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
DOT Unveils Kensington, Windsor Terrace Safety Measures After Child’s Death
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DOT is planning a number of street improvements for Kensington and Windsor Terrace after a hit-and-run driver killed a child last year. Last November Lynn Reynolds, 78, drove a minivan over 14-year-old Mohammad Uddin as he walked home from school on E. Seventh Street at Caton Avenue in Kensington. Reynolds reportedly exited her vehicle after […]
DA Cy Vance: Most Manhattan Traffic Deaths Aren’t Crimes
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All Cy Vance wanted to do was talk computer crime at the Yale Club, but Sofia Russo, who lost her daughter to traffic violence, wouldn’t let him stick to the script. At a Crain’s breakfast in Midtown today, the Manhattan district attorney assured the capacity crowd that his office is going after gangs, targeting terrorists, and […]
Council Members Grill Uber on Prices, But What About Safety?
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The City Council transportation committee heard testimony today on a bill to prohibit for-hire vehicle companies from “charging excessive rates.” Council members made no bones about the fact that they are taking aim at Uber, which raises and lowers fares in response to demand. Uber calls it “dynamic pricing.” It’s also known as “surge pricing” and, […]
Steve Matteo and NY1: A Speed Camera Is Working, So Vision Zero Is a Scam
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Speeding is the leading cause of fatal traffic crashes in New York City, and with unreliable police enforcement, cameras are essential to protecting New Yorkers from reckless drivers. Data released last summer showed that 20 speed cameras, covering a tiny fraction city streets, issued roughly as many speeding tickets in one month as NYPD did in […]
Sunday: Families For Safe Streets to Train Spotlight on Feckless NYC DAs
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Since January 2012, Streetsblog has maintained a database of all known pedestrians and cyclists killed by drivers in New York City. We collect as much information on each crash as possible, including any charges filed against the motorists who took the victims’ lives. Of over 400 fatalities tracked by Streetsblog in three years, in only […]
Jersey City’s New Bike-Share System Will Be Open to Citi Bike Members
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Jersey City is preparing to launch a bike-share program this year that will be compatible with Citi Bike, according to an announcement yesterday from Alta Bicycle Share. Jersey City lawmakers awarded Alta the contract to operate the system on Monday. The new system “will have reciprocal membership privileges with New York’s Citi Bike system,” Alta […]
Eyes on the Street: New 215th Step-Street, With Bike Ramp, Taking Shape
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It’s been a year since we checked up on the 215th Step-Street in Inwood, where the northern section of the long, steep stairway looks to be nearly finished — complete with bike ramp. These stairs serve as a car-free street between Broadway and the 1 train and residential blocks that make up the northwest corner […]
DMV Judge Delays Action Against License of Driver Who Killed Allison Liao
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An administrative law judge for the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles today deferred a decision concerning the driver’s license of the motorist who killed 3-year-old Allison Liao. In a packed hearing room at a DMV office in Jamaica, Sidney Fuchs watched video that showed an SUV driven by Ahmad Abu-Zayedeh run over Allison as […]
TLC: Driver Who Killed Man on UES Works for Uber [Updated]
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The cab driver who hit two pedestrians on the Upper East Side last weekend, killing 27-year-old Wesley Mensing, was driving a vehicle affiliated with an Uber base, according to the Taxi and Limousine Commission. Aliou Diallo was ticketed for unlicensed operation after the Saturday afternoon crash, which occurred as Mensing and 30-year-old Erin Sauchelli were crossing E. […]
Unlicensed, Hit-and-Run Drivers Kill First NYC Pedestrian Victims of 2015
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Motorists struck four pedestrians in two crashes in Manhattan and the Bronx over the weekend, killing two victims. One driver in the Bronx was charged with leaving the scene and reckless driving, while another remains at large. The Manhattan motorist, operating a vehicle with TLC plates, was ticketed for driving without a license, though NYPD […]
In Memoriam
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For as long as anyone can remember, New York City has treated most drivers who kill other people as unwitting players in someone else’s tragedy. With a new mayoral administration and the advent of Vision Zero, 2014 was to be the year the city began in earnest to hold reckless motorists, including those whose negligence would ordinarily […]
NYPD: 1,295 Pedestrians and Cyclists Injured, 14 Killed in Traffic in November
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Twenty-five people died in New York City traffic in November, and 4,222 were injured, according to the latest NYPD crash data report [PDF]. As of the end of November, 138 pedestrians and cyclists were reported killed by city motorists this year, and 13,523 injured, compared to 161 deaths and 14,721 injuries for the same period […]