Thursday’s Headlines: Let’s Focus on Buses Today!

Photo: Edwin J. Torres/Mayoral Photography Office

If you want to run for president, there’s no better platform than, “I sped up buses by 25 percent in the most congested city in America!” So when Mayor de Blasio makes what’s expected to be a big announcement about the city’s bus service today at 2:30, we’re hoping he brings that particular plank.

Our own David Meyer — who started the day with coverage of another crucial bus issue! — will be on hand to provide coverage. He’ll also ask the mayor why so many people are being killed by drivers on city streets this year. Or why he’s still cracking down on e-bikes even though the data show they’re safe, according to this scoop by Julianne Cuba. That’s an official “heads-up!” Mr. Mayor.

Here’s the rest of the news to get you going:

Activists held a “die-in” at City Hall yesterday to protest inaction on global warming, which certainly won’t go away if every two-bit politician keeps getting discount tolls for entitled drivers. (NYDN, NY Post, Gothamist)
The Daily News offered a fuller look at the crash that killed 7-year-old Cameron Brown yesterday.
Mayor de Blasio’s highly subsidized ferry system came under fire at a City Council hearing. Right now, taxpayers are the only thing keeping these boats afloat (well, and the laws of hydrodynamics, of course). (NY Post) The Times also weighed in on the excessive costs. Meanwhile, amNY’s Vin Barone highlighted the fallacy of the mayor’s claim that the ferries serve the less-fortunate. “Boats only for the wealthy?” he asked.
Meanwhile, The City reported on an obvious conflict of interest involving the ferries.
We were very happy to see the Post’s Nolan Hicks take the side of transit riders over selfish drivers, who scored yet another toll exemption yesterday.
Hard-working Hicks at the Post also reported on Council Member Justin Brannan’s call for more oversight on Citi Bike after its e-bike fleet was grounded for repairs over the weekend. Streetsblog’s coverage revealed very little oversight, in fact.
Look, here are the rules about animals on the subway. (Gothamist)
Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez is finally putting forward his bill to mandate 100 miles of protected bike lanes per year. (NYDN)
Could the rumors be true? Could the city be finally closing the gap in the Second Avenue bike lane near the Queensboro Bridge? (Billy Freeland via Twitter)
Usually when you say “He is risen!” on Easter, you’re talking about Christ. This year, you’ll be talking about the subway fare. (amNY)

Larry Littlefield

Hand the buses and paratransit, along with MTA payroll taxes collected in the city, to the City of New York, and drop City of New York contributions to the MTA.

Hand MTA payroll tax collections in the suburbs over to the suburban counties for their non-rail systems, and eliminate New York State contributions to those systems, redirecting that money to the MTA.

The MTA would come out way ahead. Borrowing would be eliminated, and they’d just use that savings and the congestion pricing and toll revenues to fund capital replacement and improvement pay as you go.

The City of New York and suburban counties would decide how to allocate the pain — and operate the surface transit that runs on their streets. And be accountable for it.
iSkyscraper

Ydanis Rodriguez forced DOT to effectively remove the bike lanes on Dyckman, which are STILL missing in any way shape of form. Anything he says on bikes has zero credibility.