http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/30/fashion/20080830-street/index.html
I'm so sorry I missed this. Did any of you go? I love Bill Cunningham's On the Street audio slide shows.
I'm so sorry I missed this. Did any of you go? I love Bill Cunningham's On the Street audio slide shows.
Boo, I missed it too :( It almost sounds like it might happen again, do you know anything about that?
I went, and it was lovely. If deemed successful, the city is considering doing this every weekend next summer... It's hard to gauge exactly how they're measuring success, though. Certainly, in terms of numbers of people, it was wonderful: Lots of beginning bicyclists who weren't necessarily super great at going in a straight line-- but that's what we need in the city, I think-- more opportunities for recreational and commuting bicyclists to get a hang of it in the city, and for drivers to start getting used to them. This was supposed to dovetail with congestion pricing, but we saw how that turned out. (O, Sheldon Silver, who killed congestion pricing, has an opponent for the first time in decades in the Sept. 9th primary.) Ganda, your cycling posts on Berlin and Copenhagen has me yearning for more livable streets...
I saw Bill Cunningham taking those pictures! He was adorable, although I'm sure he'd hate for me to use that adjective. Very nimbly hopping out of the way of all the cyclists as we plowed down Park Ave South, out of the Helmsley Building/Grand Central Terminal overpass. My boyfriend took a picture of him taking pictures of everyone and he turned around and saw us, and made a face - - I don't think he liked the meta-shutterbugging. But still, he's such a mainstay of NY, it was almost as much of a thrill to see him as it was to ride from 72nd street to the Brooklyn Bridge.
Ganda, I'm sure he'd have taken a picture of you on your green "froggy" bike if you had had it in NYC...
Soucie, we can get more livable, cyclable streets! I love that we're moving towards it. If anything good can come out of this oil mess we're in, it's less cars on the street and better cycling conditions. I got yelled at for cutting off a big black Yukon yesterday -- not my finest moment, but still, I got one SUV driver to notice a cyclist.
Betsy, I love that you saw Bill Cunningham and that your bf took a metaphoto! I can't wait til next year. And I'm sure sales of bottled water and Gatorade went up along Park Ave.