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

Thursday’s Headlines: Fourth of July Hangover Edition

That Fourth of July lasts longer for some than others. Plus more news.

Photo: Amy Sohn|

Someone ought to take care of these concrete barriers leftover from Fourth of July.

How long is the Fourth of July?

In Eric Adams's New York City, it lasts until at least July 9th — that's judging from the NYPD's concrete barriers still lying at the corner of Joralemon Street and Columbia Place from Hizzoner's "total fiasco" Independence Day fireworks bonanza.

Adams offered 100,000 free tickets to anyone who wanted to watch the fireworks in Brooklyn Bridge Park, and closed the promenade to everyone but city workers. It was a recipe for disaster. As the Brooklyn Eagle reported, "Lines that wove for hours through Brooklyn Heights merged into mob scenes at the park’s entrances."

Thank god the cops had all that concrete, I guess. A local tipster tells us the restaurant at the corner where it was still sitting as of Wednesday — River Deli — has tried to no avail to get someone to retrieve the massive hunks of cement.

Maybe today's the day. And maybe the next mayor can get the greatest city in the world a few mouth Fourth of July fireworks shows.

With reporting from Amy Sohn

In other news:

  • Several outlets followed our coverage of the mayor's success in court over bike advocates suing to stop him from ripping up the Bedford Avenue bike lane. (Daily News, Gothamist, Brooklyn Paper, News12 Brooklyn, NY1)
  • ICYMI — Streetsblog spoke to outraged cyclists on Bedford Avenue immediately after Wednesday's ruling:
  • Zohran Mamdani may keep Jessica Tisch on as NYPD commissioner. (NY Times)
  • Chris McCreight will run against Republican Assembly Member Alec Brook-Krasny in a rematch from 2024. (City & State)
  • An SUV driver struck and killed a moped rider in Astoria on Monday. (amNY)
  • Driggs Avenue will go car-free through McCarren Park on Saturday. (Transportation Alternatives via X)
  • Let Council Member Chi Ossé explain street vendor permit reform to you. (Chi Ossé via Instagram)
  • An ex-G.M. exec is out with an op-ed in the Times calling for an electric car "Manhattan Project." (NY Times)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Blood On His Hands’: Cyclists Slam Eric Adams After Judge Lets Him Remove Brooklyn Bike Lane

Mayor Adams will have “blood on his hands” for his decision to rip up three blocks of the popular protected bike lane.

July 10, 2025

Brooklyn Judge Lets Eric Adams Rip Up Bedford Avenue Protected Bike Lane

The mayor's move to rip up the bike lane did not require advanced notification, Judge Carolyn Walker-Diallo ruled.

Universal Daylighting Has Majority Support on the City Council — Will Speaker Adams Give It a Vote?

Adrienne Adams is sitting on a landmark daylighting bill that could make every intersection safer for pedestrians.

July 9, 2025

‘Anti-Car Crusade’: Dinowitzes Slam Bronx Harlem River Greenway Bike Lane Touted by Mayor

The father-son duo are throwing a tantrum over the first leg of Mayor Adams's Harlem River Greenway.

July 8, 2025

Eyes on the Street: DOT’s ‘Broadway Vision’ Starts to Clear Up

The Department of Transportation has transformed Broadway into a new corridor for pedestrians and cyclists.

July 8, 2025
See all posts