You gotta love hate community boards. They're the first group of people who cry, "But we were never informed..." whenever the city wants to remove a single parking space to create safer conditions for pedestrians, but the last people to actually invite in the public when there's important topics to be discussed.
Case in point: Community Board 3 in Queens. For weeks, we've been writing about how the city Department of Transportation will present its plan for the future of the 34th Avenue open street — the best in the city. The plan may call for a permanent car-free space, or something less exciting, but nonetheless, members of the public (people who care about public space as well as people who just want to fill it with parked cars) have been eagerly awaiting information about the Wednesday night's meeting. Calls to CB3 were never returned. Callers were told they had to email. But emails were never answered.
Thanks to the persistence of one Queens activist, however, the board finally posted the agenda and (not clickable) teleconference link on Tuesday morning for tonight's 6:30 p.m. virtual meeting.
There's no public comment period, but we look forward to seeing what Commissioner Polly Trottenberg's minions propose for public-space-starved Jackson Heights and Corona. You should do. Click here to join tonight's briefing.
And now the news:
- The MTA is touting a scooter company, even as the city prepares to roll out a request for proposals on a scooter-share program. (NYDN)
- Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is obviously a Streetsblog reader — the would-be mayor called out the current mayor for failing to build enough busways. (Adams via Twitter)
- We mentioned it in yesterday's headlines, but the Post did a story about that state DOT worker who was intentionally run over by a driver.
- The other downside of long lines to vote? Lots of time to be heckled by passers-by, the mayor found out yesterday. (NY Post)
- A key MTA board member says the agency must strive to avoid fare increases on regular commuters (WSJ). It's a smart move because no one is going to want to pay for the service if these doomsday cuts happen to increase commute times by double-digit minutes, as Riders Alliance revealed (amNY).
- You know the old expression: statistics don't lie, but liars use statistics. Comparing Revel scooters to Citi Bike only reminds everyone how awesomely safe Citi Bike is. And, spoiler alert, cars are still the most dangerous vehicle on the road. (NY Post)
- Attention Woodside: Denise Keehan-Smith, who has been inconsistent at best on street safety and consistent at worst on protecting cars, is running for the City Council as, get this, the "common-sense" candidate. (Sunnyside Post)
- Like Streetsblog a day earlier, The City also looked at Staten Island's long-overdue bike share program.
- Larry Penner wished the subway system a happy 116th birthday. (Mass Transit)
- Check out this terrible person on the Brooklyn Bridge. (Facebook)
- And finally, now the Times is covering our cheap editor's fashion nightmare.
