Jimmy Van Bramer
Streetsblog Basics
City Council Creates Fines for Hit-and-Run Drivers, Calls on Albany to Act
Minutes ago, the City Council unanimously passed a bill that would levy civil penalties against hit-and-run drivers. Fines start at $500, increasing to $2,000 for drivers who leave injured victims and $10,000 for drivers who cause serious injury or death. The bill now goes to Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is expected to sign it.
September 23, 2014
Proposed Hit-and-Run Fines Doubled, But Law Could Hinge on Drivers’ Word
Ahead of a scheduled Tuesday vote by the full City Council, transportation committee members voted today to increase proposed civil penalties for hit-and-run drivers. However, the bill in question still contains language that could make it difficult to apply the new fines.
September 22, 2014
Sunnyside Becomes a Bike-Friendly Business District
Transportation Alternatives has been working all across NYC to foster goodwill for bicycling in the business community. Recently, TA has begun to award Bike-Friendly Business District designations in neighborhoods where local merchants support bicycling and safer streets. The first one outside Manhattan is Sunnyside, Queens.
August 25, 2014
Eyes on the Street: Bliss Plaza Shines Under the 7 Train in Sunnyside
Two weeks ago, Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer cut the ribbon on Bliss Plaza, a new public space created with a few simple changes to the area under the 7 train viaduct at 46th Street and Queens Boulevard. Clarence sends these photos of the plaza in action this weekend: A nicer sidewalk surface, a few planters, and some moveable tables and chairs were all it took to turn this spot into a people magnet.
August 11, 2014
Council Bill Would Fine Drivers for Leaving the Scene of a Crash
Council Members Jimmy Van Bramer and Ydanis Rodriguez have introduced a bill that would impose civil penalties for hit-and-run crashes.
June 4, 2014
Queens Blvd Gets “Slow Zone” Label, But Speed Limit Remains the Same
Yesterday, DOT announced that Queens Boulevard, one of the city's deadliest streets, would be part of its arterial slow zone initiative that reduces speed limits from 30 to 25 mph. But unlike other streets in the program, Queens Boulevard would have its limit dropped from 35 to 30 mph. Trouble is, the speed limit on Queens Boulevard is already 30 mph, and it's been that way since 2001.
May 2, 2014
Plaza Upgrades Planned Beneath Train Viaduct on Queens Blvd in Sunnyside
The parking-flanked space in the middle of Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside, beneath the vaulted elevated train viaduct at 40th and 46th Streets, today looks more forgotten than fun. The Sunnyside Shines BID is hoping to change that, and their plan to upgrade the pedestrian space was recently accepted by NYC DOT's pedestrian plaza program.
April 15, 2014
Pedestrian Islands Coming to Deadly Northern Boulevard Intersection
The intersection of Northern Boulevard and 61st Street in Woodside, where an unlicensed truck driver making a left turn through a crosswalk killed 8-year-old Noshat Nahian on his way to school last December, is set for some pedestrian safety fixes after months of work by elected officials and street safety advocates.
April 2, 2014
Who Killed Kumar Ragunath? Police Seek Suspect as Advocates Call for Action
Kumar Ragunath, 64, came to New York from Guyana in 1987. Five years later, he and his wife bought a house in Jamaica near Richmond Hill. He loved to play cricket and listen to Indian music, and he kept working through his retirement to help fund college for his six grandchildren. Ragunath had been out of work since August, but recently found a job at the Queens Plaza Holiday Inn.
March 14, 2014
Council Members Say DOT Needs Funds for Vision Zero, Bike-Share Expansion
City Council members today expressed strong support for Vision Zero, bike-share expansion, and other safe streets initiatives, but it's not clear how they will be funded.
March 6, 2014