Today’s Headlines

  • MTA Fare Hike/Service Cut Rumors Abound as Board Meeting Approaches (NYT, News, Post, NY1)
  • State Comptroller: MTA Can Save Big by Trimming Administrative Staff (Post)
  • Delivery Truck Driver Kills Cyclist in Hunts Point Hit-and-Run (News)
  • Blow-by-Blow of Yesterday’s Carmaker Hearings on Capitol Hill (NYT)
  • Lesson from Britain: Don’t Throw Good Money After Bad Car Companies (NYT)
  • Lots More Advice on What to Do About Detroit (Free Press, HuffPo, NYT)
  • City Council Votes on ‘Broken Parking Meter Rule’ Today (NY1)
  • DOT, EDC Unveil Re-Design of Brooklyn’s Albee Square, Part of Fulton Mall Makeover (Bklyn Paper)
  • Marc Shaw, of Congestion Mitigation Commission Fame, Is Going to Work for the Governor (TRE)
  • Mercedes Plans Huge New Showroom for 11th Ave and 53rd Street (City Room)

  • The News article about the hit-and-run uses the kind of language we need to see the media using (“the graffiti-covered van roared around the corner… and slammed into the cyclist”; “the white box truck raced from the scene”; “business owners … pointed to dents on their buildings caused by out-of-control trucks”; “‘We watch them every day over here – these cars zooming by here too fast.'”) if we want to see serious safety improvements.

    As always, it’s a shame someone has to die in order for the media to take notice, but maybe at least progress can arise from tragedy.

  • May Faustino Morales rest in peace.

  • Does Streetsblog have someone checking out this event at the Javitz Center? Today and tomorrow are the last days: http://www.itsworldcongress.org/about-world-congress.html

  • Lola

    NY Times City Room just posted a report about cyclist traffic infractions. Do visit.

    http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/study-finds-cyclists-disobey-traffic-laws/

  • ddartley —

    Regrettably we can’t make that one.

  • Well here’s the NY1 story on it, which I should have included in my first comment on it!
    http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/89046/transit-tech-expo-comes-to-town/Default.aspx

  • The House Energy Committee may have a new chairman if Henry Waxman (D-CA) replaces John Dingell (D-MI). So we’d have an environmentalist pushing out the carmaking industry’s faithful servant. Sounds like an improvement to me.

  • I’m amazed no one has commented on the NYT story about the proposed MTA service cuts. Eliminating the Z and W lines, shortening the M and G lines, raising fares, and reducing service on subways, buses, and regional rail (with subway night service reduced to once every hour) will have a horrific impact on those of us living car-free in New York and reliant on mass transit.