Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Brooklyn's Ocean Parkway is a haven for reckless driving. Mamdani isn't allowed to fix it.
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Oct 29, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. ET
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Stephen Nessen / Gothamist
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Oct 29, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. ET
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Ocean Parkway was designed in the late 19th century as a peaceful, idyllic promenade stretching 5.5 miles from Prospect Park to Coney Island in Brooklyn.
These days, it’s a six-lane highway known for reckless driving.
The parkway’s problems were on full display earlier this month when the driver of an Audi A5 rear-ended a Toyota Camry, causing it to careen into another car, according to the NYPD. The 62-year-old Camry driver, who was working for Lyft, died from the crash.
That deadly collision echoed another tragedy just two blocks away on Ocean Parkway.
In March 2025, a woman who was also driving an Audi made a high-speed turn at a red light at Quentin Road and plowed into another car, which struck a mother and her three young children, according to police. The woman and her two daughters died from the crash, while her son survived with injuries.
City data shows they were among seven people who have been killed and 74 who were seriously injured in crashes on Ocean Parkway over the last five years. But state regulations prohibit Mayor Zohran Mamdani — whose administration has focused on redesigning dangerous thoroughfares — from mandating a sweeping redesign of the street.
Like the West Side Highway and the FDR Drive, Ocean Parkway is technically run by the state. Any major changes to its layout must be overseen by the state transportation department, not the city.
The state has taken some measures to improve safety on the parkway. In 2015, the speed limit on Ocean Parkway was reduced from 30 to 25 mph. In recent years, crews added left-turn restrictions on the service roads at nine intersections, replaced six stop signs with traffic signals, updated 177 pedestrian ramps, installed 159 countdown pedestrian signals and added new pavement markings, traffic signs, and high-visibility crosswalks at 10 intersections, according to state transportation officials.
But locals who live near the street said more should be done to make Ocean Parkway safer.
“They should put a gate that separates the street from the walking path, so in case a car comes in it, there's a buffer,” said Gaby Haba, 20.
Ocean Parkway was designed to be a leafy promenade for bicylists and pedestrians. Now it's a six-lane highway.
Stephen Nessen / Gothamist
Ocean Parkway was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and modeled after Paris’ grand boulevards, with the goal of connecting Prospect Park to the ocean. It was among the first highways in the United States built with leafy paths adjacent to the road. The street is also home to one of the country’s first bike paths. The leafy walkway and bike lane remain on either side of the street, but they’re squeezed between the six-lane highway and a pair of local access roads.
The street is also a haven for lead-footed drivers. An analysis from the street safety advocacy group Transportation Alternatives found an Audi A6 racked up 70 speed camera tickets on Ocean Parkway last year.
Some locals wanted the state to lower the street’s speed limit below the 25 mph restriction that’s been in place since 2015. Under a state law passed in 2024, the city transportation department is allowed to reduce the speed limit to 20 mph on many local streets. But the law prohibits such a low speed limit on main arterial roads like Ocean Parkway.
Sofia Khavin, 38, said she wished the city would make the area more friendly for pedestrians. She said the only way cars will slow down is through automated ticketing.
“Speed cameras and red-light cameras. And we need noise cameras. We need more of those,” she said.
Edva Galili, 40, commended the city for reprogramming streetlights on the parkway to give pedestrians the light to cross a few seconds before the light turns green for cars. But she urged officials to do more to overhaul the road.
“ I'm happy that they did what they did so far,” Galili said. “I wouldn't mind to see a little bit more change.”
Tagged
new york city
transportation
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NY's housing crisis is on the ballot. Here's what the candidates say they'll do about it.
Housing costs are top of mind for many voters across New York.
By
David Brand
Published Oct 29, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
Man killed in police-involved shooting in Moonachie, NJ
A New Jersey state trooper was involved in the incident Wednesday, according to the New Jersey attorney general's office.
By
Kaya Laterman
News
Man killed in police-involved shooting in Moonachie, NJ
A New Jersey state trooper was involved in the incident Wednesday, according to the New Jersey attorney general's office.
By
Kaya Laterman
Queens man took girlfriend’s body to beach in a wagon, where it remained for 5 days
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani extends NYC racial equity leader's term after Council pushes back on replacement
By
Elizabeth Kim
Woman charged with federal hate crimes after allegedly stabbing 2 Jewish men in NYC
By
Giulia Heyward
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .