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
Driver Who Killed Jean Chambers Off the Streets, No Thanks to DMV
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A driver with a staggering record of recklessness, who nevertheless had a valid New York State driver’s license, was sentenced to jail time and had his license revoked for the death of Manhattan pedestrian Jean Chambers. Roberto Mercado hit Chambers while making a left turn at West End Avenue and W. 95th Street in the […]
Sidewalk Killer Free to Drive Thanks to Judge and Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson
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A judge refused to take the license of the motorist who killed Victoria Nicodemus on a Brooklyn sidewalk because, she said, District Attorney Ken Thompson filed no charges for reckless driving. Marlon Sewell was allegedly driving without a valid license when he hit Nicodemus and two other people on Fulton Street on December 6, injuring Nicodemus’s boyfriend and the […]
Eyes on the Street: Just Another Brush With Death at a Typical NYC Crossing
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The design of 29th Street and 39th Avenue in Long Island City is typical of thousands of New York City crossings: an intersection of relatively narrow streets where drivers are allowed to park to the edge of crosswalks with no design elements to force motorists to slow down. The combination of poor visibility and lack of traffic-calming features […]
Criminal Court Judge Upholds Constitutionality of Right of Way Law
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A judge ruled against a motorist who filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Right of Way Law. MD Hossain, a yellow cab driver, was the first person charged after the law took effect in August 2014, when he drove a taxi into 58-year-old Silvia Gallo, killing her, while turning into a crosswalk at Madison Avenue […]
NYC Drivers Killed at Least 16 People on Sidewalks and in Buildings in 2015
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A woman who was struck by an unattended taxi in December died from her injuries this week. The driver was not charged by NYPD or Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance. Suhuyn Park, 22, and her 21-year-old boyfriend were walking at W. 51st Street and Eighth Avenue at around 8:30 p.m. on December 30 when a yellow cab, […]
Who Will Pay for Cuomo’s Upstate Highway Spending Spree?
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Thruway toll reduction & largest transportation infrastructure investment in NYS history included in 2016 proposals: https://t.co/TtNum0nIfA — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 6, 2016 Governor Andrew Cuomo continued his run-up to the 2016 State of the State today by announcing a multi-billion dollar subsidy for New York State Thruway drivers and a proposed $22 billion in spending on upstate road […]
Will the City Council Press NYPD to Enforce the Right of Way Law?
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NYPD is barely enforcing a key Vision Zero law more than a year after it took effect, and it seems the City Council isn’t planning to do anything about it. The aim of the Right of Way Law, also known as Administrative Code Section 19-190, was to give NYPD precinct officers a tool to penalize motorists who injure or kill. […]
In Memoriam
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As of this writing New York City is on track to break the record for the lowest number of pedestrians killed by motorists in a year. The current low mark of 132 139 deaths was set in 2014, the first year of Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative. Assuming the official numbers bear it out, the de Blasio […]
DOT: 1,382 Pedestrians and Cyclists Injured, 19 Killed in November
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Twenty-five people died in New York City traffic in November, and 4,466 were injured, according to DOT’s Vision Zero View crash data map. As of the end of November, DOT reported 131 pedestrians and cyclists killed by city motorists this year, and 13,705 injured, compared to 146 deaths and 13,563 injuries for the same period […]
Eyes on the Street: Transformation Department Reclaims First Ave Bike Lane
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Before & After: 1st Ave & 59th #DemandMore #bikeNYC pic.twitter.com/7yEfhPkMeI — Transformation Dept. (@NYC_DOTr) December 18, 2015 Check it out. With a few traffic cones and DIY signage, the Transformation Department this morning reclaimed the First Avenue bike lane under the Queensboro Bridge. DOT recently installed flex posts to keep drivers from commandeering a bike lane in […]
De Blasio Gives DOT Permission to Put Safety Above Community Board Whims
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When DOT allows community boards to veto street safety projects, streets aren’t as safe for walking and biking as they could be. This year, for instance, when facing opposition or anticipating blowback from community boards, DOT watered down a road diet and other safety measures planned for Riverside Drive; proposed disjointed bike lanes for Kingston and Brooklyn […]
DOT, Chaim Deutsch, and CB 15 Set Stage for Latest MTA Pedestrian Death
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An MTA bus driver killed a pedestrian in a crosswalk in Sheepshead Bay Monday. The crash happened at an intersection where DOT planned to eliminate bus turns, but the project was shelved in response to opposition from City Council Member Chaim Deutsch and Brooklyn Community Board 15. Eleonora Shulkin, 62, was crossing E. 17th Street at around 6 […]