Wednesday’s Headlines: Mayor Stands Tall Edition

Today we shift our Election 2018 coverage from the State Senate to two hot Assembly primaries, beginning with the 39th Assembly District in Central Queens, which pits Catalina Cruz against sort-of incumbent Ari Espinal. Our prior coverage remains archived here.

And now, the news:

• Not to toot our own horn, but we declared war on Mayor de Blasio last week when the DOT decided to remove a protected bike lane in Inwood. Well, on Tuesday, the mayor told Streetsblog that he had overruled the agency and the project is now on hold as he reviews it.
• Council Member Jumaane Williams wants to be your lieutenant governor — but on Tuesday, he angered transit advocates by picking a fight over an SBS route in Brooklyn. (NYDN)
• Gov. Cuomo admits what we all know: The toll on the Mario Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge won’t stay $5 forever (nor should it!). (NYDN)
• The Daily News editorial board speaks out about Vision Zero’s blind spot: The NYPD’s understaffed Collision Investigation Squad, which can’t properly investigate crashes.
• Welcome to the G-pocalypse! (Brooklyn Paper)
• There’s probably only one thing better to a tabloid editor than an animal story, and that’s a woman-going-berserk-on-the-subway-and-slapping-someone-upside-the-head story. (NYP)
• Gov. Phil Murphy wants to make it easier for you to get to New Jersey. Don’t hate him. (WSJ)
• The MTA added a fitting tribute to Aretha Franklin in the Franklin Avenue and Franklin Street stations. (Gothamist)
• ICYMI: The rogue, violent, unsafe and anti-labor carting company that had its license stripped failed in its appeal late last week. The Daily News shows us exactly why.
• And in case you missed our coverage, amNY reports on the DOT parking meter increases.
• A Manhattan council member joins the fight for better bike lanes on Second Avenue. (Our Town)
• And, finally, Kenny Shopsin is dead — and with him goes a big part of what New York used to be. (NYT, Gothamist)