Streetsblog: Doing its job in New York City. In memoriam 2010

Each year our friends over at Streetsblog in New York City publish a heart-rending testimonial to the mayhem that automobiles have wrought over the year on their city's streets and the cost in terms of lives lost by innocent pedestrians and cyclists. Putting names, faces and human tragedy to what otherwise takes the form of dry numbers, faceless hence quickly forgettable statistics is an important task. We can only encourage responsible citizens and activists in every city on the planet to do the same thing, holding those public officials (and let's not forget, we call them "public servants" and for excellent reason) responsible for what goes on under their direct control.And if there is a single lesson to be learned it is surely this: traffic on the streets of all our cities needs to be slowed down a sane and efficient 10/20/30 mph and no faster; supported a strict "Street Code", whereby in every case the lighter slower party is fully protected both in terms of immediate enforcement, the law and insurance matters. (Is it really that hard to be decent?)

In Memoriam

by Brad Aaron on December 27, 2010

By all indications, 2010 should have been a banner year for street safety in New York. As the city continued to roll out physical improvements to reduce risks to pedestrians and cyclists and announced unprecedented further measures to come, state legislators stepped up with new laws intended to hold accountable, however incrementally, motorists whose negligence results in injury and death. Most promising of all, it seemed, was an infusion of new blood at the Manhattan district attorney’s office, where crimes against vulnerable street users had for so long barely merited consideration.

Unfortunately, a fusillade of attacks from outraged NIMBYs, abetted by a press corps more interested in driving up page views than delivering reality-based reportage, largely overshadowed gains on the ground. And as New Yorkers continued to sacrifice life and limb in the name of nothing more than picking up groceries, walking to school or riding to work, punitive, much less preventative, action on the part of law enforcers continued to be all but non-existent. Tough talk is nice, but in the end it’s going to take prosecutions — not promises or press releases — to send the message that deadly recklessness will no longer be tolerated on city streets.

What follows is our accounting of New York pedestrians and cyclists known to have lost their lives in 2010. Please use the comments to share remembrances of those named here, and the names and stories of those we missed.

Graziano Abreu, Marcelino Adraneda, Robert Bowen, Sylvie Cameron

• Graziano Abreu, 39, Pedestrian, Killed in the Bronx; Hit-and-Run (News)


• Marcelino Adraneda, 76, Pedestrian, Killed in the Bronx; Driver Issued Summons (Post 1, 2, News)


• Therese Alonso, 64, Pedestrian, Killed on Staten Island; Driver Not Charged (Advance, News)


• Amrom Altman, 4, Pedestrian, Killed in Brooklyn; Driver Not Charged (Streetsblog)


• Natalie Assee, 37, Pedestrian, Killed in Brooklyn; Hit-and-Run (YourNabe)


• Fuen Bai, 74, Cyclist, Killed in Manhattan; Driver Not Charged (Streetsblog, Villager)


• Robert Borchers, 76, Pedestrian, Killed in Queens; Driver Not Charged (Post, News)


• Robert Bowen, 45, Cyclist, Killed in Manhattan; Hit-and-Run (Streetsblog, Bicycling)


• Seymon Brodsky, 84, Pedestrian, Killed in Queens; Driver Not Charged (YourNabe)

Megan Charlop, Ferderich Enbre, Marcus Ewing, Margaret Fisher

• Sylvie Cameron, 48, Pedestrian, Killed on Staten Island; No Known Charges (Advance)


• Tim Campbell, 24, Cyclist, Killed July 7 in Brooklyn; Hit-and-Run (Streetsblog, Bklyn Paper)


• Neil Chamberlain, 28, Pedestrian, Killed in Brooklyn; Hit-and-Run (Streetsblog)


• Megan Charlop, 57, Cyclist, Killed in the Bronx; No Charges Filed (News)


• Sung Won Cho, 40, Killed in Brooklyn; Driver Not Charged (NYT)


• Dario Digiano, 21, Pedestrian, Killed in Manhattan; Hit-and-Run (Streetsblog, NJ.com)


• Ferderich Enbre, 13, Cyclist, Killed in Queens; Driver Issued Summonses (Post, Gazette, Chron)


• Ana Estevez, 25, Pedestrian, Killed in the Bronx; Driver Not Charged (R’dale Press 1, 2)


• Marcus Ewing, 27, Cyclist, Killed in Manhattan; Drivers Issued Summonses (News)


• Margaret Fisher, 67, Pedestrian, Killed in Manhattan; Driver Charged With Leaving Scene (News 1, 2, DNAinfo)

Morris Friedman, Dayshan Geralds, Mary Celine Graham, Jasmine Herron

• Morris Friedman, 60, Pedestrian, Killed in Brooklyn; Hit-and-Run (News)


• Dayshan Geralds, 17, Cyclist, Killed on Staten Island; Hit-and-Run (Advance)


• Mary Celine Graham, 83, Pedestrian, Killed in Manhattan; Driver Charged With Murder (Streetsblog 1, 2)


• Enrico Graves, 45, Pedestrian, Killed in Brooklyn; Driver Charged With DWI (News)


• Manuel Tzaj Guachiac, 25, Pedestrian, Killed in Brooklyn; Driver Charged With Homicide (Post, News, NYT)


• Jasmine Herron, 23, Cyclist, Killed in Brooklyn; Driver Ticketed for Unlicensed Operation (News 1, 2, Post 1, 2)


• Frank Justich, 41, Sanitation Worker, Killed in Queens; Driver Not Charged (News, City Room, YourNabe)


• Arthur Katz, 49, Pedestrian, Killed on Staten Island; No Known Charges (Advance)


• Daniel Kelley, 23, Pedestrian, Killed on Staten Island; Driver Charged With Assault (Advance 1, 2, 3)


• Jason King, 21, Pedestrian, Killed in Manhattan; Driver Issued Summonses (Streetsblog 1, 2)

Frank Justich, Daniel Kelley, Shaun McGraw, Max Mendez

• Beata Kurpiewski, 59, Pedestrian, Killed on Staten Island; Driver Charged With Homicide (Advance)


• Mary Mason, 59, Pedestrian, Killed in Brooklyn; No Known Charges (News, Post 1, 2)


• Jake McDonaugh, 18, Cyclist, Killed in Brooklyn; Driver Charged With Homicide (Streetsblog)


• Shaun McGraw, 16, Pedestrian, Killed in Brooklyn; Driver Not Charged (Advance)


• Max Mendez, 6, Pedestrian, Killed in Manhattan; No Known Charges (Streetsblog)


• Abundio Mendez-Perez, 32, Pedestrian, Killed in Queens; Driver Not Charged (YourNabe)


• Rashid Muhammad, 75, Pedestrian, Killed in Queens; No Known Charges (News)


• Roxane Murano, 59, Pedestrian, Killed on Staten Island; Driver Charged With Suspended License (Advance)


• Keon Nedd, 17, Pedestrian, Killed in Bronx; Hit-and-Run (News, Bronx Ink)

Rashid Muhammad, Keon Nedd, Edmund Pllumaj, Sarah Parris

• “Nevel,” 40, Pedestrian, Killed in Bronx; No Known Charges (Bronx News)


• Chan Park, 62, Killed in Manhattan; No Known Charges (DNAinfo)


• Sarah Parris, 13, Pedestrian, Killed in Brooklyn; Driver Not Charged (Streetsblog, News 1, 2)


• Cecelia Penkala, 70, Pedestrian, Killed in Manhattan; Driver Issued Summons (News, Standard Speaker)


• Edmund Pllumaj, 26, Killed in the Bronx; Driver Not Charged (News)


• Anthony Rizzo, 16, Pedestrian, Killed on Staten Island; Driver Not Charged (Advance)


• Mohammed Rohman, 45, Pedestrian, Killed in Queens; Driver Charged With Impairment (News)


• Joe Rollino, 104, Pedestrian, Killed in Brooklyn; Driver Not Charged (NYT, News, Eagle)


• Consuela Sanchez, 81, Pedestrian, Killed in Queens; Driver Not Charged (News)


• Joydeep Sarkar, 29, Pedestrian, Killed in Manhattan; Hit-and-Run (Streetsblog, WPIX)

Joe Rollino, Consuela Sanchez, Joydeep Sarkar

• Karen Schmeer, 39, Pedestrian, Killed in Manhattan; Driver Charged With Murder (Streetsblog)


• Evan Svirsky, 4, Pedestrian, Killed in Brooklyn; No Known Charges (Post, News)


• Permaul Tulkanam, 59, Pedestrian, Killed in Queens; Driver Not Charged (News)


• Stefanos Tsigrimanis, 29, Cyclist, Killed in Brooklyn; No Known Charges (WSN)


• Arnulfo Velardo, 84, Pedestrian, Killed in Queens; No Known Charges (YourNabe)


• Brian Waldman, 52, Pedestrian, Killed in Brooklyn; Driver Charged With Suspended License, Leaving Scene (AP)


• Margaret Walsh, 83, Pedestrian, Killed on Staten Island; Driver Charged With Suspended License (Advance 1, 2)


• Harry Wieder, 57, Killed in Manhattan; No Known Charges (Downtown Express)


• Shamira Zaman, 2, Pedestrian, Killed in Queens; Driver Not Charged (Post)


• Unnamed Pedestrian, 50, Killed Jan. 1 in Brooklyn; Driver Charged With DWI, Manslaughter (News, Post)

Karen Schmeer, Stefanos Tsigrimanis, Manuel Tzaj Guachiac, Margaret Walsh

• Unnamed Pedestrian, 77, Killed Jan. 4 in Manhattan; Driver Not Charged (Post)


• Unnamed Pedestrian, 66, Killed Jan. 8 in the Bronx; Driver Charged With Homicide, DWI (Post)


• Unnamed Pedestrian, 32, Killed Jan. 9 in Queens; Drivers Not Charged (News)


• Unnamed Pedestrian Killed Jan. 12 in Queens; Driver Not Charged (YourNabe)


• Unnamed Pedestrian, 25, Killed Jan. 21 in Queens; Hit-and-Run (YourNabe)


• Unnamed Pedestrian, 27, Killed Jan. 26 in Queens; Hit-and-Run (YourNabe)


• Unnamed Pedestrian, 23, Killed Mar. 5 in Queens; No Known Charges (Courier)


• Unnamed Pedestrian Killed Apr. 12 in Manhattan; No Known Charges (Lo-Down)


• Unidentified Cyclist Fatally Injured Apr. 14 in Brooklyn; No Charges Filed (Streetsblog, Gothamist)

Unidentified cyclist, Harry Wieder, Shamira Zaman

• Unnamed Pedestrian, 55, Killed Apr. 25 in Brooklyn; No Charges Filed (News)


• Unidentified Pedestrian Killed May 22 in Manhattan; Driver Charged With DWI, Manslaughter (City Room, News)


• Unnamed Pedestrian, 47, Killed Aug. 18 in Queens; No Known Charges (AP)


• Unnamed Pedestrian Killed Sept. 16 in Manhattan; No Known Charges (News)


• Unnamed Pedestrian, 69, Killed Sept. 28 in the Bronx; Hit-and-Run (Streetsblog)


• Unnamed Pedestrian, 72, Killed Sept. 29 in Queens; Driver Not Charged (Streetsblog)


• Unidentified Pedestrian Killed Oct. 31 in Queens; Hit-and-Run (News)


• Unnamed Pedestrian, 58, Killed Nov. 16 in Queens; No Known Charges (News)


• Unidentified Pedestrian Killed Nov. 17 in Brooklyn; No Known Charges (Streetsblog)


• Unidentified Pedestrian Killed Dec. 7 in Queens; Hit-and-Run (WABC)

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/12/27/in-memoriam-2/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Streetsblog+%28Streetsblog%29

Some street code references:

Livable Streets discussions of Street Code
What is Street Code? (Thanks for use of your graphic)
Code de la rue - Belgium (Use Translate here as needed)
Code de la rue - France
Code de la rue - Wikipedia
"Street code": A World Streets Campaign for 2009

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