Where The Mayoral Candidates Stand On Biking

They've come a long way since 2013... [View this email in your browser]( Where Do The Mayoral Candidates Stand On The Future Of Biking In New York City? Plus: The LIRR is reversing course after its new schedule led to packed trains. The MTA is getting over $6 billion from this federal stimulus package. And Metro-North fired an employee who rioted at the Capitol. By James Ramsay [a cyclist in a mask rides down an empty city street] Scott Lynch/Gothamist The last time there was a competitive race for mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio proposed [removing the pedestrian plazas from Times Square]( and Anthony Weiner [joked about ripping bike lanes]( out of Park Slope. Eight years later, things have changed! Citi Bike is a proven success, the pandemic has led to an acute cycling boom, and mayoral candidates are strategically placing bikes within their Zoom backgrounds. Below are highlights from a recent mayoral forum hosted by the advocacy group Bike New York: Eric Adams The Brooklyn borough president said he wants to deploy [credible messengers]( — someone from the Black community advocating for cycling — to show kids that biking is safe, healthy, and achievable. "People connect bike lanes with gentrification," he said. "Bike lanes have received a bad rap because people believe it’s an indicator that they’re going to be displaced, and it’s not something that’s part of the overall build-out of their community." Shaun Donovan The former Obama administration official said he's interested in integrating e-scooters, e-bikes, and regular bikes into the streetscape, "so New Yorkers will feel safer, both in those modes themselves, but also as pedestrians, and I think that’s going to be a fundamental divide that we have to solve and that begins with the right regulation." He also said more NYPD officers should be getting around by bike. Kathryn Garcia The former sanitation commissioner said she wants to add 250 miles of bike lanes to connect sections where the network is disjointed. But she added that she doesn't intend to be an anti-car mayor. “I’m not trying to ban the automobile, necessarily," she said. "There are folks in the outer boroughs where you can’t get to the grocery store without driving. It’s just our buses and subway don't actually run that way." Ray McGuire The former Citigroup executive, a cyclist himself, said he would be open to reducing the amount of free street parking in favor of something else, but didn’t make specific promises, noting that some communities may not want the expansion of bike lanes or the elimination of parking spots. He also said he'd enlist his stepson, Orlando Magic player Cole Anthony, to get some NBA star power behind a bike promotion initiative in the city. Scott Stringer "I want to consider how we get to a car-free Manhattan and start thinking about different strategies around that," said the comptroller. He also said he wants to give away free bikes to high schoolers, and install 75 miles of protected bike lanes around 50 high schools in five years. Andrew Yang The former presidential candidate and current frontrunner in the mayoral race said his vision is for New York City to be a place where no one needs a car. "This is core in attracting folks to New York City, in order for all these organizations to pay a premium to be here, this is part of the talent appeal, so to me this is part of what we have to do to accelerate the recovery and stay competitive," he said. — [Read more of Stephen Nessen's breakdown of where the mayoral candidates — including the ones who didn't attend the forum — stand on biking.]( LIRR Will Reverse The Service Cuts That Led To Packed Trains State Sen. Todd Kaminsky/[Twitter]( After the Long Island Rail Road cut service on Monday to match a prolonged, pandemic-related drop in ridership, pictures started flooding social media of standing-room-only trains full of angry commuters. On Tuesday morning, it happened again. So later that day, the LIRR announced plans to reverse course. "We heard our customers' concerns about our new schedule loud and clear," said LIRR president Phil Eng. "As a result, we will restore our previous timetable on March 29th." On Monday and Tuesday of this week, the total estimated ridership was still down [about 75%]( from the pre-pandemic average. But there were enough rush-hour commuters to overcrowd select trains. "Everyone was pissed off, but kind of together in the struggle with the quiet knowledge that LIRR screwed us all," one Sayville commuter told Gothamist. Though Eng pledged to strategically add more trains and longer trains to meet immediate needs, there were still reports of crowding as recently as [this morning](. — [Reporting by Stephen Nessen and Jen Chung]( Here's What Else Is Happening The MTA is getting over $6 billion out of this $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package. The American Rescue Plan, which President Biden signed today, includes more than $30 billion for transit agencies across the country. ([ABC7]( A former adviser to Gov. Andrew Cuomo who accused him of sexual harassment said an MTA official has been trying to investigate her. Lindsey Boylan, the accuser, tweeted that the MTA's chief communications officer, Abbey Collins, who used to work for Cuomo, "was calling around asking our former colleagues about me once I came forward." ([New York Post]( Will Pepe, a Metro-North employee who took part in the January 6th riot at the Capitol, has been fired. Pepe, who worked at the commuter rail's train yard in Brewster, is facing federal charges related to his presence at the riot. ([Rockland/Westchester Journal News]( An apprenticeship program for aspiring NYC Transit workers is back on, after the MTA had initially considered cutting the program. This will allow 18 former New York City public high school students to finish out their three-year apprenticeships, which set them up for highly skilled technical jobs at MTA bus depots. ([THE CITY]( Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to use $65 million of the money New York City will receive from the feds to restructure loans for cab drivers. Critics, including Comptroller Scott Stringer, say this still won't be enough to help the cab drivers who fell victim to predatory loans for their taxi medallions. ([The New York Times]( NJ Transit fares won't go up until at least 2023. The transit agency's board expects toll revenues from the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway to get them to fiscal year 2024. ([NJ.com]( [a logo card for WQXR's classical commute playlist] In honor of Britain's other royal family, the Waller-Bridges, this week's Classical Commute playlist features a selection from the Emma soundtrack, composed by Isobel Waller-Bridge. And in celebration of Women's History Month, the entire playlist this week is comprised of music written by women across multiple eras. [Stream it for free on Spotify.]( Weekend Service Changes: Night of March 12th – Early Morning on March 15th Note: The entire subway system is still closed each night this weekend from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. The MTA has not yet posted service updates for the weekend. [Check here]( for when they do go live. [Check here]( for complete details about the Long Island Rail Road. For NJ Transit, [check here]( for the latest service advisories. James Ramsay approves of this [dog in a bag](. (Photo by Amy Pearl) Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. 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