Tuesday’s Headlines: Clearing the Air Edition

Streetsblog provides high-quality journalism and analysis for free — which is something to be celebrated in an era of paywalls. Once a year, we ask for your tax-deductible donations to support our reporters and editors as they advance the movement to end car dependency in our communities.

If you already support our work, thank you! If not, can we ask for your help? This year’s fundraiser includes a special gift for our biggest supporters. Don’t miss out.

Together, we can create a more livable, walkable, bikeable, equitable and enjoyable city for all. Happy holidays from the Streetsblog team!

There was so much news yesterday (see below), but we loved this academic study out of Cornell that revealed that in the first six months of the Congestion Pricing program, air pollution – in the form of particulate matter 2.5 micrometers and smaller – dropped by 22 percent in the toll zone and also in the city’s five boroughs and surrounding suburbs.

“Our overall conclusion is that congestion pricing in New York City, like many other cities in the world that have implemented it, helped not only improve traffic, but also helped reduce air pollutant concentration, improve air quality and should be good for public health,” said lead researcher Oliver Gao, who is the director of Cornell’s Center for Transportation, Environment and Community Health.

So there’s another positive impact of congestion pricing as it approaches its one-year anniversary on Jan. 5. We’ve already documented good news for Broadway, for safety, for The Bronx, for traffic (obvs) and for the overall economy, so getting some backup from the folks at Cornell is nice, too.

If you want to nerd out on the study itself, click here.

In other news:

• First, let’s start as we always do and honor yesterday’s donors to our ongoing December fundraising drive. No, no one took advantage of our special gift, but we really want to thank you for all donations. So, thanks, Mendy! Thanks, Roz! Thanks, Bernice! Thanks, Fred! And the rest of you? Get to it. Here’s why:
• I mean, where else are you going to get such insightful coverage as:
  • David Meyer’s deep analysis of a judge’s flawed ruling that requires the Department of Transportation to remove the 31st Street bike lane in Astoria?
  • Double Duty Dave Colon’s coverage of the MTA’s open gangway short-sightedness and his frankly dead-on update on how New Yorkers will likely be holding the bag for President Trump’s dream of a monumental Trump, er, Penn Station.
  • Even I pitched in some top-quality journalism with a story about the NYPD’s apparently racial bias in some bike tickets — and the agency’s failure to explain its motivation. As we say in the business, “Gotcha!”
• Other outlets occasionally do good work, too! Here’s Patch covering all the changes in laws that affect drivers.
• Wake up! The city says it will spend $1 billion to repair the very much existing Coney Island Boardwalk after two years of community outreach, but The City calmly reported, “The material for the new boardwalk hasn’t been decided on yet.” Come on — they’re going to pave the thing so it’s not a “board” walk, but a sidewalk. Pay attention!
• The F and M switch got fucked and messed up yesterday, so naturally all the naysayers piled on. (NYDN, Gothamist)
• A hit-and-run driver killed a man in The Bronx. (NY Post)
• And a cyclist was killed by a driver in Brooklyn. (amNY)
• Imagine there’s no John Lennon. It gets harder every year. (NY Post)
• And, finally, Tuesday is going to be a busy day on the Streetsblog assignment desk: We’ll start our day at 250 Broadway at 11 a.m. as Transportation Alternatives and Open Plans unveil “brand-new data about the most dangerous intersections in New York City” — which is perfectly timed to show support for the universal daylighting bill. And then later, after a full day of Streetsblogging, we’ll head to Astoria for the 7 p.m. bike ride in support of the aforementioned 31st Street bike lane. The meetup is at Athens Square, 30th Street at 30th Avenue in Astoria. Let’s hope Astoria’s favorite son, Zohran Mamdani, will be there (you know, he still reps the neighborhood in Albany for like 21 more days!).