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
Livable Streets Heroes Block Rob Ford’s Removal of Toronto Bike Lane
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Hats off to Steve Fisher, Wayne Scott and others who took to the streets today to stop the removal of bike lanes in Toronto. The Toronto Star reports that Fisher and Scott were part of a sit-in to save the Jarvis Street bike lane, which workers are attempting to erase under orders from Mayor Rob […]
Suying Du Killed by Staten Island Motorist; NYPD: No Criminality Suspected
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The woman who was killed by a motorist in Staten Island on Saturday has been identified by NYPD as Suying Du, 56. Police told the Advance that Du was crossing Victory Boulevard at Christopher Lane against the light when she was struck in the right-hand westbound lane by the driver of a Subaru Outback. The driver […]
Witnesses: National Guard Trucks Were Running Lights Prior to Fatal Crash
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Witnesses say a convoy of National Guard trucks was blowing red lights on Canal Street Tuesday afternoon when one driver struck an elderly man, who died from his injuries. Accounts of the crash contradict statements from the National Guard that the victim ignored a police escort before walking into the path of the driver, who […]
Dante Dominguez Latest Hit-and-Run Victim in Peter Koo’s Council District
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A man killed in Queens over the weekend was at least the fourth pedestrian in 2012 to die in Peter Koo’s City Council district, and at least the fourth pedestrian fatality in the 109th Precinct this year. All four crashes were hit-and-runs. Dante Dominguez, a 45-year-old father of three, was struck by the driver of […]
Survey: See Which Candidates Favor New Transit Funding and Speed Cams
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Races for the White House and Congress aren’t the only ones on the ballot tomorrow. Though as usual there aren’t many competitive contests for State Senate and Assembly, voters who are interested in transportation funding and safer streets should check out a candidate survey released over the weekend by the New York Bicycling Coalition, the Straphangers Campaign, Transportation Alternatives […]
Open Thread: How Was Your Commute?
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Though subway service edged closer toward normalcy in time for today’s morning rush, New Yorkers still faced crowded trains and buses. (Gothamist has photos of commuters lined up for blocks.) To make matters worse, the lifting of last week’s two-day HOV restrictions means that bus riders are, per usual, taking a back seat to motorists […]
Bloomberg: HOV Restrictions Probably Won’t Resume on Monday
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Some notes from Bloomberg’s latest Sandy briefing, which wrapped up minutes ago: HOV restrictions end at 5 p.m. today, and will not resume Monday unless deemed necessary. The Holland Tunnel has been reopened to buses and commercial vehicles. The Staten Island Ferry is now operating and will be back on its regular schedule tomorrow. Bloomberg […]
Gas Station Gridlock Snares Buses, NYPD Resources in Washington Heights
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If yellow cabs and livery cabs can’t get gas, that’s a problem, especially when train service is limited and buses are packed. But many of the cars in this line, which clogged one lane of Broadway from 168th to 174th Street in Washington Heights this afternoon, were private vehicles. I counted 11 NYPD personnel, including […]
NYPD: 1,324 Pedestrians and Cyclists Injured, 14 Killed in September
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Twenty-six people were killed in New York City traffic in September, and 4,674 were injured, according to the latest NYPD crash data report [PDF]. Citywide, 13 pedestrians and one cyclist were fatally struck by drivers: six pedestrians in Manhattan; one pedestrian in the Bronx; three pedestrians in Brooklyn; and three pedestrians in Queens, where the […]
An All-Too-Real Hollywood Tale of New York City Traffic Justice
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When I happened upon the trailer for “Margaret” I could scarcely believe it. Did Hollywood really make an A-lister movie about a New York City pedestrian who is struck and killed by an MTA bus driver? I thought it must surely be a secondary plot line, the shared trauma that serves to catalyze a love […]
NYPD Snafu Means No Justice for Bronx Cyclist Left to Die in the Street
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NYPD torpedoed its own investigation into the crash that killed a Bronx cyclist, whose death was not reported to the Accident Investigation Squad for over a month. Joseph Nelson, 54, was riding his bike near the intersection of Fordham Road and Jerome Avenue on the afternoon of April 14 when he hit the open door […]
Hamilton Heights Crash Ends With Two Cars on Sidewalk
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Reader Kristi Roberts came upon the scene of a morning crash that injured two people and sent two vehicles onto sidewalks at 141st Street and Convent Avenue in Hamilton Heights. Apparently (this is from bystanders, I didn’t see it) a car was speeding through the light and hit a City College vehicle. When I got […]