Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Cartoon

A Round and a Roundy: Drivers are Just Manspreaders

Cartoon: Bill Roundy

Editorial cartoon of Bill Roundy by editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy.
Editorial cartoon of Bill Roundy by editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy.
Editorial cartoon of Bill Roundy by editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy.

Our national treasure cartoonist Bill Roundy has been reading all our coverage of soaring bike counts on First and Second avenues and the metaphor-manufacturing segment of his fevered brain kicked in immediately.

Car drivers are like manspreaders on the subway: they take up all the room — and then act all self-righteous about it, too.

In this case, however, cyclists can't just move to a different subway car — if there's not enough room to cycle safely up First Avenue, it's not like cyclists can just shift to Third Avenue. As Streetsblog reported last month, First Avenue's bike lane and pedestrian improvements have made that roadway far safer. For instance, between 34th and 42nd streets, there were 78 total reported crashes on First Avenue in 2019, injuring six pedestrians and no cyclists. But on the same stretch of Third Avenue, which does not have protected infrastructure, there were 180 reported crashes, injuring five cyclists and five pedestrians (and killing one pedestrian) in the same one-year-period.

All of Bill Roundy's cartoons are archived here.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Streetsblog Year in Review: The Biggest Sustainable Transport News of 2024

It was a busy year in the movement to end car dependency — and there's a lot more to come.

December 23, 2024

Astoria to NYPD: Stop These Excessive Police Chases

The NYPD's 114th Precinct must eliminate "unnecessary" police chases through mostly residential Astoria because they have "dramatically reduced" public safety with very little upside, a Queens community board said last week.

December 23, 2024

Monday’s Headlines: Meeting Across The River Edition

Garden State transit advocates implored New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to do the right thing. Plus more news.

December 23, 2024

OPINION: Can Regional Governance Break New York Out of Its Constant State of Transit Emergency?

The New York region needs to fundamentally change the way it governs its transit system, our contributor writes.

December 20, 2024

Friday’s Headlines: ‘So, How Was Your Day?’ Edition

You didn't come here to find out about yesterday's crime news. Instead, here's the livable streets news!

December 20, 2024
See all posts