Monday’s Headlines: A Halloween Treat Edition

Halloween is for kids and costumes (and dogs), not cars.
Halloween is for kids and costumes (and dogs), not cars.

This is all treat, no trick.

The Department of Transportation will make a pretty big announcement today at 9 a.m. about doing something that mayors, governors, presidents and basic road-safety officials have failed to do: Keep cars away from kids on Halloween, which is next Monday.

Details were sparse on Sunday night, but our social media editor was smart enough to blast out the bare bones promise from the DOT press release:

In addition to activating open streets, Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez will be on 34th Avenue — the city’s gold standard open street — to formally christen the agency’s conversion of the roadway into Paseo Park, which aims to further create open space and reduce road violence with the installation of plaza blocks and other treatments. As Rodriguez takes his victory lap, expect lots of selfish car owners screaming at him. We’ll be there, of course.

In other news from the weekend:

  • The big story was Mayor Adams and Gov. Hochul rolling out the “Cops, Cameras and Caring” program on Saturday — including this should-be-more-controversial item: 1,200 new police overtime shifts per day (NYDN, NY Post, NY Times, amNY). Meanwhile, former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly blasted Adams on crime (probably for not giving more overtime!) (NY Post)
  • The second-biggest story, which no one but The City and amNY seemed to cover, was a lawsuit to stop a housing development (that’s not the news) that is using the state’s new constitutional amendment promising a clean environment to all residents (that’s the news). If this suit moves ahead, lots of things will be subject to legal challenges, even housing that creates high-density neighborhoods (which are better for the environment than sprawl).
  • A pedestrian was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver on Brooklyn’s Fourth Avenue, but the way the tabloids played it, it was just another unavoidable “accident.” The Daily News (at least) quoted someone pointing out how fast many drivers go on the four-lane road, but buried it in the last sentence. (The Post didn’t bother with anything but the horrific video.)
  • Manhattan Community Board 5 has a better plan for the Penn Station redevelopment than Gov. Hochul. (The City)
  • Hey, “Law & Order,” how about firing this crew member delighting in the fact that his truck blocked a city speed camera? And, hey, DOT, why not do something about it or at least discuss it with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment:

  • In case you missed it, Alissa Walker did a deep dive on new systems that hopefully will stop car drivers from hitting cyclists (we are dubious). (Curbed)
  • The MTA board may decide this week to spend a lot on new subway cars. (amNY)
  • A Bronx man was critically injured by an SUV driver. (NY Post)
  • And, finally, if former Mayor de Blasio is still reading Streetsblog religiously (as he did when he was the boss), he’ll know that we prefer his hair in its natural color, thank you very much. (NY Post)

Filed Under: DOT

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