Well, more voices have been added to the chorus of pols who are upset at Gov. Cuomo's "Wrong Way" AirTrain between LaGuardia Airport and the 7 train at Willets Point. Now, State Senator Jessica Ramos and Council Member Costa Constantinides (QNS.com), plus the Daily News editorial board have joined in, following Streetsblog's relentless coverage.
At issue yesterday, as it has been for weeks, is that the planned route is not only in the wrong direction for most travelers, but it also only links up to a Long Island Rail Road spur that doesn't even go through the Jamaica hub. As our analysis shows, this plan is not transit — it's basically a people mover to a big parking lot.
But despite growing opposition — from AOC, too! — the City Council has apparently decided not to bother even holding a hearing on the matter (Streetsblog), meaning that there really is no red signal for this $2-billion boondoggle.
Here's the rest of yesterday's news:
- The mayor will announce yet another unit to crack down on unsafe road conditions, this time a 100-cop team that will make sure cyclists are safe (NY Post). The mayor has announced such units before — remember the 10-person rapid response DOT placard enforcement team? — yet always refuses to do the easiest thing: limit the places drivers can go.
- Here's one exciting Z: Workers finally fixed the city's longtime spelling mistake on the span between Staten Island and Brooklyn. (NY Post)
- Could Arthur Schwartz be on the right side of something? The lawyer who has fought against improved public transit is now fighting the city's East Side Resiliency Project because it might illegally close a park. Rising star Mark Hallum's article even had Schwartz defending a bike lane! (amNY)
- Hard-working Hallum also covered the MTA's announcement of a new (we think overpriced) ramp that will allow drivers to make an easier connection from the We're Still Calling it Triboro Bridge to the Harlem River Drive without having to use neighborhood streets. Of course, we think cars should be banned, but it's nice to keep them off local roadways.
- And, finally, cops busted a mango seller. (Decolonize This Place, via Twitter)
So a slow news day — but it was a 24 hours at Streetsblog. Here's a list of all the stories we published yesterday:
- A Manhattan community board wants the city to finally study "free" parking.
- Council Member Chaim Deutsch is up to something with his bike-lane two-faced routine.
- The MTA is going to get cabs for its late-night riders.
- The City Council put off a hearing on the "Wrong Way" AirTrain.
- Gov. Cuomo is going to step up penalties to drivers who deface their license plates.
- Brad Lander's Reckless Driver Accountability Act is going to pass next week.
- And from Kea Wilson at Streetsblog USA: The EV Hummer is still a big bummer — Part I.
