Wednesday’s Headlines: Defending Open Streets Edition

After the popular open street in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill was removed for about 12 hours last month, there was a predictable hue and cry from open street supporters and volunteers (and media outlets) that quickly led to its restoration.

The second hue and cry came last night from revanchists who oppose peaceful, safe, environmentally friendly car-free recreation space, who somehow convinced new Council Member Crystal Hudson to host a town hall meeting with the Department of Transportation so the pro-car, pro-danger, pro-climate disaster crowd could complain that the city would have the temerity to bar them from driving on one road in a city with thousands of them.

The good news is that Hudson and DOT politely endured their wrath for about an hour and then went home, content to keep everything the way it is.

Mission accomplished. And the kids got to have fun at the pre-meeting rally.

In other news from a slow news day:

• Like Streetsblog, other outlets covered the hit-and-run death of a pedestrian in East New York on Thursday. But neither the Daily News nor the Post bothered to point out that just one mile of Pennsylvania Avenue has experienced more than 2,500 reported crashes since 2014. Nor did the other outlets point out that the city is in the midst of a pedestrian death crisis. Kevin Duggan at amNY did a much better job providing context.
• The MTA started removing the head-knockers at Penn Station yesterday. (amNY)
• Don't forget vote in two first-round matchups in our March (Parking) Madness contest. Polls for the 88th Precinct vs. the 66th Precinct close at noon; our Queens matchup of the 110th vs. the 112th just went up today.
• The car-loving, driver-coddling New York Times wants readers to say, "Pity the poor drivers" now that gas prices are skyrocketing, but the Gray Lady's story quotes a bunch of people who took jobs in distant, inaccessible areas and then expect society to subsidize their lifestyle or career choice rather than advocating to elect politicians who will create transit or local jobs. The Daily News made the same disastrous error, too, quoting New York SUV drivers complaining about their $60 fill-ups. Sorry, but when you drive, you drive with Putin.