Comments on: Brooklyn Bus Stop Draws Bigger Crowd Than Thompson Anti-BRT “Rally”

By: Quïnn Hue

Quïnn Hue — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:33:41 +0000

@dporpentine I feel your pain, I took this bus from Williamsburg all the way to Avenue X. That bus is hell on wheels, and I’m not sure why they aren’t any bus priority lanes and then I look at this and my questions have been answered.

By: Adam L

Adam L — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:34:08 +0000

Which is what makes this even stranger. Wasn’t Liu the chair of the transportation committee? Didn’t he stand on the steps of City Hall alongside advocates for more than a couple pro-BRT rallies?

By: Ian Turner

Ian Turner — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:16:51 +0000

Cap’n, they weren’t opposed by Bloomberg.

By: Cap'n Transit

Cap'n Transit — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:56:19 +0000

Thompson spoke loud and clear with his physical presence and his sound bites.

So did Liu, deBlasio and James, and they’re going to be in office in January.

By: Mark Walker

Mark Walker — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:29:34 +0000

Platforms are designed to placate as many constituencies as possible. What matters more is what comes out of the candidate’s mouth when someone sticks a microphone in front of it. Thompson spoke loud and clear with his physical presence and his sound bites.

By: Adam L

Adam L — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:15:20 +0000

http://www.thompson2009.com/site/pages/1038/

By: Adam L

Adam L — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:14:21 +0000

This doesn’t make sense to me. In all of his campaign literature Thompson speaks IN FAVOR of BRT!?! Where did this come from? Check out his own election website, and you’ll find this passage in the “transportation” pdf:

• Expanded Bus Rapid Transit and
other
initiatives
to
improve
transit
use
in
underserved
communities.
Census
data
reviewed
by
the
Pratt
Center
shows
that
three-?quarters
of
a
million
New
Yorkers
travel
more
than
one
hour
a
day
to
work.
Communities
like
Red
Hook,
Far
Rockaway
and
Staten
Island
will
receive
new
attention
in
a
Thompson
administration.

By: mike

mike — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:57:38 +0000

Well, look at who probably contributes money to their campaigns — business owners or bus riders?

By: cochon

cochon — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:53:20 +0000

you can’t win the mayorship of new york by riding around in a truck as ugly as that.

By: Erin

Erin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:35:04 +0000

Ian Turner:

Thanks for your analysis of the candidates for the current election. I was already leaning toward several of your choices, but now I feel more confident about my decisions.

- Erin

By: dporpentine

dporpentine — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:04:10 +0000

pher: Thanks for posting that press release.

It’s amazing that (all caps) result of the BRT lane would be that people would have to obey the law. It’s such a spine-shivering outcome they don’t even have to explain why. Of course, we know the laws wouldn’t actually be enforced–that’s just hyped up threat. But still . . .

Can anyone imagine how the local news would’ve reacted if, say, Bloomberg had joined up with some bike advocates riding to protest the enforcement of traffic violations for bikes?

By: Marty Barfowitz

Marty Barfowitz — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:37:29 +0000

Wow, Ian, I love your decision-making criteria. I bet it’s a real treat to watch you order food in a restaurant.

By: Ian Turner

Ian Turner — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:40:46 +0000

Herenthere,

My endorsements as an interested citizen with no particular agenda are available here.

Cheers,

–Ian

By: herenthere

herenthere — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:48:58 +0000

So who should we support at the polls, aside from Bloomberg?

By: Mark Walker

Mark Walker — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:19:50 +0000

JK: “As such,they should be asked to regularly ride the bus…”

Good idea. Here’s a chance for advocacy organizations to confront candidates with their transit-riding constituency. Invite them to events staged on moving buses (I would add subway and commuter trains). Get the media there too. Confront the candidates in public, as the cameras roll, and hold their feet to the fire. And if they won’t participate, use their failure as the fulcrum of an excoriating media blitz that would shame them into participating. Make them speak to us on our buses, at our bus stops, on our trains, in our subway stations. Don’t let them ignore us. Make them fear us.

By: JK

JK — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:51:05 +0000

Two of the guys on the Thompson truck may run in 2013, DiBlasio for sure, maybe Liu. But they are both about to be elected to citywide office. As such,they should be asked to regularly ride the bus — not just “transit” — the humble local bus. They should then be asked how they are going to help bus riders: not reform the MTA, not fight fare hikes, just specific things they can do to help improve bus service. As comptroller and public advocate they can provide important political support for bus enforcement cameras and BRT.

By: Mark Walker

Mark Walker — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:04:53 +0000

EDG: “What kind of idiots/crooks turn down a $354 million down payment for their city from the federal government?” Excellent question.

The kind who look at their constituents through a windshield.

The kind who dehumanize their constituents by seeing only those in cars. The others might as well not exist.

By: Voter

Voter — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:37:37 +0000

Good post and photos.

By: Benjamin Kabak

Benjamin Kabak — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:15:39 +0000

This is just lunacy. According to the NYU Furman Center’s study, 69.9 percent of Bed-Stuy residents use public transit, and these guys are campaigning for one person’s parking spot. This is why Bill Thompson is not getting my vote tomorrow. What a fool.

By: Stacy

Stacy — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:08:32 +0000

Personally I think the predictions are wrong about turnout. More likely the democrats simply didn’t generate enough interest for the primaries but once it comes down to the real thing, where people have the opportunity to vote for or against Bloomberg, they’ll come out.

Rev Billy won’t be getting my vote simply because he doesn’t have a rat’s chance in hell. Sure you could vote for Rev Billy to “send a message” just like so many voters “sent a message” by voting for Ralph Nader. Remember where that got us?

Vote wisely. Use it where it counts.