Transportation Alternatives Statement After Truck Driver Kills Bike Rider in Sunnyside Queens

This bike rider is the 148th person killed in 2024, four more than were killed at this point last year and 10% above the Vision Zero-era average. 42 people have been killed in Queens.

Five of the 14 bike riders killed so far in 2024 were killed by trucks. Another five were killed by SUVs, pickups, or other large vehicles.

QUEENS, NY — On Monday morning, a bike rider was struck and killed by a truck driver turning at 34th Street and 43rd Avenue. So far this year, 14 cyclists have been killed in traffic violence. Three have been killed in Queens.

While the bike rider was riding in the 43rd Avenue protected bike lane — a key link between the Queensboro Bridge and the Queens Boulevard protected bike lane — the intersection was unprotected. Protected bike lanes in New York City reduce crashes for all road users by 15% and fatalities or serious injuries of cyclists by 32%. However, the City designs protected bike lanes to disappear at intersections, with green paint ending and no raised elements, leaving bike riders still vulnerable to turning vehicles.

The temporary infrastructure at this intersection required repairs or replacements eight times within three years — a clear sign that the City of New York should have used permanent, concrete infrastructure to protect New Yorkers. 

Statement from Elizabeth Adams, Interim Co-Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives:

“We are heartbroken and outraged to learn that a truck driver struck and killed a person biking in Sunnyside today. All New Yorkers have a right to get where they’re going safely, and our city’s leaders failed to protect this bike rider today.”  

”Mayor Adams must take action to protect New Yorkers on our streets. As cars and trucks get bigger and bigger, paint and plastic are not protection. To slow down drivers, increase visibility, and keep people safe, this administration must physically protect pedestrians and bike riders with concrete.”