{"id":199360,"date":"2026-04-16T14:25:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T14:25:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/199360\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T14:25:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T14:25:24","slug":"traffic-deaths-decline-across-queens-new-report-finds-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/199360\/","title":{"rendered":"Traffic Deaths Decline Across Queens, New Report Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AnThe vibrant streets of Queens have become safer for all travelers as traffic fatalities decline across the borough.Queens Today<\/p>\n

New York City traffic deaths have dropped significantly so far in 2026, with Queens among the boroughs contributing to the citywide decline, according to a new Department of Transportation report. Citywide traffic deaths fell to near-record lows for the first quarter, down 7 percent from last year.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

The decline in traffic deaths across Queens is seen as a positive outcome of Vision Zero initiatives and other street safety redesigns implemented by the city. However, transportation advocates caution that progress on fatalities does not mean all traffic safety problems have been solved, as the issue of ‘super speeders’ who rack up numerous speed camera violations remains a concern.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

Through the first quarter of 2026, there have been 42 traffic fatalities \u2014 the third fewest on record since data collection began in 1910. Officials cited several initiatives likely driving these trends, including street safety redesigns launched under Vision Zero and New York City’s automated enforcement network. To sustain Vision Zero progress, they also highlighted the need for ‘Super Speeders’ legislation requiring intelligent speed assist technology for repeat offenders, now under consideration elsewhere in the state.<\/p>\n

In 2023, DOT added 2.5 miles of protected bike lanes on 11th Street, Jackson Avenue, and 44th Drive in Long Island City.In 2024, the agency completed the final phase of the Queens Boulevard redesign, adding protected bike lanes in Sunnyside and Long Island City along what was once dubbed the ‘Boulevard of Death.’Last year, DOT finished the first phase of the 31st Avenue Bike Boulevard, creating more than 26,000 square feet of new pedestrian space.<\/p>\n

What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cNew York City leads the nation in reducing traffic deaths, with progress driven by targeted, data-informed street redesigns and targeted enforcement against speeding, red-light running, and other dangerous driving behaviors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Mike Flynn, NYC DOT Commissioner<\/p>\n

\u201cI carry the physical and psychological trauma of being hit by a car with me every day. We must use every available tool to prevent crashes that kill and seriously injure New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Kate Brockwehl, Families for Safe Streets-NY Co-Chair<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

State legislation now pending in Albany would require intelligent speed assistance devices for drivers or vehicles accumulating too many speed camera tickets annually, officials said.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

The decline in traffic deaths across Queens demonstrates the positive impact of Vision Zero initiatives and street safety redesigns, but more work is needed to address persistent issues like ‘super speeders’ and ensure all New Yorkers can travel safely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a The vibrant streets of Queens have become safer for all…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":199361,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,63,122,124,123],"class_list":["post-199360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199360"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199360\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/199361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}