hizzoner mayor bloomberg

 I walked outside my office building at 1 pm and found many people staring at a giant bus. I noticed there were camera crews. My first thought: car crash.

Then I saw shortie Mayor Bloomberg step out of the bus looking like a celebrity. I was so close to him while talking to my mom on the phone that a member of his security squad about 4 times hizzoner’s size shoved me out of the way saying “can’t stand here folks.”

bus stop indicators of arrivals

Photos of the event thanks to a vegan in brooklyn – not that one. Oh the big deal was that now you’ll know how late your bus is arriving at select stops in NYC.

Then he poked and said, “your headphones, they fell” I looked around my neck and they weren’t there. He then went backwards, picked them up, ran back to me and gave them back.

I’m experiencing the true meaning of bromance. . . or brotherly love. Thank you man.

In return, if I find someone’s something on the somewhere anywhere, I’ll do the same that you’ve done for me today.

Love.

I think you waved at me once you crossed the street because I saw you and didn’t recognize you at first. But when I realized that it was you I was like man I should have let you know that you rock.

So, this is me saying, you rock. I didn’t see the roast for Joanne Rivers that you did but I’m sure it rocked too. Peace.

I’ve never found myself defending the MTA before today, but it’s much more than that. Less jobs, less money, less food, less housing, less luxuries.

But the same isn’t true for all. We have talents, ideas and can use them to help the people out as needed. So check out the above link and see if you can stand up and help the city that you love.

More info on the protest rally here. If you’re not on Facebook, the info is: tonight, Union Square, 7-9 PM. Flyers for printing can be downloaded here. The organizers are asking that those attending stay on the sidewalks on the south side of Union Square and not in the actual park, and that they bring candles to remember those who have been killed or injured in Iran during the past week.

• FREE ACCESS 6pm – 9pm
  to all the museums along the mile
• 23 car-free blocks
  5th Avenue between 82nd & 105th

Click here for more details. Actually all the details you need are right above – click there if you want to browse their Website.

As one might imagine, the change has been met with mixed reactions. Honestly, I had no idea about it until a few days ago when I read about the closure at Curbed – and as evidenced by the NY Times article about the closure, apparently some pedicab drivers were unaware as well. I expect cab drivers to be pissy about it, especially the ones I’ve had lately who complain about the traffic (which requires its own blog post entirely), and I expect the tourist masses to embrace it.

It seems as though the city is approaching this cautiously, blocking off the closed blocks of Broadway with orange barrels instead of installing concrete or other more permanent barriers and gauging how the closure will be received by the public. I’d imagine that it will be difficult for some businesses on the closed blocks to get deliveries, but they’re still working all of the kinks out.

What I really want to see is what Broadway, 7th Ave, 47th Street, and 35th Street look like on Tuesday morning, when all the people who are crazy enough to drive to work return from the Memorial Day holiday. Anyone want to volunteer to take photos? Post photo links in the comments. Best angry cab driver photo wins a freakin’ awesome Metroblogging t-shirt.

The city plans to suspend Alternate Side Street Cleaning for a couple of months till they change all the boards and then street cleaning shall be once a week. Whew !

My sincere thanks to all those who campaigned to get this approved.

Read below fold for actual notice and area coverages.

Alternate Side Parking Regulations Suspended in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, Brooklyn Starting May 18 for Six to Eight Weeks as DOT Posts New, Reduced Street-Cleaning Restrictions Release # 09-020

Suspension is the first of three phases for neighborhoods in Community District 2

Effective Monday, May 18, 2009, Street Cleaning/Alternate Side Parking Regulations will be temporarily suspended in the Fort Greene and Clinton Hill sections of Brooklyn’s Community District 2 for approximately six to eight weeks as the Department of Transportation (DOT) installs approximately 2,000 signs with new, reduced regulations. In most cases, daytime residential street cleaning parking restrictions will be reduced from twice a week to just once a week to ease parking for local residents. On commercial corridors, some streets will now be cleaned more often and regulations will be better coordinated to help ensure some curbside parking for local shoppers. The new rules were established by the Department of Sanitation at the request of Community Board 2. Changes for the rest of the district will occur in two additional phases, which will be announced over the summer.

Street Cleaning Regulations will be suspended within the following borders from May 18 until further notice:

North: Flushing Avenue (included) from Navy Street to Classon Avenue.

East: Classon Avenue (included) from Flushing Avenue to Fulton Street.

South: Fulton Street (not included) from Classon Avenue to Flatbush Avenue.

West: Flatbush Avenue (not included) from Fulton Street to Myrtle Avenue;

Myrtle Avenue (included) from Flatbush Avenue to Navy Street; Navy Street

(not included) Myrtle Avenue to Flushing Avenue.

The new regulations will take effect once sign changes are complete in the entire area. The changes do not affect 8:00 am to 6:00 pm parking rules or meter regulations, or any other parking rules that are not street cleaning regulations.

The DOT will give advance notification before enforcement resumes, and the public is encouraged to check the DOT’s Web site at www.nyc.gov/dot and call 311 regularly.

Similar conversions and temporary suspensions of ASP rules will occur in the coming months in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, and remaining neighborhoods within Community District 2, affecting approximately 4,000 additional signs.

Regulations were similarly converted last year in the Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and Red Hook neighborhoods in Brooklyn Community District 6. During that transition, DOT conducted a study, which found that the suspension of ASP regulations had minimal impact on traffic and parking conditions in the area.

For more information, please contact the Citizen Service Center at 311 or

visit the Department of Sanitation’s web site at www.nyc.gov/sanitation, or

contact Brooklyn Community Board 2 at (718) 596-5410 or CB2K@nyc.rr.com.

A woman rides the Dutch bicycle

The Dutch are so proud of their friendship with NYC that the Dutch minister recently gifted the city 400 Dutch bicycles.

Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert C. Lieber and NYC&Company CEO George Fertitta were on hand to receive the bikes at Hudson River Park’s Pier 84 and to highlight the many biking opportunities throughout New York City this summer.

What will happen to these bikes next? I don’t really know but there’s a lot of history to be learned about the Dutch’s colonization of America at the port we now know as Manhattan (and parts of Albany too).

It’s great that this event ties in with NYC-wide bike month. I’m sure you’ve seen the green posters on the subway as I have. They have quite an extensive schedule of events posted. But really, what exactly is bike month? It’s a way to encourage more New Yorkers to consider pedaling instead of peddling (read: illegal substances). HEYOOOOOOO!

(njoi bicycles. njoi life. njoi nyc. thank you dutch people. sorry native americans.)