Friday’s Headlines: Are Pigs Aloft Edition

Sure, it doesn't look like a bombshell, but it was. Matthew Chayes via Twitter
Sure, it doesn't look like a bombshell, but it was. Matthew Chayes via Twitter

Out of the blue, the NYPD’s highest ranking uniformed officer, Chief of Department Terence Monahan, dropped a bombshell so huge that, typically, it requires the police chief or mayor to announce. But whatever — at an unrelated press conference, Monahan said the department would revisit its policy of cracking down on cyclists after one is killed in a crash with a driver, an infuriating practice that the NYPD trotted out again in the hours after Robyn Hightman’s killing on Monday.

Everybody covered the weirdly off-the-cuff announcement, including Streetsblog, Gothamist, and virtually everyone on Twitter.

But there was other news made yesterday. Here goes:

  • In case you missed it, Dana Rubinstein at Politico had a nice scoop: Gov. Cuomo is going to follow Andy Byford’s lead and try to increase speeds on all MTA rail operations, not just the subway. Hey, gov, that was a pretty good idea from one of your mere department heads, you gotta admit.
  • The NYPD is putting more cops in the subway — but this time, the spin is that they’ll do true neighborhood policing, albeit underground. (NYDN)
  • New York commuters got it both ways yesterday, what with a PATH train outage (NYDNand L service delayed by a stuck train (NYDN, NY Post).
  • Los Angeles is spearheading a coalition of cities using data to figure out how to regulate e-scooters. Other members include Austin, Chicago, Louisville, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. (The Verge)
  • Don’t worry, $2.05 billion is not a lot to spend on a train line from LaGuardia Airport to nowhere. (amNY)

The American women play their second knockout round game in the World Cup today at 3 p.m. against France. Looks like it’s time for some Streetsblog “team building” exercises at the Henry Street Ale House.

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