Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Pedestrian safety

SEE IT: TA Video Says You Shouldn’t Have To Be An Olympian Just to Live in NYC

Photo: Transportation Alternatives

The thrill of victory. The agony of the streets.

Inspired by the Tokyo games, Transportation Alternatives (with the help of lensman Luke Ohlson) created a hilarious video featuring "athletes" "competing" in events that only a New Yorker could love hate.

So instead of the pole vault, New York's heroic citizens get "the trash vault," which on the video shows a steely-eyed competitor attempting to soar over a mound of garbage bags left on a sidewalk.

Instead of cycling on a smooth velodrome track, New York Olympians compete to stay alive in "Blocked bike lane cycling."

Instead of normal gymnastics, we compete in the "Uneven scaffolding bars."

Instead of the clean and jerk, New Yorkers must endure the "Broken elevator luggage lift" as they exit a subway.

And instead of the normal track-and-field contest, we get to run the "Blocked sidewalk steeplechase" (that one features a blink-and-you'll-miss-it sight gag with TA Executive Director Danny Harris cop-vaulting over a parked car.)

The joke, of course, is that there's nothing Olympian about these challenges — that's every day life in New York City. And more reason to support Transportation Alternatives' NYC 25X25 initiative, which calls for repurposing 25 percent of roadway space from cars for people. One way to do that? Reclaim four "parking" spaces on every block and turn them into trash bays, so the sidewalks remain clear.

Harris said as funny as the video is, it's meant to highlight an important message.

"Most days, getting around New York City can seem like an Olympic effort, hurdling over trash piles, sprinting across unsafe intersections, and slaloming around cars in the bike lane. You shouldn’t have to be an Olympian to get around New York," he said. "We hope this fun video shines light on the not-so-fun conditions of city streets and inspires New Yorkers to join TA in demanding that our leaders build streets for people. With NYC 25x25, we can reclaim our streets and make our city safe, accessible and equitable."

Whichever event you compete in, give yourself a medal — a gold instead of Mayor de Blasio's lump of coal.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Universal Daylighting Has Majority Support on the City Council — Will Speaker Adams Give It a Vote?

Adrienne Adams is sitting on a landmark daylighting bill that could make every intersection safer for pedestrians.

July 9, 2025

‘Anti-Car Crusade’: Dinowitzes Slam Bronx Harlem River Greenway Bike Lane Touted by Mayor

The father-son duo are throwing a tantrum over the first leg of Mayor Adams's Harlem River Greenway.

July 8, 2025

Eyes on the Street: DOT’s ‘Broadway Vision’ Starts to Clear Up

The Department of Transportation has transformed Broadway into a new corridor for pedestrians and cyclists.

July 8, 2025

Amsterdam Leads the Way on E-Bike Regulation — Should New York Follow Suit?

The city's biking- and walking-friendly streets expose the hypocrisy harsh e-bike enforcement without better street design.

July 8, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Rethinking Avenue B Edition

DOT is taking feedback on the future of Avenue B. Plus more news.

July 8, 2025
See all posts