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
70th Precinct Fines People for Choosing a Safe Place to Walk or Bike at Night
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Brooklynites are asking the city to stop penalizing people for walking and biking on a park path that lets them avoid dangerous traffic on a nearby street. The paved path through the Parade Ground south of Prospect Park links the park loop with low-traffic neighborhood streets, serving as an alternative to Coney Island Avenue, a wide […]
Ken Thompson Secures Manslaughter Conviction for Crash That Killed Driver
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In an unusual instance of a sober driver facing penalties for causing a death, Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson secured a manslaughter conviction for a crash that killed a second motorist. Last January, days after Thompson took office, Jermaine Filmore ran a red light on Eastern Parkway and hit two other vehicles, according to WABC. One […]
Treyger’s Texting-and-Biking Bill — a Big Distraction From Vision Zero
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City Council Member Mark Treyger insists his bill to penalize cyclists for texting is well-intentioned, but there is no evidence to suggest that the behavior targeted by his proposal is a source of significant danger. Instead of focusing on the real deadly threats on NYC streets, Treyger has triggered a news cycle devoted to a minor […]
Eyes on the Street: New 30 MPH Speed Limit Signs on Riverside Drive
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According to DOT, as of November 7 the maximum legal speed on 90 percent of city streets is 25 miles per hour or lower. Regarding the criteria for exceptions to the new 25 mph default speed limit, a DOT FAQ sheet reads as follows: Some larger streets, such as limited access highways or major arterial streets, […]
NYPD: 1,236 Pedestrians and Cyclists Injured, 14 Killed in September
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Twenty-six people died in New York City traffic in September, and 4,436 were injured, according to the latest NYPD crash data report [PDF]. As of the end of September, 108 pedestrians and cyclists were reported killed by city motorists this year, and 10,829 injured, compared to 118 deaths and 11,811 injuries for the same period […]
NY State DMV Dismisses Tickets of Driver Who Killed Allie Liao [Updated]
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Update: Streetsblog has filed a freedom of information request for documents related to the DMV’s dismissal of tickets issued by NYPD to Ahmad Abu-Zayedeh. An administrative law judge with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles threw out tickets issued by NYPD to the driver who ran over 3-year-old Allison Liao as she and her grandmother […]
Mary Beth Kelly: Let’s Start Driving on City Streets With a Respect for Life
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Tomorrow the default New York City speed limit will drop to 25 miles per hour. This change was a major component of Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero Action Plan, and thanks to support from city and state lawmakers, and tireless advocacy on the part of Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets, streets will be more […]
Senior Struck By Unlicensed Driver in UES Crosswalk Has Died
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A senior struck by an allegedly unlicensed motorist in an Upper East Side crosswalk this September has died from her injuries, according to NYPD’s monthly traffic crash report and WNYC’s Mean Streets project. Though the driver was ticketed for failure to yield, he was not charged under the new Vision Zero law that makes it […]
Eyes on the Street: Cabbie on the Hudson River Greenway
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The Hudson River Greenway is supposed to be a place where New Yorkers can walk and bike without fear of being hit by motorists. But this is not the case, as regular greenway users are well aware. Caught on camera today by Shelly Mossey, this cab driver was on the bikeway to the south of […]
Why Is NYPD Defending Hit-and-Run Drivers to the Press?
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Update: The victim in the Rockaway Parkway crash was identified as Alex Davis, according to DNAinfo. Police said he was hit by the driver of a Ford Mustang. The driver remained at large as of November 7. Hit-and-run drivers have killed two New York City pedestrians in the past week. After each crash NYPD sources […]
StreetsPAC Releases Final 2014 Albany Endorsements
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Tuesday is Election Day, with races for statewide office and legislative seats in Albany taking up most of the ballot. While the general election tends to be less competitive than primary day in Democrat-dominated NYC, there are definitely some contests worth tracking tomorrow. To get caught up on the hot local races as well as […]
Halloween: A Lot Less Scary If Drivers and Roads Were Safer
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ICYMI: We’re helping children be seen on #Halloween by lending them reflective vests! Details: http://t.co/FmEPHvc43G pic.twitter.com/AggiFilfDn — MD State Highway Adm (@MDSHA) October 22, 2014 Halloween is fun because we get to be afraid of things that we know aren’t really scary. But for little trick or treaters in the United States, the danger posed […]