Thursday’s Headlines: Sleigh Bells Ring, Are You List’ning Edition

At Streetsblog, we wake up every day with a fire in the belly and a song in our hearts. But this afternoon, we’ll leave the vitriol at the office and fully give ourselves over to the holiday spirit by showing up at Gracie Mansion to serenade Mayor de Blasio with this year’s Streetsblog Christmas carols.

At around 4 p.m., look for a group of amateurs (plus three professional ringers!) in orange reflective vests (which, let’s face it, are in fashion all year long!) belting out some of your favorite yuletide classics (with ever-so-slight lyrical tweaks).

Mr. Mayor, if you’re home, come out and offer us some cocoa.

And now, the news:

• To determine if the L train really needs to be shut down, Gov. Cuomo will, um, shut down the L train early on Friday morning so he can do one of his personal man-of-action photo-ops. Never mind that the MTA and city DOT devoted the last three years to planning the L-pocalypse, the governor and what Gothamist cheekily described as his “hand-picked” team of engineers, wants to make sure the L work is absolutely necessary. (Other coverage: NYDN, NY Post, amNY, but not the NY Times)
• Pretty much everyone covered the MTA board’s approval of the fare-hike-balanced budget on Wednesday. (Streetsblog, NYDN, NY Post, amNY, WSJ). Oddly, the NY Times did not, but the Paper of Record still hasn’t covered the Citi Bike expansion, either.
• The Daily News claimed, albeit without providing much evidence, that congestion pricing is gaining support in Albany.
• Gridlock Sam is worried that driverless cars will double the amount of vehicle miles rather than reduce private car ownership because people will send their cars home alone while they’re at work. (Westfair)
• The Post covered the death of an unidentified pedestrian in Borough Park on Wednesday, but failed to update the story after the truck driver who allegedly killed him was arrested. Cops charged Gilbert Demello, of Youngstown, Ohio, with failure to yield and failure to exercise due care.
• Any chance we can get a bike path on the Throgs Neck Bridge when the roadway is replaced? Probably not. (Bx Times)

Our December Donation Drive continues!