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
Manhattan CB 6 Urges MTA to Restore Blue Lights to Select Bus Service
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Manhattan Community Board 6 has adopted a resolution in support of a state law to bring back flashing blue lights on Select Bus Service buses. The reso also urges the MTA to explore options to restore the lights in lieu of legislative action. SBS buses went into service in 2008. The buses and their flashing […]
Who Will Be the Second City Council Member to Sign Up for Bike-Share?
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While current and former City Council transportation chairs James Vacca and John Liu reacted to bike-share with paranoia and fear, at least one council member was breaking out the credit card: Brooklyn’s Brad Lander posted this tweet after signing up for a Citi Bike subscription yesterday. Any of Lander’s colleagues have a lower membership number than […]
John Liu: Cyclists Need Helmets, But Not Bike Lanes
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What does John Liu think of bikes in NYC? That’s hard to say, and it’s not clear that Liu knows either. On the day when thousands signed up for the city’s bike-share program, exceeding expectations and setting the stage for a major shift in the way many New Yorkers get around, Liu chose to engage […]
Six Months in Jail and Five-Year License Suspension for SI Hit-and-Run Killer
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The speeding hit-and-run killer of a Staten Island woman who died protecting her grandchild has been sentenced to six months in jail and a five-year license suspension, as the result of a plea deal from District Attorney Dan Donovan, according to the Staten Island Advance. Clara Almazo, 52, was walking home from church with her […]
Quinn Ties Transit Growth to NYC’s Economic Health, Stops Short on Funding
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Christine Quinn outlined her transit platform at a campaign event at LaGuardia Community College this morning. With a focus on Select Bus Service and ferries — elements of the transit system that the mayor can actually control to a large degree — Quinn’s proposals tie the expansion of transit to the city’s economic health. She […]
Why Are Electric Bikes Illegal, Anyway?
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It’s getting to be a task keeping up with pending City Council bills that deal with electric-assisted bikes. Legislation proposed by Council Members Jessica Lappin and Dan Garodnick would hike fines for riding an e-bike, and two new bills would reportedly shift fines away from delivery workers to their employers and grant enforcement power to […]
What Happens to an Injured Crash Victim After Police and the Press Move On
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Every day some 40 pedestrians are wounded by drivers in NYC. Victims are often left with serious injuries, but rarely is the public made aware of anything beyond the basic immediate circumstances of a crash — where it occurred, the condition of the victims when transported from the scene, and whether the driver was (a) […]
Jumaane Williams Calls for Speed Cams in Wake of Toddler’s Death
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City Council Member Jumaane Williams has issued a statement calling for speed cameras and other traffic-calming measures following the death of Denim McLean, the 2-year-old killed by a curb-jumping driver in East Flatbush. Williams also says more motorists should be held responsible for crashes that result in death. This incident took place at the corner […]
Immune From Prosecution, Curb-Jumping NYC Motorists Claim More Victims
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Denim McLean, the toddler who was one of 10 people struck by a curb-jumping motorist in East Flatbush last month, died from his injuries. Other than driver speed, it’s still not clear what caused the March 30 crash, which put at least three others in the hospital. The victims included Denim’s mother, Wendy McLean, who remains […]
Eyes on the Street: Collision Leaves NYU Bus on Greenwich Village Sidewalk
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A two-vehicle collision left an NYU bus on a Greenwich Village sidewalk this morning, in an NYPD precinct where speed enforcement, for all intents and purposes, is non-existent. Tipster Philip Winn snapped these photos at Lafayette Street and E. 4th Street at around 9:30 a.m., after the second vehicle, a passenger car, had been towed […]
Irvin Gitlitz, 83, Was First of Two Pedestrian Fatalities Wednesday
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The pedestrian killed by a truck driver at Flatbush and Atlantic on Wednesday has been identified as Irvin Gitlitz, 83, according to NYPD. Police say Gitlitz stepped between parked cars into the path of the truck driver, who was not charged or summonsed. Photos of the scene indicate that the truck was not equipped with […]
Brooklyn Victim Is Third NYC Pedestrian Killed by Truck Driver in Five Weeks
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Update: NYPD has identified the victim as 83-year-old Irvin Gitlitz. Another NYC pedestrian has been killed by a truck driver, this time at the intersection of Flatbush and Fourth Avenues. The crash happened this afternoon. The victim, a male in his 40s, was struck at around 12:50 p.m., and was pronounced dead at the scene, […]