Friday’s Headlines: Trouble in Paradise Edition

It was an incredibly slow news day yesterday … for the mainstream media, that is. We at Streetsblog were burning the (carbon-free) candle all day with stories about a woman run over by a reckless, uncharged driver, trouble for the 14th Street “busway,” a great new speed camera bill from newly elected State Senator Andrew Gounardes and a story every other media outlet should pick up: How Mayor de Blasio’s plan to build or buy parking for cops will fail on multiple levels.

We even had time to cover a press conference featuring Jimmy Van Bramer’s Mets winter gloves. (This is our year.)

And now the other news:

• The Daily News had touching details about the woman who was fatally run down by a driver going in reverse on Avenue S so he could park in his driveway. Our story pointed out the multiple laws the driver broke, even though he was not charged.
• In an op-ed, our friends at Reinvent Albany took Cuomo to task for all his MTA meddling. (Gotham Gazette)
• The MTA really isn’t giving good answers for why debris keeps raining down on Queens residents from the elevated 7 train. (amNY) Dana Rubinstein’s piece in Politico (subscription only) had a nice, poetic feel to it.
• Mayor de Blasio didn’t get his “millionaire’s tax,” but he may get something close to it: A tax on non-resident luxury apartments, which could raise $9 billion for transit bonds. (Bloomberg)
• Two questions: Why are Customs and Border Patrol officers driving on the sidewalk? And why do we need Customs and Border Patrol officers in New York? (NYDN)
• NY1 tried to pick apart Gov. Cuomo’s numbers on how few New Yorkers commute by car into Manhattan, but others have also said it is a very small percentage of the total.
• And, finally, we read Gridlock Sam for one reason only: to enjoy the pain drivers will feel all weekend long. (NYDN)