Comments on: Today’s Headlines

By: Ian D

Ian D — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 19:18:13 +0000

“The Community Board vs. Bike Lanes story is one of our favorite stories to cover.”

Aaron – I thought that you preferred covering “Community Board demands bike lanes from DOT” stories – ref. Houston St.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 16:38:51 +0000

I have a lot of sympathy for bicycle deliverers. They face the dangers of bicycling in order to make a living and may have their tips stolen by their employers and face a variety fo other problems. So I feel torn when I see them riding on sidewalks and against the flow of traffic, even though they tend to do this at a much greater rate than non-commercial bicyclists and even commercial messengers. My impression is that the those with the least English tend to have lower standards of conduct. While complaints about the dangers of delivery bicyclists are often overblown, I do think their tendency toward sub-par adherence to basic traffic rules creates problems for all bicyclists.

What to do? TA has prepared handbills available here (http://www.transalt.org/campaigns/bike/giveget_flyer2005.pdf) to facilitate advocacy. I carry a few of these around and sometimes use them with bicycle deliverers who don’t seem to speak English. It would be great if more bicyclists did so, especially in conjunction with the implementation of the new law.

By: A failed constituent

A failed constituent — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 16:11:59 +0000

I was wrong, stand corrected, and thank you for the clarification. I clicked on in that headline the link “after rejecting bike ban” and since the headline in this blog differed from the actual Sun headline, thought it was referring back to the story last week where UWSers were concerned with bike lanes in a ‘pedestrian mall’ there.

I appreciate the cycling movement but feel not enough attention is paid to rogue cyclists by biking advocates, which only ultimately harms the cause and engenders public antipathy.

Happy biking!

By: Aaron Naparstek

Aaron Naparstek — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:59:04 +0000

Failed,

We got that one. If you click "(Sun)" in the fifth headline down you are taken to that exact same story.

In general, if we ever miss a relevant headline we're more than happy to have the readers shoot us an email or fill in the blanks here in the comments section.

The Upper East Side bike lane story is certainly something that we want to be covering here on the blog.

Also, note that Streetsblog was, as far as I know, the first media source to cover that story. The Sun may even have gotten the story from us. The Community Board vs. Bike Lanes story is one of our favorite stories to cover.

By: Jason Varone

Jason Varone — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:58:14 +0000

That is the same link #6. Click on (Sun).

By: nobody

nobody — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:57:43 +0000

#6: You’re talking about the same story, the same link as Aaron is.

“Wouldn’t want the facts to get in the way of our agenda, would we now?”

Oh, the irony….

By: A failed constituent

A failed constituent — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:49:57 +0000

#5 – That is not the link I posted. Please refer to the correct link: http://www.nysun.com/article/59033

The headline and lead paragraph begin with:
Law Pedaled To Rein In Sidewalk Bikers
For years, community leaders in the Upper East and West sides have been complaining about deliverymen who ride bicycles on sidewalks, run red lights, and generally menace pedestrians….. etc. It goes on to talk about a new bike law.

It is disingenuous to ignore the link I posted and obfuscate it by mentioning a completely different news story.

If three silly naked Austrian cyclists in Yugoslavia is newsworthy, why isn’t a story about dangerous cyclists in our very own city and a law to curb this dangerous behavior by cyclists, as well as the public’s perception of cyclists?

It wouldn’t be because such stories indeed reveal that the general public perceive many cyclists as a menace, now would it?
Wouldn’t want the facts to get in the way of our agenda, would we now?

By: Aaron Naparstek

Aaron Naparstek — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:13:49 +0000

The story about the Community Board that doesn't want people riding bikes on the sidewalk or the street is here, fifth headline down:

After Rejecting Bikes Lanes, CB8 Looks Forward to Sidewalk Cycling Ban (Sun)

By: A failed constituent

A failed constituent — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:13:47 +0000

Today’s Headlines:
* Legislature Will Return Thursday to Consider “Traffic Mitigation” (City Room)
* Lawmakers Expected to Approve Creation of Congestion Pricing Panel (NY1)
* Congestion Pricing Plan Now a Test for Council Speaker Quinn (Sun)
* Hamptons Mulls Congestion Pricing Too
(Sun)
* After Rejecting Bikes Lanes, CB8 Looks Forward to Sidewalk Cycling Ban (Sun)
* 45,000 Rides/Day and Counting for First Week of Parisian Bike Sharing (LAT)
* Three Naked Cyclists Arrested in Belgrade (News)
* Privatization of Parking Feeds Minneapolis City Coffers (Planetizen)
* Straphangers: 1 Train is Number One Among Commuters (NYT)
* Mom of Hit-and-Run 9-yo Girl Begs Driver to Confess (News)
* If 20th Cent. Was About Buildings, 21st Cent Will Be About Spaces Between (Star)

#3 See above. Where is this story covered, please? Three other NY Sun stories today cover bikes, but this one is omitted. Am I the only one to find this – shall we be kind – odd?
#2 Your poor attempt at satire fails to answer a serious question.

By: nobody

nobody — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:07:10 +0000

#1 Look a little closer; that story is in Today’s Headlines.

By: psycholist

psycholist — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:52:13 +0000

It’s obviously a conspiracy by the biker menace to cover up any negative press. They’re trying to take over the planet – one street at a time (insert evil laugh here). Hide your children and your cars!

By: A failed constituent

A failed constituent — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:42:52 +0000

Although there were many cycling stories in ‘Today’s Headlines’, it is odd, isn’t it, that this story was omitted?

http://www.nysun.com/article/59033

Wonder why?