Here's a makeshift screen grab from Game 2 of the World Series, describing how Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee made his way to Yankee Stadium for Game 1 last Wednesday.

According to Fox Sports, after catching a cab from a Midtown hotel, Lee was stuck in traffic an hour later, having traveled about as far as Morningside Heights. Ignoring advice from his handlers to seek NYPD's help getting to the South Bronx, Lee ducked out of the taxi and went underground.

The cabbie had told Lee it would take two additional hours to reach his destination. The subway, even after a transfer, got him there in 35 minutes.

Though he reportedly didn't know which train lines he took (the C to the B, as posited by Gothamist, seems likely), Lee, who starts tonight's Game 5 in Philadelphia, is no stranger to the transit system. Given his super-human performance in the Phillies as-yet sole Series victory, Yankee fans may be hoping for gridlock to help the Bombers put this one away early.

Lee's first pitch is scheduled for 7:57. Amid the excitement of a Yankees win -- or loss -- don't forget polls open tomorrow at 6 a.m.

According to Movieline (via New York Mag), Jay Leno's new prime time show, set to debut on NBC in September, hasn't exactly been generating a lot of buzz. But since nothing says funny like a grisly hit-and-run, this promo, co-starring Fred Armisen of "Saturday Night Live," should turn things around.

Though I'm pretty sure Leno has never gotten as much as a chuckle from me, I understand where the humor is supposed to be here. Yet for some reason the laughter isn't coming.

Somewhere, though, I imagine pedestrian-hater Robert Novak is yukking it up.

Be a StreetStalker: Send us your celeb cycling shots. 

It's been a tumultuous week in more ways than one. We're going to leave it behind with a flashback, via Cycelicious, to the late 1970s, when Farrah Fawcett pedaled to promote her own line of shampoo. What helmet could contain that hair?

We couldn't find video of Ed McMahon or Michael Jackson on a bike -- though Michael did "Ease on Down the Road," of course, and Jonathan Maus busted out the moonwalk at yesterday's Portland tribute ride. If you know of anything else, please share it in the comments.

See you Monday.

To me, and I suspect no one else on earth, there is something wonderful about listening to country music playing in the cab, air conditioner running, the hum of a huge diesel engine in the background, the tranquility that comes with being in a virtual wilderness of trees and marsh, the day breaking and vibrant pink coming alive in the morning clouds — and getting to build something with each scoop of dirt.

How romantic!

And as if this story weren't weird enough already, a profile of Sanford in American Conservative magazine provides another sordid tidbit about the governor's diesel-powered meditation technique:

During Sanford's first gubernatorial campaign in 2002, an 8-year-old African-American girl wandered onto a Sanford family property on Lady's Island and drowned. A source close to the governor said she fell into a "retaining pond." Her family's lawyer, Manning Smith, called it a "pit." Other sources claim that Sanford, who owned a hydraulic excavator at the time, digs holes on his property to unwind.

As a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I'm pretty much required to hate Tom Brady. However, two Super Bowl wins in the last four seasons (that'd be six all told, but who's counting?) have salved the wounds of those AFC championship losses at the hands of Brady in 2001 and 2004. And hey, the man rides a bike.

Here's Brady with son Jack and dog Vida, photographed in Boston after a Patriots practice session earlier this week.

Also to Brady's credit: Unlike certain Albany legislators, he and the Patriots are big believers in camera technology.

The Ad Council has some new material in its campaign aimed at teenage drivers. In these spots, a comedic actor (Fred Willard in the ad above) in the backseat of a car with three teens cajoles or threatens the driver into slowing down or minding the road. The gist of the campaign, corresponding with the title of its web site, is "speak up or else" -- a name perhaps more suited to hard-hitting PSAs from overseas.

From the NBC web site:

Tiki Barber: Doesn’t drive anymore, and no longer takes taxis. When he travels for work, he rents a hybrid vehicle. Relies on mass transit while in New York City -- buses and the subway. And he’s found that taking mass transit is more efficient than driving or taking a cab.

Collinsworth and Barber join fellow sports stars Sean Avery (and teammates), Cliff Lee, and several Baltimore Orioles in car-free commuting. How about it, Jeter?

Note to Tiki and Cris: Streetfilms would love to film your commute. Contact Clarence if you're up for it.

Photo: NBC

What’s the future of New York? What are your hopes, and what needs to happen?

Matt Besser: I want them to get rid of that law that inhibits Critical Mass. It’s a great human event -- especially in a city filled with buildings and concrete.
Amy Poehler: I wish we had those shared-bike programs.
Ian Roberts: Yeah. I’d get all those bikes. And I’d take them to my apartment.
Amy Poehler: I want to be able to teleport to other neighborhoods. I’ve been waiting for that to happen for a while.

And, when asked what the L.A. transplants miss about New York:

Matt Walsh: Walking around everywhere, the food...
Ian Roberts: In L.A., you go straight from your air-conditioned house to your air-conditioned car to your air-conditioned office. Walking around in New York, it's refreshing to know that you're part of humanity.

Next press stop for these guys? How about Streetsblog LA.

Click through for this cartoon by Gary Varvel of The Indianapolis Star, referencing the now infamous tussle between John McCain and Paris Hilton. (And click here if you have no idea what we're talking about.) While the 'toon itself bears a ring of truth, the bigger irony may be that the presidential candidate who's now promoting perhaps the most feasible and immediately effective energy plan is no longer in the hunt.

Fans are accustomed to the players' lot being filled with expensive rides -- sports cars, HUVs, private jets. But you should check out the clubhouse sometime, or the weight room. There are enough bikes parked there to hold the Tour de France. I keep waiting for players to change into yellow jerseys, though that honor probably should be delayed until they're in first place.

At last count, the cyclists include Guthrie, Luke Scott, Aubrey Huff, Brian Burres, Garrett Olson and Lance Cormier. Nick Markakis dropped out after buying a house in Monkton.

Orioles pitcher Jeremy Guthrie rides to Camden Yards six days a week during long homestands (on Sundays his wife drops him off after church). Here's how he sees it:

"There are some side benefits," Guthrie said. "It's the overall idea of being outside and exercising instead of driving. I hate cars, I hate driving, I hate doing something I don't have to do. For me to drive downtown is a waste of gas; it's a waste of my time. I can ride faster than I can drive."

Granted, he doesn't yet wield the star power of Ford Mustang salesman Derek Jeter or Cadillac Escalade salesman Tiki Barber, but Guthrie's showing he's got the potential to be a force in the big leagues. Trek, Breezer, Specialized: Why not sign this guy up as a spokesman? And don't forget New York Rangers center Sean Avery while you're at it.

The City's official Summer Streets web site and press release hit our inbox this morning. Jay-Z is joining Mayor Bloomberg and DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan in inviting New Yorkers to hit seven miles worth of car-free streets in Manhattan this Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bringing it back full circle to Bogotá's Ciclovia, Juan Valdez 100% Colombian coffee is going in as a sponsor.

As in Bogotá and Paris, it looks like the City is making a serious effort to program the event. Organized activities will include bike classes for kids and adults, aikido, salsa dancing, tai-chi, running, rollerblading and hopscotch. Bloomberg is pitching the event as a test run. "We're going to embark on a grand experiment that could dramatically alter the way we use and look at the streets of New York," Bloomberg said in the City's press release. "If the program works, we'll strongly consider doing it again; maybe we'll try it in other parts of the city. If it doesn't work, we won't, but we can't be afraid to find out."

And on that note, let the bitching and moaning about imaginary traffic tie-ups, lack of community input, hidden real estate developer agendas and hippy/yuppie cyclists commence!

There are lots more details, including locations of rest stops, events and free bike helmet give-aways in the City's presser...

MAYOR BLOOMBERG, DOT COMMISSIONER SADIK-KHAN AND JAY-Z INVITE NEW YORKERS TO TAKE TO THE STREETS FOR SUMMER STREETS

Starting Saturday, Activities From Dance to Hopscotch Available from Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter today invited New Yorkers from across the five boroughs to take their fun to the streets on three Saturdays this month during Summer Streets. For the next three Saturdays, August 9th, 16th and 23rd, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., vehicle traffic will be replaced along seven miles of City streets by New Yorkers and visitors taking leisurely strolls, going for a bike ride or taking part in organized activities such as aikido, salsa dancing, tai-chi, running, rollerblading and hopscotch. Summer Streets will be open from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park along Lafayette Street, 4th Avenue, Park Avenue and 72nd Street.

"We're going to embark on a grand experiment that could dramatically alter the way we use and look at the streets of New York," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Streets that are normally tied up with cars and trucks will be turned over to the public - so that we can experience this city as never before. If the program works, we'll strongly consider doing it again; maybe we'll try it in other parts of the city. If it doesn't work, we won't, but we can't be afraid to find out."

"We're inviting New Yorkers and visitors to come out and enjoy the City by foot or by bike, and for a few hours, allow people to enjoy it free of vehicles," said Commissioner Sadik-Khan. "Come out and move around, people watch, or just enjoy your morning coffee without the stress of noise and traffic. Enjoy the streets you've been up and down 100 times before, in a whole new way."

Organized activities and other attractions will take place throughout the route. DOT will provide free bike helmets at 24th Street for adults and children from 9 a.m. to noon, as supplies last. New York Road Runners will be leading running groups for all ages and ability levels, and Bike New York will be holding bike riding classes for children and adults. Three rest stops will be located along the route in addition to a main stage at 24th Street, which will feature music performances and other programs. The rest stops, located at Spring, 24th and 51st streets, will also feature art, fitness, dance and cultural activities. These activities can be enjoyed by New Yorkers of all ages, fitness and skill levels. In addition to planned activities, all of the rest stops will have water stations, bike maps and first aid stations. Participants are encouraged to bring their own fitness mats and water bottles, which can be refilled at the water stations. Additional activities will also be held close to the rest stops and emergency services will be present along the length of the route.

Activities are diverse and each rest stop includes a full schedule. For instance, the downtown rest stop at Spring Street will include an aikido class beginning at 10 a.m. while the uptown rest stop will feature a cha-cha class in that time slot. Program schedules will run from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

There will be opportunities to rent or test ride bikes along the route. And for people who come with bikes there will be bike repair provided at each rest stop to ensure everyone can keep rolling along smoothly. Bicycle Habitat will be providing bike repair along the route, and bike sharing will be provided by Bike and Roll. Bike New York and the 5 Boro Bike Club will be leading classes and sharing tips about how to ride safely in New York City.

The City has developed a plan to redirect traffic while ensuring that traffic will flow on nearby streets and emergency vehicles will have unfettered access to the Summer Streets. Residents on streets adjoining the route will have local access and be able to receive deliveries during Summer Streets hours. Working with the Mayor's Community Assistance Unit, DOT has conducted an extensive community outreach operation to inform and educate the public, and address any potential concerns.

Summer Streets has been made possible with the help of sponsors including Crunch, Juan Valdez/100% Colombian Coffee, RCN, Bicycle Habitat and media partners that include Metro, WCBS TV and WABC radio. More information on Summer Streets, including a full list of activities is available at www.nyc.gov.

New York's Ciclovía-style car-free event will go by the name "Summer Streets," Mayor Bloomberg and Transportation Commissioner Sadik-Khan announced at a press event this afternoon. Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson was on hand to capture footage, which he plans to edit for your viewing pleasure in the near future. To tide you over until then, here are some highlights from the press release (and more photos after the jump):

“We anticipate that hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and visitors will take advantage of streets temporarily opened for recreation,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “We hope the Summer Streets experiment will become as much a part of the New York experience as strolling the Coney Island boardwalk, participating in the 5-borough bike tour, or listening to the Philharmonic in the park.”

“In Bogotá, they call it Ciclovia, or bikeway. In Paris, it’s the Plage, or beach. Here in New York, Summer Streets will literally turn the streets of our city into a pedestrian park,” said Commissioner Sadik-Khan. “The streets themselves are among the most valuable public space that the City has to offer, and finding the room within our existing street space for those on two feet or two wheels is a true application of our goals for a sustainable future under the Mayor’s PlaNYC initiatives and the DOT’s strategic plan.

”Fitness, dance and yoga classes will be held at a central stage along the route, with additional exercise and health activities hosted by community groups at select cross streets. Event sponsors will also organize activities, and bike rental facilities will be available along the route, including at hotels.  Rest areas will be stationed along the route for water and bike repair, and serve as meeting areas to link up with friends and family members. At the 72nd Street link to Central Park, the car-free route will occupy the southern half of the road only, while the north side will remain open to two-way vehicle traffic...

The Police Department will direct traffic around the route and all parking will be restricted starting at midnight on the day of the event. Additional staff and volunteers will be on hand to facilitate the event.

Top photo: NYCDOT; other photos: Transportation Alternatives.

With a 6-0 won-loss record and a 0.81 earned run average, Cleveland Indians southpaw Cliff Lee is, for the moment, the hottest pitcher in Major League Baseball. His delivery is so smooth, so perfect looking, it's hard not to think Sandy Koufax.

Last Wednesday, Streetsblog tech director Nick Grossman and I journeyed up to the Bronx to watch Lee pick apart the Yankees over-priced line up (yes, I'm an Indians fan), handing Yankees ace Chien-Ming Wang his first loss of the season. Unfortunately, I took the D train to get to the stadium. Had I left a couple of hours earlier on the 4 train, I might have been as lucky as baseball blogger Rich Lederer:

We caught the 4 Train from Grand Central to Yankee Stadium. After getting a bite to eat in the food concourse, we hopped onto the subway at about 3:45 pm. Our car was crowded so we found ourselves standing in the middle, holding onto the rails for safety. After we got situated, Joe whispers to me, "I'm 95% certain that's Cliff Lee standing next to you" (notice the arm of my brown jacket in the foreground). I look up and, sure enough, it looks just like the Cleveland lefthander.

In any event, while making eye contact with Lee, I make a pitching motion with my left hand as if I were throwing a breaking ball. He gives me a quizzical look so I mouth "Cliff?" He nods his head. Conscientious that I'm wearing a NY hat for the first time in my life, I point to it and tell him that I'm from Long Beach, California and not really a Yankees fan. Lee smiled and shook his head. I explained that Joe and I were on a father-son baseball trip and had already been to Fenway Park the previous weekend and were going to our first Yankees game that night, and to Shea Stadium on Friday night.

There wasn't a single person other than Joe or me who had any inclination that Cliff Lee was standing on the subway, holding onto the rail tightly with his left arm.

We're nearly a couple of weeks into baseball season, and fans of the Washington Nationals are enjoying their new transit-, bike- and pedestrian-friendly stadium. The DC complex, with its transit links, shuttle buses and valet bike parking, is so accessible -- and city efforts to encourage fans to get there by alternate means so successful -- that on Opening Day its relatively few parking lots weren't even full, reports Greater Greater Washington:

Good for DC for resisting the warnings from team owners and various commentators that the world would end unless the entire neighborhood were converted to parking as New York did to the South Bronx. Looks like parking demand is elastic, after all.

The Yankees, while we're at it, are in Kansas City tonight; the Mets host the Phillies. 

Photo: ShepDave/Flickr

We already know that the New York Rangers' center Sean Avery loves riding his bike. Now we learn that forward Brendan Shanahan and several other teammate take the subway to the office. From yesterday's New York Times:

"Still, Shanahan, a 20-year veteran, said he liked the atmosphere in the Rangers' half of the empire. He likes that they make their news almost exclusively on the ice. He likes that most of his teammates live in the city. He likes riding the subway from his home on the Upper West Side.

"'What other team does that?' he said, smiling. 'We're New York's team.'"

And what about that other team that plays at the Garden? Apparently, the Knicks' parking skills are on par with their 6 and 15 record. Here's a report from the employee parking lot:

"You see a lot of Rolls-Royces down there, big trucks with nice tires and rims on them," Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg said.

As forward Brendan Shanahan added: "The difference is, we're in parking spaces and they just park anywhere. We actually park in the lines. They just pull up to the door and get out of the car."

Traded from Los Angeles, Sean Avery, the Rangers new center, tells the New York Times Magazine why he enjoys playing in the Big Apple:

Home away from home: Before the Rangers, I played for the Los Angeles Kings, and I bought a place in Laurel Canyon. I love going there for vacation. It’s just a healthy, soulful place. The house is, like, a hippie haven from the ’70s; it’s a small cottage with a big backyard.

Greatest hockey moment: Getting traded to New York.

Best thing about New York: I've learned to ride my bike again.

Maybe Sean could have a quick chat with Tiki and Jeter about the joys of New York City cycling.

Mr. Byrne, dressed in black and sporting his cool taxi-yellow bike helmet (see our previous StreetFilm here) then rode onto the stage and locked up. Moments later Hal Ruzal, NYC bicycling icon and mechanic at Bicycle Habitat, emerged from behind a curtain to pick his lock with a variety of tools. Mr. Ruzal's advice on not getting your bike stolen? "Have a bicycle lock that is real expensive, and a bicycle that's really cheap."

Danish urban designer Jan Gehl extolled the many benefits of biking in Copenhagen, where 38% of commuters ride: "This is important because if you see a pretty girl, you can easily jump off the bike and start kissing."

Mr. Byrne then introduced Jonathan Wood, the hilariously dry Deputy Chairman of the U.K.'s Warrington Cycle Campaign, who burned down the house with his "Bicycle Facility of the Month" slide show.

Here is a "Facility of the Month" example from the Warrington web site:

Keeping cycle lanes clear of parked cars is a problem the world over. This design from Mulhouse in France provides a self enforcing solution; yellow bollards have proved to be much more effective than yellow lines at deterring illegal parking.

Actress Chloe Sevigny and her folding bike.

This week's New York Observer story on "the beautiful bicycle girls of New York" may very well be the most e-mailed news item ever forwarded to the Streetsblog inbox. Calm down, people! Gillian Reagan observes what appears to be a new trend in New York City: Exceptionally good looking women are riding bikes. "Eco-conscious and ethereal, they wear flowing frocks and gigantic sunglasses but never helmets. Their hair flutters in the breeze as they leave a trail of swooning male pedestrians in their perfumed wake."

Meet the beautiful bicycle girls of New York, a breed that bears little resemblance to the hard-charging, Spandex-short-wearing species of 20 years ago. Those women were athletes, pumping the pedals, fighting to win. Getting somewhere. Today's girls-and one always thinks of them as girls, even if they're well into their 40's-are more meandering, their long legs flashing along the pot-holed alleys of SoHo and the boutique-lined bike lanes of the West Village.

Local celebrities like the actresses Naomi Watts and Chloë Sevigny and the Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen have all championed living the green life in this most public and only incidentally calorie-burning way. "I go every day to work on my bike," Ms. Bundchen told the Daily News a couple of years ago. "It's faster than a car, and cheaper."

While the Observer is far more interested in the girls' outfits than anything having to do with transportation policy, Alex Marshall at the Regional Plan Association notes that we could be looking at a positive trend if, in fact, "women are feeling comfortable enough to cycle in nice clothes and without helmets." Marshall says, "It almost compares to the way conduct and attitudes in the subway shifted dramatically a decade or so ago. If we can get more people riding bikes in nice clothes and without helmets, it will really help popularize and increase cycling."

Call it the Copenhagenization of NYC.

Photo: UrbanDelicious.com via House and Garden.

"Cyclists are so used to doing with scraps and they've been that way for so long that they are shocked when they get anything that satisfies their needs."

Barry Bonds may almost have the home run record, but the San Francisco Giants have another milestone that is much more admirable: the first free, convienent, attended bike parking facility at a U.S. stadium.

Over half of the people who attend Giants games do not travel by car, a somewhat remarkable fact in car-crazy California. (Note to Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards bosses: Look at what San Fran is doing to encourage people not to bring their automobile to the stadium).

As part of an arrangement with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, you can bicycle to a Giants game at AT&T Park, check your bike with up to 200+ other fans, and go catch America’s pastime. Kash, Valet Bike Parking Coordinator for SFBC, runs the operation and gives us the scoop. As you’ll see, fans overwhelmingly endorse it.

A regulation passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1999 states all events incurring a street closure require monitored bicycle parking if the event anticipates 2000 or more participants. This only makes sense in a city like New York, too. Why not encourage something like this at Madison Square Garden, Yankee or Shea Stadium? Or at the very least, some quality racks in a secure, protected location.