[Updated]: E-cyclist killed by speeding hit-and-run driver on East Houston at Avenue B

A 24-year-old man riding an e-bike was struck and killed in a hit-and-run collision last night on East Houston at the Clinton Street-Avenue B intersection. 

Police sources told ABC 7 that the e-cyclist, identified as Borkot Ullah, was hit while attempting to cross East Houston — from Clinton to Avenue B — around 11 p.m.

The black Subaru Outback was traveling eastbound. The driver did not stop and was later seen heading northbound on the FDR, ABC 7 reports.

Streetsblog reports that Ullah would be the 14th cyclist or e-bike rider killed so far this year.

In previous years, EVG readers have expressed concerns about this intersection.

Updated 1 p.m.

Here's part of the coverage from Gothamist that highlights how dangerous the streets have become thanks to reckless drivers...

The deadly incidents come amid a spike in fatalities on New York City streets. At least 131 people have died in crashes so far this year, the highest total to-date since Mayor Bill de Blasio took office in 2014.

City officials have attributed the growing death toll to a nationwide increase in reckless drivers, who took advantage of empty streets at the height of the pandemic, and have kept up the deadly habit.

An increase in hit-and-run incidents, however, dates back to before the pandemic. According to Transportation Alternatives, there were 36,000 hit-and-run incidents in 2013, compared to an average of 45,000 in the last three years.

Updated 5 p.m.

Streetsblog has surveillance video of the collision. 

A video from the scene showed clearly that the cyclist had the light and that the driver swerved around stopped traffic to run the red light and strike Ullah. After the crash, the driver is seen racing away at a high rate of speed as two cops in an unmarked police car — which was right behind the hit-and-run driver and might have been pursuing the driver before the crash — pulled over to check on the victim.

Streetsblog also has more about Ullah, who was a member of Desis Rising Up and Moving, an undocumented workers' rights group.

There is a GoFundMe campaign set up to help Borkot's family both here and in Bangladesh whom he supported financially through his food delivery work.

Top image via the Citizen app.

3rd Avenue and 14th Street cited as one of the city's most dangerous intersections for cyclists

[Google Street View]

According to an analysis of intersections citywide, Third Avenue and 14th Street is among the most dangerous in NYC for cyclists, new research shows.

Last week, Mayor de Blasio’s announced his "Green Wave Bicycle Plan" in reaction to a recent spate of cycling deaths. (Em Samolewicz was killed Monday morning in Sunset Park, marking the 18th cyclist to die on city streets this year — eight more than all of 2018.)

The mayor's $58.4 million initiative will ramp up enforcement at the 100 most crash-prone intersections and target enforcement on highest risk activities: speeding, failing to yield, blocking bike lanes, oversized trucks/trucks off route.

Over the next five years the city will also renovate 50 intersections with turn-calming treatments and re-design areas where fatalities occur. (The city has yet to disclose those locations.)

On Monday, the data and real-estate listings website Localize.city released the results of an analysis — using public data from 2014 to 2018 — to identify which intersections have seen the most cycling injuries and fatalities during that four-year period.

Intersections in the East Village and Lower East Side represent three slots in the top 10:

1. 6th Ave & W. 23rd St., Chelsea

21 Injuries

2 (Tied). Jay St. & Tillary St., Downtown Brooklyn

20 injuries

2 (Tied). Atlantic Ave & Bedford Ave, Crown Heights

20 injuries

4. 3rd Ave & E. 14th St., East Village

18 injuries

Per Localize.city: New separated bike lanes along East 12th/East 13th streets should offer a safer route, at least for cycling crosstown.

5 (Tied). Chrystie St. & Delancey St., Lower East Side

17 injuries

“Chrystie Street has a two-way bike lane, and the lane closest to traffic rides against traffic flow, which is a huge design flaw,” says urban planner Sam Sklar of Localize.city. “It doesn’t help that Delancey Street is extremely wide, as it accommodates car and bus travel to and from the Williamsburg Bridge. Additionally there isn’t currently any bike lane on this stretch of Delancey Street.”

5 (Tied). St. Nicholas Ave & W. 141st St., Harlem

17 injuries


[Allen at Houston]

7 (Tied). Allen St. & E. Houston St., Lower East Side

14 injuries

“Cyclists and drivers approaching this intersection often have obstructed views because of the width of East Houston Street, plus the width of East First Street along with obstructed views from street trees and bus traffic that potentially blocks views for drivers and cyclists,” says Sklar.

7 (Tied). Graham Ave. & Grand St., Williamsburg

14 injuries

7 (Tied). Jay St. & Myrtle Ave., Downtown Brooklyn

14 injuries

7 (Tied). Roebling St. & South 4th St., Williamsburg

13 injuries, 1 death

Says Sklar: "If you’re thinking about taking up cycling you should know if the intersections and streets near your home are dangerous."

Reader report: SUV takes out part of the sidewalk bridge on Houston and Avenue B

EVG regular Salim shares this photo from earlier this morning ... showing the aftermath of an SUV colliding with the sidewalk bridge on the northwest corner of Houston and Avenue B.

No word on the cause of the collision or injuries. (We've heard from readers through the years noting how dangerous the East Houston-Avenue B/Clinton Street intersection is.)

The NYPD remains on the corner ... and the area is cordoned off... likely awaiting a new sidewalk bridge for outside the long-empty 6 Avenue B...



Previously on EVV Grieve:
Is something finally happening to the long-vacant, mysterious 6 Avenue B?

Resident: July 4 collision highlights dangerous East Houston-Avenue B/Clinton Street intersection

A 4-vehicle pileup on East Houston

An EVG reader shared these photos from yesterday afternoon... showing a four-vehicle pileup on East Houston at Attorney...



Per the reader: "Guy in the black coupe tried to pass westbound cars stopped at the Attorney Street light by going in the bike lane. He hit the parked white SUV, which hit the Smart car, hitting another SUV."



And there is some surveillance video showing the impact of the crash...





The crash reportedly drew an emergency response that included four fire trucks, four police cruisers and three ambulances. According to the reader, the westbound lane of Houston was closed for several hours.

"People in the black coupe were ambulatory, but taken to the hospital by EMS," said the reader. "The traffic coming off the FDR is so fast. People think it's a highway when the speed limit is 25 mph."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reports: 73-year-old East Village woman struck and killed by van while crossing East Houston

More accidents on East Houston Street

Reader report: An assessment of the dangerous East Houston-Avenue B/Clinton Street intersection

Resident: July 4 collision highlights dangerous East Houston-Avenue B/Clinton Street intersection

Resident: July 4 collision highlights dangerous East Houston-Avenue B/Clinton Street intersection

An EVG reader, who lives near East Houston and Avenue B/Clinton Street, has again expressed concerned about the intersection following a collision on July 4.

According to the reader, a Zipcar heading north on Clinton Street ran a light ... a westbound cab hit the car, sending the rental up onto the curb, hitting a pedestrian and then crashing into the Banco Popular at 1 Avenue B.



The reader said that the pedestrian, a male in his early 30s, sustained a leg injury. The passengers in the rental — a man, woman and three children — were all taken to the hospital. It wasn't believed that their injuries were serious.

Given the holiday and demands on the NYPD, it took officers 75 minutes to respond. Several witnesses stayed to give statements, though the driver of the cab left the scene.





Per the reader:

"Only a handful of cars can make the right off the Williamsburg Bridge before the light changes ... and many try to run the light at Houston and Avenue B because they've been waiting 15 minutes to get from Delancey to Houston. On top of that, you've got people coming off the FDR westbound onto Houston still doing highway speeds.

This is an incredible dangerous intersection. [The city] should reverse the direction of Clinton Street."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reports: 73-year-old East Village woman struck and killed by van while crossing East Houston

More accidents on East Houston Street

Reader report: An assessment of the dangerous East Houston-Avenue B/Clinton Street intersection

Reader report: An assessment of the dangerous East Houston-Avenue B/Clinton Street intersection

[EVG photo from yesterday]

Early this past Sunday morning, an EVG reader who lives near East Houston and Avenue B/Clinton Street said that a young man was struck by a silver SUV in the right eastbound lane while he was trying to cross from the southeast corner of Houston and Clinton to the northeast corner of Houston and Avenue B.

Per the reader: "The SUV was badly damaged. The hood was bent into a V. I’m surprised the pedestrian survived."

It is the same intersection where East Village resident Meipui Chow Leon, 73, was struck and killed on Aug. 23, 2013, by a Whole Foods van while walking north in the crosswalk from Clinton Street to Avenue B.


[Photo from 2013]

The EVG reader lives nearby and has observed how dangerous the intersection can be. The reader offers an assessment and a partial solution. It starts with traffic exiting the Williamsburg Bridge and turning north on Clinton Street.

Drivers coming off the bridge are always trying to run that light to make a right on Houston, and get onto the FDR. Clinton Street backs up a half mile onto the bridge during rush hour. Only about 4-5 cars can make it through that light before it changes. There is a car accident or pedestrian strike at least once every three months at this intersection. If we had protected bike lanes, a curb extension or if they would reverse [the traffic flow on] Clinton, that intersection would be so much safer. Seems like all the pedestrian strikes happen going eastbound. Westbound is more fender benders. Drivers are still doing highway speeds coming off the FDR.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reports: 73-year-old East Village woman struck and killed by van while crossing East Houston

More accidents on East Houston Street

Remembering elderly pedestrians killed by cars

[August 2013]

From the EVG inbox…

Today, Street Justice Activists with Right of Way will travel 30 miles by bicycle across 3 boroughs to stencil body outlines of dead pedestrians at 7 sites where New Yorkers over 70 years old have recently been killed by drivers. In 6 of these cases, the NYPD has not filed any charges. In a seventh, the driver was charged only with leaving the scene, not for the illegal left turn that led to the pedestrian’s death.

The event starts at 9 a.m. at East Houston and Clinton Street … at the site where East Village resident Meipui Chow Leon, 73, was killed on Aug. 23 by a Whole Foods van while crossing the street.

Find more details on today's event here.

Updated 12:20 p.m.

WCBS reports that four pedestrians have been killed this weekend by cars.


Previously on EV Grieve:
Reports: 73-year-old East Village woman struck and killed by van while crossing East Houston

More accidents on East Houston Street

More accidents on East Houston Street

Late Friday afternoon, 73-year-old East Village resident Meipui Chow Leon was reportedly struck and killed by a Whole Foods van while she was crossing East Houston at Avenue B.



In the above photo from yesterday afternoon, an EVG reader notes what was the third accident at this intersection this weekend... where one SUV sideswiped another SUV. One passenger in the SUV in the foreground was taken away in the ambulance.

"This intersection is so dangerous," said the reader. "You've got traffic coming off the bridge and the FDR and no traffic cameras."

-----



Meanwhile, last night around 8, Bill the Libertarian Anarchist came across the scene of an accident at East Houston and Avenue C. The cab collided with a Toyota Camry Solara in the intersection. Witnesses believe that the cab driver was speeding. The driver of the Solara said that he was not injured.

The cab was flipped over when Bill first arrived on the scene at 8:15. The cab driver and the passenger were taken to the hospital. It is not known what condition they are in...

You now have more (warning) time to cross the Bowery

The other day we pointed out that this woman didn't have enough time to cross the Bowery at East Fourth Street... there's a newish 7-second countdown to cross six lanes of traffic... Other readers had raised concerns about this as well...

We heard from a local activist and EV Grieve reader who reported that he contacted the Department of Transportation to implore them to take quick action to have this rectified...

Anyway, last evening, as we were crossing the intersection, we noticed that the Don't Walk countdown began at 20-seconds... so pedestrians now have an additional 13 seconds (if our math is correct!) to make it across ...

Well, the photo shows 16 seconds because we didn't have our camera out in time...

Updated — Good point in the comments:

I would guess the timing of the traffic signals didn't change. You likely don't have more time to cross. Instead of, let's say, a walk signal for 23 seconds with a 7 second countdown there's a 10 second walk signal with a 20 second countdown.

City doesn't allow enough time for this woman to safely cross the Bowery

We've been writing about the pedestrian crossing signals on the Bowery at East Third Street and East Fourth Street ... there's a newish 7-second countdown to cross six lanes of traffic...



One reader reported getting clipped by a truck here late night... Goggla noted this: "Too many vehicles blow the red lights and the constant construction makes things worse. Down at 3rd, cars turning north onto Bowery also go way too fast and seem not to care if anyone is trying to cross ... I've definitely had some close calls along this stretch."

And in the past few weeks since our post on June 18, several readers have said that they lodged complaints via 311.

The other morning, we waited at East Fourth Street to get across the Bowery. We followed behind the resident pictured at top of this post. She was just halfway across the intersection before the 7-second countdown began.

She still had a lane to go when the light changed. She started moving the moment the "walk" sign started flashing. And she wasn't dawdling. The woman simply didn't have enough time to cross a treacherous intersection. She's certainly not alone.

We'll repeat what we wrote earlier... This is especially a short signal considering that the Evelyn and Louis Green Residence at Cooper Square is on the corner at East Fifth Street... and the residents here and their visitors might likely need more time crossing a busy street... Why not a 25-second countdown like at the 14th Street intersections?

Will change finally arrive when someone gets run over at this intersection?

Reader looking for more information about an accident on Bowery and East Fourth Street

In a post on June 18, a resident noted what he considered dangerous pedestrian crossing signals on the Bowery at East Third Street and East Fourth Street... meanwhile, a reader writes in about a recent accident at the intersection... and he could use your help...

On June 22 — just a few days after the article was written on EV Grieve about the dangerous intersections on the Bowery — I was hit by a truck while I was crossing Bowery at E. 4th; and I was in the crosswalk with a walk signal.

I work as a bartender at Standings on E. 7th and was hit after work late Friday around 3 a.m. There were plenty of people around, but because I was taken away to Bellevue due to the seriousness of my injuries, I didn't get to talk to anybody about what happened.

The police report says that driver's statement is that I "walked into his vehicle," even though I had the walk signal and he was turning left from 4th onto Bowery. If anybody happened to see this accident, could you email me? It'd be such a great help.

Thanks
Aaron F.
fischjazz@me.com

Aaron spent the night at Bellevue with various cuts and bruises. The staples came out of the back of his head on Friday. He says that it was a box truck — a white delivery truck with a flat face. He doesn't recall any writing on the truck. Regardless of the injuries, he's grateful that it wasn't any worse...

Are these dangerous intersections on the Bowery?

EVG reader Chad Marlow points out what he considers some dangerous pedestrian crossing signals on the Bowery at East Third Street and East Fourth Street... He lodged this complaint with 311:

"East-west pedestrian signals at Bowery @ E. 4th E. 3rd only provide 6 second countdown to cross 6 lane road with no center median. 1 second per lane must be an error and is dangerous. Please adjust."

It is a short signal considering ... that, for example, you have a 25-second warning crossing 14th Street at Second Avenue...



This is especially a short signal considering that the Evelyn and Louis Green Residence at Cooper Square is on the corner at East Fifth Street... and the residents here and their visitors might likely need more time crossing a busy street... Why not a 25-second countdown like at the 14th Street intersections?

What is the City going to do about Delancey?

Per the Daily News on Aug. 1:

Crossing Delancey is taking your life in your hands.

In the last dozen years, there have been 523 motor vehicle accidents at the intersection of Essex and Delancey Sts. - 134 involving pedestrians and bicyclists - according to figures for 1998 to 2010 obtained from the state Department of Transportation.

Three people died.