Early last week, Streetsblog got wind of a troubling situation on Congress Street in Brooklyn outside the Van Voorhees Playground: At the curb ramp at the corner of Hicks Street, DOT had erected signs that showed a pedestrian symbol crossed out — indicating that pedestrians were barred from crossing there.
"Mr Mamdani, tear down these signs!" locals exclaimed — imploring the Department of Transportation to take them down and install a crosswalk at the location.
The signs went up on March 13. Streetsblog asked DOT about them on March 17. DOT took them down on March 18.
"This signage has been removed and NYC DOT is exploring other options to support pedestrian safety at this intersection," agency spokesman Vincent Barone told us via email.
That's right, folks: Streetsblog. Gets. Action.
In other news:
- ICYMI: Cops filed charges in the horrific crash that killed a delivery worker and injured four others on Thursday. Unsurprisingly, the driver, who was allegedly high on PCP, has a long rap sheet that include a 2020 arrest for aggravated vehicular assault, The Post reported. Advocates said his record would've warranted the speed-limiter tech they're pushing up in Albany.
- Speaking of The Post, the paper continued its opposite-of-a-victory lap of anti-e-bike coverage. A column by Steve Cuozzo said the mayor gave e-bike riders "a license to kill," which couldn't be further from the truth. Another story muddled the definition of an e-bike and ignored the role of car drivers in the deaths of e-bike riders.
- The paper also tried to sow discord over "no less than 100 deliverymen last week pouring in and out of [a] mosque" in the East Village, which one area store owner likened to "Sanford and Son" (If that's not a dog whistle, what is?). This particular quote from one customer summed it up: "It was shocking to see so many people just hanging on the street. It was scary."
- A hit-and-run driver killed a pedestrian on the Upper East Side. (ABC7NY)
- Queens Community Board 6 wants DOT to pilot a low-traffic neighborhood in its district. (Queens Chronicle)
- Private vehicles will not be allowed at this summer's World Cup games in New Jersey. (Time Out)
- Mamdani's DOT is on a "pothole blitz." (NYCMayor via X)
- Could through-running cut the cost of decking Sunnyside Yard? (Daily News)
- Here's a bogus legal argument against congestion pricing that will go nowhere. (NY Post)
- Parks advocates are ready to fight for more money from Mayor Mamdani. (Gothamist)
- Mayor Eric Adams's TLC Commissioner David Do won't work for that illegal taxi company after all. (The City)
- The MTA is going ahead with the next phase of the Second Avenue subway despite threats from the Trump administration. (Gothamist)
- NYPD is ignoring a City Council law requiring it to issue civil, not criminal, summonses for illegal street vending. (The City)
- On the bright side, the Mamdani administration is opening a Mayor's Office of Street Vendor Services — led by street vendor advocate Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez. (NY Times, Gothamist)
- The Post also ripped off our coverage of Nassau County's illegal e-bike ban.
- Gov. Hochul has no intention of naming Penn Station after President Trump. (NY Post)
- An NYPD chase nearly led to a driving striking a child. (Daily News)
- The mayor-elect of Paris rode bike-share to his victory speech. (Guardian)
- Bike advocates in D.C. held a bike ride this weekend in support of the bike lane the Trump administration is ripping up for no reason:
- And, finally, our old man editor heard the rumors that DOT had repainted and slightly modified the 10th Avenue bike lane ... and it's all true. DOT shifted the bike lane away from the curb and added a painted buffer that's bound to be filled by Drug Enforcement Administration agents soon enough. Check out his latest Old Man Vertical here:
