It's now a much-loved annual tradition: On Tuesday, for the second consecutive year, the Streetsblog Carolers will be out in force at Gracie Mansion to serenade Mayor de Blasio and the First Lady with this year's newest yuletide parodies. Of course, our performance last year broke the internet, but this time, we'll have new classic sing-a-longs that capture both the spirit of the season and a general hatred of cars and their enablers.
This year's hits include, "Will de Blasio Keep us Safe This Christmas" (to the tune of "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"), "Let Him Go" about Commissioner James O'Neill (to the tune of "Let is Snow"), and "The Busway Works" (to the tune of "Jingle Bells"). There's even a Hanukkah song about Corey Johnson.
It's going to be a hoot. All the action starts at 6 p.m. at Gracie Mansion on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. We hope to see you there.
Until then, dress warmly, as that high pressure system over Ohio is going to send cold air into our region all day today. There'll probably be some snow later, too.
For now, here's the news roundup from the weekend:
- Cars are a failed technology, Lincoln Tunnel edition. (NY Post)
- The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway may be so decrepit that it needs dramatic reductions in traffic sooner than later. (WSJ)
- The 14th Street busway just got even better — the MTA is now running electric buses on the route (amNY). And in case you missed it, ridership is soaring, thanks to the better service (Streetsblog).
- Council Member Donovan Richards of Queens is the latest rising star to realize that the mayor's crackdown on e-bike-riding delivery workers is idiotic, given how few injuries they cause. (NY Post, citing, without attribution, stats published earlier this year by Streetsblog).
- Our friends at the War on Cars podcast have a new episode with tech journalist Kara Swisher, who, knowing what she knows about the history of industry disruptions, says private car ownership will someday go away. (War on Cars)
- The annual Santa ride put on by Ciclistas Latinos Americanos was a huge hit. (Streetfilms)
- The Times opinion pages published a tribute to the subway that pointed out the biggest problem in the subway is not a few churro vendors, but bad service.
- The Queens Eagle ran a story about efforts to improve walking and biking in Flushing. The story was fine, but its greatest accomplishment was subtly adding to the body of evidence that Council Member Peter Koo is simply anti-bike.
- And, finally, the Oonee launch in Brooklyn came off without a hitch (unless you don't like rain). Clarence Eckerson filed this video report:
