In a perfect example of why those bumper guards are ultimately useless, a sanitation truck plowed into a row of cars on Delancey Street early this morning, badly damaging them. The NYPD confirmed that there were no injuries related to the incident, and The Lo-Down reports that authorities at the scene indicated that the driver of the truck fell asleep, and remained at the scene. We contacted the owner of the truck, Imperial Sanitation, and were promptly disconnected.
Allegedly Sleepy Garbage Truck Driver Plows Into Parked Cars On LES
Woman Thrown Onto Subway Tracks, Raped At Bowery J Train Station
An MTA track worker scared off a man who was raping a 36-year-old woman on the tracks at the Bowery J subway station at Delancey Street on Wednesday. Police say the suspect targeted the woman who got off a train around 1 a.m.: The [victim] was on an escalator when 29-year-old Michael Torres grabbed her around the neck, covered her mouth and told her not to scream. He then dragged her to the end of the platform, threw her on the tracks and sexually assaulted her."
Delancey Street Gets Shorter Crosswalks But Not Longer Lights
As anticipated, last night the DOT revealed forthcoming changes planned for Delancey Street, one of the most dangerous thoroughfares in the city. In five years, 129 people have been hurt in traffic crashes at the intersections of Delancey and Essex and Delancey and Clinton, and three pedestrians have been killed on Delancey in the past year. In response to calls for safety improvements, the DOT presented the plan [pdf] to the local Community Board last night.
Finally: Sweeping Safety Improvements Planned For Dangerous Delancey Street
The Department of Transportation will announce initiatives to improve safety along Delancey Street at a special meeting of Community Board 3 tonight. Four people familiar with the project told DNAinfo that the changes will include wider sidewalks, different signal timing, and improved traffic patterns. "We're going to see significant safety improvements on Delancey Street in months, not years," State Senator Daniel Squadron said. "This is a quick and dramatic proposal."
Family Of 12-Year-Old Killed On Delancey Raising Money For Funeral
The grandmother of 12-year-old Dashane Santana, who was struck and killed by a car crossing Delancey Street last week, is in the midst of raising the $8,500 for Dashane's funeral while she grieves for her granddaughter. "Right now we need about $3,000 by Tuesday," Teresa Pedroza tells us. "It's coming in little by little." Pedroza has sold candy and gone door-to-door asking for donations, which yielded around $600. She hopes that two fundraisers she's organizing, one today and another tomorrow, will be enough. "All this is out of the blue. Her birthday is in Februarywe're supposed to be celebrating that. Now I'm planning a funeral."
After Death Of 12-Year-Old, Sheldon Silver Calls For Delancey St Crossing Guards
In the wake of the death of 12-year-old Dashane Santana, who was struck and killed crossing Delancey Street last Friday, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is asking the Department of Transportation to assign crossing guards to the dangerous thoroughfare. "With traffic coming on and off the Williamsburg Bridge and a wide area for pedestrians to cross, there is an urgent need for a more aggressive approach to safety," Silver wrote in a letter to commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan obtained by DNAinfo. "We simply cannot wait for another tragedy to occur."
12-Yr-Old Killed On Delancey Street Mourned As Local Pols Demand Action
Dashane Santana, the 12-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a minivan crossing Delancey Street yesterday had dreams of attending Juilliard and becoming an actress. "She was a loving little girlthat was my girl," Santana's mother, Shamika Benjamin told the Post. Benjamin seemed to confirm the accounts of two witnesses who said that Santana was held up in the middle of the street as the traffic light turned green. "She was crossing the street when she dropped her bookbag." Police have not charged the 58-year-old driver of the van, and are deeming the tragedy an accident.
[UPDATE] Woman Jumps Off Williamsburg Bridge, Lands On Vehicle
A 34-year-old woman has jumped off the Williamsburg Bridge, landing on the street below. According to the FDNY, a call came in around 2:34 this afternoon detailing that the woman had landed on Pitt Street, and suffered "multiple trauma" before being transported to Bellevue Hospital. We'll update as more information becomes available.
State, City Pols Urge DOT To Improve Safety Along Delancey Street
In the wake of last week's fatal cycling accident on Delancey Street, State Senator Daniel Squadron and City Council member Margaret Chin released a statement today urging the the DOT to address the safety nightmare for pedestrians and cyclists that Delancey has become. "Each tragedy is a clarion call that we need more pedestrian safety improvements now," Squadron says. Noting that the perilous conditions on Delancey cannot remain so, Chin calls the number of accidents along the thoroughfare "unacceptable."
Cyclist Killed By Cement Truck On Delancey Street
A cyclist was killed around 5:40 pm this evening on Delancey Street between Chrystie and Bowery after falling underneath the rear wheels of a cement truck. Jose Martinez, who had stopped his own bike at a red light on Chrystie before the victim passed him going westbound on Delancey, said that the cyclist "seemed nervous" and lost control of his bicycle, falling in-between the truck's massive wheels. According to police the victim, a white male in his 30s who was wearing a helmet, faltered on his bike because his chain fell off the sprocket. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Delancey & Essex Deemed One Of NYC's "Deadliest" Intersections
Any pedestrian who has crossed Delancey Street at Essex Street knows that hustling to beat the all-too-short light can be a harrowing experience. The Daily News calls the intersection "among the deadliest in New York," and the evidence bears this out: between 1998 and 2010, pedestrians and cyclists were involved in 134 out of 523 accidents, including 3 fatalities, according to the the state's Department of Transportation records.
After Pedestrian Deaths On Delancey Street, Politicians Demand Action
In the wake of the death of 51-year-old Patricia Cuevas, who was struck and killed by a garbage truck crossing Delancey Street at Essex Street last Tuesday, state senator Daniel Squadron, city councilmember Margaret Chin and Transportation Alternatives said in a joint press release that they they would "ask the DOT to fix" the "unacceptable," unsafe conditions at the location in the Lower East Side, which Squadron calls "one of the most dangerous intersections in the city."
What Happened Outside The Delancey Last Night?
Around 3 a.m. we received word over the wire that there was a "large crowd" on 168 Delancey Street, AKA bar & nightclub The Delancey. However, the NYPD told us, "That's just typical of any night. It's not something we would be reporting on," so we'll have to rely on our "Twitnesses" for information. Here's what we're piecing together.
Cyclist Identified In Fatal Delancey Street Collision
The bike rider who was run over by a school bus and killed on Delancey Street has been identified as 35-year-old Fuen Bai. The East Village resident reportedly crashed after hitting a pothole near the corner of Orchard Street and was backed over by the bus. In the days since the fatal collision — for which the driver wasn't charged — Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance said his office would look into the incident. Cycling activists have put up a memorial for the biker, which reads:
Though we never met I mourn your passing. My heart broke at the news of the tragic loss of your life on this street. I too ride daily these dangerous streets, and had we met, would surely have had many stories to tell. I hope to see you in heaven and maybe share a ride with you there. I am sure the streets are in much better condition.
No Criminal Charges For Bus Driver Who Killed Cyclist
The bus driver who hit and killed a cyclist — reportedly while driving in reverse — will not be charged, according to police. "I don't believe that anyone will be charged," an NYPD spokesman told Streetsblog. "The driver remained on the scene. Looks like it was just an accident." Considering that this is Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance's first week on the job, the transit website ponders whether or not this case will be indicative of his office's stance on vehicular crimes. The victim's name has not been released pending family notification.
Updated: School Bus Was In Reverse When It Killed Cyclist In LES
The female cyclist who died on Delancey Street yesterday hit a pothole and fell behind a school bus, which then backed over her, NY1 reports. The victim was thrown from her bike near the corner of Ludlow Street at around 4:30 pm and happened to land directly behind the bus, according to a witness.
While Crossing Delancey, Woman Fatally Struck by SUV
Late Wednesday night, an 82-year-old woman crossing Delancey Street at Allen was fatally hit by an SUV driver. The driver, who was traveling west on Delancey, stayed on the scene was not charged with a crime.
Mike Nelson, Artist
Upon the opening of the space last week we asked the artist a few questions about the experience and stopped by to get a sneak peak. The exhibition, located at 117 Delancey Street, runs through October 28th (Friday through Sunday, noon-6pm). All photos by Sam Horine.
How Immigration Bill's Point System Might Affect NYC
The new legislation reform bill that no one is very happy with has raised many questions about its effect on the city. Mayor Bloomberg said that the bill is a good first step, but called the provision where immigrants would go back to their native country "a joke," saying, "Nobody’s going to go home for a year and come back. Nobody could ever enforce that. Nobody in their right mind would ever try to do it." Today, the NY Times has an article on how immigration has shaped the city.
Steven Englander, Director of ABC No Rio
In 1979 a collective of artists occupied a vacant city- owned building on Delancey Street and mounted an exhibition. The police padlocked the show but after community and media support of the artists the city offered use of a building at 156 Rivington Street as a compromise.
Extra, Extra
- Watch Aziz Ansari and Rob Huebel's second Shutterbugs movie and feel better about life.
Food Events: Gothamist Takes in Taste NY
Last week, The Delancey played host to the launch of Taste NY, a new TV show about eating in New York. As a co-production of NYC TV and Time Out New York, the connection is obvious from the venue (one of the rooftop bars featured in last week's cover story ahem Drink Up, ahem) to the premiere episode about cheap eats (this week's TONY cover story). The host, Kelly Choi, was on hand to ask what the best thing guests had eaten lately-our choice was the the almond cookie ice cream at The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory but if there is a God the footage of our sweaty face will never see the light of day. Kelly's got charisma to spare, statuesque and a little hyper, not unlike how we imagine Kimora Lee Simmons would come across after some pixie stix and her enthusiam for food has made us love her. Margaritas, punch and straight Corazon tequila got the crowd going and we were more than happy to be satiated by Patricia Yeo of Sapa's catering, especially the lemongrass cured salmon cucumber sandwhiches, more than a little appropriate for the Lower East Side. With unbridled enthusiasm and access to amazing chefs-and kitchens- we'll keep our eye on Taste NY.
Station Agents and Unmanned Stations Underground
The MTA and riders will be entering another new era of subway service as token booth clerks start to move outside to help customers and new unmanned token booth kiosks are unveiled. NYC Transit President Lawrence Reuter said that since most riders use unlimited ride cards, token booth clerks have been selling less cards - and now they'll be able to help commuters who swipe swipe swipe to no avail. The booths are a new addition to the MTA's plans to eliminate token booths; originally, the MTA wanted to save money by getting rid of the booths, but when a man died at a station where there was no clerk on duty, they rethought things and won't end up saving money, chalking it up to providing better customer service.

