Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycling

Driver Cam: The Columbus Ave Bike Lane Thru Tony Aiello’s Windshield

We talk a lot about windshield perspective on Streetsblog, so with his latest salvo against safer cycling and walking, CBS 2's Tony Aiello has done most of the work for us.

cap
cap

From behind the wheel of "Mobile 2," Aiello, in full-on Ted Baxter mode, informs viewers that the Columbus Avenue bike lane is playing havoc with commerce on the Upper West Side. Though its design maintains five lanes for cars, Aiello claims the lane is putting the squeeze on businesses, as delivery drivers are now forced to double- or triple-park.

Cue Andy Besch of West Side Wine, one of two business people Aiello talks to on-camera. Besch is appalled that city workers cleared the bike lane with shovels during last week's snow storm, and describes Columbus as "a major truck route destroyed." The story's other source is grocer Richie Zingone, in a recurring role, who dismisses the lane as "not practical" and pretty much just wants it to go away.

Aiello's Exhibit B is a totally unsubstantiated complaint that businesses are at risk because drivers are no longer "comfortable" stopping in for purchases, what with parking shifted a few feet off the curb, as if drive-through traffic is the key to viability in one of the most walkable neighborhoods in America.

The nut of Aiello's piece, it seems, is that Community Board 7 is following up with business owners about the lane. But while Aiello implies that the CB 7 survey -- he calls it an "investigation" -- was sparked by a groundswell of anti-bike outrage, board chair Mel Wymore, whom Aiello also spoke with, told DNAinfo that its purpose is to clear up confusion and misinformation. You know, the kind of confusion and misinformation that thrives thanks to half-baked hit pieces on the TV.

Instead of pretending that empty curb space was abundant on Columbus prior to the installation of the bike lane, that delivery drivers who now at least have designated loading zones weren't previously forced to double-park, and that drivers of private vehicles were once able to whip into open spots a la Kojak, it would be refreshing to see Tony Aiello and other New York journos follow the lead of their counterparts in Washington, who have demonstrated that there's more to livable streets coverage than gravitating to the loudest complainers.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Will Indicted Mayor Adams’s Bid to Eliminate Parking Mandates Survive Council Review?

As the City Council review proccess begins, experts say it is crucial to keep getting rid of parking mandates in the City of Yes.

October 3, 2024

Room for Improvement: What New York’s Subway System Can Learn from Cities Around the World

New York’s subway was once an international model of modernity. But it's not anymore.

October 3, 2024

Stop Making Sense: TWU’s Head-Scratching Opposition to Congestion Pricing Doesn’t Add Up

Thanks in part to union sabotage, New Yorkers are staring into an abyss of impoverished transit.

October 3, 2024

Subway Elevators are Not Just a Nice Lift, But a Basic Civil Right

Accessibility is a must-have as cities compete to attract visitors and retain residents.

October 3, 2024

Thursday’s Headlines: Apples and Honey and Game 3 Edition

Sure, the Mets didn't win on Rosh Hashanah, but did we ever tell you about our favorite Mets-Rosh Hashanah story? Plus other news.

October 3, 2024
See all posts