Thursday’s Headlines: Affordability-Washing Edition
Gov. Hochul will be in the city on Thursday to pitch her tech industry-backed bid to lower car insurance premiums by reducing compensation to crash victims.
Anyone tuning into the governor’s announcement would be wise to read Streetsblog reporter Kevin Duggan’s latest story about CAR, or “Citizens for Affordable Rates,” the Uber-backed Astroturf campaign pushing Hochul’s proposal. CAR has poured millions of dollars into convincing New York politicians that car insurance rates are unspeakably and unreasonably high in a state where car crashes are the leading cause of injury-related death.
Too high? Try too low!
The governor’s plan to cut insurance premiums is partially built on reducing compensation to some of those victims by “tightening” the definition of “serious injury,” Duggan reports.
State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie isn’t convinced, Streetsblog Albany Bureau Chief Austin C. Jefferson reported. Heastie told reporters on Wednesday that while he agrees that “insurance rates are very high … victims of accidents [sic] need to have their settlements and their days in court.”
Read Jefferson’s full report here and Duggan’s barnburner of a curtain-raiser here.
In other news:
- Can New York’s historic highway boondoggles chart a path for “community-led reform”? (Bloomberg CityLab)
- In one of his last acts as New Jersey governor, Phil Murphy pardoned a donor’s son who struck and killed a woman in a 2022 hit-and-run. (Politico)
- Hudson River Park Trust will no longer rent space for ICE to park its cars and vans after scrutiny from the press. (The City)
- Subway workers rallied for a faster resolution to the four-year-old case against a man who assaulted subway cleaner Anthony Nelson. (The City, ABC7)
- Rit in Peace: Adams DEP Commissioner Rit Aggarwala is stepping down Jan. 31. (The City)
- The LIRR declared victory after imposing new fees on riders who wait until the last minute to activate their tickets. (Newsday)
- The Rockaway Park subway platform is “in shambles,” Gothamist reported.
- A state judge ordered New York to redraw the 11th Congressional District, currently represented by U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, the lone Republican in the city congressional delegation. (Gothamist)
- The Times explored Mayor Mamdani’s relationship with his police commissioner.
- How the G train shutdown created a new cadre of Citi Bike cyclists. (Patrick Cleary via Substack)
- Meet new DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine. (WNYC)
Read More:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
