Before we get to today's news, you may notice the new "Election 2018" tab on the StreetsblogNYC masthead above. In advance of the Sept. 13 primary, we'll be publishing the answers to questions we sent to candidates in the contested state legislature races. We'll post one per day, and archive the rest up top. Today's entry is Senate District 34 (Bronx): Alessandria Biaggi vs. Jeff Klein.
Now, to the news from today and the weekend:
- The Daily News's Dan Rivoli and Jillian Jorgensen walked away with the biggest scoop this weekend: Council Speaker Corey Johnson appears to have completed an end run around Senate Republicans to get New York City's 140 school zone camera systems turned back on. (NYDN). The Post and the Wall Street Journal got the story as well, but not as fast.
- The Daily News editorial board weighed in on the city's move late last week to pull a rogue sanitation company's license. (NYDN)
- About 10 months after the Times reported on why MTA construction projects are so expensive, the Post reported on why MTA construction projects are so expensive. (NY Post)
- Rogue ticket-sellers have been scamming riders on the Downtown Connection Bus — and now the vans will skip some stops. (NYP)
- Police are seeking a mad sprayer in Brooklyn. (AMNY)
- ICYMI: The Spectrum-owned NY1 continues its all-out war on cyclists with a segment titled: "The downside of cycling in the city," which continues the myths that cyclists are dangerous and adversely affect business. Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez and TransAlt's Paul Steely White did the best they could against willful disregard for truth from the host. The show follows last week's cyclist-free report that claimed that a Jewish deli that sold expensive, fat- and cholesterol-laden pastrami sandwiches in ethnically diverse Queens closed because of a bike lane.
- We're all huge fans of New York Times reporter Corey Kilgannon, but we don't know why the Times puts reporters in cars when it sets out to "discover" something about New York. (NYT)
- Ace transportation reporter Aaron W. Gordon may have lost some bike activist sources with a single tweet defending a driver who parked — and parked obnoxiously — in the Ninth Street bike lane.
- We're happy for the dad who has a new baby, but not so sure the city should let him out of the $65 ticket he got for not moving his car. (NYP with H/T to veteran shooter Helayne Seidman for the classic tabloid photo)
- The Wall Street Journal's Paul Berger offers a profile of new LIRR head Phil Eng. (WSJ)
- The Riverdale Press is convinced that the Uber/Lyft cap will hurt the Bronx, while the British paper The Guardian says the cap will endanger the entire "gig economy."
- Streetsblog pal @uws_cyclist spotted Manhattan Borough President getting out of a car ... and naturally ran the license plate number with predictable results. She's no Marty Golden, but still...
- And here's the sad tweet of the day: Would-be cyclist Cassie DeWitt admits she's afraid to get on her bike because it's so scary to ride in New York. Funny how car drivers never worry about that.
