A weekly roundup of good deeds, missteps, heroic feats and epic failures in the tri-state region and beyond.
WINNERS
Mayor Ralph Ekstrand – The Farmingdale mayor insists that the village will be Long Island’s next downtown destination, citing music events and the transit-oriented development project near the LIRR station that will include 154 apartments and 20,000 square feet of retail space.
City Representative David Kooris – In response to Tri-State’s Older Pedestrians at Risk analysis, the newly-elected City of Stamford representative intends to “propose an ordinance next month to require city engineers to include pedestrian-friendly design components” into road projects as a way to improve safety for older citizens.
Bill Lindmeier – Tunnel Vision, a newly-launched app created by Mr. Lindmeier, augments any subway map with interactive data about that subway station and the surrounding neighborhood.
Sunnyside, Queens – After the number of businesses awarded a “bike-friendly” label by Transportation Alternatives topped 70, the advocacy group declared the entire neighborhood to be a bike-friendly business district.
New Jersey Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle – In addition to being the sponsor for a Port Authority transparency bill, the assemblywoman is now working with other state and local electeds to find a long-term solution to protect bicyclists riding along route 9W.
LOSERS
Connecticut Department of Transportation – In response to Tri-State’s Older Pedestrians at Risk analysis, a ConnDOT spokesman laid blame on pedestrians for getting killed by motorists, stating “The great majority of pedestrian deaths and injuries, however, result from people crossing outside the crosswalk, disobeying a signal or otherwise disregarding safety.”
New York City Police Department – More than halfway through its two-week “Operation Safe Cycle” initiative, the department has generated some intense criticism for actually making cycling more dangerous for New Yorkers.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio – The mayor is not backing down on criticism of his decision not to reimburse the city for his personal transportation expenses.
Inconsiderate PATH riders – PATH riders are being called out for not offering their seats to elderly, disabled or pregnant riders.
