Wednesday’s Headlines: Mastro of None Edition

Another day, another DOT project killed by First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro.

This time it’s the Upper West Side “smart curbs” pilot, which Mastro ordered DOT to put on hold because of uproar over the conversion of 70 on-street spots from free to metered parking.

Streetsblog’s Kevin Duggan had the story, which West Side Rag broke first on Tuesday morning. Read Streetsblog’s “take” here.

Mastro’s street improvement project body count — or, more specifically, the mayor’s project body count since Mastro joined the administration — now includes three blocks of Bedford Avenue’s protected bike lane, the proposed Tremont Avenue busway and the “smart curbs” pilot. (City Hall reportedly also put the kibosh on the 34th Street busway until City Council members intervened. And Mastro personally delayed the opening of the Queensboro Bridge pedestrian path in the spring and forced Lyft to lower its Citi Bike e-bikes to 15 mph.)

It’s all part and parcel with how Adams has governed: His commitments to build bike lanes and bus lanes are only good until someone with money and influence says otherwise — then all bets are off.

What smart and long-planned transportation initiative will Mastro kill next? Hopefully, none. Until then, you all can keep refreshing the Streetsblog homepage.

In other news:

• A hit-and-run driver killed 32-year-old Dilmania Lopez de Rodriguez on a deadly stretch of Bruckner Boulevard along the Bruckner Expressway early Tuesday morning. (Gothamist, amNY, ABC 7 NY)

• Maspeth’s “small town charm” is a great fit for the future IBX. (amNY)
• A broken down MTA maintenance vehicle snarled LIRR service on Tuesday morning. (Crain’s)
• The other Mike Flynn on why transportation should be an issue in New York City municipal elections. (Crain’s)
• Taxi drivers rallied outside Gov. Hochul’s office on Monday against Waymo’s arrival to New York City. (Hell Gate, ABC 7 NY, PIX11 via YouTube)
• NYPD is reportedly “stepping up enforcement” of the Bedford Avenue bus lane. (Williamsburg 365)
• A former top FDNY hazmat official is urging New Yorkers to have faith in the department’s new safe battery storage rules. (Daily News)
• There’s still lots of illegal vending on the Brooklyn Bridge despite DOT’s ban. (amNY)
• A driver died in a gruesome crash on a Queens highway — his single passenger fled the scene. (Patch)
• An SUV driver plowed into a New Jersey Planet Fitness, killing one person and injuring several others. (Daily News)