Our imperial, theme-music-bouyed mayor is saying some pretty crazy things when the most important words are supposed to be "safety first."
Let's break down the mayor's weekly Off-Topic Tuesday presser for you:
First, answering a question from our own Dave Colon, Hizzoner basically admitted that he put a hold on a simple, long-discussed bike boulevard in Brooklyn because his own DOT's year-long community engagement wasn't sufficient because a few people have, since, complained (we covered here).
But the mayor couldn't decide whether he likes community input (like when he said he intends to go door-to-door to solicit more public input on the project) or is willing to defy communities, because he's such a strong supporter of street safety projects (like when he touted how he pushed for a bike lane in 2017 even though "the community" didn't want it).
Bottom line: You can't build a network of bus or bike lanes if small groups of people get to block improvements that not only benefit their neighborhoods, but allow people from other neighborhoods to traverse the city safely.
On the plus side, the mayor's assertion that his team would be knocking doors all along Underhill Avenue gave me a huge opening through which I drove my parody truck:
Later in the same press conference, the mayor and his team trotted out an entirely new way of looking at cyclist deaths: by blaming cyclists who happen to be run over by drivers while using an electric bike as opposed to a regular bike. David Meyer covered that disgraceful (and new) form of victim-blaming from the Adams administration, which followed his coverage of the carnage from earlier in the day (amNY also covered).
In other news:
- Speaking of cycling, there was another massive and serious battery-related fire in Brooklyn, which is another factor in why so many delivery workers are switching to illegal (and far more dangerous) mopeds. (NYDN, amNY)
- And speaking of the mayor turning the world upside-down, Hell Gate got a second day out of the Inna Vernikov-Ingrid Lewis-Martin post-gun arrest selfie.
- Staten Island is finally getting some new train cars. (NYDN, amNY, Gothamist)
- Despite the headline — and the ongoing crisis of illegal mopeds — this story about a great sandwich isn't about mopeds at all! (NY Magazine)
- A car driver caused a crash in Long Island — but the Daily News article made it sound like the car had a mind of its own.
- Speaking of car-related carnage, there was a fatal crash on the Belt Parkway, where drivers speed like they live in Indianapolis and their favorite number is 500. (NYDN)
- The MTA's promised service improvements aren't as good as, well, promised. (NY Post)
- Set your calendar (or always check out Streetsblog's events listing): The Council will discuss a spate of e-bike and electric battery bills on Monday. For all the info, click here.
- Finally, The City unveiled a new look.
