Today’s Headlines

  • DA Charges Postal Worker With Leaving Scene of Crash in Marilyn Dershowitz Killing (Post)
  • City Council Passes Lew Fidler’s Bike Lanes-Only Community Outreach Bill (Observer)
  • Cuomo Holds “Taxi Summit” Today, But Bloomberg Plan Still in Limbo (WSJ)
  • Upper East Siders Want Bike-Share to Make East River Accessible (DNAinfo)
  • Even the Post Can’t Complain About Bike-Share’s Profit-Turning Business Model
  • Pelham Bay Merchants Don’t Want to Clean Expanded, Safer Sidewalks (BxTimes)
  • Former Nyack Mayor: Transit-Free Tappan Zee “Taxation Without Transportation” (Nyack News/Views)
  • Pat Foye, Now in Charge of PA Infrastructure, Thinks Low Taxes Key to Prosperity (Record)
  • MTA Can’t Find Honest Company For Subway Radio Contract (Post)
  • National Cycling Association Proposes Velodrome for Kingsbridge Armory (News)
  • China Returns to Cycling Roots With Mega-Bike-Share Projects, New Bike Lanes (ClimateWire)

More headlines at Streetsblog Capitol Hill

  • No new tolls… but let’s spend money on growing Stewart Airport? Not a good sign. 

  • Doubter

    Has anyone considered that bike sharing is just another outlet for the Chinese government to prop up its sputtering economy? It’s the kind of stimulus plan they have been pushing through massive construction projects all over the country.

  • anonymous

    Oh my, if this is indicative of Foye’s tenure, our region is in big trouble.

  • Anonymous

    Velodrome racing is awesome.

  • Daphna

    Everyone who cares about a more fair allocation of street space should apply to join their Community Board.  People who understand the benefits of bike infrastructure need to get on community boards.  Go the the Transportation Alternative seminar on how to join a community board on Nov. 9th.  Or email them and ask for information if you can not make it.

  • Daphna

    That the City Council passed Lew Fidler’s law is a travesty.  The City Council already passed legislation designed to impeded bike infrastructure installation: they required that any bike infrastructure that will affect parking or a vehicle travel lane for more than 4 blocks must be presented beforehand to the community board.  Now Fidler’s legislation requires that any bike infrastructure, even lanes that to do not affect parking or travel lanes, must be presented to the community board at least 90 days before installation.  This is a problem because of the added 90 day requirement which can really impede installation.  It is also unfair because no other street changes (adding a travel lane, creating a turning bay, changing parking restrictions, changing a crosswalk, removing a bike lane, etc.) do not have to be presented to the community board.  Fidler only singled out bike infrastructure for this added scrutiny and delay.
     
    Community Boards are advisory only.  They can say who they want to get a liquor license and who they don’t; they can say what type of building they want approved and what they don’t; they can say what bike lanes they want and what they don’t.  The State Liquor Authority sometimes overrides their recommendation.  The Landmarks Committee also sometimes overrides their recommendation.  I wish the DOT would override their recommendations when a community board or transportation committe makes a recommendation that clearly does not represent the will of the majority in their community.
     
    Community Boards are a problem because they often do not represent their communities.  I hope all who read this blog will apply to be on their local community board.  It’s important to start having community boards be more reflective of the majority sentiment in their community.

  • JamesR

    I’m stoked about the Kingsbridge Armory velodrome proposal. What’s ironic is that the area around the Armory is kind of a scary place to ride – the kamikaze gypsy cabs and aggressive motorists constitute a menacing and unnerving presence.

  • Jay Shuffield

    @0725e26de8afcbf0a72ccf98de3fb783:disqus 
    Kingsbridge Road is indeed scary on a bike.  But there are plenty of other streets here in our community that work relatively well for cyclists.  

    We could use lots of improvements… but I would say the community is middle of the citywide pack or better in terms of local support for cycling.

  • ddartley

    So, charges in the Dershowitz case.  But as usual, not for the actual death.

  • fj

    “The Murdoch Press Are a Threat to Democracy,” Warns Australian Politician bit.ly/tMp95y @climateprogress

  • fj
  • fj

    Australia outlines national city design principles   http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/australia_outlines_national_ci.html

  • fj

    carless cities not careless cities

  • fj
  • fj

    ow.ly/i/kIp8 @billmckibben wrapping up an *amazing* rally with 12,000 ppl surrounding @whitehouse #nokxl

  • fj

    strangest thing, manhattan borough president scott m stringer is holding transportation2030 november 18 as if he’s got a crystal ball with a vision of what nyc will be like after 20 years of accelerating change

  • “carless cities not careless cities”

    I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I had the same problem on Sunday at the Botanic Garden:

    http://twitpic.com/7b7hpv