• Brooklyn: 2 Cyclists Killed in Separate Crashes (Streetsblog, Newsday)
• Queens: SUV Backs Into and Kills Baby in Stroller (News, Newsday)
• Queens: Teen Dies in Fiery Stolen Car Wreck, 2 Hurt (Post, Newsday)
• Queens: Man, 53, Killed in Hit-and-Run (WABC 7)
• Manhattan: Girl, 2, Flies Out Minivan Window in Crash, Dies (Post, Newsday)
• Related: Mom is Mad With Grief (Post)
• Queens/Nassau Border: Fatal Crash Closes Southern State (Newsday)
• Ridge, L.I.: Cyclist, 37, Struck and Killed by Car; No Charges Filed (Newsday)
• Springfield Twp., N.J.: 2 Truckers Die in Head-On Crash (Star-Ledger, AP)

Frank Becerra Jr. / The Journal News

• Southeast, N.Y.: Man, 45, Dies After Car Goes Off Road (LoHud)
• Greenburgh, N.Y.: Man, 75, Killed as Vehicle Struck by Speeder (LoHud)
• Related: Wife Remains in Critical Condition (LoHud)
• Levittown, L.I.: Cyclist, 37, Struck and Killed by Bus (Newsday)
• Brick, N.J.: Pedestrian, 74, Killed by Police Cruiser (Star-Ledger)
• Yonkers: Woman, 71, Struck and Killed by Truck (LoHud)
• Related: She Is Remembered as Friendly, a Neighborhood Fixture (LoHud)
• Jersey City: 2 Children in Critical as Speeding Escalade Hits Kia (Jersey Journal)
• Related: Boy, 7, Dies; Driver, 20, Charged With Death by Auto (Star-Ledger) 
• Brentwood, L.I.: Man, 28, Killed in Single-Car Expressway Wreck (Newsday)
• Clifton, N.J.: Firefighter Killed in Motorcycle Slams Into Car (NorthJersey.com)
• Centereach, L.I.: Motorcyclist Dead in Collision With Car (Newsday)

Injuries, Arrests & Property Damage

• Queens: Hit-and-Run Leaves Construction Worker Near Death (Newsday)
• Queens: Off-Duty Firefighter Hospitalized After Wreck (Post)
• Queens: 26 Kids Hurt as School Bus Collides With Car (Newsday)
• Queens: Nightmarish Traffic Jams From Minor Crashes (Newsday)
• Brooklyn: Crash Provides Real-Life Training for EMTs-to-Be (Advance)
• Westfield, N.J.: 2 Hospitalized is Van Collides With Car (Star-Ledger)
• White Plains, N.Y.: 3-Car Pileup Lands Woman in Hospital (LoHud)
• Ewing, N.J.: 3 Men Injured as Truck Strikes Pole (Times of Trenton)
• Roosevelt, N.J.: Teen Ejected After Vehicle Hits Pole (Times of Trenton)
• Hampton Bays, L.I.: Potato Truck Tips (Newsday)

Following Up

• Somers, N.Y.: Man Dies From Crash Injuries* (LoHud)
• Manhattan: Man Kills Girlfriend, Blames Brain Damage From '95 Crash (Newsday)
• West Islip, L.I.: Pals Mourn Manhattan Cab-Crash Victim (Post)
• East Brunswick, N.J.: Teen Charged in Crash That Killed Passenger (Star-Ledger)
• Stamford, Conn.: $270G to Settle Police Crash Suit (Stamford Advocate)

Trends

• Connecticut Transportation-Related Worker Deaths Decline (Newsday)
• Letter Writers Oppose Proposed Bike-Helmet Law for Westchester (LoHud)
• Related: Helmet Law Would Discourage Cycling (LoHud)
• Related: Letter: Bike Helmet Law Would be Counterproductive (LoHud)
• Related: Bike Helmets Save Lives; Many Reasons to Oppose Law (LoHud)

Road Rage

• Staten Island: Crazed Driver Arrested for Ramming Woman (Advance, Post)

About the Weekly Carnage

*Added to fatality total.

JOB OPPORTUNITY This will be my last installment of the Weekly Carnage. Charles Komanoff has agreed to take over temporarily, but Streetsblog will need someone to edit this important column. Pay is on a per-post basis, to be discussed. Interested? E-mail tips@streetsblog.org.

Fatal Crashes (17 Killed This Week; 547 Killed This Year)

• Manhattan: Helicopter Pilot Killed as Cab Jumps Curb (Post, Newsday)
• Related: Fatal Crash Hits Home for Channel 7 (News)
• Related: Police Find No Evidence to Support Cab Driver's Claim (News)
• Related: Cabbie Tormented by Midtown Mow-Down Nightmare (Post)
• Queens: Man, 81, Killed in Hit-and-Run (News, Post, Newsday)
• Related: Driver, 29: 'I Didn't Know I Hit Anyone' (Post)
• Manhattan: Schoolboy, 8, Hit by Car, Fights for Life, but Dies (News)
• Related: Driver Approached by Unruly Mob (Post)
• The Bronx: Inwood Man, 20, Mowed Down by Hit-and-Run SUV (Post)
• Brooklyn: Out-of-Control Driver Kills Homeless Man (News)
• Manhattan: Motorcycle Kills Harlem Woman (News)
• New Brunswick, N.J.: 2 Peds Killed 4 Hours, 100 Yards Apart (Star-Ledger)
• Haverstraw, N.Y.: Car Hits Pole, Killing 2 Passengers, Both 25 (LoHud)
• Elizabeth, N.J.: Baker, Patriarch, Driver, 84, Dies (Star-Ledger, NJ.com)
• Valley Stream, L.I.: Man, 80, Killed After Running Red (Newsday)
• East Brunswick, N.J.: Driver-to-Be, 16, Killed as Passenger (Star-Ledger)
• Bay Shore, L.I.: Driver, 28, Dies as Car Veers Into Traffic (Newsday)
• East Brunswick, N.J.: Woman Struck by Car, Killed (Star-Ledger)
• Garden City Park, L.I.: Woman, 62, Dies as SUV Hits Car (Newsday)
• Howell Twp., N.J.: 1 Killed as Two Vehicles Collide (Star-Ledger)

Ricky Flores / The Journal News

Injuries, Arrests & Property Damage

• Harrison, N.Y.: Man, 63, Gets DWI Charge After Rollover (LoHud)
• Manhattan: Panhandler in Wheelchair Critically Injured by 2 Cars (Newsday)
• Staten Island: Girl, 4, Hit by Car (NYT, Post)
• Related: She's on Respirator, Ribs Broken (Advance)
• Staten Island: Couple Hurt in Crash Near Hospital (Advance)
• Mt. Vernon, N.Y.: Driver, 76, Charged After Hitting Cyclist, 38 (LoHud)
• Princeton, N.J.: Cyclist Critically Injured (Times of Trenton)
• Neconset, L.I.: Cyclist, 15, Critically Injured by SUV (Newsday)

Lou Minutoli / Newsday

• West Hempstead, L.I.: Cars Collide Head-On, 2 Injured (Newsday [scroll])
• Tarrytown, N.Y.: Pedestrian, 63, Injured on Main Street (LoHud)
• Yonkers: 5 Flee Traffic Stop; Cops Pursue, Smashing Buggy (LoHud)
• Bayonne, N.J.: Hero Pulls Woman From Crushed Car (Jersey Journal)
• Bridgeport, Conn.: 1 Critical After Crash (Conn Post)
• Mt. Pleasant, N.Y.: DWI Charge After Parkway Crash (LoHud)
• Bellport, L.I.: Motorcyclist Injured in Collision With Taxi (Newsday)
• Stony Point, N.Y.: Woman Hospitalized After Collision With Police Car (LoHud)
• Lopatcong, N.J.: Motorcyclist Critical After Crash (NJ Express Times)

Following Up

• Queens: Morning Ritual: Visit to Scene Where Daughter Died (News)
• Queens: 12-Year-Old Girl Fights to Walk Again (News)
• Hauppauge, L.I.: Drunken Driver Sentenced in Crash Death (Newsday) 
• East Brunswick, N.J.: Families Offer Reward in Fatal Crash Probe (Star-Ledger)
• Hempstead, L.I.: NYPD Officer Faces Perjury Charge in Car Wreck (Newsday)
• Greenwich, Conn.: Driver Charged in Death of Friend (Stamford Advocate)
• Jersey City: Benefit for 4-Month-Old Who Lost Father (Jersey Journal)
• Newark: 27 Suspended for Looking at Cloony Post-Crash Info (Newsday)

Trends

• Renewed Calls for Pedestrian Safety as Toll Mounts (Streetsblog)
• Car Insurers' Devices Track Teen Drivers (Newsday)
• Auto Body Shop Sues Insurer for $40 Million (LoHud)
• New Jersey Building Barriers to Cut Crossover Crashes (NJ.com)
• Staten Island Pols Want Left Turn Lanes (Advance)

About the Weekly Carnage

Fatal Crashes (21 Killed This Week; 530 Killed This Year)

• Brooklyn: Van Crushes Man as Pregnant Wife, 3 Kids Watch in Horror (News)
• Manhattan: Drunk Driver Kills Pedestrian in Hit-and-Run: Cops (Post, Streetsblog)
• Related: Vehicular Homicide Charge; Bail Set at $75,000 (News, Streetsblog)
• Related: Driver 'Knew' He Hit Beauty, but Left Her to Die: DA (Daily News)
• Related: Blond Beauty Was Showing Off City to a Visiting Pal (Post)
• Related: Memorial Held (Time's Up via Streetsblog)
• Staten Island: Teen Crashes Car, Leaves Pal to Die: Cops (News, Post, Advance)
• Related: Tears, then Rage, for DWI Victim's Mom (Advance)
• Related: Case Will go to Special Prosecutor (Advance)
• Related: Father is a Lawman for Andrew Cuomo (News)

• Newark: Driver in Stolen Car Kills Pedestrian in Hit-and-Run (Star-Ledger)
• The Bronx: Parkway Crash Kills 1, Injures 8 (News, Post)

• Goshen, N.Y.: Brooklyn Boy Survives as Both Parents Killed (News, Post)
• Wolcott, Conn.: 3 Teens Die in Car Wreck (NYT, Conn Post)
• Sayreville, N.J.: Cyclist, 33, Struck and Killed by Van (Star-Ledger)
• Lawrence, N.J.: Cyclist, 50, Dies; May Have Been Hit by Car (Times of Trenton)
• Monroe, N.J.: Toddler Killed by SUV as He Walks Into Street (Star-Ledger)
• Greenwich, Conn.: 2 Dead as Car Slams Into Fire Patrol (Stamford Advocate)
• Livingston, N.J.: Sports-Loving Staten Islander Killed in Crash (Advance)
• Hicksville, L.I.: Man, 41, Killed in High-Speed Crash (Newsday)
• Boonton, N.J.: Motorist Killed After Veering Off Road (NJ.com)
• Monroe Twp., N.J.: Big Rig Flips, Killing Driver (NJ.com)
• Watchung, N.J.: Man Killed as Motorcycle Drifts (Somerset Reporter)

Injuries, Arrests & Property Damage

• Jersey City: 3 Separate Hit-and-Runs Injure 3 Pedestrians (Jersey Journal)
• Staten Island: 7 Hurt, 1 Gravely, as Car Slams Into Bus (Daily News)
• Bayonne, N.J.: Hero Pulls Woman From Crushed Car as Fire Erupts (J.Journal)
• Bridgeport, Conn.: Car Hits Family During Police Pursuit (Conn Post)
• Greenburgh, N.Y.: Car Hits Special-Needs Children's Van (LoHud)
• Old Bridge, N.J.: 2 Hurt as Crash Shuts Down Route 9 (Star-Ledger)
• Perth Amboy, N.J.: Pedestrian Critically Injured by Car (NJ.com)
• Plainsboro, N.J.: At least 6 Hurt, Some Seriously, in Pileup (Times of Trenton)

Following Up

• Uniondale, L.I.: Mother, 48, Hit by Van Dies From Injuries* (Newsday)
• Kingston, N.Y.: Guilty Plea in Crash That Killed Staten Islander (Advance) 
• Garden City, L.I.: Up to 7 Years for Student in Golf Club Horror (Newsday)
• Newark: Motorcyclists Rally for Girl, 11, Killed in Hit-and-Run (Star-Ledger)
• Newark: Teen Gets 10 Years in Fatal Car Chase (Star-Ledger)
• Pelham, N.Y.: Family Recalls 'Sparkle' of Officer Killed in Crash (LoHud)
• Camden, N.J.: Corzine Gets 4th Leg Operation (Daily News)
• Inwood, L.I.: Driver Charged in Fatal Crash (Newsday)
• Elizabeth, N.J.: Prosecutor Drops Charges Against Samaritan (Star-Ledger)
• West Nyack, N.Y.: Seniors Get Bereavement Help Following Fatal Crash (LoHud)

Trends

• Queens: Students Create Ad Campaign Against Reckless Driving (Daily News)
• Mt. Olive, N.J.: Traffic Safety Concerns Mounting (Warren Reporter)
• Summit, N.J.: Pedestrians and Drivers Are Safer in Town These Days (Indy Press)
• Editorial: On Safety for Older and Younger Drivers (LoHud)
• Texting and Driving: Do We Really Need a Law for Common Sense? (LoHud)

Upstate Report

• Jasper, N.Y.: 4 Teens Found Dead in Crashed Car** (Newsday)

About the Weekly Carnage

*Added to this week's fatality total
**Not included in fatality totals because this is outside of the metropolitan area.

Fatal Crashes (13 Killed This Week; 509 Killed This Year)

• Brooklyn: 2 in Car Crushed to Death by Dump Truck (NY Post, Newsday)
• Manhattan: Driver Fleeing Crash Kills Queens Woman, Flees (Post, News)
• Queens: Man, 18, Killed in a 2-Car Collision (Newsday)
• Florida: Staten Island 9/11 Survivor Dies in Car Crash (Advance)

James Carbone / Newsday

• New Hyde Park, L.I.: Woman, 18, Dies From Crash Injuries (Newsday)
• Sayreville, N.J.: Woman, 19, Dies of Crash Injuries (Star-Ledger)
• Related: 3 Teens Injured in Car Crash (Star-Ledger)
• Patchogue, L.I.: Cyclist Mowed Down by Pickup (Daily News, Newsday)

Kathy Gardner/The Journal News

• New City, N.Y.: Car Jumps Curb, Hits Bench, Killing 1 (Journal News)
• Cortlandt, N.Y.: Officer, 34, Dies as Car Veers Into Tree (Journal News)
• Yaphank, L.I.: Out-of-Control Truck Kills Woman, 46 (Newsday)
• Watchung, N.J.: Man Dies as Motorcycle Veers from Road (NJ.com)
• Delaware, N.J.: Ironworker Dies as Motorcycle and Car Collide (Star-Ledger)

Injuries, Arrests & Property Damage

James Carbone / Newsday

• Shoreham, L.I.: Teen Hits Empty School Bus Head-On (Newsday)
• NYC: Supervisor Fined $5K for Using City Van for Personal Use (Daily News)
• Staten Island: Firefighter Arrested for Off-Duty DWI (Daily News)
• The Bronx: WWII Vet Nearly Drives Off of Cliff (Gothamist)
• Weehawken, N.J.: George Clooney Hurt in Motorcycle Crash (Daily News)
• Related: 911 Confusion as Stars Bleed (Jersey Journal)
• N.J. Turnpike: Driver Ejected, in Extremely Critical Condition (Star-Ledger)
• Uniondale, L.I.: Mom, 2 Kids, Hit by Suspended License Driver (Newsday)
• Mt. Vernon, N.Y.: Teen Charged After Hit-and-Run and Chase (Journal News)
• Rahway, N.J.: Pickup Rams Into Garage, Causes Spill (Star-Ledger)
• New Haven, Conn.: 2 Firefighters Hit by Car (Firehouse.com)
• Eastchester, N.Y.: Cop Swerves to Avoid Car, Hits Pole (Journal News)
• Kenilworth, N.J.: Revoked-License Driver Hurt Hitting Pole (Suburban News) 
• Bridgeport, Conn.: Motorcyclist, 20, Critically Injured (Journal News) 
• Irvington, N.Y.: Wrong-Way Driver Cited; None Injured (Journal News)

Road Rage

• Southern State Pkwy: Man Beats Driver Who Rear-Ended Him (Newsday)

Following Up

• Manhattan: Hit-and-Run Marine Gets Six Months (NY Post, Newsday, LoHud)
• Randolph, N.J.: Marine Indicted in Fatal Car Crash (Star-Ledger)
• Hoboken, N.J.: Worker Says Cops Slow to File Crash Report (Jersey Journal)
• Freehold, N.J.: Jury Indicts Motorist in Fatal Crash (Times of Trenton)

Trends

• OnStar Data Used to Study Crashes (AP via Newsday)
• Staten Island Traffic Fixes Saving Lives (S.I. Advance)
• New Jersey Doctors Fight Limit in Billing Auto Insurers (Star-Ledger)

About the Weekly Carnage

Here are snapshots of the scoreboard at Yankee Stadium last Sunday. (The Yanks beat Toronto, 7-5.) Despite the perceived parking hardship, average attendance at the stadium has been 52,739 this season, an all-time record.

Naturally, this casts further doubt on the need for all those (all together now) publicly funded parking spaces -- a project that has already caused actual hardship for South Bronx residents who, to add injury to injury, saw neighborhood park land poached and replaced (temporarily, at least) by a stinky plastic heat island.

Assuming the garages are built as planned, and prove as unprofitable as expected, will the scoreboard still "strongly suggest using public transportation"?

• NYC: 2 Men Die in Separate Wrecks; 1 Critical After a Hit-and-Run (Newsday)
• Brooklyn: Car Hits and Kills Fearless Iraq Vet on Motorcycle (NY Post, Newsday)
• Related: 'He Was Proud to Serve His Country' (NY Post)
• E. Rutherford, N.J.: Turnpike Crash Kills Westchester Man (Star-Ledger, LoHud)

Photo via Gothamist

Injuries, Arrests & Property Damage

• Staten Island: Big Rig Plunges, Nearly Killing 2 (Gothamist, News, Advance)
• Manhattan: Runaway SUV Causes Multi-Vehicle Wreck* (Daily News)
• Staten Island: Driver, 60, Severely Hurt in Expressway Crash (S.I. Advance)
• Manhattan: Cab Bursts Into Flames in Midtown (Gothamist)
• Manhattan: Another Cab Bursts Into Flames in Midtown (City Room)

Mike Aquilia / RNN

• Kent, N.Y.: Out-of-Control Minivan Knocks Out Power to Town (Journal News)
• Mt. Vernon, N.Y.: Driver, 70, Arrested After Hitting Cop With Car (Journal News)
• Hamilton Twp., N.J.: SUV Flips After Driver Runs Stop Sign (Star-Ledger)
• Middle Island, L.I.: Driver, 18, Critically Injured in Hit-and-Run (Newsday)
• Yonkers: Driver Who Fled Crash Was Drunk, Police Say (Journal News)
• Hamilton Twp., N.J.: 2 Injured in Three-Car Wreck (Times of Trenton)
• Greenlawn, L.I.: Driver in Critical Condition After Crash (Newsday)
• S. Brunswick, N.J.: 2 Teens Hurt in Collision Outside School (Times of Trenton)

Following Up

• Brentwood, L.I.: Driver in Hit-and-Run Says She Panicked (Newsday)
• White Plains, N.Y.: Woman Faces Prison Time in Fatal DWI Wreck (Journal News)
• Roslyn Heights, L.I.: Cops Find Vehicle Used in July Hit-and-Run (Newsday)
• Queens: 'This Was a Violent, Sudden Death' (Daily News)
• Long Island: Family Pleased With Sentence in Fatal House Crash (Newsday)

Cars & Animals

• Staten Island: Driver Runs Over 24 Pigeons, Denies Cruelty (S.I. Advance)

Trends

• New Jersey: Task Force Studies Ways to Make Teens Safer (NJ.com)
• Choosing the Right Car for Your Teenager (Newsday)
• Keep Kids Safe: Drive Slowly Near Schools (Journal News)
• Connecticut to Launch Truck Inspection Program (Hartford Courant)

About the Weekly Carnage

*The driver of the SUV apparently died of a heart attack; not counted in fatalities.

Fatal Crashes (15 Killed This Week; 492 Killed This Year)

• Queens: Drunk Driver, 22, Killed, 4 Passengers Hurt (Daily News, NY Post)
• Manhattan: Fatal Hit-and-Run; Suspect Arrested (Gothamist)
• Jackson Twp., N.J.: 3 Teens Die Where 2 Died This Year (Star-Ledger)
• Seaford, L.I.: Pedestrian, 80, Struck by Motorist; No Charges (Newsday)
• West Babylon, L.I.: Cyclist, 14, Struck and Killed by Minivan (Newsday)
• Bridgehampton & Bellmore, L.I.: 2 Killed in Separate Crashes (Newsday)
• Mount Kisco, N.Y.: Passenger Killed in 1-Car Crash; Driver Charged (LoHud)
• Branford, Conn.: Garbage Truck Kills Wheelchair Bound Man, 48 (Newsday)
• Woodmere, L.I.: Motorcyclist Hit by Car, Killed (Newsday)
• Suffern, N.Y.: Motorcyclist Killed in Collision With Car (Journal News)
• Shirley, L.I.: Motorcyclist Loses Control, Veers Off Road (Newsday)
• Union City, N.J.: Motorcyclist Killed on Viaduct (Jersey Journal)

Frank Becerra Jr. / The Journal News

Injuries, Arrests & Property Damage

• Harrison, N.Y.: Driver Hurt After Car Flips Into River (Journal News)
• Manhattan: Woman Critical After Being Pinned Under Van (WABC 7)
• Queens: SUV Forces Car Off Road, Girl, 4, Comatose (Daily News [last])
• The Bronx: 4 Officers Injured as 2 Police Cars Collide (WABC 7)
• Brentwood, L.I.: Driver Hits Boy, Nabbed After Motorist Pursues (Newsday)
• Metuchen, N.J.: Two-Car Crash Sends Taxi Into a House (Star-Ledger)
• Harrison, N.Y.: Cyclist, 50, Walks Away After Collision With Car (Journal News)
• Oceanside, L.I.: 2 Apparently Drunk Drivers Collide, One Critical (Newsday)
• Old Westbury, L.I.: Officer Hit by Car During Traffic Stop (Newsday)
• Amagansett, L.I.: 2 Injured, 1 Critically, in Collision (Newsday)

• Brooklyn: 2 Hospitalized as Car Crashes Into Sidewalk Shed (NY1, WABC 7)
• South Brunswick, N.J.: 4 Hurt as Motorist Slams Into Police SUV (Star-Ledger)
• Ramapo, N.Y.: Monster Truck Rolls Over Woman; Driver in Custody (LoHud)
• L.I. Expressway: Series of Wrecks Snarl Commute (Newsday)
• Guilford, Conn.: Cyclist, 13, Injured in Hit-and-Run (WTNH)
• Pound Ridge, N.Y.: Woman Injured as Car Veers Off Road (Journal News)
• Jersey City, N.J.: Motorcyclist Injured in Collision With SUV (Jersey Journal)
• Eastchester, N.Y.: Woman Struck by Car Receives Minor Injured (Journal News)
• Avon, Conn.: Jersey City Trucker Narrowly Averts Tragedy (Star-Ledger)

Following Up

• Jersey City, N.J.: Husband Pleads for Help in $1.75M Hospital Bill (Jersey Journal)
• Riverhead, L.I.: 18 Year to Life After '06 Road Chase and Slay (Daily News)
• Andover, N.J.: Former Town Official On Trial in Hit-and-Run (Star-Ledger)
• Trenton, N.J.: Several More Days in Hospital for Corzine (NY Post, Star-Ledger)
• Newton, N.J.: Woman Charged in Crash That Killed 2 Brooklynites (Star-Ledger)

Trend

• D.C. Panel Urges States to Require Motorcyclists to Use Helmets (AP/Newsday)

About the Weekly Carnage

Some new Class 2 bike lanes have been striped in some out-of-the way places. The brand new Gerard Avenue bike lane, shown here at 149th Street, leads past a gas station to Yankee Stadium. This is listed as "planned" on the 2007 bike map (pdf), so it is nice to see the plan being filled out.  It looks like another one is about to be striped on parallel Walton Avenue as well.

Robert Stolarik for The New York Times

Fatal Crashes (19 Killed This Week; 477 Killed This Year)

• The Bronx: 4 Die as Pa.-Plated Speeding SUV Flips, Crumples (NYT, Daily News)
• Related: Woman Recalls Son Who Died (Newsday)
• Brooklyn: Boy, 7, Crossing Street, Struck By 2 Cars; One Driver Flees (NYT)
• Related: Driver, 20, Arrested (Daily News)
• Manhattan: Father of Two, 47, Killed Crossing Street (NY Post, Newsday)
• Manhattan: Before the Taxi Strike, Bay Shore Man, 81, Struck by Taxi (Newsday)

• Staten Island: Wrong-Way Driver Causes Pileup, Killing Man (Post, Advance)
• Queens: Cyclist, 31, Killed in Collision With Bus (Flushing Times Ledger)
• Greenlawn, L.I.: Matriarch Run Over by Neighbor Who Blames Coffee Spill (News)
• Related: Actually, Reporter Finds Drug Paraphernalia; Driver Arrested (AP/News)
• Related: Driver Details His Use of Drugs Before Crash (Newsday) 
• Newark: Woman, 32, Killed in Hit-and-Run; 2 Suspects Arrested (Star-Ledger) 
• Islip, L.I.: Driver Killed Crashing Into House; It Will be Demolished (Daily News)
• Greenwich, Conn.: Bronx Man Killed as Pickup Hits Tree (Stamford Advocate)
• Lloyd Harbor, L.I.: Woman, 87, Crashes; Heart Attack Suspected (Newsday)
• Setauket, L.I.: Driver, 82, Killed as Another Driver Runs a Red Light (Newsday)

• New Haven, Conn.: Man Killed as Vehicle Hits Tree (WFSB)
• Clinton Twp., N.J.: Student Dies After Car Hits Tree (Hunterdon Democrat)
• Mineola, L.I.: Motorcyclists Dies After Collision With Car (Newsday)
• Trumbull, Conn.: Motorcyclist Dies in Crash (Stamford Advocate)

Injuries, Arrests & Property Damage

• Brooklyn: Cyclist Injured in Prospect Heights Hit-and-Run (WABC 7)
• Queens: Officer on Bike Hit by Car (NY Sun)
• Staten Island: DWI Rap for Off-Duty Cop, 27, After Crash (S.I. Advance)
• Staten Island: DWI Rap for Off-Duty Firefighter, 52, After Crash (S.I. Advance)
• Staten Island: Crash on Expressway Wrecks Commute (S.I. Advance)
• New Cassel, L.I.: 2 Bicyclists Badly Hurt by Out-of-Control SUV (Newsday)
• Brentwood, L.I.: Driver Breaks Girlfriend's Leg (Newsday)
• Morris Twp., N.J.: 3-Time Offender Injures Woman (Star-Ledger)
• Lindenhurst, L.I.: SUV Broadsides Car; Father and Tot Injured (Daily News)
• Sagtikos, L.I.: 2 Injured in Bizarre 16-Car Chair-Reaction Pileup (Newsday)
• Central Islip, L.I.: Arrest After Man, 67, Injured by Van in Hit-Run (Newsday)
• Westbury, L.I.: Truck Flips, 2 Flee, Spilled Load of Nails Snarls L.I.E. (Newsday)
• Toms River, N.J.: Person Trapped Under Car After Major Wreck (NJ.com)
• Lawrence, N.J.: Injuries Follow 4-Vehicle Wreck (Times of Trenton)
• Trenton, N.J.: 2 Hurt as SUV and Pickup Truck Collide (Times of Trenton)
• Lawrence, N.J.: SUV Flips After Collision, Injuring Driver (NJ.com)
• Garden City, L.I.: Bus Hits 9th Grader, His Condition Critical (Daily News)
• West Windsor, N.J.: 2 Hurt as BMW Hits Tree (Times of Trenton)
• Lawrence, N.J.; Car Snaps Utility Pole, Injures Driver (NJ.com)
• Armonk, N.Y.: Head-On Collision Reported (Journal News)
• Greenburgh, N.Y.: Driver Injured Crashing Into Tree at Cemetery (Journal News)
• Woodbridge, N.J.: Teen Faces 3 Years for Tossing Rocks at Cars (Star-Ledger)

Following Up

• Brooklyn: Insurance Justice Eludes Cop 3 Years After Hit-and-Run (Daily News)
• Stratford, Conn.: Mother Charged in Crash That Killed Her Kids (AP/Newsday)

Trends

• Deaths Down on New Jersey's Highways (NJ Express Times)
• N.J. Freeholder Will Help Study Teen Driving Habits (Star-Ledger)

About the Weekly Carnage

Photo: G.N. Miller/New York Post

• Manhattan: DWI Driver Kills Delivery Worker (NY Post, Newsday)
• Yonkers, N.Y.: Driveway Death as Car Rolls Over Owner (Journal News, Newsday)
• Related: Car May Have Been Out of Gear (Journal News) 
• Bedford Hills, N.Y.: Driver, 20, Charged After His Brother Dies (Journal News)
• Newark: Pedestrian Killed (NJ.com)
• Queens: 12-Year-Old Boy Hitches a Ride on a Truck and Is Killed (Newsday)
• North Patchogue, L.I.: Cyclist, 37, Struck by Car and Killed (Newsday)
• Flanders, L.I.: 2 Drivers Killed in Head-On Crash (Newsday)
• Hamilton, N.J.: Crash Kills Driver; Passenger Critical (Times of Trenton)
• West Babylon, L.I.: Pedestrian Returning from Hospital Killed by Car (Newsday)
• Holbrook, L.I.: Man, 21, Dies on Hamburger Bun Run (Newsday) 
• Shirley, L.I.: Daughter, 23, Dies as Mother Hits Tree (Newsday)
• Nanuet, N.Y.: DWI Charge After Head-On Crash Kills One (Journal News)
• Freehold, N.J.: Man Killed as Motorcycle and Car Collide (Times of Trenton)

Injuries, Arrests & Property Damage

Frank Becerra Jr. / The Journal News

• Patterson, N.Y.: Driver Seriously Injured in Rollover (Journal News)
• Brooklyn: Teen Cyclist Pinned by SUV Is Saved by Passers-By (Daily News)
• Manhattan: Taxi Misses Road, Ends Up In Dry Cleaners (The Villager)
• Brooklyn: Officer Hurt in Hit-and-Run (NY Post)
• Brooklyn: Man Critical After East New York Hit-and-Run (NY1)
• Knowlton Twp., N.J.: SUV Flies Off Road, Injuring Five (Star-Ledger)
• Sunrise Highway, L.I.: Wrong-Way Driver Causes Scare (Newsday)
• Yonkers, N.Y.: 3 Injured in 2 Accidents During Car Chase (Journal News)
• New Cassel, L.I.: Motorcyclist Loses Leg in Collision With Car (Newsday)
• Monsey, N.Y.: Sanitation Worker Hospitalized After Hit (Journal News) 
• Princeton, N.J.: Truck Spills Garbage, Closing Road (Times of Trenton) 

Following Up

• Old Bridge, N.J.: Student in Critical Condition Dies* (Times of Trenton)
• Manhattan: Ped Killed at West Street Was Video Producer (Villager [scroll])
• Charges for N.J. Driver After Death of Brooklyn Couple (Star-Ledger)
• Brooklyn Man Indicted in Livery Driver's Death (Newsday)
• Jersey City: Charges for Off-Duty Cop in Deadly Crash (Jersey Journal)
• NYPD Cover-Up Alleged in Fatal Brooklyn Hit-and-Run (Newsday)
• Cops Say Rye Student Who Died Had Alcohol and Marijuana (Journal News) 
• Civil Suit Filed in UConn Hit-and-Run (Newsday)

Trends

• 3 New England States Team Up for Road Safety (Newsday)
• New Jersey Towns Take a Walk on the Safe Side (Star-Ledger)
• Doe Raising Two Fawns in a Staten Island Cloverleaf (S.I. Advance)

Opinion

• Letter: Minimum Driving Age Must Be Raised (Journal News)

*Crash was on Aug. 14; added to this week's fatality totals. 

About the Weekly Carnage

Thanks all for reading and commenting on our non-motorized honeymoon travel series (see parts 1, 2, 3 and 4). Below is a table Susan put together to briefly summarize some of our observations on the cities we visited.

For those of you who want some more U.S. transit-oriented travel stories, check out Twin City Sidewalks' visits to Chicago and Washington, Babylon, L.I., Savannah, Ga. and Durham, N.C., and also visit Dave KCMO, who liveblogged his 8,789 miles on Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada.

Fatal Crashes (25 Killed This Week; 444 Killed This Year)

• Greenburgh, N.Y.: Sprain Brook Rollover Kills Driver (Journal News)
• Manhattan: Pedestrian, 42, Struck Crossing West Side Highway* (Villager)
• Brooklyn: DWI Charge After Speeder Kills Good Samaritan (Daily News, NY Post)
• Queens: SUV Smashes Into Parked Motorcyclist, Killing 1 (NYT, NY Post)
• Clinton, N.Y.: Rye Cyclist, 41, Hit from Behind and Killed (Journal News)
• Bristol, Conn.: 4 Teens Killed, 3 Injured in 2-Car Wreck (AP/Newsday)
• Hardyston, N.J.: Brooklyn WTC Survivor and Wife Killed in Crash (Star-Ledger) 
• Lakeview & Hewlett, L.I.: Separate Crashes Kill 2, Injure 4 (Newsday)
• Stamford, Conn.: Pedestrian Killed; Driver Gets Manslaughter Charge (Advocate)
• Wyandanch, L.I.: Driver Arrested for DUI After Passenger Killed (Newsday)
• Chappaqua, N.Y.: Chess Master, 76, Killed in Head-On (Journal News)
• Sag Harbor, L.I.: Teen Driver Dies as BMW Slams Into Trees (Newsday)
• Coram, L.I.: Woman, 21, Trying to Pass SUV Killed in Head-On (Newsday)
• New Brunswick, N.J.: Man Killed as Car Swerves and Hits Pole (Star-Ledger)
• Carle Place, L.I.: Motorist Killed Veering Into Path of Truck (Newsday)
• Long Island: 2 Motorcyclists Killed, 1 Injured, in Three Crashes (Newsday)
• North Amityville, L.I.: Man, 36, Killed After Car Hits Tree (Newsday)
• Dix Hills, L.I.: Man Charged in Swindle Dies in Motorcycle Crash (Newsday)

Injuries, Arrests & Property Damage

• Manhattan: Car Chase After Cabby Hits Pedestrian (NY Post)
• Staten Island: Girl, 16, Critically Injured by Car (S.I. Advance)
• Staten Island: 6 Injured in 2-Car Crash (S.I. Advance)
• Newark: Jeep Cherokee Strikes Pole; Man Fatally Shot Nearby (Star-Ledger)
• Staten Island: Directionless Driver Rams Car Into Building (S.I. Advance)
• Hillcrest, N.Y.: Man Arrested After Crashing Van Into Home (Journal News)
• Staten Island: Grandma's Car Stolen, Wrecked (S.I. Advance)
• Springfield, N.J.: Driver Critical After Car Hit by Dump Truck (Times of Trenton)
• Cross County Pkwy, N.Y.: 4 Teens Flee From Flipped-Over Car (Journal News)
• Old Bridge, N.J.: Disabled Person Has Heart Attack After Crash (Star-Ledger)
• Orangeburg, N.Y.: Man, 81, Deposits Car Into Bank (Journal News)
• Cross County Pkwy, N.Y.: Mom Charged With DWI; 2 Kids in Car (Journal News)
• Mount Pleasant, N.Y.: Unlicensed Driver Charged With Hit-Run (Journal News)

Following Up

• Valhalla, N.Y.: Injured Motorist Dies in Hospital** (Journal News)
• Chappaqua, N.Y.: Pedestrian Killed at Intersection Is Remembered (Journal News)
• Manhattan: Cabbie's Lie Killed Co-Ed, Cops Charge (S.I. Advance)
• Glen Cove, L.I.: 4 Years for Driver Who Hit People at Golf Club (Newsday) 
• Secaucus, N.J.: Crash Victims Fight for Life as Infant Buried (Jersey Journal)
• Trumbull, Conn.: Cop Sues Cops After Pursuit Crash (NYT, AP/Newsday)
• Roselle Park, N.J.: Dispute Lingers in Good Samaritan Legal Case (Star-Ledger)
• Secaucus, N.J.: Rescuers Hold Fund-Raiser for Injured Pair (Jersey Journal)

Trend

• 'Bicyclists Posing a Safety Hazard on Our Roadways' (Journal News)

About the Weekly Carnage

*This is from last week; added to this week's fatality totals
**Added to fatality totals

Susan Donovan boarding Metro-North Train No. 737 on July 11, beginning an 8,000-mile rail journey at Grand Central Terminal.

I always find it a little amazing that a handful of times a day, one can descend into Penn Station -- the place where you go to catch the 6:13 to Babylon or the 7:37 to Upper Montclair -- and from the same platforms catch a train with beds and a dining car that will take you to Chicago, or Miami or Atlanta. In this case, we forsook that little pleasure for the much greater pleasure of departing for a transcontinental honeymoon from the grandeur of Grand Central Terminal, where we ran into a friend getting his shoes shined who took our picture and good-naturedly warned us about what married life was like.

After the departure, we transferred at Croton-Harmon to the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago. This is a train that ought to be used more for business travel than it is. If you can afford to leave New York in the late afternoon, this train gets you into Chicago at a quarter to 10, refreshed, well fed and relaxed, in time for your morning meeting or power lunch. Yes, I suppose it needs a better on-time rating to be used more by business travelers, but it is not uncommon for planes to run late as well. Our train arrived at 10:28, 43 minutes late.

The train's name, evocative of the Lake Erie coastline, is a bit of a misnomer. You travel along the lake at night, so you never really see it (at least I never have and I've taken this train quite a few times to Cleveland). But can see something with majestic views that more than makes up for it. The wide and mighty Hudson, which the train hugs all the way to Albany.

View of ship traffic on the Hudson River from the Lake Shore Limited.

After spending time in Chicago we caught the Empire Builder for a three-day, two-night trip to Seattle. Pulling through Chicagoland's suburbs, I noticed a number of shipping warehouses with spur tracks going into them that were buried and weedy, while trucks in large parking lots had taken over rail-marshalling yards. The freight railroads stock was on the rise for years before Warren Buffet started buying (look up BNI, UNP, CSX or NSC for some examples), and these warehouses indicate that they have plenty of room for continued growth if shippers continue to switch to fuel efficient freight rail. An hour and a half later, we were in Milwaukee, which seemed like a city we would have liked:

Milwaukee waterfront as seen from the Empire Builder.

After Milwaukee we rumbled into Minnesota, stopping at St. Paul and passing the Mississippi what seemed like four or five times. Then it was a long night and day roll through the northern prairie and big sky country of Montana before we got to the Rockies. To answer Ianqui's question from the other day, yes, the trains generally seemed filled to capacity, although people would get on and off at intermediate stops to create an ever-changing dynamic. The Empire Builder was the most crowded, and it would have been impossible to book this one but we lucked out because someone cancelled. Here's the scene at Whitefish, Mont., where we stopped at 10 p.m.

The Empire Builder stops in Whitefish, Mont.

The Empire Builder came to its final stop, Seattle, at 9:42 a.m., 43 minutes ahead of schedule. After our visit there we boarded the Pacific Northwest's version of Acela: the Cascades. It's a sleekly designed train imported from Europe that makes medium-distance runs between Vancouver, B.C., and southern Oregon. This is a train that is trying as much as possible to be an airplane. They have television screens that show your relative position over the land you're traveling, which they sometimes show on a flight, and a looooong safety video that goes into way too much detail for a train. By the end of it, you're waiting for them to say: In the event of a water landing, your seat cushion may be used as a flotation device. But the food car has a counter where you can sit and a hip and modern ambiance.

Amtrak's Cascades arrives in Portland.

After the Cascades took us to Portland, we switched to the West Coast's long-distance train, the Coast Starlight, for two runs: An overnight trip to Oakland, and what was to have been a daytime trip from San Jose to Los Angeles. This train had the worst on-time performance of our trip, but it had the coolest lounge. Actually, it is called the Parlor Car, to distinguish it from the lounge car next door. With wood and glass paneling and plush swivel seats and benches, this lives up to its old-timey sounding name. The parlor car is where we had our second wine-and-cheese tasting. (The first had been on the Empire Builder.) Downstairs, there was even an unused movie theater. Here's a photo of the Coast Starlight rounding a sharp bend as we approached the Bay Area.

The Coast Starlight rounds a bend in northern California.

We pulled into Oakland four hours late and hopped the BART at Lake Merrit to San Francisco. After our time there, rather than go back on the BART again, we we rode the MUNI light rail (it was packed with baseball fans hoping to see Barry Bonds hit his 755th home run) to CalTrain for a ride south along the San Francisco peninsula to San Jose. CalTrain is a double-decker commuter train that has an incomparable feature that encourages intermodal, non-oil-guzzling transportation: The bike car. The bottom level has a large open space where you bring your bike in and tie it to racks on the wall. You sit upstairs. I'll write it again because it is such a pleasure to type: bike car. Only in California.

At San Jose, we caught the second of the two Coast Starlights, and it was running even later. The morning we were to head to Los Angeles, a woman from Amtrak called to say that our train was running 12 hours late. It had gotten stuck behind a freight train in the Cascades mountains and that train had broken down. As she no doubt prepared for me to fly into an apoplectic rage, I just said, "Great! Give us a sleeper!" Actually, we had already been in touch with Julie, Amtrak's ever-chipper automated agent, who told us about the lateness. (When traveling on Amtrak, you have to maintain constant contact with Julie, who always has up-to-date information and has the potential to reduce your wait time dramatically.) I was actually excited because the lateness gave us 12 more hours in San Francisco, time to sleep in, and saved us money because we were able to cancel a hotel room.

A little while after arriving in L.A. we departed on the Sunset Limited (the train that Pete Sessions tried to eliminate while we were on it), for the longest train of our trip -- a 48-hour ride to New Orleans. We took a lot of photographs on that train because there were plenty of sights that illustrate humanity's impact on the environment.

Automobile junkyard outside Los Angeles as seen from the Sunset Limited.

A desert wind farm. It would take a lot of wind farms to replace the oil we import.

Newly minted desert sprawl. It sells better if you have a giant red balloon to attract attention.

If you don't have a giant red balloon, multicolored flags work well too.

Nature strikes back: A flooded automobile junkyard in east Texas.

Texas is so huge it took us 24 hours to cross it. Vast portions of the east side of the state were flooded when we passed, but thankfully this didn't stop the train. We went through Houston and on to New Orleans. People along this route seemed especially friendly. I can't shake the image of a whole crew of workers in some kind of big open warehouse stopping what they were doing and waving at the train. We pulled into New Orleans six hours late, but we didn't care much because we were just excited to be there. After our time in the Big Easy, we rode our last train home: The Crescent. You see a lot of kudzu on that route.

Kudzu vines, as seen from the Crescent.

In Washington, the Crescent picks up an electric engine for the relatively speedy home stretch along the Northeast Corridor.

In Washington, an electric locomotive prepares to pull the Crescent to New York.

As we neared home, we passed into the old Northeast. The densely built-up cities in this part of the country are obsolete -- relics of a past and much different economy that didn't allow people to have the amount of private space and separation that people demand today. Future growth will happen in low-density communities, especially in the sunbelt. At least, that is the message or implication of a long line of pundits. Joel Garreau. Joel Kotkin. David Brooks. Robert Bruegmann.

But if those guys are correct, why the evident difficulty selling those subdivisions we saw? And why are skyscrapers rising in downtown Philadelphia?

Skyscrapers under construction in downtown Philadelphia, as seen from Amtrak's Crescent.

The series will wrap-up tomorrow with a handy summary in chart form.

San Francisco

Fully restored streetcars, cable cars, buses with and without pantographs, submerged and at-grade light rail, a regional subway and two commuter rail lines all make for a dizzying array of often very scenic public transportation. (Although, with a $5 fare, the cable cars seem more like a tourist draw and less like a form of public transit.) But even in a city that like New York derives much of its appeal from having a walkable, pre-automobile environment, we read about how pro-traffic forces are trying to reshape the city to accommodate more cars. There's apparently a big vote coming up in November on whether to continue transit-first policies or build a lot of parking garages (which would seem to counteract the $159 million San Francisco just won for congestion pricing).

Los Angeles

Making fun of Los Angeles car dependency was already a cliche decades ago. We didn't want to fall into that trap. We arrived in L.A. with open minds, hoping that it just might pleasantly surprise us. It did and it didn't.

L.A.'s Amtrak station is spectacular, way better than ours (not that that says anything). High ceilings, wide corridors and open concourses with a warm, inviting feeling and soft armchairs for waiting. (Wikipedia's photo does it justice.) It was also busier than we expected, serving morning commuters when we arrived but still busy in the afternoon. It's Amtrak's fifth busiest station (scroll).

Then we exited the station and found ourselves feeling like second class citizens walking with our luggage along wide, busy boulevards and buildings that were distant from one another. Pedestrians are actually forbidden from crossing the street right in front of the station, so we had to take some kind of circuitous route to get back to the station, crossing extra streets unnecessarily. Because of a little bit of a snafu that I'll describe tomorrow, we spent less time in L.A. than we had planned: just five hours. We spent most of it struggling with a crossword puzzle outside a Starbucks three blocks from Union Station.

New Orleans

New Orleans is recovering from Katrina. We stayed across the street from a monument to General Robert E. Lee in the Central Business District, three blocks from Amtrak. This area, like the French Quarter, was never flooded and the Quarter was bustling as always on the weekend we were there. Most of the many cyclists we saw in New Orleans were riding one-speed coaster bikes, which is a trend we didn't see anywhere else. There was also a fair proportion of trikes used to haul stuff. But the transportation highlight was definitely the streetcars, which have friendly drivers, friendly fellow passengers, and tall, wide windows that allow you to see the great panorama before you. Their grassy right-of-way does its little part at reducing the portion of our country paved with the impervious surfaces like asphalt, which are so harmful to drinking water supplies. The oldest and longest streetcar line in NOLA, along St. Charles Avenue, is now running as a short downtown shuttle until the rest of the line can be put back into service. Because I love them so much: two more photos of New Orleans streetcars below the jump.

A grassy median forms the bed of the New Orleans streetcars' right-of-way in some places.

Canal Street streetcar, at the intersection where Carondelet becomes Bourbon.

In between all that fun Amtrak travel I described yesterday, my wife Susan and I stopped on our honeymoon at six great cities with an eye toward observing their built environments and transportation systems (but mostly just being plain old tourists). Below are photos and brief observations from the first three, in the order we visited.

Chicago 

The railroading capital of the United States is a great, great town, loved by New Yorkers for generations. We love it too, right?

Chicago had a lakefront exhibit of great big globes encouraging people to adopt environmentally friendly but inoffensive habits, like setting one's washing machine to cold or switching to compact florescent light bulbs. But next to the exhibit, when we tried to hail a pedicab to take us downtown, we were told that pedicabs are not allowed in the Loop. Ouch. Our recently imposed pedicab restrictions were bad enough, but this takes it to a whole new level. On the plus side, Chicago has the coolest-sounding train-related terminology that we found: the Metra Electric District.

Seattle

We had hoped not to get into a single automobile on the whole trip, but in Seattle (and only in Seattle), that broke down, mostly because we had a friend in town who owned a car and was putting us up at his place. This city has what seems like hundreds of bus routes, but the one we needed never came, even though two drivers on other routes and other passengers all swore it was running on the Sunday we arrived. After we got off the train we waited and waited for our bus. Then we took a different bus to a more central stop to try our luck there. Then our friend Matt offered to pick us up from the bus stop. We accepted because he said he completely understood our motivating principle, but was downtown anyway and would be burning the same amount of gasoline either way. He drove us again a few more times, including to Lake Union go kayaking, which was worth it.

However we still wanted to explore Seattle on foot, so we walked through downtown, adjacent Belltown, where new condos are going up like mad, and residential Queen Anne Hill. Somewhere in there we noticed the signs all around Seattle encouraging people to ride transit. They have sayings like "Take the monorail, Abigail," and "Take the bus and relax, Max." Slogans aside, Seattle already had what Ted Kheel knows is a better incentive. At least downtown, its buses are free.

Portland

Like Seattle's downtown buses, Portland's downtown light rail does not charge a fare. Our hotel was in the free zone, and we felt a little guilty riding so much for free, so we vowed to spend our extra money in various Portland businesses, like the worker-owned bicycle cooperative where we rented bikes. The bikes were great, as they allowed us to really see the city and its nearby bike trails up close and personal. As I stood watching cyclists pass by on a fully-separated bike lane next to a light rail line and a aerial tram depot, I realized why it is said that Portland has the most diverse multimodal transportation network in the country for a city its size. One of those modes is the automobile, which in places is catered to as much as any suburb. On the way to the rail, we'd pass curb cuts used by cars and SUVs in the drive-thru restaurant and drive-thru Starbucks across from our hotel, engines idling as their occupants awaited their morning venti mocha frap. Portland leads the nation in many ways, but hey, it's not perfect.

And even in Portland, we learned, bike and transit networks are under attack. This newspaper article described the efforts of one Craig Flynn, a local activist and one-time city council candidate who "thinks city transportation funds should go toward relieving congestion on freeways and other main roads, specifically adding lanes or building new freeways." He told the paper: "I feel like honking my horn going over a speed bump to irritate the people who want them there."

In tomorrow's installment, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New Orleans.

My wife and I were married last month in Brooklyn. For our honeymoon, we wanted to see as many great American cities as we could. In 19 days of travel, we visited Chicago, Seattle, Portland (Ore.), San Francisco, Los Angeles and New Orleans (and also stopped briefly in Cleveland, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Houston, Atlanta, Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia).

How could two people as obsessed as we are with minimizing our transportation carbon footprints possibly justify taking so many flights for leisure travel? We didn't take any flights. We also didn't rent any cars or even set foot in a single taxi. We learned that thanks to the magic of transit-oriented hotel development (often inadvertent), it is entirely possible to travel this great country from sea to shining sea without any of those carbon-belching modes of travel -- and still have a fantastic time.

Our intercity travel consisted of 33 miles on Metro-North (because we couldn't allow ourselves to depart for such a historic trip from Penn Station), 48 miles on CalTrain, and 7,840 miles on our underfunded national railroad, Amtrak. To travel about in town, we rented bikes in Portland but mostly used an amazing variety of light rail, bus and subway transportation, including trips on Chicago's El, Portland's TriMet light rail, San Francisco's Muni and BART and New Orleans' streetcars. All of which worked perfectly well for our purposes.

Despite the large number of transit providers, it was Amtrak that did the heavy lifting and made our vacation possible. Amtrak employees are painfully aware of the railroad's reputation as habitually late. They desperately wanted to provide an on-time, high quality service, but were demoralized when the trains ran late and frustrated because it was almost always for reasons beyond their control.

We took six Amtrak trains more or less through the entire length of their routes: The Lake Shore Limited, the Empire Builder, the Cascades, the Coast Starlight, the Sunset Limited and the Crescent. All of these trains left their departure stations on time to the minute. It wasn't until we got moving that delays occured, and these were caused by chronic underinvestment in rail infrastructure that has left many lines with just a single track. The lines are owned by freight railroads, which Amtrak pays for the rights use. The freight railroads are in increasingly intense competition with one another for customers, and have a habit of having passenger trains wait at a siding while freight trains roll through. Despite this, the Empire Builder managed to travel 2,206 miles from Chicago to Seattle and still arrive 38 minutes ahead of schedule. If our national government invested in rail improvements just a fraction of the billions of dollars it spends annually on highway maintenance and widening, Amtrak would run on time and more people would ride it.

As gasoline prices have gone up and congestion at airports has increased, Amtrak has had record ridership for multiple years in a row, despite being starved by the Bush administration, which wanted to disband the railroad, and the Republican-led Congress. Many threats remain. On the day we rode rode the Sunset Limited across Texas, a Republican congressman from Texas introduced legislation that would have eliminated the Sunset Limited. (It was defeated with the help of our region's congressional delegation by a vote of 299-130.)

But the trains are still running and we had the time of our lives on this trip. Even if its running late, and even if they've replaced the chefs in the dining car with microwave ovens, there remains something inherently enjoyable and relaxing about riding on a train across vast distances. You have time to yourself to sit and watch the world roll by, completely stress free, and sleeping in a real honest-to-God bed while rolling along through the undulating darkness is just incomparable to anything else experienced in travel. Now with the addition of laptop computers, you can watch a DVD or play tetris to pass the time, but I prefer to leave the screen off and look out the window.

This is the first part of a five-part series on our travels to run this week. Parts two and three will focus on the cities we visited, with brief updates on their struggles for livable streets. Part four will describe in greater detail the trains we rode and the sights we saw. Part five will compare the cities to one another in terms of livable streets, pedestrian-friendly development and intermodal transportation.

The great American poet Robert Hunter has written that he and the other members of the Grateful Dead had the greatest time of their lives aboard a train across Canada that carried themselves, Janice Joplin, The Band and many other musicians. That's high praise from people who spent their lives rocking out. The trip inspired Hunter to write some lines that became the motto for our honeymoon:

No big hurry
What do you say
Might as well travel
The elegant way

UPDATE: Here are the other entries in this series:

• Part 2: Chicago, Seattle, Portland
• Part 3: San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans
• Part 4: The Trains
• Part 5: Wrap-Up

• Queens: DWI Crash Kills Rap Promoter, 22 (Daily News)
• Queens: Two Pedestrians Killed in Separate Crashes (Newsday, Queens Chronicle)
• Queens: DOT Worker Placing Cones is Struck and Killed (NY Post, AM NY, NY1)
• Queens: Cyclist, 13, Killed by Driver With Dud License (Daily News, Newsday)
• Queens: Man, 19, Killed in Drag Race on Highway (Daily News, NY Post, Newsday)
• Brooklyn: Granny Run Down by Driver Cruising for Sex (Daily News, WABC 7)
• Brooklyn: Motorcyclist, 19, Killed in Collision With Flatbed Truck (Newsday)
• Manhattan: Motorcyclist Killed in Collision With Car in Chelsea (NY1)
• Nanuet, N.Y.: Man Found Dead in Stopped SUV; DWI Charge (Journal News)
• Related: Brooklyn Man May Have Stuck His Head Out the Window (Journal News)

Dave Matlow / WestportNow.com

• Westport, Conn.: Cyclist Killed in Collision With Dump Truck (Westport Now)
• Related: Cyclist Identified as 42-Year-Old Stamford Man (Stamford Advocate)
• Barnegat Twp., N.J.: Girl, 11, Killed, Mother and Grandmother Airlifted (NJ.com)
• Norwalk, Conn.: Elderly Man Struck and Killed by Truck (Stamford Advocate)
• Mahopac, N.Y.: High School Football Star Killed in SUV Rollover (Journal News) 
• Related: Mourners Bid Goodbye (Journal News)
• Boonton, N.J.: Woman, 66, Struck and Killed Crossing Street (Star-Ledger)
• New Brunswick, N.J.: Man Dies When Car Hits His Motorcycle (Star-Ledger)
• Shirley, L.I.: Tractor-Trailer Driver Dies After Veering From L.I.E. (Newsday)

Injuries, Arrests & Property Damage

Terence Corcoran / The Journal News

• Katonah, N.Y.: 2 Hurt as Subaru Collides With Flatbed Truck (Journal News)
• Brooklyn: Big Rig Crushes Legs of Beloved Woman, 84 (Daily News, NY Post)
• The Bronx: Officer Dragged by Driver Fleeing Traffic Stop (NY Sun)
• Southeast, N.Y.: No Charges for Official After Alleged Hit-Run (Journal News)
• West Islip, L.I.: Man, 23, Plows Into Girlfriend's Mom After Argument (Newsday)
• Bay Shore, L.I.: Passenger Suffers Brain Injury in Crash (Newsday)
• Staten Island: 694 Homes Lose Power After 3-Car Crash (S.I. Advance)
• Otselic, N.Y.: N.J. Man Who Ran Over Baby Sitter, 12, Charged (AP/Newsday)
• Mineola, L.I.: Gas Station Explodes, Injuring 2 Firefighters (Newsday)
• Happauge, L.I.: Truck Overturns, Spilling Keystones Onto L.I.E. (Newsday)
• Monsey, N.Y.: Van Driver Arrested in Hit-and-Run (Journal News)

Following Up

• Chappaqua, N.Y.: Site of Fatal Crash Already Targeted for Safety (Journal News)
• Riverhead, L.I.: Illegal Immigrant Sentenced in Vehicular Assault (Newsday)
• Glen Cove, L.I.: A Year Later, Woman Still in Pain (Newsday)
• Secaucus, N.J.: Friend Collecting for Crash Family (Jersey Journal) 

Trends

• Court Rules That Drivers Must Report Crashes (Star-Ledger)
• Tip: Drive Less and Save More on Insurance (Star-Ledger)

About the Weekly Carnage

Fatal Crashes (19 Killed This Week; 402 Killed This Year)

• Chappaqua, N.Y.: Pedestrian, 61, Killed on Way to Starbucks (Journal News)
• Lindenhurst, L.I.: Mother Runs Over 5-Year-Old Son (AP/Daily News)
• Related: Officer Notes "It's Just a Tragic Accident" (Newsday)
• Staten Island: Car Rear Ended, Bursts Into Flames, Killing Driver (S.I. Advance)
• Secaucus, N.J.: Mom in ICU Unaware that Daughter, 6, Died (Jersey Journal)
• Secaucus, N.J.: Driver, 81, Plows Through Bus Shelter, Killing 1 (Jersey Journal)
• Lawrence, L.I.: Parallel Parking SUV Jumps Curb, Kills Pedestrian (Newsday)
• Eastport, L.I.: Driver Loses Control, Hits Ditch, Flips Car, Dies (Newsday)
• Hamilton, N.J.: Two Women, Both 19, in Out-of-Control Sedan (Daily Journal)
• New Rochelle, N.Y.: Iona College Student, 19, Killed on I-95 (Journal News)
• Ewing, N.J.: Car Strikes and Kills Visitor from Poland, 61 (Times of Trenton)
• Hamilton, N.J.: 14-Year-Old Boy on Scooter Struck and Killed (Times of Trenton)
• South Hempstead, L.I.: Man, 41, Hits Pole, Dies (Newsday)
• Ronkonkoma, L.I.: Driver Dies After Rear Ending a Truck (Newsday)
• Raritan, N.J.: 'Unbelievable' Pileup Leaves Woman, 50, Dead (Star-Ledger)
• Woodbridge, N.J.: Man Dies as Car Veers Into Oncoming Traffic (Star-Ledger)
• Argyle, Me.: Boy, 15, From Spring Valley, N.Y., Killed in Rollover (Journal News)
• Related: That Type of Van Is Prone to Rollovers (Journal News)
• Parsippany, N.J.: Motorcyclist Loses Control and Is Killed (NJ.com)
• Cold Spring, N.Y.: Driver Dies in Single-Vehicle Crash (Journal News)

Christina Jeng / The Journal News

Injuries, Arrests & Property Damage

• West Nyack, N.Y.: Man Extricated After SUV Rollover (Journal News)
• Queens: DWI Driver Hits 3-Year-Old Girl and 2 Women (NY Post)
• Related: Driver Had Downed Bottle of Vodka (NY Post)
• Related: Driver Arraigned in Hospital Bed (AP/Newsday)
• Hillside, N.J.: Officers Crash Into Car of Suspect They're Chasing (NJ.com)
• Rye, N.Y.: Six Kids and Adult Excape Injury on Parkway Rollover (Journal News)

Kevin J. Czarzasty / FireFightningNews.com

• Waterbury, Conn.: Firefighters Free Trapped Woman (FireFighting News)
• Edison, N.J.: Woman, 50, Injured in Hit-and-Run (NJ.com)
• Bohemia, L.I.: Woman Seriously Injured in Crash (Newsday)

Following Up

• Queens: Seizure-Stricken Driver Who Killed 3 Is Charged With Lying (NYT)
• Brooklyn: Corner Named for Rookie Officer Killed in Car Wreck (AP/Newsday) 
• Brooklyn: City Will Pay $1.25M to L.I. Driver Injured by Pothole (Newsday)
• Elizabeth, N.J.: Grand Jury Indicts Man for Killing Pedestrian (Star-Ledger)

Trends

• Nissan to Introduce Self-Lifting Gas Pedal (AP/IHT)
• Hempstead Turnpike: 14 Blocks, 160 Crashes (Newsday)
• Rating Long Island's Most Dangerous Roads (Newsday)
• Newsday Readers Blame Crashes on ... Drivers (Newsday)

About the Weekly Carnage

• Suffolk, Va.: Fiery Crash Kills Six New York City Kin (NY Post)
• Related: Bronx Neighbors Erect Makeshift Memorial (Newsday)
• Related: Father of 5 Bronx Siblings Killed in Crash Collapses (NY Post)
• Related: Crash Mom Recalls Eerie Call From Kid (NY Post)
• Brooklyn: Pedestrian, 88, Killed by Teen SUV Driver (Downtown Star [2nd item])
• Brooklyn: 1 Dead, 1 Injured as Motorcycle Hits Bus (Daily News)
• Dover, Del.: Horrific Crash Kills Staten Island Girl, 4 (S.I. Advance)
• Bay Shore, L.I.: Driver, 77, Killed as Teen Runs Stop Sign (Newsday)
• Riverhead, L.I.: Passenger, 92, Dies in Crash With Pickup Truck (Newsday)
• Bridgeport, Conn.: Woman Killed When Car Collies With Fire Truck (AP/Newsday)
• Coram, L.I.: Man, 88, Dies in Crash After Leaving Church (Newsday)
• Hempstead, L.I.: Woman Killed on Way to Comfort Grieving Friend (Newsday)

Injuries, Arrests & Property Damage

• Manhattan: Man, 77, Injured Falling in Front of Moving Police Car (Daily News)
• New Hyde Park, L.I.: Unlicensed Driver on Drugs Crashes Stolen Van (Newsday)
• Bohemia, L.I.: Officer Responding to Call Hospitalized After Collision (Newsday)
• Massapequa Park, L.I.: Officer and 2 Girls Hospitalized After Collision (Newsday)
• New Cassel, L.I.: 4 Officers Struck and Dragged During Struggle (Newsday)

Following Up

• Staten Island: Tears Rain Down at Teen Driver's Funeral (S.I. Advance)
• Nassau County: Witnesses Detail Cop's Cry at Fatal Crash (Daily News, Newsday)
• Meadowbrook Parkway: DWI Killer's DNA 'Cheat' (NY Post)
• Islip Terrace, L.I.: Man Sentenced in Fatal DWI (Newsday)
• Riverhead, L.I.: Illegal Immigrant Gets 5 to 15 Years for Fatal DWI (Newsday)
• Staten Island: Woman Disabled in Crash Gets $1.25 Million (S.I. Advance)

Trends

• Staten Island Lawmakers Eye Four-Figure Fines for Recklessness (S.I. Advance)
• Nissan's Japanese Model Includes Protection for Pedestrians (Newsday)

About the Weekly Carnage

Note: Missing New Jersey and Hudson Valley news this week because of computer problems. Many thanks to Charles Komanoff for filling in on this column for the past month.

As if USA Today featuring the "Complete Streets" movement on its front page weren't enough to make one realize that walking is the biggest new way to earn your "green" points, a cool web site, Walk Score, rates the walkability of any location in the United States on a 0-100 scale. Based on the number of retail businesses and amenities near an address, this site analyzes how frequently one is likely to need to drive in the daily course of life. The closer things are to the places you're likely to need, the better your score. Finally, a site that attempts to quantify the economic, environmental and social benefits of living in a city.

Above is the walk score for the Rocky Mountain Institute, the environmental think tank with the slogan "Abundance by Design." Given their score, 6 out of 100, one can see why they are focused on creating super-efficient vehicles that run on food but are silent, as far as I can tell, about the benefits of driving less, walking more, and interacting more with ones neighbors.

By its own admission, Walk Score has its flaws. Most glaringly, it does not include the proximity to transit stops. Also, it measures distance to a destination as the crow flies instead of as the cul-de-sac bends or halts one's journey. But after plugging in a bunch of addresses, it seems remarkably accurate. Take for example, what has got to be the most walkable neighborhood in the country, planned, according to legend, by 17th century Dutch cows. When I lived there, I could go to my office, the subway, multiple restaurants, the pharmacy, and a bar without crossing the street, and the supermarket, the bank, more restaurants and bars and the bookstore were all just a minute or two away on foot. Walk Score, I think, rated it correctly: