The picture above — which depicts a cyclist deciding to take the West Side Highway — is exactly what happens when government (in this case, the city Parks Department) makes a terrible decision and then compounds it by not providing enough warning about said terrible decision.
As you recall from our coverage (and Gothamist's and NY1's) on Monday, the Parks Department has shut down a mile-and-half stretch of the continent's busiest greenway for the second time in four years — and not provided a safe detour.
As a result, this cyclist clearly got to the greenway for his or her normal commute, encountered the barricade and no options, and said, "Fuck it."
This is why safety advocates called on the Parks Department and the Department of Transportation to provide a suitable detour, rather than re-routing cyclists to city streets where there have been dozens of crashes this year alone.
But both agencies deferred. So that's why there are cyclists on the highway.
In other news:
- We mentioned both in our capital plan coverage last week, but The City focused on the coming repairs to elevated train tracks, which need TLC desperately. And amNY looked at signal repairs.
- We were happy to see Gothamist follow up our seminal coverage of the NYPD's racial profiling in the form of "jaywalking" tickets.
- The Times got around to covering the permeable pavement revolution, though it was odd that the Paper of Record never pointed out how expensive the innovation is.
- The state's power development authority announced free electric shuttles in the Rockaways — but be careful not to get addicted to the free rides, as the $2.50 fare will kick in soon. (NYSERDA)
- The City Planning Commission approved of a tower next to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, setting aside all the usual NIMBYism, plus some other concerns. (NY Post)
- There's been a drop in bus fare evasion apparently. (Gothamist)
- Car carnage on the Island (NY Post) and on the BQE (The Brooklyn Paper).
- The Republicans want to directly fund police to bypass elected city leaders they find too liberal. What could possibly go wrong? (NY Post)
- Another top Adams administration official has resigned. (NY Times)
- Another public space in the Domino project in Williamsburg is done. (Brownstoner)
- Dom DeMarco was posthumously honored at the Midwood corner he made famous with his pies. (The Brooklyn Paper)
