Paint Is Not Protection: Statement After Driver of Box Truck Kills Cyclist in Sunnyside
Similar to another recent Queens crash that killed an ebike rider, this fatality occurred on a street with paint, not a protected bike lane.
Similar to yesterday’s crash in Williamsburg where the driver of a box truck severely injured a moped rider, this truck was not operating on a legal truck route.
NEW YORK — On Wednesday morning in Sunnyside, the driver of a box truck with a suspended license struck and killed 58-year-old Qiang Tu of Forest Hills as he rode along a so-called “designated bike route” without any physical protection for cyclists.
2021 continues to be a record-breaking year for traffic violence under Mayor de Blasio — crashes have killed 230 people, a figure 26 percent higher than fatalities in 2019, and 16 percent higher than fatalities in 2020.
Statement from Juan Restrepo, Senior Organizer and Queens Organizer at Transportation Alternatives:
“On behalf of Transportation Alternatives, I would like to express our condolences to the loved ones of Qiang Tu, who is now the 230th person to be killed in a crash this year, and the 1,849th person to be killed since Mayor de Blasio took office.”
“We are heartbroken and angry that bloodshed on our streets is only getting worse as Mayor de Blasio’s time in office comes to a close. Instead of getting closer to Vision Zero, we are getting further away. But let’s be clear: Vision Zero isn’t failing. Mayor de Blasio is failing.”
“Qiang Tu’s life could have been saved if Mayor de Blasio prioritized people over parking. Instead, even though he was biking along a so-called “designated bike route,” there is zero physical protection from deadly cars here, only painted sharrows on the road. While there is a bike boulevard and three different protected bike lanes north of Queens Boulevard, the southern section of Sunnyside only has sharrows and painted bike lanes, offering no protection to residents commuting through the area. This area needs a comprehensive safety plan that will provide protected bike lanes connecting to the Kosciuszko Bridge, along the industrial corridor, and through popular bike thoroughfares like 47th Avenue. Paint is not protection.”
“New Yorkers need a mayor who will work tirelessly to ensure we can all cross the street or bike to work without fear of death. We are heartened that Mayor-elect Eric Adams supports NYC 25x25 and the vision to repurpose 25 percent of our street space by 2025. He must also prioritize and fast track our path to Vision Zero, with a focus on street design. This means putting parking spots to better use to save lives, like building protected bike lanes, adding daylighting at interactions, and widening sidewalks. We hope he will agree that paint is not protection and end the practice of installing substandard and unsafe bike infrastructure just to meet mileage goals. ”
“Vision Zero is more than a catch-phrase. It is not achievable with a ticket blitz or a day of passing out flyers. Vision Zero demands action, commitment, and political will to combat deadly car culture on our streets, and we are looking to the next administration to help us reach this goal once and for all.”
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