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

Friday’s Headlines: Far Above Cayuga’s Waters Edition

Streetsblog's freak flag was flying all over Ithaca yesterday. Plus other news.

Polk Award-winning investigative reporter Jesse Coburn and I (New York Press "Best Good Guy of NYC, 1997 and 1998!) were in upstate Ithaca to lecture first-year law students about the importance of the First Amendment and to thank our friends at the Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic for all the fine work they've provided us over the years (and in the future — shhh!).

Here we were:

That's Kuntzman (center) and Coburn (left) with our Cornell lawyer Heather Murray. Photo: Mark Howard Jackson

So let's get straight to the news:

  • The NYPD fired a cop for writing a ticket to a driver who abused her placard, these court papers say. (Gothamist)
  • Likening yourself to a mayor who was defeated in his re-election bid is an odd play for Mayor Adams, but as the Times reported, calling himself "David Dinkins 2 ... has become a central theme in Mr. Adams’s re-election strategy."
  • We'll say it: The city's obsession with bus fare "evasion" is absurd, selective and downright mirror-breaking. If they'd pick up a looking glass, the MTA, the NYPD and the Adams administration would clearly see why people don't pay their bus fare: congestion causes buses to run too slowly, the city won't build dedicated bus lanes and most bus riders pay when they get into the subway anyway. This is a waste of time that slows down buses. (NYDN, amNY)
  • And, as the Times reported, "some riders feel justified in not paying the $2.90 fare because heavy traffic and a lack of bus lanes means that bus service can be slow and unreliable." Ya think?
  • And these enforcement blitzes are also arbitrary and capricious:
  • Just in time: A few days after we published an op-ed from "Gridlock" Sam Schwartz on the cost-effective way to protect subway riders, the MTA went and did it. (Gothamist)
  • If anyone sees a worse lede on a car crash story than the one published by the West Side Rag on Wednesday, we'll eat our hat (and our next FOIL lawsuit): "A cyclist on the Upper West Side was sent to the hospital after getting hit by a car that fled the scene." Ugh. Where do we begin?
  • Seriously, New Jersey Transit? Really? (NJ.com)
  • Gothamist had an interesting take on congestion pricing that reminded us that many subway users still feel it's "unfair" to charge drivers to fund transit, which is sort of the definition of internalizing your own oppression.
  • In a related story, the MTA is still paying to finish Grand Central Madison. (Crain's)
  • The bike path on the Tappan Zee Bridge is already falling apart. (LoHud)
  • Is this really the question you want to ask when it comes to a city with not enough basic recreation space, Crain's?
  • And, finally, the Times did a tremendous tribute to the literary muse that is the New York City subway.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Beach Reading: Zohran Mamdani’s Answers to Streetsblog’s Mayoral Candidate Survey

Spend the holiday weekend with Zohran Mamdani's answers to Streetsblog's mayoral candidate questionnaire.

July 4, 2025

Friday Video: Why NYC Needs ‘Low-Traffic Neighborhoods’

London's Church Street, like so many of our business corridors, was choking on cars — until the advent of the low-traffic neighborhood.

July 4, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: E-Bikes in Parks … Permanently Edition

The Parks Department will permanently allow e-bikes in city parks following a two-year pilot. Plus more news.

July 4, 2025

Anti-Miracle On 34th Street: Adams Administration Pauses Work On 34th Street Busway

The highly-anticipated 34th Street busway may not happen under Mayor Adams after all, sources said.

July 3, 2025

Manhattan DA Says Alleged Central Park Hit-and-Run Cyclist Didn’t Flee, Drops Charges

Prosecutors said the 30-year-old cyclist "remained on the scene for about 45 minutes after the crash and waited for paramedics to arrive to treat the injured person."

Sean Duffy’s ‘Great America Road Trip’ Wants You to Drive to Central Park

Sean Duffy's "Great American Road Trip" encourages Americans to drive to sites in the most transit-rich and car-choked parts of the country.

July 3, 2025
See all posts