Statements from Council Member Rita Joseph, Transportation Alternatives, and Families for Safe Streets After Tractor-Trailer Driver Kills 25-Year-Old Woman Riding Bike in Flatbush
So far in 2022, 193 people have been killed in crashes, more than this point in every year under Vision Zero except for 2014 and 2021.
BROOKLYN, NY — This morning, the driver of a tractor-trailer struck and killed a 25-year-old woman who was riding her bike on Parkside Avenue, which is not a designated truck route.
Along Parkside Avenue between Coney Island and Ocean Avenues, 161 people have been injured in the past five years — including 28 bike riders and 25 pedestrians. From 2014 to 2018, nearly 10 people were killed or seriously injured per mile on Parkside Avenue, putting it in the top-third of Brooklyn’s most dangerous corridors.
Statement from District 40 Council Member Rita Joseph:
“The tragic death of yet another cyclist in our city, this time in my own neighborhood, shows how far we need to come to address traffic violence. We’re sick and tired of seeing our neighbors, friends, and family being needlessly killed on our roads, and I am going to continue doing everything in my power to make our streets as safe as possible.”
Statement from Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Danny Harris:
“We are outraged and heartbroken that another New Yorker was killed riding a bike. We send our deepest condolences to the loved ones of the woman killed this morning.”
“Asking multi-ton tractor trailers and people riding bikes to share space on our streets results in preventable tragedies such as this one.”
“People riding bikes deserve safe streets, free of the threats posed by massive tractor-trailers. Mayor Adams and Commissioner Rodriguez must fast-track the construction of protected bike lanes across the city and meet the requirements of the NYC Streets Plan to build 30 new miles this year. Lives are on the line. We cannot afford to miss this deadline.”
Statement from Families for Safe Streets member Nina Sabghir:
“Our hearts break for the loved ones of the 25-year-old woman killed by a tractor-trailer in Flatbush this morning. As someone who bikes on Parkside often, I was furious when I saw the aftermath of this crash. We cannot continue to accept these deaths as normal. They are not.”
“Eight years ago, I was seriously injured in a crash while biking in Brooklyn. Yet these crashes are still happening. Mayor Adams and Commissioner Rodriguez must take immediate and concrete action now to invest in proven solutions that save lives. We know how to end traffic violence. We know how to make our streets safe for everyone. It’s time our leaders have the will to do so.”
Statement from Flatbush resident Liz Denys, volunteer campaign lead for Flatbush Streets for People, a Transportation Alternatives campaign:
“Massive tractor trailers simply do not fit on streets in Flatbush. They regularly endanger people walking and biking. We need real measures to keep deadly monster trucks out of our neighborhood.”
“Five years ago, DOT reported that Flatbush and the surrounding area has a deadly combination for people biking: a high number of bicyclist fatalities but little bike infrastructure. Five years later, our neighborhood is still waiting on a comprehensive network of lifesaving protected bike lanes. Senseless tragedies like this are preventable. We demand action now."
Additional information on background:
Just one percent of streets in Council District 40, represented by Council Member Joseph, have protected bike lanes.
Traffic violence has killed 15 bike riders this year — a 50 percent increase over this point in 2018, the safest year under Vision Zero — and 193 people total, higher than every year under Vision Zero except 2014 and 2021.
The NYC Streets Plan requires the City of New York to build 30 miles of protected bike lanes in 2022 and 250 miles by the end of 2026. As of today, the Adams administration has completed just 8.3 miles of protected bike lanes with less than three months until the end of the year.
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