Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Eric Adams

Thursday’s Headlines: Mayoral Indictment Edition

As Cindy Adams always said, "If you're indicted, you're invited." But this is no party. Plus other news.

Mayor Adams, his hands shaking, taped a video declaring his innocence.

A T-shirt making the rounds.

Well, we've been saying for months that Mayor Adams should be indicted for failing to build the legally required amount of bus and bike lanes, for capitulating to big donors by curtailing street safety improvements, and for pissing on congestion pricing, so until the actual indictment is unsealed today, we're going to assume that's why the feds have lowered the boom.

In any event, everyone covered it. Click here for all the coverage, though the best stuff was when everyone dunked on Bret Stephens on Twitter:

Late in the night, the mayor, his hands shaking, taped a video declaring his innocence and saying he will fight and stay in office (and blaming immigrants for his troubles):

If Adams ends up changing his mind and resigning, you won't see much mourning in these pages (though we will miss his City of Yes housing initiative, which could have been transformative).

If he leaves, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams will take over, albeit temporarily. The livable streets crowd has a generally positive view of Williams — he's been particularly eloquent about the victims of road violence, for instance. And as Komanoff pointed out last night, Williams has said the right things about congestion pricing (which is easy for him, not being mayor or governor...):

It's hard to say more about Williams — judging by how rarely he's even mentioned in Streetsblog, he's not much of a leader on livable streets issues. Meanwhile, while the indictment news was still drying on the page of last night's early edition, the Post was already sharpening its knives about the "progressive Democrat" Williams. (Cool it, Rupert, Williams will only be mayor until the special election — 90 days, max.)

Then again, we hope Williams will at least use his 90-day bully pulpit to get Gov. Hochul to restart congestion pricing. That would cement a mayoral legacy — something Eric Adams failed to do in three years.

In other news (there was other news?):

  • Well, today was supposed to be a big day, what with a huge City Hall rally to support the now-indicted mayor's City of Yes zoning plan and a party in Foley Square to celebrate Lorenzo Pace's monumental sculpture "Triumph of the Human Spirit," which we hope cops won't park on. But it'll all likely be overshadowed by the Adams follow-ups.
  • Speaking of City of Yes, before he was indicted, Mayor Adams's signature housing plan moved easily through the City Planning Commission (NYDN, Streetsblog, Gothamist, amNY, NY Times), but the Post is already saying the Council will reject it.
  • The MTA board did the very expected thing and approved the $68.4-billion capital plan, and most outlets played it straight (all the angles were done before). (NYDN, NY Post, amNY)
  • That said, amNY reminded everyone that the MTA didn't put any money for the Second Avenue subway in that big renovation plan.
  • An Amtrak train derailed near Penn Station, screwing over New Jersey Transit and Amtrak riders. (NY Post, amNY)
  • The DOT announced a nifty way to recycle pavement. (NYDN)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

No Accident: Red Hook Pool Closure Saga Stems from Adams Administration ‘Underinvestment’

An Olympic-size pool in Red Hook has sat empty since the summer’s start, leaving residents in the area out to dry and pissed off in blistering, record high heat.

July 25, 2025

The Perfect Beast: Even Google’s AI Thinks Streets Are for Cars

Artificial intelligence is completely naturally addicted to promoting cars.

July 25, 2025

Friday Video: Krakow is a Polish Pedestrian Paradise

Check out how car drivers simply stop for pedestrians — and not just pedestrians in a crosswalk, but also pedestrians about to enter a crosswalk or even just thinking about maybe entering a crosswalk.

July 25, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Putting the ‘Con’ in ConEd Edition

Con Edison has blocked the Vernon Boulevard bike lane for more than a week now. Plus other news.

July 25, 2025

Fixing Canal Street Means Rethinking the Manhattan Bridge Itself: Experts

Canal Street needs a fix, but the city must go straight to the source.

July 24, 2025

Lower East Side Panel Joins Growing Chorus Against Tisch’s E-Bike Criminalization

Another New York neighborhood is calling for an end to the “disproportionate consequences” that e-bike users face under the NYPD’s sweeping crackdown.

July 24, 2025
See all posts