The Streetsblog family was out in full force at the annual five-borough pizza challenge on Saturday (as you can see by NY1's coverage, which featured Steve Scofield andTransportation Alternatives activists Juan Restrepo and Angela Stach). Our team, which made the citywide journey entirely by bike, was anchored by Streetsblog Editor Gersh Kuntzman in more ways than one: With victory in its grasp, Kuntzman got a flat tire in Staten Island, mere minutes from a ferry ride that was going to take our fivesome to almost certain victory in the non-competitive fundraiser for TA. Talk about an anchor!
The good news? Kuntzman learned that his supposedly impenetrable Schwalbe tires are not, in fact, the Kevlar versions he thought he'd ordered, but some weird "green compound" design that the manufacturer admits aren't as good as the regular tires. So from carpe diem, we went to caveat emptor.
In any event, here's the weekend news news:
- The business owners in Sunnyside who lost their fight against a pair of protected bike lanes are now trotting out the same BS to complain that Citi Bike will eventually hurt their bottom line. It's an insane argument — but the owner of Flowers by Georgie went so far as to tell the Queens Eagle, "People who want to ride bikes should go to the parks," Georgie Calle said. "There are buses and trains to commute to stores.” Point of fact, Georgie: No one is taking a bus or a train to pick up flowers for his or her sweetie on the way home.
- Scott Stringer is the latest to observe that the MTA needs to do a better job of tracking its money. (NY Post)
- Council Member Antonio Reynoso's bill that would fix the private carting industry is getting watered down. He's apparently wavering on his initial call for exclusive zones, which would have dramatically reduced the number of rogue carters on the streets. Ah, politics! (WSJ)
- Activists led a vigil for Mario Valenzuela, the 14-year-old cyclist killed by a truck driver last week in Long Island City. (Rockaway Jim via Twitter)
- Gov. Cuomo had a presser in the L train tunnel on Sunday to confirm everything Clayton Guse at the Daily Newsuh has been reporting for months: the work is ahead of schedule (NYDN). Neither the Post's coverage nor amNY's, obviously, mentioned the News.
- Cuomo also told the News that he wants new subways signals way before he's dead (don't we all?).
- Motorcycle carnage in Queens. (NYDN)
In case you missed it:
- Yeah, that MTA vaporizing camera thing was probably pretty stupid. (amNY)
- Former (and future?) Queens pol Elizabeth Crowley told City Limits why she supports restoring the QNS — the defunct Lower Montauk Branch of the LIRR that would add several tops between Long Island City and Jamaica. We agree.
- Lots of people lost it to hear the news that the new Wegman's in the Brooklyn Navy Yard has a parking lot that can accommodate 700-plus cars, but where were they when it was going through the approval process? Why do our elected officials listen when business owners claim to need parking? According to the Census, there are roughly 17,000 people living in walking distance of the store, which is also along several bus routes and a much-used bike lane. (Crain's)
- The Times says it has identified the worst commuter train in the country. It's in New Jersey.
- Geez, even the venerable Financial Times is slamming Mayor de Blasio on his limited bike infrastructure.
- And, finally, if you've got some time, here's a great interview of cycling pioneer John Forester by Peter Flax. (Medium)
