Thursday’s Headlines: Coronavirus Without End Edition
We’d like to say we have a spirited roundup of news for you today, but, face it, the only thing anyone in government wants to talk about is coronavirus. For like the third straight day, Mayor de Blasio organized his entire administration around the illness and didn’t take questions on any other topic.
Reminder: No one has yet died in New York City from coronavirus. That’s not to say that it’s not serious and doesn’t need the involvement of our best and brightest in government.
But the job of government is not to run hither and yon in pursuit of the shiny new object, but to stay the course on all threats to the body politic — whether it’s a new one or the same one that government still hasn’t solved.
Fact: Since Jan. 1, 2020, one cyclist and 24 pedestrians have been killed by drivers in New York City. The carnage of car drivers is this city’s persistent health emergency. The mayor puts it on the back-burner at his own (and our) peril.
(Update: That changes today at noon, when Hizzoner takes questions on many topics with Police Commissioner Dermot Shea — and we’re coming in hot!)
Until then, grab a Corona and enjoy the rest of yesterday’s news (there ain’t much!):
- Gothamist did a full write-through of the Sunnyside Yards master plan.
- The Port Authority has finally opened the bike path on the Goethals Bridge linking Staten Island and Elizabeth, N.J. (SI Advance) — and now the pressure builds to create a bike path on the Verrazzano, the last remaining key span with no way to cross except by car or bus.
- L train riders really can’t catch a break. (Gothamist)
- Yo, backseat drivers — you’ll soon have to buckle up. (NY Post)
