Skip to content

This Week: Hear From the Candidates for Vacant Harlem Council Seat

In a district where the overwhelming majority of residents don't own cars, Inez Dickens opposed bus improvements for 125th Street and prioritized high-speed driving over traffic-calming on Morningside Avenue. Will her successor be better?
Harlem map
In a district where 80 percent of households don't own cars, Inez Dickens opposed better bus service on 125th Street. Will her successor be better on transit and safer streets?

There’s a special election on February 14 to fill the Harlem City Council seat vacated by Inez Dickens, who was elected to the State Assembly last year.

In a district where the overwhelming majority of residents don’t own cars, Dickens opposed bus improvements for 125th Street, prioritized high-speed driving over traffic-calming on Morningside Avenue, and never spoke up for pedestrian safety on deadly Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. Will her successor be better? You can hear from the candidates vying for the seat at a forum on Thursday.

Here are this week’s Streetsblog calendar highlights. See the full calendar for more info on these and other listings.

  • Today: The Manhattan CB 6 transportation committee will take up local transportation issues and how rezoning east Midtown will affect transit. NYU School of Dentistry, 433 First Avenue, Room 210, Manhattan. 7 p.m.
  • Tuesday: DOT is hosting a series of public workshops on the future of Select Bus Service and how transit can better serve New Yorkers. Participants will identify under-served corridors and discuss how improvements for walking and biking can augment the transit system. Tuesday’s meeting is at the Brooklyn College Student Center, Campus Road and E. 27th Street, in Brooklyn at 6 p.m. More details — and an online DOT transit survey — are here.
  • Also Tuesday: Riders Alliance holds its 2017 citywide membership meeting. RSVP requested. 121 Sixth Avenue, 6th Floor, Manhattan. 6:30 p.m.
  • Thursday: Candidate forum for the District 9 City Council seat, representing Harlem. St. Philip’s Church, 204 W. 134th Street, Manhattan. 6 p.m.
  • Also Thursday: MTA and DOT host a workshop on the L train shutdown. Town & Village Synagogue, 334 E. 14th Street, Manhattan. 7 p.m.
  • Friday: NYU’s Institute for Public Knowledge and the Gehl Institute present a discussion on the past, present, and future of Astor Place and public plazas in NYC. Details and registration info here. 20 Cooper Square, 5th Floor, Manhattan. 6 p.m.

Watch the calendar for updates. Drop us a line if you have an event we should know about.

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Unacceptable’: Mamdani Condemns Super Speeder Cop, But Won’t Commit to Action

April 24, 2026

City Officials Shrug at NYPD Cop’s Reckless Driving As Advocates Push ‘Stop Super Speeders’ Bill

April 24, 2026

Friday Video(s): Kidical Mass, Night-Biking in Tokyo, and More

April 24, 2026

That Widely Misrepresented E-Mobility Study Actually Reveals Need For Safer Streets, Not Hysteria

April 24, 2026
See all posts