Transportation Alternatives Statement After Delivery Truck Driver Kills Two Individuals on the Upper East Side

NEW YORK — On Christmas Eve morning, the driver of a Baldor food delivery truck struck and killed two people, including at least one delivery cyclist, on the Upper East Side. This truck has been cited with 270 parking violations over the past two years, and this is the second time in the past ten days that a delivery truck has been connected to the death of a working cyclist on the Upper East Side.

At least 265 people have been killed, including at least 14 delivery workers, in traffic crashes since 2021 began — the most in any year since Mayor de Blasio has taken office. 

Statement from Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Danny Harris:

“We are heartbroken and outraged that traffic violence has claimed the lives of two more New Yorkers this holiday season. On behalf of Transportation Alternatives, we send our condolences to the families of those killed today on the Upper East Side, and to Los Deliveristas Unidos, who have lost another essential member of their community due to traffic violence.”

“As another set of families are destroyed forever due to these preventable crashes, we need our leaders to fast-track proven safety measures, especially on known and dangerous corridors like Third Avenue. This includes redesigning streets for safety, implementing NYC 25x25, and reducing our reliance on deadly, oversized trucks that have no place on dense city streets.”  

“We look forward to working with Mayor-elect Eric Adams and the next NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez to prioritize the safety of our most vulnerable street users — including essential delivery cyclists — over the convenience of drivers. 

“We have the tools to end deadly traffic violence. We cannot let another eight years go by without taking all the steps needed to reach Vision Zero.”

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