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 Say DOT Needs Funds for Vision Zero, Bike-Share Expansion
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City Council members today expressed strong support for Vision Zero, bike-share expansion, and other safe streets initiatives, but it’s not clear how they will be funded. At a transportation committee budget hearing, council members heard from the Taxi and Limousine Commission, the MTA, and DOT. Among other issues, reps from each agency were asked how […]
Chicken Soup for the Bikelash
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Do you know the warning signs of bikelash? Helmet law hysteria. A sudden and intense interest in cycling by previously disengaged politicians and media figures. Bike lane protestors whose signs look the same. If your city is experiencing one or more of these symptoms, see the Streetsblog USA write-up on “Moving Beyond Bikelash,” a National Bike […]
Until Now, NYS DMV Shielded Driver Violation Histories From Prosecutors
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Governor Cuomo announced this week that the state Department of Motor Vehicles will make additional traffic violation data available to prosecutors, but it’s too soon to tell if the change will help make more cases against dangerous drivers. A Monday press release from Cuomo’s office said prosecutors will in the future be able to obtain […]
Streets of NYC a Little Safer Today Thanks to Judge, NYPD, and Cy Vance
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There’s one less reckless driver on the streets of New York today thanks to NYPD, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, and Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Jill Konviser. After Adam Tang posted a video of himself speeding around Manhattan, he was tracked down by NYPD. Tang’s car was taken away, and Vance charged him with reckless driving […]
DA Dan Donovan: Six Months for SI Hit-and-Run Driver Who Killed 5 Year Old
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A Staten Island motorist who fled the scene after hitting a mother and two young children, fatally injuring the woman’s 5-year-old son, will serve six months in jail under a plea deal from District Attorney Daniel Donovan. John Sanjurjo ran over Kyrillos Gendy, his 7-year-old sister Gabriella, and 35-year-old Erieny Thomas at around 8:25 p.m. on August […]
Electeds Want MTA Onboard With Vision Zero After Latest Pedestrian Death
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Electeds and advocates called for changes at the MTA and for Mayor de Blasio to focus street safety resources on northern Brooklyn after another pedestrian was killed by a bus driver this weekend. Marisol Martinez, 21, was crossing Union Avenue at Meeker Street in Williamsburg with two other people at around 1:25 a.m. Saturday when […]
Will the New York DMV Keep an Unlicensed Killer on the Road?
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When a driver in New York loses his license, it’s up to the state Department of Motor Vehicles to decide when, or if, he gets it back. Based on a recent hearing attended by Streetsblog, the DMV adjudication process at times relies primarily on testimony from drivers involved in fatal crashes, rather than police reports […]
Council Reso Calls on Albany to Lower Citywide Speed Limit to 20 MPH
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Steve Levin and Ydanis Rodriguez today introduced a resolution calling on Albany to lower the citywide speed limit to 20 miles per hour, as proposed in legislation sponsored by Assembly Member Dan O’Donnell and state Senator Martin Dilan. “We have seen time and time again the pain inflicted on families as the result of crashes and we […]
Ignizio: NYC Should Tell Drivers Where It’s OK to Run Reds
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You’ve got to hand it to City Council Member Vincent Ignizio: If nothing else, the man is consistent. Ignizio has a long history of opposing measures to make streets safer and improve transit. The Staten Island rep’s greatest hits include a proposal to subject NYC bike lanes to environmental review, killing the bike lane on Father Capodanno […]
NYPD Tickets for Failure to Yield Up 66 Percent in January
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NYPD got a lot of press last month for ticketing pedestrians, but officers were also summonsing more motorists for deadly driving behaviors. NYPD issued 1,993 citations for failure to yield to a pedestrian in January. That’s a 66 percent increase from the 1,198 failure to yield tickets issued in January 2013, and a 60 percent […]
NYPD: 1,191 Pedestrians and Cyclists Injured, 13 Killed in Traffic in January
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Twenty-one people died in New York City traffic in January, and 3,899 were injured, according to the latest NYPD crash data report [PDF]. As of the end of January, 13 pedestrians and cyclists were reported killed by city motorists this year, and 1,191 injured, compared to 20 deaths and 1,297 injuries for the same period […]
Will Other NYC DAs Join Cy Vance in Getting Behind Vision Zero?
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All five New York City district attorneys were invited to Monday’s City Council Vision Zero hearing, according to the office of transportation committee chair Ydanis Rodriguez. Yet Manhattan DA Cy Vance was the only one who participated. Due to time constraints, Vance Chief Assistant DA Karen Friedman Agnifilo was not able to read all of her […]