September 16: Queensboro Bridge Petition, Pedestrian Prom Recap, School Streets Video
It’s a big weekend for TA events! Yesterday we celebrated the Pedestrian Prom. On Sunday, we’ll ride through New York’s southernmost borough at the Tour de Staten Island. While the Prom may have had its last dance, there’s still time to sign up for the Tour!
Here’s a quick rundown (or should we say ride-down?) of what to look forward to:
Panoramic views of the New York Harbor 🗽
Your choice of a 35- or 50-mile 🚴 route
Local greenery 🌳 like Freshkills Park and Great Kills Park
Clear skies in the forecast (🤞)
A free ride for kids on Willowbrook Park’s 🎠 Carousel for All Children
A finish festival 🏁 with 🍕 pizza, 🎶 music, 🎟️ games, and more to celebrate your ride 🙌!
Online registration will close this afternoon, or you can register in person on Sunday. Whichever you choose, we’re looking forward to seeing you out there!
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1️⃣ Congratulations to our Activists of the Year! At the Pedestrian Prom yesterday, we handed out awards to some of our most fearless activists from the past year. Read more about our award winners.
2️⃣ A new short film about Open Streets for Schools. Streetfilms has produced a nine-minute film on Open Streets for Schools, highlighting how Jackson Heights created a 1.3-mile long Open Street on 34th Avenue and made getting to school safer for more than 7,000 students.
3️⃣ In the news. Here’s what we’re reading this week:
Streetsblog reports on a push from the Brooklyn and Queens borough presidents to expand Summer Streets beyond Manhattan.
In the New York Times, Ginia Bellafonte writes on how attending congestion pricing hearings has made her question whether she can still justify driving in New York City.
The podcast How to Save a Planet discusses how electric cars won’t save our planet, and how we need less reliance on all types of cars.
TWO THINGS TO DO
1️⃣ Sign our #MoreSpaceQBB petition. Earlier this week, Council Member Julie Won led a walk across the Queensboro Bridge to highlight the dangerous conditions that have developed as pedestrians and cyclists are forced to share the North Outer Roadway. A plan to convert the South Outer Roadway to a pedestrian-only lane has been very delayed. We can’t wait any longer. Sign our petition and demand a new, dedicated pedestrian lane as soon as possible.
2️⃣ Bring a pedestrian plaza to Park Slope. Add your name to our Park Slope Pedestrian Plaza petition and help transform a temporary Open Street on a cul-de-sac into a permanent space for students to play and community members to gather.
ONE ACTION TO TAKE NOW
Write a comment to the MTA on congestion pricing. With the deadline for comments now extended to September 23, we need to make every extra day count. Take five minutes and tell the MTA you support congestion pricing, along with all of the reduced traffic, cleaner air, and public transit improvements it can bring.
Thanks for reading, and for those of you joining us on Staten Island this Sunday, have a "ferry" ⛴️ good weekend!
Ted and the TA team