Transportation Policy

As part of today's big announcement on bike safety improvements, the City is committing to undertaking the following actions. From the City's press release:

One of the most interesting developments to emerge from today's big announcement on bike safety is the idea that bicycling is now being treated by city government as a public health issue. This is from the City's press release:

The press conference is underway right now in at Tavern on the Green in Central Park. Here are verbatim portions of the City's press release and a response from Transportation Alternatives. Stay tuned for more news and analysis:

Richard Heinberg, whose latest book "The Oil Depletion Protocol" aims to help citizens and municipalities deal with the increasing likelihood of global energy supply disruptions, publishes an excellent monthly newsletter called "Muse Letter." The latest issue focuses mainly on the recent Israeli-Hezbollah conflict -- not exactly within Streetsblog's purview -- but it also contains a potentially critical piece of news about global oil supply.

The question was debated, albeit briefly and in slow motion, by two New York City Department of Transportation employees in the pages of the New York Times last week. Last week, in a Sunday City section op/ed piece, Andrew Vesselinovitch argued that DOT is not doing enough for New York City cyclists. Vesselinovitch is the former Director of DOT's Bicycle Program who made headlines in July when he claimed in a publicly-released resignation letter that the agency's leadership was purposefully undermining the progress of New York City's bicycle network. This week, a response to Vesselinovitch comes from Ryan Russo, the DOT's newly appointed Director of Street Management and Safety. Their back-and-forth is re-printed below, in full:

The Times had an interesting article yesterday for which a reporter drove through the Midwest to find out how ethanol users, distributors and producers are adjusting to the new fuel blend. One of the most striking things was that use of ethanol is accompanied by a sense of patriotic pride. One person, for example, says, "We are in favor of alternative energy forms, especially those produced here in the United States." Trade associations and state governments are pushing for more ethanol use.

(Photo by Will Sherman of Transportation Alternatives)