The latest streets and transportation news from Streetsblog NYC.

Today’s newsletter shares the Good News of what happens when a bike lane opponent realizes that the installation of a bike lane has actually been a great thing: for his neighbors, for his streets and even for his business.

Join Summer Specialist Emily Smith as she interviews Lampros Tsampas, the owner of King Souvlaki, the food truck that, for so many months, was one of the public faces of the opposition to the city’s plan for a bike lane on 31st Street in Queens.

Now that the bike lane is in place, Tsampas loves it.

It’s like what we always say: streetscape changes are the most controversial thing in this city … until they’re in place, then everyone loves them. Times Square, Broadway Vision, the 34th Avenue open street (now Paseo Park), the 14th Street busway — all were bitterly opposed by some people, yet all of them made the naysayers yaysayers once the work was done and people got used to it.

We’re not here to gloat. We’re here to celebrate Tsampas as he joins the livable streets movement — good for safety, good for quality of life and, yes, good for business.

A Better Busway Is Coming To Livingston Street In Downtown Brooklyn
A Better Busway Is Coming To Livingston Street In Downtown Brooklyn
By Dave Colon
September 22, 2026
The Mamdani administration will extend the Livingston Street busway west of its current terminal at Smith Street, freeing an existing bus lane from a morass of placard abuse.
Roundup: Local New York Jurisdictions Target the Wrong ‘E-Bikes’ as Market Outpaces State Law
Roundup: Local New York Jurisdictions Target the Wrong ‘E-Bikes’ as Market Outpaces State Law
By Austin C. Jefferson
September 22, 2026
Local lawmakers in New York state are all over the map when it comes to addressing unsafe and illegal e-motos in their communities.
Tuesday’s Headlines: The President Was At Gracie Mansion Edition
Tuesday’s Headlines: The President Was At Gracie Mansion Edition
By Gersh Kuntzman
September 22, 2026
President Trump at Gracie Mansion (he’s not moving in … yet). Plus other news.
City Exempted Truck in Fatal Crash from Life-Saving Safety Component
City Exempted Truck in Fatal Crash from Life-Saving Safety Component
By Sophia Lebowitz
September 21, 2026
And about half of trade waste trucks in the city have been exempted because “the design or operation of the vehicle” makes it too challenging to install the after-market safety feature. Huh?
People-First Streets Will Pave The Way For The Best Version Of Downtown Brooklyn: Report
People-First Streets Will Pave The Way For The Best Version Of Downtown Brooklyn: Report
By Dave Colon
September 21, 2026
Two decades after a major rezoning, the city should continue to emphasize pedestrians, cyclists and bus riders in Downtown Brooklyn in order to make the best possible version of the neighborhood as a residential and job center.
The Lobby Door: Waymo-Backed Group Wrangles Big Names to Sell Albany on Self-Driving Cars
The Lobby Door: Waymo-Backed Group Wrangles Big Names to Sell Albany on Self-Driving Cars
By Austin C. Jefferson
September 21, 2026
More Astroturf: Top politicos are on board with Waymo’s pitch.
Eyes on the Street: The Unsafe Manhattan End Of The Queensboro Bridge
Eyes on the Street: The Unsafe Manhattan End Of The Queensboro Bridge
By Sam Brule
September 21, 2026
It’s a four-way clusterfuck because … cars.
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