A weekly roundup of good deeds, missteps, heroic feats and epic failures in the tri-state region and beyond.
WINNERS
New Jersey Assembly – There was not a single vote cast against either of the two Port Authority transparency bills that were passed during last Thursday’s Assembly hearing.
Congresswoman Grace Meng – The Congresswoman is supporting the Liao family in their efforts to obtain justice against the driver who killed three year-old Allison Liao.
Central Park users – The City has announced a speed limit reduction to 20 mph for the park, among other safety improvements. Banning cars, unfortunately, is not one of them.
Traffic safety advocates – The NYC DOT introduced its new comprehensive, interactive Vision Zero View tool the same day that the NYC Department of Health announced that it has begun making traffic-related bicycle and pedestrian injury data available on its website. Here’s hoping other departments pick up the pace with tracking crashes!
Queens Boulevard users – The speed limit for one of NYC’s most notorious speedways will be dropped to 25mph.
New Haven businesses – Some companies in the New Haven area are providing shuttles for employees and staggering work schedules in an effort to alleviate congestion and ease commutes.
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal – The Connecticut Senator has renewed his call for a full restoration of the federal commuter tax benefit.
LOSERS
DAs/Judges who perpetuate reckless driving with meaningless penalties – In the case of Allison Liao, Queens DA Richard Brown dismissed the casualty as merely an “accident” and filed no charges, and Queens North Administrative Law Judge William Lee disposed of the high–profile case in just 47 seconds. In the case of Reyda LaMadrid, a White Plains judge set an insultingly low bail for a DWI driver who attempted to flee the scene after killing a paper carrier.
New York Police Department – The department must address its tendency to blame victims when reporting pedestrian and bicyclist casualties.
The Park West Village Tenants Association – The Association’s executive board is fighting a proposal to create a public plaza and community garden on the Upper West Side into a pedestrian plaza because of the “increased pedestrian traffic it could bring to the area.”
New York City Department of Transportation – The DOT has caved to demands from business-owners in Ozone Park to immediately reduce the size of the Ozone Park Plaza less than a year after completing the project in order to add parking.
