Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Coronavirus Crisis

Tuesday’s Headlines: Everyone Wants a Car Ban (Except the Mayor) Edition

12:04 AM EDT on March 24, 2020

The mayor on Monday.

At this point in the coronavirus crisis, no reasonable person is opposing Streetsblog's long-argued position that many of our roadways need to be closed off to cars to the car-free majority has more room to spread out and exercise without bumping into each other.

Gov. Cuomo supports it. TransAlt and Bike New York support it. Curbed's Amy Plitt supports it. Vox writer Matty Yglesias is on board. Council Speaker Corey Johnson is keen on it (via Streetsblog). So are Billy Freeland and Philip Solomon in Gotham Gazette. And Mayor de Blasio's Twitter troll, "Competent Mayor Bill de Blasio," is, of course, all for it, too. The Times even printed the perfect picture. The list goes on.

In fact, banning cars from some streets has become a true YIMBY issue:

But the mayor isn't ready, he told Streetsblog yesterday (even as he admitted playgrounds are too crowded). (Mark Hallum at amNY also covered.)

Oh well, maybe today.

In other news:

    • The MTA tweeted some pretty damn important service changes for Tuesday — a weird way to get out some big news:
    • The weirdest moment in the mayor's press conference on Monday was a question from a Times reporter about why one of her colleagues got a ticket for making an illegal turn. That's a very bad look. Is Clifford Levy's Metro Section really calling for the NYPD to ignore reckless drivers? Bad drivers put people in hospitals, which need to be focused entirely on the virus right now.
    • The mayor will certainly use the NYPD to break up large crowds (when cops aren't ticketing reckless Times reporters, of course). (WSJ)
    • But, wait a second, the community gardens are closed, too? (Gothamist)
    • NOT being tested is the new being tested. Get well soon, Council Member Mark Levine! (Twitter)
    • Got cash? Don't expect to hand it to anyone on a subway or bus — the MTA has moved to take cash only in vending machines to avoid person-to-person contact. (MTA)
    • And, finally, thank goodness there's always an animal story to get us through these crises. (NY Post)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Tuesday’s Headlines: Restorative (Traffic) Justice Edition

Two stories highlighted a restorative justice program that allows traffic crash victims and perpetrators the chance to meet face-to-face. Plus more news.

November 28, 2023

Top NJ Lawmaker Proposes Major Reforms to Fight Temporary License Plate Fraud

The new legislation follows a seven-month Streetsblog investigation that found widespread fraud involving temp tags, with car dealers abusing weak state regulations and selling paper plates illegally to drivers using them to evade accountability on the road.

November 28, 2023

Fed Panel Wants to Confront the Role of Aggressive Auto Advertising in U.S. Road Deaths

A horrific car crash has federal safety officials calling for systematic responses to traffic violence — including the aggressive car ads that may inspire motorists to hit the gas.

November 28, 2023

A ‘Giving Tuesday’ Streetsblog Primer

Before we ask for your donation, let us prove to you that we're worthy of it!

November 28, 2023

As Greyhound Stations Go Extinct, Low-Income Thanksgiving Travelers are Left Out in the Cold

America's largest motor coach carrier is shifting away from stations — and a lot of customers aren't happy.

November 27, 2023
See all posts