Tuesday’s Headlines: Fossil Fool Edition

Today is September 11.

And now the news:

  • Mayor de Blasio and his London counterpart Sadiq Khan penned an op-ed in the Guardian about divesting their cities’ investments in fossil fuel, but Streetsblog was quick to remind everyone that de Blasio is a hypocrite on the subject (and Ben Fried’s article went far further than just mentioning Hizzoner’s SUV rides to the gym!).
  • You have to hand it to rookie reporter Jonathan Custodio: His first day on the job will no doubt leave a lasting impression on the New York media world, as he turned his horrendous commute into tabloid gold. (NYDN)
  • Politco’s Dana Rubinstein went deep on why Gov. Cuomo doesn’t ride the subway (it makes him look passive and trapped…like the rest of us!).
  • Axios took a page from Streetsblog and decided that Uber is causing too much traffic in cities.
  • Car mayhem on the Deegan. (NYDN)
  • And, of course, the Sunnyside Post is complaining about bike lanes again.
  • Did Gov. Cuomo use the E-Z Pass system to get a campaign boost? (NYP)
  • Under-funded, gerrymandered, not-Jewish-enough Blake Morris hopes the Gothamist bump will put him over the top in his race against cash-rich incumbent State Senator Simcha Felder, whose district was drawn in 2012 to make sure he never gets less than 96 percent of the vote.
  • The tabloids all had great fun with Cynthia Nixon’s decision to put lox on a cinnamon-raisin bagel at Zabar’s. The Post claimed that New Yorkers were horrified. Gothamist did not even pretend to be unbiased. And Grub Street pointed out the obvious. But my personal favorite for full-on tabloid gusto was the pun-filled classic by Stephen Rex Brown in the Daily News. I’d also like to offer a hat-tip to Jezebel for at least road-testing the salty-sweet breakfast (dessert?).  (For the record, here’s what I tweeted in the middle of Bagelgate.)

  • And, finally, as bad as things get in New York, at least you don’t have kangaroos jumping on you when you’re bicycling! Cops in bike lanes, sure, but no big-legged marsupials.
  • BrandonWC

  • It’s been amusing to watch people in this part of Queens act as if their neighborhood is a special flower. The idea that street designs that work everywhere in this city won’t work there is laughable and a sign to our fearless leader that he should move faster. This silliness will come up no matter what, so just keep going, full steam ahead.

  • I won’t excuse Cuomo for his dishonesty on the question of the State’s ownership of the subway; but to expect him to ride the subway with regularity is not realistic.

    Any appearance in the subway by a governor would only be a photo op, as the governor has to be surrounded by security. You expect ten guys (nine of whom have guns) to pack onto trains on a regular basis? Come on.

    Cuomo doesn’t need to actually ride the subway in order to be responsive to riders’ needs; and he certainly doesn’t need to ride the system himself in order to acknowledge the simple fact that he (and not the mayor of New York City) is the one in charge of the system.

  • AMH

    More evidence that people who use their cars only occasionally store them on the street for long periods of time without a thought. A sign is “notice” by definition.

  • AnoNYC

    “Many board members also applauded each person who spoke out against the city’s plan, with virtually all speakers pledging to not give up in their opposition against the protected bike lanes.

    Rodriguez, for instance, said the neighborhood should continue to fight for their removal. He pointed to the DOT’s recent announcement to remove the protected bike lane on Dyckman Street in Manhattan as evidence that it’s not too late.”

    From the Sunnyside Post article.

  • AnoNYC

    Also from the Sunnyside Post article and a concerning potential trend:

    “Many board members also applauded each person who spoke out against the city’s plan, with virtually all speakers pledging to not give up in their opposition against the protected bike lanes.

    Rodriguez, for instance, said the neighborhood should continue to fight for their removal. He pointed to the DOT’s recent announcement to remove the protected bike lane on Dyckman Street in Manhattan as evidence that it’s not too late.”

    Continued challenges, like what is occurring on Dyckman Street, will only slow down further implementations elsewhere.