Today's Headlines

Tuesday’s Headlines: Creative Enforcement Edition

State Sen. Erik Bottcher wants New York City to borrow a novel bike enforcement tactic from London. Plus more news.

By David Meyer

12:01 AM EDT on October 20, 2026

Tuesday’s Headlines: Creative Enforcement Edition

A man looks on as cops write criminal summonses to two cyclists on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. Photo: Jonah Schwarz

State Sen. Erik Bottcher has a clever idea for bicycle law enforcement: Rather than slap cyclists with the $190 fine for running a red light, why not give them an opportunity to learn from their mistakes?

Bottcher’s Bicycle Traffic Safety Education Alternative Act, which he announced on Monday, would give cyclists caught committing “non-criminal traffic violations” the option to “watch a safety video” rather than pay a fine:

What if a traffic ticket could actually change someone’s behavior instead of just costing them money?

Assemblymember @jordanjgwright and I are introducing legislation that would give cyclists ticketed for breaking traffic laws a choice: watch a road safety video or pay a fine. pic.twitter.com/Q75qGO7Poa
— Erik Bottcher (@ebottcher) October 19, 2026

Bottcher said he got the ideal from London, where police in the Square Mile direct law-breaking cyclists into a “Sin Bin” roadside tent to watch a safety video before sending them on their way. It’s a nice idea, and one that prioritizes safety over punishment.

This morning, City of London Police were at Bank Junction, introducing a new approach to tackling cyclists who ignore red lights, giving offending riders the opportunity to watch a short hard-hitting road safety film instead of receiving an immediate fixed penalty notice. pic.twitter.com/S9Z8qVi9BS
— City of London Police (@CityPolice) October 14, 2026

In other news:

It’s Streetsblog’s Central Park Day! Follow along on our live-blog here.
Comptroller Mark Levine wants DOT to implement Sammy’s Law 20-mph speed limits in the communities that have requested it. (amNY)
Riders Alliance wants to end unarmed bus fare enforcement. (Daily News)
A high-paid lobbyist and ex-city official with ties to Uber is leading an astroturfed “national coalition” against Waymo, and former Mamdani aide Andrew Bard Epstein is also involved somehow. (Washington Post)
Intersection improvements at Atlantic Avenue and Boerum Place are set to begin soon. (Patch)
Cops still don’t know what led to the shooting of a 26-year-old on a Midtown subway platform on Saturday, and still haven’t caught the alleged killer. (NY Times)

GOP candidate for governor @NassauExec took the LIRR into Penn, rode the E to 53rd Street 7th Avenue where the fatal subway shooting happened this weekend.

Blakeman blames opponent @KathyHochul: says she should add more cops to platforms—though Hochul added more & split $ w city pic.twitter.com/Gotq2boko9
— Bernadette Hogan (@bern_hogan) October 19, 2026

Police identified the alleged hit-and-run e-scooter rider who killed 50-year-old Wilmary Carrion in July, but insist there’s no way to charge him. (Bronx Times)
Authorities only took a few days to apprehend and charge an alleged hit-and-run driver who injured an NYPD officer in the Bronx over the weekend. (Daily News)
President Trump’s former press secretary is a recidivist reckless driver. (Daily Beast)
An office building at 100 Gold St. could become the densest apartment building in the country. (The City Reporter)
The MTA’s train yard facilities are in bad shape, the authority’s inspector general said. (Gothamist)

David Meyer

David was Streetsblog's do-it-all New York City beat reporter from 2015 to 2019. He returned as an editor in 2023 after a three-year stint at the New York Post and is now Managing Editor.

Today's Headlines | Traffic Enforcement