Episode #41
How Many More? Jiayi Zheng, Third Avenue, and the Fight for Safer Streets in Sunset Park EP # 41
In this powerful and deeply personal episode of the Sunset Park Podcast, we remember Jiayi Zheng, the 28-year-old NYU Langone Brooklyn nurse killed in a hit-and-run while crossing Third Avenue at 55th Street after completing an overnight shift.Her death has renewed painful questions for Sunset Park: Why has this dangerous corridor been allowed to remain unsafe for so long? How many more pedestrians, cyclists, workers, neighbors, and family members must be injured or killed before the City of New York delivers meaningful change?As someone who lives along Third Avenue and has personally witnessed tragedies on this corridor, I share the community’s grief, anger, and demand for action. This episode examines the deadly history of Third Avenue, the risks pedestrians face at intersections like 55th Street, and the urgent safety measures that city elected officials should fight for—including a complete street redesign, safer crossings, longer pedestrian signals, traffic calming, protected bike infrastructure, better lighting, and accountability from City Hall.Jiayi Zheng should have made it home safely. Sunset Park deserves streets designed to protect human life—not corridors where preventable tragedy becomes routine.
