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
CB 7 Committee Unanimously Endorses Road Diet for West End Avenue
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The Community Board 7 transportation committee last night unanimously endorsed the DOT proposal to improve pedestrian safety on West End Avenue, where drivers have killed two pedestrians this year. The plan would convert the street from four through lanes to two, with a flush center median, left turn bays, and pedestrian islands at the intersections […]
Irving Schachter Killed By Cyclist in Central Park Earlier This Month
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A teenage cyclist killed a 75-year-old man jogging in Central Park earlier this month. At around 4:52 p.m. on Sunday, August 3, Irving Schachter was jogging on the east park loop near 72nd Street when he was hit by a 17-year-old cyclist traveling in the direction of traffic, according to NYPD. Schachter was admitted to New […]
Tonight: Speak Up for Pedestrian Safety on Deadly West End Avenue
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Tonight, the transportation committee of Manhattan Community Board 7 will vote on a DOT proposal to improve safety on West End Avenue, where drivers have killed two pedestrians in 2014. If you live, work, or play on the Upper West Side, your voice could put this proposal over the top. West End Avenue serves as […]
Streetfilms: Talking Traffic Safety at the Home of Vision Zero
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Clarence Eckerson shot this great interview with Mary Beth Kelly of Families for Safe Streets and Claes Tingvall, director of traffic safety for the Swedish Transport Administration. On Queen Street in Stockholm, a car-free plaza once “choked” with vehicle traffic, and standing within sight of the parliament building where Vision Zero took shape in the […]
A Year Later, Cyclist Nearly Hit by NYPD Gives Up on CCRB Complaint
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A resident of Upper Manhattan who said she was almost hit, and was then harassed, by NYPD officers as she rode her bike has given up on her complaint to the Civilian Complaint Review Board, which made no progress on the case for close to a year after the incident. En route to Central Park, […]
Will Cy Vance Fail to Prosecute Another Serious Midtown Curb-Jump Crash?
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New Yorkers have seen this before. On a beautiful summer day, a professional driver with a history of recklessness behind the wheel drives onto a crowded Midtown sidewalk, striking multiple people and causing serious injuries. The driver lays blame elsewhere, on factors he claims were beyond his control. Meanwhile, staff from Manhattan District Attorney Cy […]
DA Thompson Plea Deal: Serial Unlicensed Driver Fined $250 for Deadly Crash
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A serial unlicensed driver who killed a pedestrian will pay a few hundred dollars in fines pursuant to a plea deal with Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson. Two motorists hit 32-year-old Nicole Detweiler as she crossed McGuinness Boulevard at Nassau Avenue in the early evening hours of December 29, 2013. She died at the scene. According […]
Eyes on the Street: A New Sidewalk and a Safer Crossing in Woodside
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A simple fix from DOT has made it easier and safer for pedestrians to walk between Woodside and Jackson Heights. Angus Grieve-Smith posted the above photo on Facebook of 37th Avenue at 69th Street, near Broadway and the BQE, where DOT has added new sidewalk space on the south side of the avenue [PDF]. In the […]
DOT Announces New Arterial Slow Zones Across the Boroughs
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On Friday, DOT announced the second round of Arterial Slow Zones, which will expand the program by 14 streets before the end of the year. The first of those streets to get the slow zone treatment is Jerome Avenue in the Bronx, where as of today the speed limit is 5 miles per hour lower […]
15-Day Maximum Sentence for Unlicensed Driver Who Killed Bronx Senior
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An unlicensed driver who killed a pedestrian in the Bronx last year was charged with only a traffic infraction that carries a nominal fine and a maximum 15-day jail term. Nabaali Cletus hit 82-year-old Manuel Verdesoto with a Volvo as the senior crossed White Plains Road at Watson Avenue on the evening of May 15, 2013, according to […]
TA Vision Zero Report: NYPD Traffic Enforcement Up, But Wildly Uneven
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NYPD increased enforcement of dangerous traffic violations during the first six months of the city’s Vision Zero initiative, but enforcement varied drastically from precinct to precinct, with some issuing fewer summonses than last year. In “Report Card: Six Months of Vision Zero Traffic Enforcement” [PDF], Transportation Alternatives analyzed NYPD summons data from January through June. TA […]
NYPD: No Reason to Investigate Greenway Crash That Hospitalized Cyclist
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A witness to the aftermath of a Hudson River Greenway crash that sent a cyclist to the hospital says NYPD officers, including personnel from the Collision Investigation Squad, said they did not intend to investigate the cause of the collision, explaining to bystanders that it was an “accident” while blaming the cyclist. Just after 9:30 […]