Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Today's Headlines

Thursday’s Headlines Reveal Hochul’s Math: Drivers > Transit Users

Hey, transit users — we're invisible to Congestion Kathy.

Outrage.

Hey, transit users — we're invisible to Gov. Hochul.

On Tuesday, with the heatwave bearing down on the Big Apple, the Gridlock Gov told all drivers that they should head to the nearest state beach, where she decided to waive the normal parking fees.

That prompted a pretty obvious question: What about the majority of New York City residents who don't have cars and instead use transit (which will now be stuck in even more traffic) to cool off?

We weren't the only people asking that, as the replies to the governor's tweet showed:

Never mind that the heatwave is, in part, caused by overuse of the automobile — a trend that will continue due to the governor's cancellation of congestion pricing — but the only explanation for giving drivers a heatwave subsidy yet ignoring transit riders is simply that we're invisible to the governor, who gets driven, helicoptered or flown everywhere.

Parking at state beaches is already subsidized: It's only $10 per car to park at Jones Beach, no matter how many people you cram into the vehicle. But if four Manhattanites want to hit the beach, it'll cost $11.60 for four subway rides, plus $92 for four round-trip Long Island Rail Road tickets, plus another $11.60 for the return subway.

Do the math: That's $115.20 just to get to and from the beach. No wonder people buy cars — we're encouraging them to.

In other news from the quiet Juneteenth holiday:

  • The editorial board at amNY opined that Hochul is living in "fantasy land" because she "has yet to announce any serious effort to find an alternative funding plan, but continues to insist the funding will eventually be there."
  • Can't we all agree that city pools need to open earlier in the year? (Astoria Post)
  • Finally, it's hard to understand what's happening in this video of a massive SUV driver taking out his aggressions on a line of parked cars in Flushing:

Here it is from another angle:

I suppose it's no surprise, but the driver of that SUV has gotten two camera-issued speeding tickets since mid-May, according to city records. Apparently, they'll give anyone a license ... and let him keep it.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Preventable’: Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Two on Third. Ave Corridor Eric Adams Refuses to Make Safer

A motorist struck and killed two men on a strip where Mayor Adams recently shelved a safety redesign amid a backlash from local business interests.

July 11, 2025

Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks

Years of bus priority projects barely made a dent in speeds because Big Apple leaders won't install real bus rapid transit, two recent reports argue.

July 11, 2025

Citi Bike Riders Are Pissed About Eric Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit

Citi Bike's new 15 mph max speed limit is a bad deal for riders and a potential threat to safety, riders said.

July 11, 2025

Friday Video: Cyclists, Check Out Your Next City

Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson visited London earlier this summer to check in on the Big Smoke's cycling revolution.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

We've got one more workday before we can hit the beach. Plus the news.

July 11, 2025

Council To Close Instacart Loophole, Pass Delivery Industry Regulation Bills

The City Council will vote on Monday to close the "Instacart loophole" and force all app companies to pay workers a minimum wage.

July 10, 2025
See all posts