The first three months of 2026 were among the three safest first-three-month periods since records started being kept at the dawn of the Automobile Age, with only 42 fatalities from car crashes in New York City.
In that small 30-block zone last year, there were 486 reported crashes, injuring 76 cyclists, 108 pedestrians (one fatally) and 67 motorists, according to city stats. That's more than a crash every day, injuring more than 250 people.
Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the need to protect the community, stating, 'On behalf of my constituents and nearly 64,000 local residents impacted by this project, I am requesting that your administration reject any plans to expand the Cross Bronx Expressway beyond its current footprint.'
The city has rebuilt large stretches of East River Park and raised portions of the shoreline to blunt storm surges and future sea-level rise. The elevated terrain now does double duty as public playground and flood barrier, with new courts, lawns and pathways taking over much of the old footprint.
For many New Yorkers, the park is their backyard - a place where they can play a game of pick-up basketball, hold a picnic on the grass or kick a ball with their kids. These New Yorkers know the difference between a park in disarray and a park that city government has invested in.