Cartoon Thursday: Traffic Sham
This November 'toon from Ward Sutton, who skewers conventional editorial cartooning for The Onion, hits all the notes -- the myth of cyclist privilege, the disparity between the amount of space allotted to cars vs. other modes, and the waste and helplessness that comes with sitting in traffic. The coup de grâce of Sutton's "Kelly" panels has got to be the cartoonist "self-portrait," breaking the fourth wall with a pithy bon mot. Also note the Statue of Liberty, crying as cyclists whiz by.
By
Brad Aaron
5:04 PM EST on December 15, 2011
This November ‘toon from Ward Sutton, who skewers conventional editorial cartooning for The Onion, hits all the notes — the myth of cyclist privilege, the disparity between the amount of space allotted to cars vs. other modes, and the waste and helplessness that comes with sitting in traffic. The coup de grâce of Sutton’s “Kelly” panels has got to be the cartoonist “self-portrait,” breaking the fourth wall with a pithy bon mot. Also note the Statue of Liberty, crying as cyclists whiz by.
Take that, Bill Bramhall.
Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York's dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog New York City
Rampant Placard Abuse is Mucking Up This Bike Lane in Downtown Brooklyn
Illegally parked cars with government placards are filling up delivery zones and forcing trucks into the Schermerhorn Street bike lane, DOT said.
April 13, 2026
Mamdani Is Falling Short of New York City’s Greenway Dream
Advocates had hoped Mayor Mamdani would quickly adopt simple policies to improve how the city creates and maintains green infrastructure. He must get back on track, they say.
April 13, 2026
Push Grows To Move Parking Enforcement From NYPD To DOT
Two community boards want the job to go to the agency already in charge of the streets.
April 13, 2026
Monday’s Headlines: A Century of Days Edition
Frankly, there's nothing wrong with taking stock at various milestones, but the mayor's "100th Day" speech was really a look forward. Plus other news.
April 13, 2026
FIRST ON STREETSBLOG: Mamdani To Fully Fund Trash Containerization
The new mayor is restarting the Trash Revolution.
April 12, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.