Comments on: Thompson vs. Bloomberg: The Ultimate Bicycling Referendum?

By: Shemp

Shemp — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:02:00 +0000

Ian, sure re: Atlantic Yards and I could add some other badly conceived development projects to the list. But in terms of core transportation policy reform, it’s tough to complain. On the other hand, I doubt anyone will ever be persuaded to court the Critical Mass vote, and stuff like congestion pricing, red light cameras and bus lane enforcement via camera will also expand surveillance.

By: doodee

doodee — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:44:59 +0000

Turning Times Square into The Grove doesn’t mean sh-t to most locals.

By: Ian Turner

Ian Turner — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:41:30 +0000

Shemp,

Not saying anything with respect to Billy’s credentials for the office, but there is plenty to dislike about Bloomberg outside of the transportation space, in particular his attitude toward civil rights and development. On the civil rights fronts, he’s presided over such things as mandatory licensing for photography, ridiculously unreasonable parade rules, mass arrests during the RNC, and the largest increase in CCTV ever seen in the nation. On the development front, he’s supported the Atlantic Yards project even as it becomes a boondoggle of epic proportions, and his West Side plan is equally dubious. These things even intersect with transportation occasionally, including the 7 train extension to the Javits center without a stop at 10th Ave., and the endless expenditure of police resources on Critical Mass.

I will probably end up voting for Bloomberg because there is nobody better, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to criticize.

By: Shemp

Shemp — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:06:26 +0000

Yeah, what’s with the idiocy of wasting a vote on a dufus like Rev. Billy when the mayor tried to implement congestion pricing, just did 200 miles of bike lanes and pedestrianized Times and Herald Square? Vote for Bloomberg and give him a mandate against all these flat-earth types.

By: J. Mork

J. Mork — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:53:45 +0000

What is the answer for a good cyclist/walkable streets advocate?

Looks like a no-brainer. Have you heard about the incumbent’s DOT Commissioner?

By: Erin

Erin — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:54:11 +0000

Yep, I made the mistake of writing a question regarding livable space issues to the Thompson campaign via the campaign website and I didn’t get any response, although I’ve been spammed since then. I get at least 4 emails per day from his stupid campaign, and that’s even after I requested I be taken off the mailing list and marking the email as spam so that they go directly to my junk mail folder. But they get around that by using different email addresses. I receive mail from the Thompson for Mayor Campaign from no fewer than four different addresses. I really wish HE and HIS CAMPAIGN would take their backward attitudes and spammy practices and just go away. He might be Anti-Bloomberg, but not in any good way.

By: Josh

Josh — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:42:08 +0000

Wait, we should be concerned about the poor poor drivers because they’re afraid that they might run over a cyclist? That’s whose feelings we should be worrying about?

By: Emily Litella

Emily Litella — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:48:52 +0000

Thompson lost his chance at getting my vote. How undistinguished his behavior is. But the bigger question is, how is it that in 2009 bikes are still viewed by ’718′ as imposing on anyone’s right to choose a car for mobility? People need to come together while it is still possible to. Many of today’s motorists will be tomorrow’s bicyclist. They just don’t know it yet.

By: MisterBadExample

MisterBadExample — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:48:01 +0000

Stacy, S Greenberg–I’m still waiting for an answer from Thompson on the bike issues, and I don’t like what I’ve seen. What is the answer for a good cyclist/walkable streets advocate? I’m almost ready to pull the lever for Reverend Billy–at least he’s in the right place on Critical Mass…

By: Stacy

Stacy — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:22:04 +0000

S Greenberg: I asked too and got the same request for a donation.

As a registered Democrat I just find Thompson profoundly disappointing.

By: S Greenberg

S Greenberg — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:57:32 +0000

I tried to get more detail on Thompson’s views of bike lanes and wrote to his campaign. All I got back was a request for a donation.

By: Slopion

Slopion — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:46:06 +0000

Welcome to New York City, where the Democrats are the conservatives. The hack-itude of most of the prominent Dems here is beyond depressing.

By: Kwyjibo

Kwyjibo — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:45:00 +0000

If Bill Thompson knows who Donald Shoup is I’ll eat my shoelaces.

By: Stacy

Stacy — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:36:52 +0000

Quit frankly, all this Thompson talk makes me doubt that he really has any sort of plan or strategy. Thompson seems to be painting himself as the anti-Bloomberg without much thought or planning beyond that. Did he really come out against Bloomberg’s Millionaire tax and say the City should raise taxes across the board? He has plenty to say about what and who he doesn’t like in the Bloomberg administration but no discussion about what he would offer as an alternative.

By: mike

mike — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:58:36 +0000

Some answers to your questions can be found here:

http://tacandidatesurvey.org/candidate/307
http://tacandidatesurvey.org/candidate/166

By: Mark Walker

Mark Walker — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:55:16 +0000

In addition to Thompson’s attitude toward biking, I would like to learn more about his views on pedestrian improvements. Would he extend the car-free portions of Broadway, keep them as is, or re-open them to cars? What are the candidates’ views on Donald Shoup’s ideas for parking reform?

By: Moser

Moser — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:54:21 +0000

The main question people should ask Thompson is what he expects to get done as mayor if he thinks every complaining local activist needs to be accommodated. The answer is: not a lot. Too bad the writer accepts stuff like the idea that everyone should be satisfied by every single project and missed much more relevant stuff like the Q poll showing 2-1 support for the changes along Broadway.

By: Glenn

Glenn — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:38:04 +0000

The local level Democrats don’t seem to understand this issue at all. I don’t think there is really much depth to their opposition other than some NIMBY groups that show up at community board meetings that have made some noise about feeling left out of the process (because they didn’t get their way).

Community boards have their place on these issues of modifying plans to suit particular circumstances, but as we have seen having a forward thinking DOT commissioner changes the balance of power.

After this election, I’m seriously considering investing some time in going to Democratic club meetings just to see if this default anti-bike mentality has much depth to it.

Looking out at 2013, the crowd looks pretty scary for sustainable transportation issues (Liu, deBlassio, Weiner, Markowitz, etc). By the next general election in NYC, we need to make encouraging biking and limiting traffic congestion to be the default and marginalize the NIMBY folks.