Friends and family of Sarah Schick, the Citi Bike rider who was killed by a truck driver on Ninth Street in Brooklyn two years ago, rallied at the fatal corner on Friday to mourn and also to demand that the city make the roadway safer.
After Schick was killed the Department of Transportation did make some improvements — banishing parked cars on both sides of the two-way street and putting up some protections for cyclists between Third Avenue and Smith Street.
But "the barriers are not in place for about 75 percent of Ninth Street and are chronically blocked, particularly by businesses like Ferrantino Fuel [whose] trucks park on the sidewalk and in the bike lane daily, often overnight,
adjacent to the spot where Sarah Schick was killed, and parking in the bike lane forces cyclists to drive in traffic," Council Member Shahana Hanif, Transportation Alternatives' new executive director Ben Furnas, Brooklyn Community Board 6 and Families for Safe Streets wrote to Mayor Adams and DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.
The letter was also signed by Maxime Le Mounier, Schick's widower, who spoke the vigil at the corner, which, ironically, is home to a Tesla dealership.
The group is seeking more barriers as well as pedestrian improvements. DOT spokesperson Mona Bruno said the agency would review the TA letter. "Safety is our top priority, and we’re laser focused on making it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to get around our city," Bruno said. "We ... continue to monitor the success of the safety enhancements we have already made at this intersection.”
In other news:
- Obviously, the big story on Monday was the MTA's data dump showing that congestion pricing was — let's not go crazy — working. Everyone covered it. (Streetsblog, the Daily News, NY Times, amNY, Gothamist)
- Meanwhile, the Post — whose war on congestion pricing continues — flat out disputed the MTA's numbers while offering nothing as evidence, save the tired complaints of congestion pricing critics who themselves offered no evidence. Remember what Mike Bloomberg said: "In God we trust — everyone else bring data."
- The Post also continued its practice of dredging up year-old Streetsblog stories to generate new outrage (and labeling it "exclusive"). No, Mayor Adams is not paying the congestion pricing charge. We told you that!
- Hell Gate took down the Post for its congestion pricing "coverage."
- Meanwhile, New Jersey is touting its own congestion pricing idea. We say bring it on! (NY Post)
- And the Star-Ledger is pissed at N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy for screwing over transit riders.
- And remember that diner owner who foolishly told Gov. Hochul that congestion pricing would hurt his business? He's now fine taking the subway. (AP)
- The Second Avenue Subway is doing fine, thanks to congestion pricing. (The City)
- Advocates, including Friend of Streetsblog Miser, have started a new campaign for daylighting. Click to get the facts.
- Mayoral hopeful Jessica Ramos sat down with the self-appointed New York Editorial Board to talk about the issues. She's high on the Interborough Express (who isn't?), thinks the mayor should appoint the NYC Transit president, and didn't take Nicole Gelinas's bait on subway crime. In non-transit news, her fealty to community boards will give some people pause.
- Speaking of the June primary for mayor, the current officeholder is so underwater, he should be declared an aquarium feature. (amNY)
- And another mayoral hopeful, Brad Lander, unveiled a pretty small plan to end homelessness. (NY Times, amNY)
- Why are Hasidic school bus drivers continuing to put their young charges in harm's way? (WPIX11)
- QueensLink got a $400,000 study grant from the feds. (QNS)
- Car carnage on Long Island. (NYDN)
