It's not even Thanksgiving yet, but everyone is making a list (and checking it twice) for Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
We were first out of the gate, of course, offering multiple columns advising the future Hizzoner on what he should do once he takes the oath of office.
On Thursday, our friends at Transportation Alternatives got into the act, laying out in 85 chunky bullet points, how Mayor Mamdani should expand daylighting, build more bike lanes, create bus rapid transit, expand Summer Streets, widen sidewalks and create car-free streets, reduce the city speed limit, broaden the scope of the next Streets Master Plan, make outdoor dining year-round, and reboot Vision Zero, among many, many, many other things.
But you don't need us to summarize the fine work from TA (with help from Open Plans, by the way). You can read the whole thing right here — and, after, you should send it to your Council member.
In other news:
- Taking out the real trash: NY1's report on the Council's expansion of the city's Empire Bin program contained many quotes from people pleased to see fewer rats, and one gem of a quote from a driver, who admitted he got rid of his car because it was tough to park it. So the trash bin program is working on two levels!
- There was a flurry of press releases from the usually sleepy Port Authority yesterday, including a huge capital investment slated for the next 10 years, but also some bad news: a pretty steep fare increase on the PATH train to pay for additional (but, come on, long overdue!) service. (NY Times, Gothamist)
- Mayor-elect Mamdani is talking with Gov. Hochul about the inevitable federal troop increase in New York — and the way it could all play out in the public realm. (NYDN, NY Times)
- Kathy Hochul, still gutless on climate (despite a court order). (NY Post, Gothamist)
- Meet a business owner who is smart enough to know the real villain on our streets: drivers. (WCBS2)
- We were happy to see the Times giving our friend Arline Bronzaft the full obit treatment.
- Bratislava is the latest city eating our lunch when it comes to child-friendly streets. (Bloomberg)
- It's nice that The Economist sees the utility in cargo bikes, but I don't think it's fair to say that parents making the school run with their kids in the back are "smug."
- My personal honeymoon with Staten Island Council Member Frank Morano ended after one day, thanks to his support for a ludicrous right-on-red bill. We'll always have daylighting, Frank. (NY Post)
- The Times did one of their gorgeous looking, but ultimately hollow, pieces about the lengthy process to build a new Penn Station. The piece tread very heavily on previous reporting by the Streetsblog Penn Station desk of Dave Colon, David Meyer and Nolan Hicks.
- Do subways need conductors? The Times raises the issue.
- Rest in peace, o Queens laureate. Hal Sirowitz is dead. (NY Times)
- The Brooklyn Paper also tried out state Sen. Andrew Gounardes's speed-limiter tech.
- Finally, why is Rep. Nicole Malliotakis recording videos from behind the wheel and at highway speeds? It's dangerous to drink and jive!
