Forgive me if I make this quick, but I'm on tap to serve up Borscht Belt shtick as a foil to Pat Kiernan's legendary Canadian politeness on NY1 this morning at around 7:20. Tune in ... and watch me defend bike lanes, congestion pricing and a car-free city (while we're at it!). For those 10 minutes, at least, don't listen to Gov. Cuomo's call for a boycott!
Meanwhile, it was a busy day yesterday. Here's the roundup:
- Polly wanna crackdown? DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg claims her agency and the NYPD are cracking down on placard abusers, which is laughable, as anyone on Twitter will tell you. She also said she favors camera enforcement to root out invalid placards — but, wouldn't you know, the city doesn't currently have that power under state law. (NY Post)
- In the same interview, Trottenberg said Mayor de Blasio is "evolving" on congestion pricing (Emma Fitzsimmons) and also said the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway project will make the L-pocalyse look like "a piece of cake." (NY Post)
- The MTA isn't properly inspecting its frequently failing signals, a new audit by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli shows. (NY Post, NYDN)
- For one day, let's focus on New York City cabbies who do a good job. (amNY)
- I'm still so excited to see Ross Barkan's name popping up everywhere (alas, except at Streetsblog!). This time, the journalist-cum-politician-cum-journalist argues in favor of community board term limits. (City and State)
- Could repairs finally be coming to the Shore Road bike path? No, not soon, but eventually! (Bklyner)
- Just because Midtown pedestrians have so much room to move around, the NYPD is restricting them even more, no doubt citing security reasons that they never have to reveal. (Alastair Coote, with a h/t to Charlie Komanoff)
- Here's a hat tip to Patch for giving Streetsblog reporter David Meyer a hat tip for his coverage of the city's delay on making Amsterdam Avenue safer. (Patch)
- Dammit, Europe is killing us on cargo e-trikes! (Forbes)
- I liked Nicole Gelinas's article for CityLab about how cities tend to react to the terror threat posed by cars and trucks by ruining everything for cyclists and pedestrians. The key line for me? "Anti-terror infrastructure should ease walking, biking, and public transit use, not impede it." (CityLab)
- Busy transportation reporter Aaron Gordon continues to hit for power and average with his latest piece for Curbed arguing why the L-train shutdown will be great for cycling in NYC.
- Underappreciated New York treasure Vince DiMiceli devoted an entire episode of Brooklyn Paper Radio to the city's "Promen-Nada!" plan for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
- As someone who has been the target of online trolling by Vickie Paladino, I'm not entirely sure why the otherwise great Jake Offenhartz gave the GOP State Senate candidate, bike lane foe and white supremacist apologist from Eastern Queens so much ink on Wednesday. Paladino is running against Democratic nominee John Liu for the seat finally being vacated currently held by Democrat Tony Avella (who is also running a third-party campaign on the grounds that Liu, who beat him in September, is an "embarrassment" and Paladino is ridiculous). (Gothamist)
