We're running Marc Hermann's photo atop this page for two reasons. First, because it was nice to see New York do one of its great events really well yesterday (the Times agreed), but also because we get excited whenever we see our city's streets unshackled from serving cars and once again serving people.
Of course, we've spent the last year chronicling how streets free of cars have been a lifeline for dozens of communities during the pandemic, so it's nice when the entire city gets to see that joyous events like the New York City Marathon are only possible with car-free streets. Here's hoping Mayor Adams give us more of that joy once he takes over.
If you care about the race itself, Kenyans Albert Korir and Peres Jepchirchir won the men's and women's divisions (NY Post). And if you care about love, amNY covered a mid-race engagement.
In other news:
- You're going to read a lot of reaction stories today about the bipartisan infrastructure bill that finally passed late on Friday, so why not start with ours? (OK, the Post also covered with not one but two stories praising the bill, which means Uncle Rupert likes some government, as long as it's spending money on roads and airports. Murdoch's other shoe will drop later this month when Congress takes up the more progressive Build Back Better Act.) Gothamist also covered the local impact.
- In the craziest story we've read in a while, a woman whose car was damaged by a rogue hit-and-run driver ended up being shot by one of two tow truck drivers who showed up uninvited to take her car away for repairs. The Daily News story is filled with rich details — including this quote from the victim, “Whoever invented guns, that’s the worst invention ever” — but very short on specifics such as details on the Range Rover driver who bashed a car and then fled on foot, leaving the luxury vehicle at the scene. Also, it appears cops were very slow to respond to the crash. Which makes sense because no one takes road violence seriously, says one neighbor of the victim: "There’s always car crashes but never shootings" (as if that's OK).
- Access-a-Ride is in crisis, again. (The City)
- Hat tip to Patch for covering Mayor de Blasio's fake pique at having his motivations questioned for delaying the Fifth Avenue Busway (as we reported first) and bike lane project after getting lobbied by a billionaire (as the Times reported first).
- Free parking is destroying American cities, reports The Guardian. Meanwhile, in case you missed it, here's a hilarious video of what every forklift operator in the country should be doing right now (cigar or no cigar):
- The Times did a nice travel piece on the Empire Trail bikeway, but it's mostly a tourism piece, not a critical story of the Trail's shortcomings (including an 80-mile stretch upstate where cyclists are right next to massive trucks).
- On the same day that we published our historic "Field Guide to Micro Mobility," the Parks Department still gets this stuff wrong. (Parks via Twitter)
- City Lab looked at the motivation for creating a "Department of Care" to break down the walls among multiple departments so we can have a city government focused on caring for residents. Our parent company, Open Plans, has been leaning in on creating an Office of Public Space Management with a similar goal.
- Here's a crash investigation we hope the NYPD really does complete: Four cops were injured when the officer driving their squad car flipped the vehicle in what must have incompetence or speeding. (WPIX, NY Post)
- QNS finally covered the opening of the Jamaica and Archer avenue busways last week — and, of course, found some driver to complain about it.
- You know something bad is happening for Orthodox Jewish drivers — call it Yidlock! — when a frum writer is advocating not only for congestion pricing to enter Manhattan, but also discussing its applicability to Boro Park! (5 Towns Jewish Times)
- Former federal transit man Larry Penner still has some questions about the Portal Bridge project (part of the Gateway project). (Mass Transit)
- And, finally, everyone should watch this "SNL" sketch, which should someday be taught in comedy school:
