OK, so our big scoop yesterday — namely, that the city had finally made the open streets "program" an actual city-run affair — didn't go the way it was supposed to.
Yes, the City Cleanup Corps is going to set up and break down the barricades along two of Fort Greene's great open streets (as we reported), but Day 1 will likely be today, not yesterday (as we reported!). Our old man editor (pictured above) showed up at 7:45 to watch history be made as City Hall finally relieved hundreds of volunteers of having to maintain and defend Mayor de Blasio's open streets initiative. But the CCC workers never showed. One green-clad employee did finally arrive at 8:10 a.m., but he didn't start working until 8:50 — and didn't even bother to deploy the barricades to render the street car free, which is supposed to start at 8 a.m.
Our old man eventually moved the barricades into place after watching too many kids almost get run down by impatient drivers.
City Hall spokesman Mitch Schwartz thanked our editor for alerting officials about their first day failure and said there are "always some kinks to work out on the first day," and promised, "We’ll tighten it up." Let us know, Fort Greene!
In other news from a slow Monday (what is it, summer?):
- Gov. Cuomo's fancy bridge light show is gathering dust ... like his legacy? (NY Post)
- The DOT has watered down the Fifth Avenue busway, er, dedicated bus lane, er, car thru traffic route yet again! (Union Tpke via Twitter)
- Mayor de Blasio endorsed Eric Adams (and Adams accepted it!) in a big show of Democratic unity on Monday (amNY). Meanwhile, Gothamist did the Curtis Sliwa exposé you've been waiting all year to read.
- The NYPD told us about the death of an "e-bike" rider in Staten Island, but that's no e-bike, but a full-fledged motorcycle, as the pictures in the Staten Island Advance reveal. It's a reminder that cops often call anything with a motor an "e-bike," which only confuses people and makes them think a pedal-assist Citi Bike is a death machine. The Daily News story didn't care to draw any distinction.
- In case you missed it, the city is allowing the Flatiron Partnership to expand its footprint, which is probably a good thing for anyone who supports good public space management (but probably a bad thing for anyone who doesn't want the city to offload its public space management responsibilities to business interests). (amNY)
- Also in case you missed it, the great Donald Shoup offers his latest lesson on how to get America un-addicted to driving alone to work (hint: stop subsidizing it!). (Bloomberg)
- There's a cool new mural in the Vanderbilt Avenue median. (amNY)
