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
No Charges for Bus Driver Who Killed Pedestrian Jennifer White-Estick
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Police filed no charges against the MTA bus driver who killed a pedestrian in Bedford-Stuyvesant two weeks ago. Instead, NYPD and the tabloids put the victim on trial. At around 1:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday, September 17, Jennifer White-Estick was run over while trying to retrieve her cell phone from underneath a B44 bus […]
So Far, NYPD Isn’t Enforcing New Vision Zero Law as Intended
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It was a welcome development when NYPD filed the first-ever charges under Section 19-190, a new law that makes it a misdemeanor for drivers to strike pedestrians and cyclists who have the right of way. The law was intended to enable precinct officers to impose consequences for reckless driving, but so far, NYPD doesn’t appear […]
Eyes on the Street: Drivers Retake the Kent Avenue Bike Lane
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DOT reconfigured the southern part of the Kent Avenue bike lane this spring, but that hasn’t stopped drivers from taking over the lane and the sidewalk for personal parking. A reader took this photo earlier today. He writes: I bike from LIC to Clinton Hill every morning and use the Kent Ave bike path. Luckily […]
NYPD Starts Using Vision Zero Law, Charges Driver for Killing UES Pedestrian
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NYPD has filed misdemeanor charges against a cab driver who killed an Upper East Side pedestrian, marking the first time police have employed a new law that makes it a crime for drivers to strike pedestrians and cyclists who have the right of way, according to a report in DNAinfo. Silvia Gallo, 58, was in the […]
Every NYC Traffic Death Should Be Investigated Like the Central Park Crash
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When the news broke last week that a cyclist had critically injured a pedestrian in Central Park, a number of things happened that you don’t normally see after a serious New York City traffic crash. First, unlike most instances when a motorist strikes a pedestrian or cyclist, the crash received extensive and sustained coverage from […]
Proposed Hit-and-Run Fines Doubled, But Law Could Hinge on Drivers’ Word
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Ahead of a scheduled Tuesday vote by the full City Council, transportation committee members voted today to increase proposed civil penalties for hit-and-run drivers. However, the bill in question still contains language that could make it difficult to apply the new fines. Intro 371 originally called for fines ranging from $500 to $5,000 for hit-and-run crashes […]
NYC Cab Drivers Don’t Have to Take an NYC Road Test [Updated]
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You can watch the entirety of Thursday’s hearing on Taxi and Limousine Commission Vision Zero rule changes here. Cue to the 41:15 mark in the second video, embedded above, to see TLC board members wonder aloud whether reckless driving is protected by the Constitution, and if it’s really that bad to run over and kill […]
TLC Commish: It’s Up to NYPD to Get Reckless Cab Drivers Off the Streets
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The success or failure of a Vision Zero law intended to get reckless cab drivers off the road will depend on how often NYPD issues summonses and charges after serious crashes, the Taxi and Limousine Commission confirmed today. Cooper Stock, 9, was killed last January by a cab driver who failed to yield on West […]
Cyclists Sue New York State DMV for Unlawful Ticket Penalties
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New York City cyclists have filed a class action lawsuit against the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles for administering penalties for traffic violations that by law apply only to motorists. In an August Streetsblog column, attorney Steve Vaccaro reported that the DMV cheats cyclists who plead guilty to traffic tickets online by billing […]
When Highways Are Barriers to Opportunity
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Looking at a map of commute times, Patrick Kennedy at Walkable Dallas-Fort Worth finds that people who live in census tracts with some of that region’s lowest household incomes spend the most time traveling to and from work. Many commutes are more than an hour each way. Kennedy says this is what happens when road-building guides […]
NYPD: Drivers Injured 1,300 Pedestrians and Cyclists in July, and Killed 18
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Twenty-eight people died in New York City traffic in July, and 4,571 were injured, according to the latest NYPD crash data report [PDF]. As of the end of July, 80 pedestrians and cyclists were reported killed by city motorists this year, and 8,380 injured, compared to 90 deaths and 8,958 injuries for the same period […]
How to Improve 3-Foot Passing Laws
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After a couple of vetoes by Governor Jerry Brown, California finally has a 3-foot passing law. As of June, 24 states plus the District of Columbia have such a law, which requires drivers to give cyclists a minimum buffer of 3 feet when passing from behind. With California’s law in effect as of today, Rick Bernardi […]