Tuesday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition (With a Parking Party)

We have a big day ahead of us in the livable streets world. New Jersey drivers are having a presser in Jersey City to complain about our pollution- and congestion-reducing transit plan in the morning. Then our editor will buy another illegal temp tag — “It’s temp tag Tuesday!” as the song goes — and we’ll end it all with a book party to celebrate Henry Grabar’s “Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World” (Penguin Press) hosted by Open Plans.

So let’s get to the news you can use so your views aren’t a snooze:

  • The NYPD says it will improve its response time to 311 calls, the Daily News reported, citing its own coverage (and ignoring our voluminous and award-winning coverage that not only revealed horrendous response times to traffic safety issues, but also outright fraud and a pattern of harassment).
  • Meanwhile, one NYPD hand doesn’t know what the other hand isn’t doing; the Daily News also had a great story about a Harlem man who has made 232 complaints about illegal parking in front of or around the 28th Precinct station house — all of which were ignored. Hmm, sounds like what we found at that same Harlem post during last year’s March (Parking) Madness contest.
  • Jordan Neely’s family says his murder should be in jail, yet our law-and-order pols can’t figure out how to do it (Gothamist). Indeed, the mayor hasn’t even called the victim’s family, The City reported.
  • Did you notice that there were two mass killings in Texas the other day: One was the shooting at the mall that everyone heard about. The other was the killing of immigrants waiting at a bus stop by a driver which received little press coverage — and the coverage it did receive was terrible, as legendary academic Greg Shill pointed out:

  • So who really owns the subway? Former federal transit man Larry Penner gives the long view. (Mass Transit)
  • In case you missed it, Bike NY’s Five Boro Bike Tour was a huge success. (amNY, Hell Gate)
  • Also in case you missed it, Clarence Eckerson Jr. did a Streetfilm about the need for more city resources being invested in the open streets program so that volunteers don’t get burnt out from all the work they are doing … for the city’s open streets program. Watch it below:

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This Week: Post-Holiday Party and Parking in the West Village

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After starting your week off right with a Monday evening party, this week’s livable streets calendar is dominated by two downtown community board meetings. Monday: The Five Borough Bike Club will hear remarks by cardiologist Merle Myerson, who will speak about cycling and the heart. 6:30 p.m. Also Monday: Celebrate January at a Post-Holiday party […]