DOT Announces Return and Expansion of “Trick or Streets” for Halloween 2023

Image Credit: DOT

On October 11, 2023, the Department of Transportation announced the return of “Trick or Streets,” the Halloween-season expansion of the Open Streets program. Last year, “Trick or Streets” restricted car access on nearly 100 streets on Halloween night to provide more open space for pedestrian access when many families would be out for trick or treating. 


DOT Announces Declines in Speeding, Injuries and Fatalities in Areas with Speed Cameras During First Year of 24/7 Enforcement

On August 28, 2023, the Department of Transportation announced the results following the end of the first year of 24/7 enforcement of speed cameras. Previously, speed cameras were only allowed to operate weekdays from 6 AM to 10 PM. Around-the-clock enforcement started August 1, 2022 after Governor Kathy Hochul signed the change into state law. The legislation was sponsored by State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick. 


City Launches Automated Enforcement Against Overweight Trucks on BQE

On August 7, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced the launch of an automated enforcement program for overweight trucks on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE). Transportation’s analysis has identified nearly ten percent of all trucks on the BQE as overweight, which can further add to the ongoing structural issues the BQE has experienced over the past few decades.


DOT Announces Second Round of 2023 Open Streets

On June 26, 2023, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced a second round of 2023 Open Streets, which will add 13 new Open Street locations throughout the City. Open Streets is a program that temporarily transforms busy city streets into a car-free oasis for pedestrians, cyclists and children engaging in recreational activities. The Open Streets program encourages utilizing streets in new ways that make them more accessible and enjoyable for all New Yorkers.



Court upholds verdict that City at fault for man who drowned in pool

Parents of deceased son win damages against the City. On July 13, 2011, Bohdan Vitenko drowned in Lyons Pool in the Tompkinsville section of Staten Island. Lyons pool is owned and operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Vitenko, then 21-years old, was exercising in the pool with his friend Jonathan Proce for an extended period of time. The Olympic-sized pool measured 165 feet by 100 feet. It was 3.5 feet … <Read More>