The death of a cyclist struck and killed by a box truck driver in Queens has renewed concerns about unprotected bike lanes in New York City. According to news reports, the 58-year-old man, Qiang Tu, was riding down 47th Avenue in Sunnyside, Queens when the truck driver traveling in the same direction hit him as he made a turn […]
Personal Injury Law
NY Gov. Hochul Endorses Local Speed Camera Control
New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently expressed support for measures that would allow New York City to add speed cameras without permission from the state legislature—a move that transit activists and city policymakers have long been advocating for. According to a recent report by StreetsBlog, the governor’s comments came during an event with local publication City & […]
New York City and State Authorities to Huddle over Reckless Driving
A letter obtained by New York City local news publication StreetsBlog reveals that the city’s Department of Transportation Commissioner is pursuing a meeting with the head of the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to discuss solutions to the city’s fatal reckless driving problem. The letter, from DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman to DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder, was sent on October […]
SUVs Involved in Tragic Deaths of Two NYC Children
The last week in New York City put a tragic spotlight on the danger of large SUVs that impede driver visibility. As StreetsBlog and the New York Daily News reported, two 2-year-old New Yorkers were hit and killed by SUV drivers. Neither driver was charged. On Friday, October 29th, a two-year-old named Autumn Garrison was walking on a Staten […]
Investigation Raises Questions about NYC’s 311 Program
A sweeping new investigation by StreetsBlog uncovered apparently widespread misconduct connected to New York City’s 311 program, with dangerous and potentially fatal traffic violations left unaddressed by authorities. Drawing on analysis of 26 million complaints filed through the 311 program since 2010, as well as interviews with a range of stakeholders and experts, StreetsBlog found that the New York Police Department […]
Rangers Not Liable for Puck-Struck Plaintiff, New York Court Finds
A New York appeals court recently ruled against the plaintiff in a lawsuit alleging negligence on the part of the New York Rangers in connection to an incident in which “hockey puck flew into the stands” and injured the plaintiff’s hand, according to a recent report by the New York Law Journal. The First Judicial Department of the Appellate […]
Recent Traffic Violence Inspires Harsh Criticism of NYC Government
News reports have documented the three recent New York City car crashes that left vulnerable road users injured or dead, with some commentators directing harsh criticism toward city officials in a year of road violence unprecedented in the de Blasio Administration. E-Bike Rider Killed in Queens On October 11th, an e-bike rider was struck by the teenage driver of […]
Investigation Finds Rampant NYC School Bus Moving Violations
A recent investigation by the New York Daily News found that as nearly two-thirds of New York City school buses “have been issued at least one speeding or red light camera ticket since 2014.” Of the city’s 10,497 registered school buses, 6,895 (or 65%) have received tickets. Of those 6,895 buses that received tickets for speeding or […]
RECKLESS DRIVING NYC: ARE RECKLESS DRIVING COURSES ENOUGH?
New York City’s “court-ordered safe-driving course” for reckless drivers has drawn criticism after reports that the motorist who struck and killed a 3-month-old in Brooklyn had previously completed the program. According to StreetsBlog, the driver, Tyrik Mott, “did not alter his violent driving behavior in any way” after completing the program on May 4th, 2021, after […]
Deadly Car Crashes Kill Two Pedestrians in NYC Last Week
Two pedestrians were killed in car crashes in New York City on Tuesday, September 28th, incidents described by StreetsBlog as “the latest carnage in what has become the most-deadly year of Mayor de Blasio’s two terms in office.” One incident involved a driver “making a left turn from Avenue U onto notorious Ocean Parkway” in Brooklyn, hitting […]
Moped Regulation Comes to New York City
The New York City Department of Transportation has proposed new rules that would regulate the use of moped share services, like Revel and Lime, within the city. According to a report by StreetsBlog, the rules would prohibit moped share usage on the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge, the Queensboro Bridge, and the Williamsburg Bridge, as well […]
OSHA Developing Heat Standard for Construction Sites
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will develop “a federal standard” to prevent health issues stemming from extreme heat on construction sites, according to a report by Construction Dive. In a press release, the agency announced it would initiate a rulemaking process that will include a comment period from various stakeholders as it works to establish new standards. […]
NYC Looks to Enforcing Bike Lane Parking Violations
The New York City Department of Transportation has released a “Request for Expressions of Interest” for vendors interested in developing an automated enforcement program for the city’s bike lanes, according to a report by StreetsBlog, whose report suggests the request shows the city’s interest in a “crack down on scofflaw drivers who illegally park and stop […]
NYC Issues Almost 1,500 Stop Work Orders in Construction Safety Sweep
A New York City Department of Buildings safety sweep this month resulted in 3,600 violations and 1,499 stop work orders issued to construction contractors. According to a report by Construction Dive, the sweeps were launched because of a spate of construction site fatalities in the city, with seven workers dying in the first five months of 2021—two […]
Why Hasn’t NYC Implemented Its New Reckless Driving Law?
The man suspected of killing a three-month-old baby in a reckless driving incident in Brooklyn earlier this month had a suspended licensed, 91 speeding tickets, and an arrest on his record for driving without a valid license, according to a report by StreetsBlog. The 28-year-old driver, Tyrik Mott, was also “racing the wrong way down Gates Avenue” when the […]
NYC Pols Discuss Unsafe Basement Apartments After Deadly Floods
The deadly flooding brought to New York City by the remnants of Hurricane Ida has sparked conversations among policymakers about the tens of thousands of New Yorkers living in dangerous and likely illegal basement apartments. As City and State reported last week, basement apartments are defined as those where at least half the unit is above grade, […]
How Can NYC Prepare For Future Flooding?
In the wake of the flash flooding that killed at least 22 in New York and New Jersey last week, local news publication City and State spoke with a variety of “climate experts and activists” about what what can be done to prepare New York City for future flooding events and protect New Yorkers from deadly floodwaters. […]
NYPD Announces Increased Traffic Enforcement; Critics Skeptical
The New York Police Department announced it will increase enforcement of traffic violations this week, as at least a million young New Yorkers return to school. The crackdown will primarily target drivers who “fail to yield to pedestrian and cyclists,” according to a report by the New York Daily News. The announcement follows two years of rising traffic violence fatalities, with […]
How Greener Streets Can Protect New Yorkers from Floods
The deadly flooding brought to New York City by the remnants of Hurricane Ida raised urgent questions about what authorities can do to protect New Yorkers from future floods. A StreetsBlog analysis last week proposed that one solution is to make the city’s streets more absorbent by installing green, permeable infrastructure. The city has already installed at […]
Automated Auto Makers Protest Proposed NYC Safety Rules
Self-driving car manufacturers strenuously protested New York City’s proposed rules for automated vehicles in a recent city hearing, according to a report by StreetsBlog. The biggest point of contention: a proposed mandate that automated vehicles drive “more safely than a human driver.” According to the report, representatives for the vehicles’ manufacturers said the rule would make […]
Long-Awaited Safety Measures Come to Brooklyn Avenue
The New York City Department of Transportation announced last week that it would implement safety measures along a segment of Brooklyn’s Wythe Avenue where a cyclist was struck and killed last year, and where other pedestrians and cyclists have been injured over the years. The DOT said specifically that it would erect physical barriers separating the bike lane from the traffic […]
Storm Deaths Expose Rampant Illegal Basement Apartments
When the remnants of Hurricane Ida rolled through New York last week, they took a heavy toll: 46 lives, with six people still missing as of September 3rd. Of those deaths, 25 were in New Jersey, 16 in New York, four occurred in Pennsylvania, and Connecticut saw a single fatality, according to the New York Times. […]
Incoming Queens Lawmakers Call for Safe Transit
The incoming New York City Council members for the borough of Queens recently told StreetsBlog about the issues they plan to prioritize when they assume office. Below are summaries of each incoming lawmaker’s response, save for one soon-to-belawmaker who didn’t respond. Their full answers are available via StreetsBlog. In District 19, which includes Bayside and North […]
Incoming Brooklyn Lawmakers Push for Safe, Clean Transit
New York City’s new class of city council members are preparing to assume office. In advance of the new term, local publication StreetsBlog recently asked the incoming lawmakers about their transportation policy priorities. Not every incoming councilperson responded, but those who did offered a glimpse of the future of New York City’s streets. Below are […]
Critic Blasts Bike Lane Progress in Upper East Side
A new column in StreetsBlog criticizes the slow, inconsistent pace of bicycle lane development in Manhattan’s east side. As safe streets activist Liam Jeffries writes, New York City’s Department of Transportation has begun turning temporary bike lanes established last year on 61st Street and 62nd Street into permanent fixtures. The temporary lanes were installed as an “emergency […]