Legislators and executives are always fighting about process.. and it seems like she raises a legitimate point.

The headline describing Krueger’s concerns is completely out of line with her quote. Is Streetsblog competing with the NYPost for its commitment to accuracy? You’re really doing your readers and the public a great disservice with your sloppy interpretations.

Just to review a little history: Transportation Alternatives, along with a large group of environmental activists from across the City, made a strong concerted effort over a long period of time to make this happen. They convinced the local BIDs, they showed examples from other cities, they created data on safety, they convinced the mayor to appoint a forward thinking transportation commissioner and they systematically built a strong case for this plan.

In fact the criticism of this decisions on the basis of it being top-down is exactly wrong. This was not hatched in some backroom at City hall. This effort is instead a great case example of a motivated group of citizens activating government to do something in the public interest.

It’s criticisms like Senator Krueger’s that make citizen activists that worked long and hard on a project extremely angry and resentful of their elected officials. I can’t express how irritating it is for elected official to make claims of bad process when this is a great expression of how citizen involvement can make a difference versus the circus that our state elected officials provide for the evening news.

Neitehr Liz Kreuger nor Bill de Blasio’s comments about Times Square/Herald Square improvements being an assault on democracy hold water. The mayor is an elected official who acted legally.

I’d like to hear de Blasio or Kreuger just come out and say whether they are for or against it —- asking for more unnecessary process at this point is tantamount to being against a safer, healthier midtown.

Senator Krueger told the reporter
that she has always supported the pilot and that she was pleased with its the success (i.e. increased access and safety for pedestrians,
etc.)

But she also objected to the Mayor having refused to release the
report to the public and press before he made the decision to make it permanent. This is bad government and bad democracy regardless of the issue or what side of the issue you are on.

Sincerely,
Kyle Sklerov
Director of Communications
State Senator Liz Krueger

I responded with:

Kyle – that context was not in the article so it was very concerning that the quote from Sen. Krueger was negative. It left the public impression that she was against the plan. I’ve seen a lot of politicians hedge issues by claiming bad process and being against something on those grounds or making some personal attack just because they could share some of the credit for something. It looks like petty politics. What exactly would Sen Krueger think is the right policy? Release the study and let every grandstanding obstructionist control the media cycle for a few days?

The Mayor has wide discretion on this issue and he used it appropriately and boldly (in the face of wide criticism) to achieve a very positive outcome. I wish more elected officials showed the type of bold leadership on environmental issues that he has. I hope Sen. Krueger releases a public statement detailing her support for Times Square and a process that she would accept for these types of decisions.

That’s not really what he said, but don’t let that get in the way of writing a snarky headline, I guess.

Anyhow, I was talking with a neighbor on the way to the subway today. I told her I had planned to ride in, but the snowpiles made the streets so narrow I was worried about being hit by an impatient motorist trying to squeeze by.

She told me that where she works (Bensonhurst) there are lots of day laborers on bicycles in all weather. Those riders are probably not picked up in any count of people getting around by bicycle. With regard to the “hidden cyclists,” I wonder if surveys of particular intersections in middle-density areas of the outer boroughs could be conducted, perhaps by high school kids.

Excellent!