Yes, we know “Dear Prudence” was on the “White Album,” but that cover is so boring.
This song parody was produced and recorded before the mayor announced on Monday that he would create up to 100 miles of open streets during the coronavirus crisis. It is unclear whether DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg played a role in changing the mayor's mind, but last week, she was not advocating for open streets and was maintaining the NYPD position. Like any good song parody, the recording reflects what was being discussed at the time, even if circumstances may have changed. Plus, you can dance to it.
Did you catch the "Polly and Pilecki" (aka "Mike and the 'Berg") show at the City Council on Friday (our coverage here)?
Council Speaker Corey Johnson wants the Department of Transportation to turn 75 miles of road into public space for socially responsible recreation. But DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg deferred to the NYPD's Transportation Bureau Deputy Chief Mike Pilecki — and left many onlookers with the distinct impression that DOT is subservient to the NYPD (our coverage of that, including City Hall's denial, is here).
Meanwhile, dozens of other cities from Austin to Winnipeg [see Mike Lydon's Google download] are restricting automobiles on certain roads — without local police enforcement at all.
The fact that other departments of Transportation can operate independent of their local police departments prompted Streetsblog's in-house satire band, The Speeders, to take on the issue of whether Trottenberg is being held captive to a police enforcement strategy that is antithetical to what she wants — or whether this is what she wants: no open streets during the height of the crisis.
We know what side Johnson is on: "We believe this is a planning issue and a design issue, not an enforcement issue," he told Streetsblog.
Our latest song follows the band’s satirical take on so many recent issues — enough mirthful tunes to fill an old-style LP (and a full CD, if we do live, full-jam versions of the songs):
the mayor's failure to accept an invitation to create pedestrian space in Manhattan ("On Broadway").
So enjoy the song by watching the music video above or merely clicking our SoundCloud embed below (yes, we know "Dear Prudence" was on the "White Album," but the "Abbey Road" cover is so much more fun to Photoshop a cop car onto!):
Dear Polly What you got now to say? Dear Polly Where’s your grand display? Why do you let the police chief Make our street rules and cause us grief? Dear Polly Why must it remain this way?
Dear Polly Let us hear you speak Dear Polly Make a sage critique The cops will say They run the streets They’re wrong you know. But you’re discreet Dear Polly Why must you be so damn meek?
Dear Polly Have you even tried? Dear Polly Have you got no pride? The greatest mind in DOT Can’t be sidelined, or playing D. Dear Polly Truth and facts will set you free.
Dear Polly You are far more wise Dear Polly Than gun-totin' guys The streets don’t need so many cops You know it well — but you don’t talk. Dear Polly Won’t you talk about the lies!
"In Stockholm, people really thought that congestion pricing would be the end of the world, the city will come to a standstill, no one would be able to get to work anymore and all the theaters and shops would just go bankrupt. None of that happened."
