Manhattan

Above: A message from Allstate, the company that recently stopped renewing New York City home insurance policies due to the increasing risk of global warming-induced hurricanes. Spotted on Broadway near 9th Street.

Last week, columnist Steve Dunleavy used his 400-word rant-space in the New York Post to urge the city's cab riders and motorists to throw open their car doors in front of "pedal punks" riding their "maiming machines," and, "take back the streets" from bike-commuting "kamikaze jerks." 

The death of Derek Lake, killed one month ago at age 23 when his bicycle tripped a metal plate on Houston Street, hints at a tragedy shared by all New Yorkers: City Hall's continued insistence that the ultimate goal of a New York City street is to move as many cars and trucks each day as physically possible.

Derek Lake died on June 26 when his bike tripped over a steel plate and fell beneath the wheels of a moving truck in the midst of Houston Street's reconstruction mess. Brad Hoylman, a Village resident, chairs the Traffic and Transportation Committee of Community Board 2. Hoylman talks to Streetsblog about the  Community Board's reaction to Lake's death and its plans to try to prevent similar horrors. And he reminds us that, despite a $30 million reconstruction project that includes no new bicycle amenities, Houston Street is supposed to be a part of New York City's Bicycle Master Plan. 

"The greatest achievement of New York is the streets," says architect Hugh Hardy. And he says we can achieve richer public places -- if New York's citizens can persuade officials to make those places serve people rather than cars.

Here is the latest in Jeff Zupan's photo series on security barricades and their effect on New York City street life:

Friday, July 7, 10pmCentral Park Moonlight Ride.Meet at the Columbus Circle entrance to Central Park Time's Up!

Mobilizing the Region reports that the New York City Parks Department will:

In his spare time, StreetsBlog's new contributor, Jeff Zupan from the Regional Plan Association is roaming Manhattan snapping photos of security barricades and their impact on the city's street life. It's a big honor to have Jeff publishing here.