Deadliest Street in BK

According to traffic fatality data from the first decade of Vision Zero

Ten years have passed since Vision Zero, a traffic safety plan, began in 2014. But has there been progress? The answer is not straightforward. While pedestrian deaths are down, 2023 was the deadliest year in the last decade for cyclists.

In 2022, there were 1,534 traffic injuries in Brooklyn, most of which were in NYC Council District 33. A street of concern for the district is McGuinness Boulevard; there were 229 traffic injuries between 2015 and 2019 and three fatalities. Recently, a resident of Greenpoint and her child reported watching a truck run through a red light where they were about to cross and destroy bikes and bike racks in its path. There is ongoing debate in the community about how to resolve the traffic safety issue on McGuinness Boulevard.

“After ten years of data, it’s clear that Vision Zero saves lives – but there’s so much more work to do to protect New Yorkers from deadly traffic violence,” said NYC Council Member Lincoln Restler (District 33). “We know what needs to be done to save lives and we will keep pushing the Adams Administration and Department of Transportation to swiftly implement proven solutions, especially a network of truly protected bike lanes, and comprehensive redesigns of deadly streets like McGuinness Boulevard.”

In NYC Council District 34, Graham Avenue was deemed the deadliest street in Brooklyn by Transportation Alternatives in their analysis of NYC’s traffic fatality data. There were nine deaths on the street from 2014 to 2023.

Two intersections on Graham Avenue have experienced elevated levels of traffic deaths and injuries. Two bicyclists died at the intersection of Graham Avenue and Metropolitan Avenue in 2017 and then in 2020, and there were three injuries in the same spot just this year. At the intersection of Graham Avenue and Grand Street, a motorist was killed in 2014 and another in 2022. A pedestrian was seriously injured at this same intersection in June of 2023. In the last year, there have been 12 traffic-related injuries at this location.

What makes these intersections so dangerous? In March of 2023, the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) held a workshop for Grand Street, Metropolitan Avenue, and Morgan Avenue. They discussed safety issues on these streets and possible solutions.

Metropolitan Avenue may be dangerous because there is high traffic. The street is used for truck routes and connects North Brooklyn and Central Queens. The corridor also carries traffic to and from the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE).

In 2017, an 85-year-old man, Rafael A. Nieves, was struck by a delivery truck crossing Grand Street. The fatality led to a rally of city officials concerned with the street’s safety. The road is high-traffic because it is the most direct route to the Williamsburg Bridge and connects Brooklyn and Manhattan via the BQE. Over the years, there have been safety improvements, including adding bike lanes, some of which have jersey barriers. However, the bike lanes on Grand Street near the intersection of Graham Avenue do not have barriers.

What does the NYC DOT plan to do about dangerous streets? In the NYC Street Plans Update 2023, the NYC DOT released a map of the city’s priority areas for traffic safety. Areas are ranked into three tiers: tier one is top priority, while tier three is low priority. The ranking focuses on equity and inclusion, considering the percentage of non-white and low-income residents, population, amount of jobs in the area, and prior investment. Tier one is 90 percent non-white and 27 percent low-income, tier two is 74 percent non-white and 14 percent low-income, and tier three is 38 percent non-white and 10 percent low-income.

NYC Council District 33 is primarily in tier 3. Despite not being listed as a priority area or corridor by the NYC DOT, McGuinness Boulevard has been the site of numerous safety engineering projects.

NYC Council District 34 falls into tiers one and two. Grand Street and Metropolitan Avenue have been deemed high-priority corridors for Vision Zero, but Graham Avenue has not. However, the Graham Avenue and Metropolitan Avenue intersections have been deemed high-priority.

“In reflecting on the ten-year journey of Vision Zero, the assessment of progress is nuanced. While pedestrian deaths have decreased, Graham Avenue remains a concerning hotspot, with nine fatalities in the last decade,” said NYC Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez (District 34). “Urgent interventions are needed to address safety gaps, particularly at high-risk intersections. I look forward to continuing our work with NYC DOT to address these issues and reimagine what transportation and safety for all looks like for everyone in District 34.”

Transportation Alternatives said when comparing the first five years of Vision Zero to the second half, fatalities in majority Black community boards have risen fifteen percent and 30 percent in majority Latino community boards. In contrast, fatalities have decreased by four percent in majority white community boards. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, NYC Council District 33 is majority white and NYC Council District 34 is majority white and Latino.

Crashes at intersections make up 50 percent of fatalities and 70 percent of injuries per year. In November 2023, NYC Mayor Eric Adams announced a plan to make safety improvements to intersections at double the previous rate. According to this plan, 2,000 intersections will get safety improvements in 2024.