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 9-Year-Old on Sidewalk Can Regain License in 5 Years
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The driver who ran over two children on a Brooklyn sidewalk, killing 9-year-old Lucian Merryweather and injuring his 4-year-old brother, will serve no jail time and be eligible to legally drive again in five years, pursuant to a plea arrangement with Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson. Thompson’s lead vehicular crimes prosecutor cited case law precedent […]
DC Is Schooling NYC on Improving Pedestrian Safety at Intersections
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We wrote last week that New York City allows drivers to park to the edge of crosswalks, which can make it more difficult for pedestrians and motorists to see each other. After we posted that story a reader noted that Washington, DC, does a good job with daylighting intersections. DC code mandates that curbs remain […]
TSTC Dangerous Roads Report: NYC Must Fund Vision Zero Street Redesigns
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The latest pedestrian fatality report from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign finds that New York City’s widest and most heavily-traveled streets continue to be the most dangerous for walking. TSTC’s “Most Dangerous Roads for Walking” report ranks streets in terms of total pedestrian fatalities from 2011 to 2013, based on data from the National Highway Traffic […]
The Post Imagines a Nightmare City Where All Speeders Get Caught
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You have to feel sorry for the three — three! — New York Post reporters stuck with attacking Mayor de Blasio for NYPD enforcement of the speed limit. It’s a story package so fatuous it could only have come from the Post editorial braintrust. What else could explain the manufactured fury over last November’s uptick […]
No Word on Whether Trucker Who Killed Mathieu Lefevre Will Keep License
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More than three years after the crash, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles held a hearing today to determine whether to take action against the truck driver who killed cyclist Mathieu Lefevre. But Lefevre’s family will have to wait on a DMV decision. Lefevre, 30, was killed just after midnight on October 19, 2011, while […]
Citi Bike Releases Map of Williamsburg and Greenpoint Expansion
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Here’s some eye candy for the weekend — a map of Citi Bike’s expansion into northern Brooklyn. This map was submitted to Community Board 1 and obtained by the Brooklyn Paper. There are 53 stations planned for Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Unlike the Citi Bike phase two expansion areas in Manhattan and Queens, which are starting […]
The New York City Parking Rule That Makes Intersections More Dangerous
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We’ve reported before how certain New York City parking rules are designed to cram a little more free car storage onto the street at the expense of pedestrian safety. In 2009, DOT removed parking restrictions on unmarked crosswalks at T intersections, and the city allows drivers with disability permits to block curb ramps that were […]
Parents of Seth Kahn: Ineffective MTA Protocols Contributed to Son’s Death
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After Wednesday’s MTA board meeting transit chief Tom Prendergast said the agency may revise bus routes to reduce the number of turns bus drivers have to make, in order to minimize conflicts between buses and pedestrians, according to the Daily News. Prendergast said another possibility would be to move crosswalks away from intersections where buses […]
Ydanis Rodriguez Bill Would Open Residential Elevators to Bikes
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The City Council is poised to eliminate a major hassle for many New Yorkers who own bikes. A bill from Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez would mandate that all residential buildings in the city allow residents to use elevators to transport their bikes to and from their apartments. Rodriguez, who chairs the council transportation committee, introduced the […]
Will DA Ken Thompson Drop Case Against Bus Driver Who Killed Senior?
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On the evening of December 23, 2014, 78-year-old Jean Bonne-Annee was crossing New York Avenue at Farragut Road in Brooklyn when an MTA bus driver ran him over while making a left turn. Bonne-Annee died at the scene. He was the eighth pedestrian killed by a turning MTA bus driver in 2014. Police arrested driver Reginald Prescott […]
NYC Speed Cameras Are Making Streets Safer — Time to Stop Holding Back
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Speed cameras are reducing traffic injuries and lowering the rate of speeding on New York City streets, according to an analysis by WNYC. WNYC used speeding citation data to identify present and past locations of DOT’s 51 active speed cameras, which now issue more citations than NYPD. Pairing that information with crash data, WNYC found […]
Gianaris: Time for Albany to Stiffen Penalties for Unlicensed Drivers Who Kill
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This morning State Senator Michael Gianaris again called on state lawmakers to pass legislation that would stiffen penalties for motorists who hurt and kill people while driving without a valid license. Joined by State Senator Toby Stavisky, Assembly Member Francisco Moya, and reps from Transportation Alternatives and Make Queens Safer, Gianaris spoke to the press […]