The death toll passed 1,000 in the city yesterday, the Post reported, making a sad mockery of Gov. Cuomo’s favorite phrase, our ever-upward state motto.

But there’s two things we’ll keep fighting for over here: finding six feet of space to distance ourselves from the rest of you (sorry not sorry) and working for a more livable, better city when this is all over.

We think this tweet said it best, inspired by Friend of Streetsblog Doug Gordon:

We are not going back to dangerous, noisy, polluted streets when this health crisis is over — indeed, dangerous, noisy, polluted streets ARE our everyday health crisis. Fix it, @NYCMayor https://t.co/oChnOvgkKu

— Streetsblog New York (@StreetsblogNYC) March 31, 2020

Here’s the rest of the news from a grim, but slow, Tuesday:

• Man, the MTA is really spinning its poor pandemic planning, shifting the blame to the federal government in general — and the CDC specifically (NYDN) — even though some failures were easily predictable (The City).
• Mayor de Blasio will finally close a few playgrounds, but not nearly enough. (NY Post)
• MTA CEO Pat Foye really gave a bad answer on subway homelessness yesterday: it’s an illusion! (NY Post) He also suggested he doesn’t know how to figure out when the trains will be crowded (amNY).
• In case you missed it, Julianne Cuba’s story about the Case of the Disappearing Second Avenue Bike Lane was updated late yesterday with the mystery solved. (Streetsblog)