Friday’s Headlines: Trip Log Challenge Edition

It's our December donation drive. Your gift helps us do these kinds of important stories. So please click here.
It’s our December donation drive. Your gift helps us do these kinds of important stories. So please click here.

Yesterday, we published Charles Komanoff’s challenge to all the mayoral candidates to be transparent about how they get around town — aka the #triplogchallenge. We reached out to all the candidates to see if they would log all their trips (by mode, by mileage, by time) and we’ll continue to ride them all to join our campaign.

For now, only Dianne Morales and Carlos Menchaca (both in tweets) have accepted. It’s a start. Shaun Donovan appears game, but Scott Stringer does not. We can’t wait to someday hear back from Ray McGuire … on anything.

Until then, here’s the news:

  • The New York Times (being the New York Times) has yet another one of its interactive features about how awesome our city could be if cars were banished from many places. The vision for 34th Avenue in Queens alone will make everyone want to move to Jackson Heights (and all the car owners to wave white flags!).
  • Whaddya know? A fatal motorcycle crash that the cops said in 2018 was just a tragic accident turned out to have been caused by a high-speed police chase that ended when the motorcyclist slammed into a car as he fled police. Now, at least, the NYPD is investigating (getting caught on video will do that). (NYDN)
  • Everyone is seeing exactly what they want to see in incoming U.S. DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Let’s hope the Regional Plan Association is right. (amNY)
  • This year is on track to be the deadliest year for road violence since Mayor de Blasio started Vision Zero in 2014. Gothamist’s full team examined why (and Jake Dobkin made some nifty charts!)
  • Priorities! The Post had a story about a guy who helped dig out a police car. We had a story about a Park Slope man who shoveled out an entire bike lane!
  • Immigrant workers who are cleaning the subway are allegedly being abused. (The American Prospect)
  • Council Member Daneek Miller is not happy with the DOT’s bus lane plans in eastern Queens. (amNY). Councilman, call us!
  • See that yellow tip jar at the top of this post? Well, we’re passing the hat during our December donation drive. And here’s the honor roll of yesterday’s donors: Thanks, William! Thanks, Mr. Selip! Thanks, Kurt! Thanks, Samuel! Thanks, Timothy!
  • And, finally, Happy the Elephant is not a human (of course not — who would name a kid “Happy”?) (NYDN)

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

TA Sends Questionnaires to Mayoral and City Council Candidates

|
Yesterday, Transportation Alternatives sent out questionnaires to all City Council and mayoral candidates, asking their positions on pedestrian safety, bike lanes, transit, bike-share, and traffic justice. The first responses are set to go up on TA’s website at the end of this month. TA Deputy Director Noah Budnick told Streetsblog that the organization has already heard […]

StreetsPAC Is Sending Out Its Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

|
StreetsPAC has released its mayoral candidate questionnaire. The 10-page questionnaire is characteristically thorough. Among other topics, any candidate who submits a complete response will be on the record concerning safe streets policies, expanding the city’s bike lane network, road pricing, parking reform, car-free parks, transit expansion, bike-share and, yes, the Prospect Park West bike lane. […]

Kheel to Push Free Transit Pricing Plan in ’09 Mayoral Race

|
As former deputy mayor and Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission Chair Marc Shaw predicts that congestion pricing may re-emerge soon in the form a proposal to toll 60th Street and the East River bridges, the Daily Politics reports that Ted Kheel is planning to put up $1 million to promote his free transit plan heading into […]

St. Louis Mayoral Contender Lewis Reed Hopes to Bike to City Hall

|
Via the Kansas Cyclist, here’s a campaign ad from St. Louis mayoral hopeful Lewis Reed that would seem strangely inconceivable in NYC’s current political climate. Reed, currently president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen (the equivalent of being City Council speaker in NYC), is challenging three-term incumbent Francis Slay in a primary election coming […]