Friday’s Headlines: Eclipsed by Cars Edition

Monday’s solar show will cast a shadow over a swath of the country, but it’ll also shed light on how we’ve allowed cars to eclipse our ability to get around.

As Aaron Short reported in Streetsblog USA yesterday, many of the rural and suburban areas inside the “zone of totality” will be totally gridlocked. Authorities in Texas, for example, aren’t bothering to bolster their transit, instead just telling drivers to pack extra water and gas because of the traffic.

I confess that I’ll be getting out of town for the Big Event, albeit on Amtrak to Burlington, Vermont, so expect a review (of the transit, that is) next week.

Until then, here’s the news:

• The Daily News joined the party in covering Wednesday’s Department of Investigation report on NYPD placard abuse and 311 fabrications.
• As we predicted yesterday, the bad press the MTA got for charging the New York City Marathon a fee to use the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge was enough to encourage Gov. Hochul to stand down. (NY Post)
• Crime is down on the subway. (NY Post)
• A group of Prospect Heights locals are flipping the script on Mayor Adams, protesting “outsiders” who want to do something locals don’t want. If you remember, Mayor Adams said “outsiders” wanted the Underhill Avenue bike boulevard, so he had to slow it down to make sure locals wanted it (they did). Now he’s pushing outsider Tony Hawk’s plan for a skate park. (NY Post)
• Council Member Alexa Aviles had an amNY op-ed arguing for a rezoning plan to limit the last-mile warehouses that are crowding and polluting her Sunset Park district and other areas where real estate is less expensive.
• Gothamist covered the second-day of congestion pricing hearings. So did we.
• And, finally, Sal caught a great faker: