Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Car Culture

America to the Automobile: “It’s Over”

llgrab.jpg

In honor of this year's New York International Auto Show, which officially begins tomorrow, we present this very special announcement:

Ms. America to Announce “The End of the Affair” at the NY Auto Show

**Saturday, March 22**
10:30 a.m.
Jacob Javits Center 

 
After 100 years, Lady Liberty, the perennial Ms. America, is finally ending her
“spectacularly combustible love affair” with the automobile

New York, NY —  All things must come to an end, and so apparently it now is for America’s love affair with the automobile. Swept off her feet more than 100 years ago with promises of freedom, comfort and status, Ms. America has now had a change of heart. “The oil addiction, the misguided foreign affairs, the skyrocketing bills… it’s just gotten to be too much,” said Lady Liberty in a recent statement.
 
Lady Liberty will formally announce her break up -- and her big plans for the future -- at the NY International Auto Show on Friday, March 21st at 10:30 a.m. Reverend Billy will be present to both annul her current “dysfunctional” marriage, and will also be on hand to wed Ms. Liberty to not one but three suitors who have been vying for her affection for the past several decades: Walking, Bicycling and Mass Transit.
 
“I’m just ready for a change,” says Lady Liberty, "and frankly, this relationship has just gotten to be much more work than it's worth. My health, liberty and freedom have suffered greatly, and now I hope that my new relationships will finally give me security and happiness.”

CARtoon by Andy Singer, who recently paid a visit to the Minneapolis & St. Paul International Auto Show, along with "Roadkill Bill" Ken Avidor.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

VIDEO: Reckless Driver Kills Cyclist, Injures Four Others in Harlem Crash That Shows Need For Speed Caps

The 8 p.m. crash comes just a few days after Mayor Mamdani was criticized by the pro-car right for announcing that speed-limit reductions in school zones would be in effect all day, not just during school hours.

March 20, 2026

Mamdani’s Regulatory War on Delivery Apps Under Threat Amid Budget Crunch

Mamdani's budget slashes funding for the agency responsible for enacting his plans to regulate delivery apps.

March 20, 2026

FLIP THE SWITCH: Brooklyn Panel Asks DOT To Take Over Parking Enforcement From NYPD

Remember, the Department of Transportation handed out parking tickets until a government reorganization by Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 1996.

March 20, 2026

Fact Check: No, Mamdani Is Not Letting Bike Scofflaws ‘Off the Hook’

For the sake of the ill-informed, we break down the myths and facts surrounding Mamdani's new policy.

March 20, 2026

Friday’s Headlines: Nice on Ninth Edition

The city is doing the right thing on Ninth Avenue. Plus other news.

March 20, 2026

‘How Do You Do That to People?’ Crash Victims Speak Out Against Hochul’s Car Insurance Agenda

"Her supposition that, 'There’s a lot of fraud and people are faking these injuries in order to get million-dollar payouts' is preposterous," said one crash victim.

March 19, 2026
See all posts