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
To Avoid Trial, DA Dan Donovan Grants Hit-and-Run Killer a Max of 1-3 Years
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A hit-and-run driver may get as much as three years in jail, or no jail time at all, for striking and killing a Staten Island woman and injuring her grandson in Staten Island, under the terms of a plea deal with District Attorney Daniel Donovan. Clara Almazo, 52, was walking home from church with her […]
Explaining Public Transit to the Public
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It’s not something you hear often in transit-rich areas, but in cities and towns across the U.S., the specter of the “empty bus” looms large. Jarrett Walker at Network Blog Human Transit points us to a video from the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, in west-central Florida, which has produced a series of educational shorts on how […]
In Queens, Five Years in Jail and Six-Month License Suspension for DWI Killer
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A drunk driver who killed a Queens cyclist will be free to drive again in fewer than six years, under the terms of a plea agreement from District Attorney Richard Brown. Alex Batista was charged with second degree manslaughter, driving under the influence and leaving the scene after he ran down Roger Hernandez on Greenpoint […]
Shu Ying Liu, 69, Killed by Hit-and-Run Truck Driver in Hell’s Kitchen
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The driver of a private dump truck accused of killing an elderly woman in Hell’s Kitchen Tuesday has been charged with leaving the scene. Shu Ying Liu, 69, was crossing 41st Street at Ninth Avenue at around 10:00 a.m. yesterday when she was hit by Jack Montelbano, who was making a right turn from Ninth to […]
Toeing the NBBL Line, Bill de Blasio Runs for Mayor of 9 PPW
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Bill de Blasio’s comments in today’s Brooklyn Paper are straight out of the “Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes” playbook. To a question about whether he would dedicate space for biking and walking as mayor, de Blasio replied: The motivation [for bike lanes] has been noble but the approach has often been without the kind of communication […]
NYPD Won’t Touch Upper West Side Block Commandeered by Illegal Parking
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A frustrated Upper West Side resident is looking to tame the rampant illegal parking and placard abuse on his block. Carson Dixon says the curbs and sidewalks of W. 83rd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues are lined constantly with illegally parked vehicles, left there by postal workers, firefighters, and employees of a parking garage. […]
Staten Island Motorist Strikes Couple, Killing Elderly Man; No Charges Filed
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A motorist who killed an elderly man and injured his wife on Staten Island has been cleared of responsibility by NYPD. Bujar Hasimja, 72, and his 64-year-old wife were crossing Jefferson Avenue at Mason Avenue, near their home, at approximately 7:30 p.m. Friday when the driver of a Nissan SUV hit them while making a […]
NYPD: 15,465 Pedestrians and Cyclists Injured, 155 Killed in Traffic in 2012
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Over 15,000 pedestrians and cyclists were injured in New York City traffic in 2012, and 155 were killed, according to NYPD data reports compiled by Streetsblog. It must be emphasized that this is preliminary data. The final numbers from the state Department of Motor Vehicles don’t usually surface until well into the following year. Across the […]
Three City Pedestrians Killed in Five Hours; No Charges Filed
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Three pedestrians were killed in separate crashes in Manhattan and Brooklyn last night. At around 7:50 p.m., 85-year-old Richard Griffin was on his way to visit a hospital patient, according to the Post, when he was apparently struck head-on by the driver of a Jeep SUV on York Avenue at E. 69th Street. Griffin, of Staten Island, […]
While DOT Is Removing Signs, How About Yanking These Pedestrian Warnings?
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The Times reported yesterday that DOT is in the process of taking down all of the city’s “Don’t Honk” signs. Ostensibly the signs are being removed in tandem with efforts to declutter the visual environment. For better or worse, it’s also a tacit admission that they probably don’t do very much good. Other signs we’d […]
Why Is Bill de Blasio Afraid of Safer, Saner Streets?
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It was hard to miss mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio as he made the media rounds yesterday. After positioning himself as the “outer borough” candidate on the local Fox morning show, de Blasio — who voted against congestion pricing and the transit funds that would have come with it — traveled to Washington Heights to […]
Despite Awful Track Record, Plaza NIMBYs Always Good for a Quote
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In case you missed it, the Brooklyn Paper ran a by-the-numbers NIMBY react piece on a public plaza that has been proposed for Broadway near Bedford Avenue. Though DOT has installed dozens of successful, community-backed plazas across the city, reporter Danielle Furfaro leads her story with typical narrow-minded complaints and baseless predictions. Furfaro says the […]