Bicycling

Supermodels Demand an Auto-Free New York

By Aaron Naparstek

12:46 PM EST on February 11, 2008

Remember the orange bikes locked up all around Manhattan during Fashion Week that managed to outrage the NYPD and Ghost Bike memorialists in equal measure? It turns out they weren’t just an advertisement for fashion house DKNY, they were part of a comprehensive “fashion plan to eliminate all motor vehicles in NYC by the year 2018.” For a sense of just how difficult it’s going to be to implement the plan, note how much air time the video above gives to Mercedes Benz.

As the faux fur-clad model narrating this video says, “If supermodels can’t solve the world’s problems, then I don’t know who can.” George Haikalis of Auto-Free New York (right), are you listening? You and Charles Komanoff and the Kheel Plan are cute and all, but if you really want to increase attendance, how about getting some supermodels to detail this 2018 plan at the next monthly meeting?

Aaron Naparstek

Aaron Naparstek is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Streetsblog. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Naparstek's journalism, advocacy and community organizing work has been instrumental in growing the bicycle network, removing motor vehicles from parks, and developing new public plazas, car-free streets and life-saving traffic-calming measures across all five boroughs. He was also one of the original cast members of the "War on Cars" podcast. You can find more of his work on his website.