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
Video: Festival of Fake Police Lights Takes Over Sixth Avenue [Updated]
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Bucky Turco of ANIMAL fame took this video of what looks like a Lubavitcher Hanukkah parade in Midtown Saturday night. The video was shot on Sixth Avenue at 23rd Street shortly after 8 p.m. “There were dozens and dozens of cars, most of which had their license plates covered,” Turco said via email. “It went on […]
Will Meaningful Hit-and-Run Reform Be on Albany’s 2016 Agenda?
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Governor Cuomo has vetoed bills that would have set back efforts to reform state hit-and-run statutes. For years, prosecutors and traffic safety advocates have asked Albany lawmakers to fix state law that rewards drunk drivers who flee the scene of a serious crash, since the penalty for hit-and-run can be less severe than the penalty for drunk drivers who stay at the […]
How Seriously Does Queens DA Richard Brown Take Hit-and-Run Killings?
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As family members rallied for justice for Queens hit-and-run victim Ovidio Jaramillo yesterday, District Attorney Richard Brown agreed to drop felony charges against another driver who left a pedestrian to die in the street. Raul Reyes hit Kamil Gorski with a van on Metropolitan Avenue on the evening of February 3, 2015, knocking the victim to the roadway, according […]
Mayor’s Stand on Community Boards and Housing Should Apply to Streets Too
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With community boards across the city voting against City Hall’s affordable housing initiative, Mayor de Blasio is taking a stand. The role of community boards, de Blasio points out, is to offer opinions on city policy, not to dictate what the city does. Here’s the mayor as quoted by DNAinfo: “They don’t have a perfect vantage point […]
4 Times DA Ken Thompson Pursued Token Charges Against Unlicensed Killers
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Police and prosecutors say Marlon Sewell was driving without a valid license when he struck Victoria Nicodemus and two other people on a Fort Greene sidewalk last Sunday, killing Nicodemus and injuring her boyfriend and the third victim. According to the Post and DNAinfo, Sewell was also arrested for unlicensed driving last March, and in November was summonsed for […]
DOT Weakened Riverside Drive Plan to Appease Manhattan CB 9 [Updated]
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DOT watered down and delayed an already half-hearted plan to make Riverside Drive safer for walking in deference to opposition from Manhattan Community Board 9. Riverside is a neighborhood street, lined by apartment buildings and parks. It also ranks in the top third of Manhattan streets in terms of the number of collisions, which is supposed to mean […]
TA Report: NYC District Attorneys Are Failing to Lead on Vision Zero
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New York City district attorneys are not using the power of their offices to deter acts of traffic violence by holding reckless drivers accountable for harming innocent people, according to a new report from Transportation Alternatives. TA researchers worked with representatives from all five DA’s offices for “Justice Denied: New York City’s District Attorneys Plead Out […]
Victoria Nicodemus, 14th Person Killed by Curb-Jumping NYC Driver in 2015
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An alleged unlicensed driver who witnesses say was traveling at a high rate of speed struck and killed a woman on a sidewalk in Fort Greene yesterday. Marlon Sewell, 39, drove a Chevrolet SUV over the curb at 694 Fulton Street, near South Portland Avenue, at around 5:30 p.m. Sunday, striking 30-year-old Victoria Nicodemus, her 37-year-old boyfriend, […]
DOT Is Finally Bringing Riverside Drive in Line With 25 MPH City Speed Limit
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When the new citywide 25 miles per hour speed limit took effect a year ago, DOT carved out some exceptions, retaining speed limits of 30 or 35 mph on some surface streets. One of those streets was Riverside Drive, where last November DOT installed 30 mph speed limit signs at locations north of 100th Street. […]
To Make NYC Streets Safer, Focus on the Cause of 98 Percent of Harm
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On Wednesday, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer spoke in support of legislation that would create a “bicycle safety task force.” The language of the bill, introduced by Council Member Rosie Mendez at Brewer’s request, says the task force would make recommendations for improving bike infrastructure. But in testimony to the council transportation committee, Brewer suggested the panel would […]
Today: Urge Cuomo to Amend or Kill Disastrous Albany Hit-and-Run Bill
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District attorneys and traffic safety advocates across the state are asking Governor Cuomo to kill a bill that would stall efforts to reform state laws that create an incentive for drunk drivers to leave the scene of harmful crashes. This year the Assembly and State Senate passed a bill (A5266/S4747) to create the offense of aggravated leaving the scene, a […]
Council Bills May Convolute City Policy on Cyclist Safety and Derelict Bikes
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The City Council transportation committee will take up a slate of bills tomorrow, including one that would create a “bicycle safety task force” that is opposed by Transportation Alternatives. Intro 219, introduced in 2014 at the request of Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, would establish a panel to “develop recommendations on how make New York […]