate cheats and speeds near schools.

• File S 7336, Open States, Published 2025-04-11

A parked SUV’s door bursts into a cyclist’s path on Atlantic Avenue. Metal edge rips flesh. Blood pools on the street. The young man’s arm is torn open. The driver stands unharmed. Distraction behind the door. Streets remain unforgiving.

A 26-year-old man riding his bike westbound on Atlantic Avenue collided with the door of a parked SUV, according to the police report. The report states the SUV driver, age seventy-one, opened the door into the cyclist’s path, causing a violent impact: 'Steel meets flesh. Blood on the street. The young man’s arm split open.' The cyclist suffered severe lacerations to his arm and was conscious at the scene. The SUV driver was not injured. Police cite 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor in the crash. The data does not list any cyclist actions as contributing factors. The collision underscores the persistent danger posed by inattentive drivers and the lethal consequences of a moment’s distraction behind the wheel or door.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4804626, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Steel struck a four-year-old crossing Court Street. The car turned left, bumper smashing his knee. The child stayed awake, pain sharp and sudden. The driver did not yield. Flesh gave way to metal. A boy lay broken at the curb.

A four-year-old boy was struck and injured at the intersection of Court Street and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, according to the police report. The crash occurred at 16:58 when a car making a left turn failed to yield the right-of-way. The police report states, 'A car turned left. A four-year-old boy crossed with the signal. The bumper struck his leg. His knee crushed.' The child, described as conscious, suffered crush injuries to his knee and lower leg. The report explicitly cites 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the primary contributing factor, with 'Passenger Distraction' also noted. The boy was crossing with the signal at the intersection. The driver’s failure to yield led directly to the collision, leaving the child injured on the street.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4803267, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Brooklyn’s Ashland Place stays deadly. DOT delays a promised bike lane. Elected officials and residents demand action. Private interests block progress. Cyclists face crashes and fear. The city shrugs. The gap remains. Lives hang in the balance.

On April 3, 2025, a coalition of Brooklyn officials—including Council Members Crystal Hudson, Shahana Hanif, Lincoln Restler, Assembly Members Andrew Gounardes, Jo Anne Simon, Phara Souffrant Forrest, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Borough President Antonio Reynoso—sent a letter urging DOT to finish the protected bike lane on Ashland Place. The letter called the block a 'missing link in Brooklyn’s protected bike lane network.' Brooklyn Community Board 2 backed the demand. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez and Borough Commissioner Keith Bray offered only vague replies. The block’s exclusion traces to a mayoral advisor’s intervention for developer Two Trees. Advocates like Kathy Park Price slammed the city: 'Private interests are able to redesign our streets, prioritizing vehicles over safety at a critical corridor.' Despite unanimous support, DOT keeps the street dangerous. The city’s inaction leaves cyclists exposed and the community frustrated.

• ‘Crashland’: As Demand Grows, DOT Still Won’t Finish Bike Lane on Dangerous Brooklyn Road, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-03

After a crash killed a mother and two daughters in Gravesend, advocates and Council Member Shahana Hanif rallied for the Stop Super Speeders bill. The law would force repeat reckless drivers to use speed-limiting tech. Survivors demand action. Lawmakers promise change.

On April 1, 2025, Council Member Shahana Hanif joined a rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall demanding passage of the Stop Super Speeders bill. The bill, sponsored in Albany by State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, would require drivers with repeated violations to install intelligent speed assistance (ISA) devices. These devices cap speed at 5 mph over the limit for those with 11 or more license points in 24 months or six camera tickets in a year. The rally followed a fatal Gravesend crash that killed a mother and her two daughters. Hanif and other lawmakers called current enforcement—ticketing, suspensions, fines, jail—ineffective. Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon said, 'The speed limiter technology is available to us. Let’s use it. It will save lives.' The bill is modeled on EU and Virginia laws. Some opposition remains, but supporters say the measure is urgent and practical.

• ‘Enough is enough’: Street safety advocates demand passage of ‘Stop Super Speeders’ bill after tragic Gravesend crash, brooklynpaper.com, Published 2025-04-01