Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bike Lanes

And the “Weiner Award” for Courting the Bikelash Vote Goes to… Bo Dietl

The Republican contest to go up against Mayor Bill de Blasio is barely underway and candidates are already competing to stake out the most retrograde positions on streets and transportation policy.

Assembly Member Nicole Malliotakis recently attacked speed enforcement cameras as "a gimmick to raise revenue," despite evidence that speeding, the leading cause of fatal crashes in NYC, drops dramatically where cameras are deployed.

And ex-cop/Fox News personality Bo Dietl got the "biggest applause by far" at a Wednesday evening Republican forum when he declared he would "rip out bike lanes" and suggested "doing [the] same with Times Square plazas," according to Times reporter J. David Goodman.

The Observer’s Madina Toure reported last night that Dietl said "he’s learning how to drive a bulldozer and would take out the bike lanes if elected."

Apparently, Dietl's hatred of car-free spaces and bike-riding New Yorkers was even more popular with forum attendees than his story about being treated harshly by a judge who "looked like Chirlane de Blasio" (referring to the mayor's wife, Chirlane McCray), which reportedly got laughs from the room. Dietl has spent the day trying to contain the fallout from his Trumpian remarks about McCray.

But a room full of Republican primary voters isn't representative of the NYC electorate. If Dietl's going to go full bikelash, he's out of touch with most New Yorkers there, too. Things tend to not work out well for would-be mayors who pick fights with the all-powerful bike lobby.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Wednesday’s Headlines: Another Highway Boondoggle Erased Edition

Maybe the worm has turned on these awful boondoggles? Plus other news.

October 15, 2025

Book Excerpt Special: ‘War on Cars’ Hosts Explore Life After the Automobile

...and why it's so urgent that we work for a better future.

October 15, 2025

State Pauses Billion-Dollar Route 17 Expansion in Hudson Valley

One of the biggest highway boondoggles in the state may finally die a merciful death, thanks to Gov. Hochul.

October 14, 2025

Delivery Workers Continue Push For Deactivation Protections

Delivery workers put pressure on the City Council to pass a bill that would give them "just cause" protections.

October 14, 2025

Parking? Lots! But Manhattanites Want to Unlock Space by Queensboro Bridge

It used to be open in the distant past, and can be once again. But DOT says it needs it for "storage."

October 14, 2025

Opinion: Daylighting Corners Would Add Safety While Tackling New York’s Placard Elite

If he's elected, Democratic Socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani must confront this city's current socialist aberration: Free parking.

October 14, 2025
See all posts