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
NYPD: Bus Driver Who Ran Woman Over Did Nothing Wrong
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The bus driver who ran over and killed a woman in Canarsie last Friday broke no laws, according to NYPD. Lorraine Ferguson was crossing at Avenue K and 105th Street at approximately 7:15 a.m. when the driver, operating a private bus carrying disabled adults, struck her while turning left. Michael Ferguson, the victim’s husband, witnessed […]
Man Sees Driver Run Stop Sign and Kill His Wife; NYPD: “No Criminality”
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A woman was killed by a bus driver in Brooklyn this morning. Despite an account from the victim’s husband that the driver blew a stop sign, NYPD has already declared that “No criminality is suspected.” At around 7:15 a.m., Lorraine Ferguson, 48, was crossing at Avenue K and 105th Street in Canarsie to catch the […]
34th Precinct Ceases Speed Enforcement After Inwood Slow Zone Goes In
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Here’s another example of how James Vacca and Jessica Lappin, if they’re serious about street safety, targeted the wrong agency for a public scolding yesterday. In September, DOT completed the installation of Manhattan’s first 20-mph “Slow Zone,” between Dyckman and W. 218th Streets west of Broadway, in Inwood. This Slow Zone was requested by my […]
NYPD: 1,500 Pedestrians and Cyclists Injured, 17 Killed in Traffic in December
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Twenty-nine people were killed in New York City traffic in December, and 4,529 were injured, according to the latest NYPD crash data report [PDF]. Citywide, at least 16 pedestrians and one cyclist were fatally struck by drivers: three pedestrians in Manhattan; two pedestrians in the Bronx; four pedestrians in Brooklyn; and seven pedestrians and one […]
Details on Fatal Midwood Crash Don’t Mesh With NYPD Victim-Blaming
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The driver of a Ford van killed a 15-year-old girl in Midwood Tuesday. It was the second crash in which a child has died in city traffic in less than a week, and at least the fourth time a motorist has killed a pedestrian in the course of six days. Sara Kishik was crossing Avenue […]
Will Loss of Parking Perk Get Community Board Chairs Out of Their Cars?
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It’s no secret that NYC community boards are highly protective of on-street parking, since their members seem more likely to be car owners than the population at large, but it was news to us that board chairs and district managers have free parking perks. The Brooklyn Paper reports that, come February 1, community board chairs […]
Puran Thapa, 7, Killed by Motorist in Ridgewood; No Charges Filed
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A 7-year-old boy was struck and killed by a motorist in Ridgewood Thursday evening. Puran Thapa was crossing Myrtle Avenue at Madison Street when, as his father looked on, he was hit by the driver of a Toyota SUV traveling east on Myrtle, according to reports. From the Post: “I saw the child lying in the street […]
Bike Commuters Will Ride Restored High Bridge, After Taking the Stairs
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The restored High Bridge will probably be open for morning and evening commutes, but cyclists will be asked to walk their bikes on and off the bridge, according to the Parks Department. Project coordinator Ellen Macnow says the car-free bridge, which spans the Harlem River to connect Highbridge and Washington Heights, will have new ADA-compliant […]
Agenda 21 Alert: Glenn Beck’s Words to Watch
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Sure, we know the movement for “sustainable” transportation and development is a front for Agenda 21, a.k.a. The UN Plot to End Private Property in the United States. But what to do? As with any battle, the first step is identifying the enemy. Fortunately (and none too soon), Glenn Beck has published a “comprehensive list […]
New York AAA Guy: If Drivers Broke the Law, There’d Be Carnage
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Any member of AAA who is at all concerned about road safety should take note of comments made in the New York Post this weekend by AAA New York spokesperson Robert Sinclair. In a typically shallow anti-bike piece filed by Jennifer Fermino and David Seifman, the Post calls on Sinclair — along with Michael Sampo, […]
Will Chicago’s Fare Hike Stall Transit Ridership Growth?
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Today, Chicago transit riders are seeing their first fare hike in four years. Though the base fare is unchanged, multi-ride passes are up, including fares for seniors and the disabled. Steven Vance at Network blog Grid Chicago says the circumstances surrounding the increase are reminiscent of “Taken For A Ride,” a 1996 documentary about the […]
Bloomberg Says Car-Free High Bridge Will Be Open by Next Year
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After talking up bike-share on the airwaves this morning, Mayor Bloomberg headed uptown, where he and other electeds broke ground for the restoration of the High Bridge. The High Bridge is the city’s oldest standing bridge, and connects the Highbridge neighborhood in the Bronx with Washington Heights. Built as part of the Croton Aqueduct in 1848, […]