Brad Aaron
Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York's dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.
Recent Posts
Pedestrian Seriously Injured by Motorist in Prospect Heights Last Night
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A pedestrian was seriously injured by a motorist in Prospect Heights early this morning, according to witnesses and FDNY. At around 12:25 a.m., the driver of a BMW sedan struck a woman at Flatbush Avenue at St. Marks Avenue. The crash happened near the home of Zach Fried and his fiancée, an emergency room nurse […]
In Copenhagen, Motoring on Cyclists’ Terms
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Today on the Network, Copenhagenize takes a look at a proposal that shakes up the traditional “complete street” concept. As presented in a municipal “idea catalogue,” the plan is to redesign Copenhagen’s Vestergade as a “bicycle street,” where cyclists and pedestrians come first, and motor vehicle traffic is the second-tier mode. The entire road will be turned […]
Happy Independence Day: Central Park North Loop Is Car-Free This Summer
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Beginning next week, Central Park’s north loop will be closed to cars for two months, DOT announced today. From a DOT Summer Streets 2013 press release: Beginning Monday, July 8, Central Park’s drives north of 72nd Street will be car-free for the remainder of the summer, greatly enhancing access for pedestrians, bike riders and all […]
NYPD Speed Enforcement Uptick Dwarfed By Bike-Share Area Ticket Blitz
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NYPD precincts in Manhattan wrote nearly twice as many tickets to cyclists in the month after the launch of Citi Bike than they issued to speeding motorists in the first five months of 2013, according to data from NYPD and the Daily News. While speed enforcement across the Manhattan and Brooklyn bike-share service area has […]
Albany Lawmakers Fail to Advance Bills on Careless Driving, Select Bus Lights
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Proponents of safer streets and a stronger MTA fared better than usual in Albany this year, securing speed cameras for NYC and scoring a tentative win on the transit lockbox — which now depends on Governor Cuomo’s signature to protect straphangers from budget raids by state lawmakers, including himself. However, legislators failed to pass bills that […]
Lander: NYS DOT Rejected Improvements to Deadly Brooklyn Intersection
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Safety measures proposed for a crash-prone Brooklyn intersection where a senior was killed by a truck driver this week were rejected by New York State DOT, according to City Council Member Brad Lander. Joined by local residents, traffic safety advocates and family of Ngozi Agbim, Lander held a rally this morning at Ocean Parkway and […]
NYC Aims to Make the Most of Its Handful of School-Zone Speed Cameras
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Details concerning New York City’s first-ever speed camera program are scarce. To slow down as many speeding drivers as possible with the small number of cameras permitted by Albany, this is as it should be. On Tuesday, DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan joined Mayor Bloomberg at P.S. 81 in Riverdale, where 96 percent of motorists observed for […]
Attention Ray Kelly: NYPD Still Using “Accident” to Describe Traffic Crashes
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Earlier this year, Commissioner Ray Kelly announced that the word “accident” would be eliminated from the NYPD lexicon. Not only would the Accident Investigation Squad be rebranded as the Collision Investigation Squad, Kelly said, but “accident” would be changed to “collision” on all departmental materials. In a letter to City Council transportation chair James Vacca, […]
NYPD: 1,376 Pedestrians and Cyclists Injured, Eight Killed in Traffic in May
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Fifteen people died in New York City traffic in May, and 4,988 were injured, according to the latest NYPD crash data report [PDF]. As of the end of May, 64 pedestrians and cyclists have been killed by city motorists this year, and 6,169 injured, compared to 66 deaths and 6,040 injuries for the same period […]
Ngozi Agbim, 73, Killed by Truck Driver at Crash-Prone Brooklyn Intersection
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A senior was struck and killed by a truck driver at a crash-prone intersection in Brooklyn Monday. At approximately 9:40 a.m., Ngozi Agbim, 73, was attempting to cross the nine lanes of traffic where Church Avenue crosses Ocean Parkway, at the terminus of the Prospect Expressway, as the truck driver was making a right turn. […]
Eyes on the Street: New Pedestrian Spaces Pop in Financial District
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Clarence snapped these photos of painted sidewalk expansions on Water Street, where DOT and the Downtown Alliance are working to revitalize street life in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The top photo shows one end of the newly car-free Coentis Slip, between Water and Pearl Street. A couple of weeks ago the City Council cleared […]
Cuomo’s Signature Expected After Legislature Approves NYC Speed Cameras
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After years of persistence, advocates for safer streets are closer than ever to a milestone achievement: Following the measure’s approval in the Assembly, the State Senate passed a bill early Saturday to allow New York City to use cameras to catch motorists who speed near schools. A spokesperson for Andrew Cuomo has said the governor […]