Monday’s Headlines: Holiday … on Schermerhorn Edition

Just in case you need a reminder of what a small army of cops will be doing today. File photos: Gersh Kuntzman/Adam Light
Just in case you need a reminder of what a small army of cops will be doing today. File photos: Gersh Kuntzman/Adam Light

It’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which means that the NYPD will be out in force sitting in their squad cars around the city’s many monuments to genocidal “explorer” Christopher Columbus. If you wish to honor the cruel tyrant, there will be a parade on Fifth Avenue today. (This year, the Post says, the mayor is welcome.)

We don’t go in for that kind of thing so we’re taking the day off — but not really. We’ll be back tomorrow with a panoply of pretty powerful pieces, so you’ll definitely want to start your day here.

But first, a little breaking news for all of you in Brooklyn who are sick of how the NYPD has turned Schermerhorn Street (a key bike route that links the Fourth Avenue protected bike lane with the bike paths on the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges): the DOT is soliciting public opinion about the mess.

Just click here!

“Hello! The New York City Department of Transportation is studying Schermerhorn Street for safety, mobility, and transit improvements,” the agency’s survey says. “The questions in this survey will ask about your experiences on Schermerhorn Street and will help NYC DOT improve your experience.”

The questions seem to be seeking honest answers, so we certainly gave some (see below):

Schermerhorn Street is a monumental shitshow — and we didn't mind telling DOT that!
Schermerhorn Street is a monumental shitshow — and we didn’t mind telling DOT that!

Why should we think this survey won’t end up in the dustbin of history like Council Member Stephen Levin’s supposed negotiations with the NYPD (which has a Transit substation on the block between Hoyt and Bond streets) or like all the 311 requests (“Your case is closed…”) we’ve been filing for years?

Well, it’s worth a shot. Happy holiday. We’ll be back with full headlines tomorrow.

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NYPD Parking Hogs Finally Crossed a Line

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Joanna Oltman Smith nearly broke the Internet yesterday with this photo of officers marking territory for NYPD Transit Bureau District 30 on Schermerhorn Street: Just because you graffiti/tag Schermerhorn #bikenyc lane does not make it your parking lot @CommissBratton @NYC_DOT pic.twitter.com/NiXnJ9vZVX — Joanna Oltman Smith (@jooltman) October 14, 2015 Scrawling the District 30 pecking order on […]