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
Council Members Press NYPD to Enforce the Law in Death of Sui Leung
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Under a new Vision Zero law, a driver who critically injures or kills a pedestrian or cyclist who has the right of way is guilty of a misdemeanor. But nearly two months after it took effect, there is no evidence NYPD is applying the law, known as Section 19-190, as Mayor de Blasio and the City […]
Surviving a Walk in NYC Should Not Depend on Luck
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The Taxi and Limousine Commission says it doesn’t know anything about a cabbie who drove onto a Midtown sidewalk, hit a pedestrian, and crashed into a building earlier this week. Other than to deflect blame from the driver, NYPD has refused to release information about the crash. It happened Monday morning. From the Post: “He […]
Vision Zero Hasn’t Changed NYPD Practice of Blaming Deceased Crash Victims
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Last week an MTA bus driver crushed a pedestrian to death in Mott Haven. By all accounts the victim, walking with a cane, was in the crosswalk at Willis Avenue and E. 147th Street when the driver ran him over while turning left. If reports are correct the bus driver should be subject to charges under […]
City Council Overwhelmingly Passes Bill to Lower Default Speed Limit to 25
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The City Council passed legislation today to lower the citywide default speed limit to 25 miles per hour. The 25 mph speed limit takes effect on November 7. DOT is preparing to launch a campaign alerting drivers to the new law next week. In a written statement from executive director Paul Steely White, Transportation Alternatives […]
The Case for Driving as Fast as You Want in a School Zone
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If you’re wondering who complains about a wrist-tap fine for speeding through a school zone during school hours — the type of person who has Council Member Mark Weprin sweating bullets over the city’s new 25 mph speed limit — check out this Times Ledger op-ed from one Bob Friedrich, an Eastern Queens eminence who believes […]
MTA: We’re Not Counting on Albany to Help Pay for Capital Program
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The City Council transportation committee today passed bills to lower the city’s speed limit and give hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers a transit-related tax benefit. But most of this afternoon’s hearing was dedicated to the next MTA capital plan. Here are the highlights. In a joint vote, the committee unanimously approved a bill to […]
Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson: $500 Fine for Unlicensed Driver Who Killed Senior
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An unlicensed driver was sentenced to a small fine and probation after he ran over and killed a Brooklyn senior who was crossing with the right of way, per the terms of a plea deal with District Attorney Ken Thompson. Though the driver was charged with committing two traffic offenses at the time of the […]
Eyes on the Street: DOT Breaks Out the Terracotta for Third Ave Bus Lane
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Work is underway on updates to the Third Avenue bus lane. Streetfilms’ Clarence Eckerson and reader David Dartley tweeted these shots of what will eventually be an offset lane from 36th to 55th Street, a configuration designed to speed bus travel by shifting parking and loading to the curb [PDF]. The Third Avenue bus lane dates […]
Report: Pedestrian Injuries Caused by Cyclists Declining in NYC
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Contrary to the would-be bikelash revivalists among the city press corps, a new study finds that injuries to pedestrians hit by cyclists are on the decline in NYC. Released this week, the study was authored by Peter Tuckel and William Milczarski of Hunter College, along with NYU’s Richard Maisel. Reporting for CityLab, Sarah Goodyear writes that researchers […]
NYPD Data Show Cracking Down on Cyclists Isn’t Preventing Cyclist Deaths
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Eight months into Vision Zero, and after weeks of targeted enforcement during “Operation Safe Cycle,” department data show NYPD isn’t moving the needle much on cyclist injuries and deaths. Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg announced Wednesday that drivers have killed 17 city cyclists so far this year. That’s a 142 percent increase from the first nine […]
City Will Need More Than Signs to Get Drivers to Follow 25 MPH Speed Limit
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DOT will conduct a weeks-long publicity campaign and post thousands of signs to alert motorists to the city’s new 25 mph speed limit, Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg told City Council members today. The council will soon pass legislation to enact the lower speed limit, which was enabled by Albany earlier this year. In testimony before […]
Vance Brings Manslaughter Charge in Death of Pedestrian Charity Hicks
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A motorist charged with manslaughter for the death of a Manhattan pedestrian is scheduled to appear in court later this week. Thomas Shanley, 35, was texting when he drove a Dodge SUV onto the curb on 10th Avenue near W. 34th Street at around 8:20 a.m. on May 31, striking a fire hydrant and a […]