Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s pothole purge saw nearly 8,000 craters filled in a single day – the same number that would usually take New York’s Department of Transport (DOT) a week.
What matters is what’s meaningful, not what’s expedient.
This isn’t impressive. NYC roads are in rough shape, and patchwork fixes are routine work often dressed up for press. I don’t care about cars.
Bikes cause negligible wear. Vehicles are what degrade roads. Designing n repairing infrastructure around cars feels outdated.
Focus on what actually moves the needle: stronger schools, addressing the $25 billion deficit, supporting people in need, and investing in water infrastructure.
Those are lasting impacts.
I may come off critical, but as Socrates once said- an unexamined life is not worth living.
You ever hit a pothole on a bike because it looked like a little water and you didn’t want to go further into traffic? Definitely a painful and potentially expensive experience.
Yeah, big shit needs to be accomplished but these initiatives compound and get the public behind fixing stuff and making life a little better. Would I like to see empty rentals be taxed at 2-5x the rate of occupied dwellings, fuck yes, will it happen soon, probably not.
Personally, I think cities are a complete blight upon the Earth, I’d actually only be happy if he was reclaiming the city for nature and getting all of those people off that previously beautiful land.
But, I suppose people do have different views on what’s good.
Blight compared to what? Moving the people to the suburbs or killing all the people? Cities are much better for the environment than equally populous suburbs or exurbs.
What matters is what’s meaningful, not what’s expedient.
This isn’t impressive. NYC roads are in rough shape, and patchwork fixes are routine work often dressed up for press. I don’t care about cars.
Bikes cause negligible wear. Vehicles are what degrade roads. Designing n repairing infrastructure around cars feels outdated.
Focus on what actually moves the needle: stronger schools, addressing the $25 billion deficit, supporting people in need, and investing in water infrastructure.
Those are lasting impacts.
I may come off critical, but as Socrates once said- an unexamined life is not worth living.
I think potholes are way more meaningful to bicycles, scooters, and motorcycles than cars from a usability standpoint
You ever hit a pothole on a bike because it looked like a little water and you didn’t want to go further into traffic? Definitely a painful and potentially expensive experience.
Yeah, big shit needs to be accomplished but these initiatives compound and get the public behind fixing stuff and making life a little better. Would I like to see empty rentals be taxed at 2-5x the rate of occupied dwellings, fuck yes, will it happen soon, probably not.
Ps i ride a surly long haul trucker and I very rarely hit potholes, because bikes can dodge a lot of them w/out dramatic movement. Bikes rule!
NYC has bike lanes which have waaaay less pot holes…and too many double parked cars.
I get the sentiment, but we don’t have much in terms of hope in our government/politicians these days. Hopefully this is just a stepping stone.
Ty for the reply. Hope is powerful.
Ive just seen this same press release from mayors nationwide a dozen times…because im old.
What about the busses?
You’ll rarely feel a pothole in a bus, but sure good point.
Also a good point, revisit these same potholes in 30 days and see how they’re holding up before celebrating it in a press release.
Personally, I think cities are a complete blight upon the Earth, I’d actually only be happy if he was reclaiming the city for nature and getting all of those people off that previously beautiful land.
But, I suppose people do have different views on what’s good.
Blight compared to what? Moving the people to the suburbs or killing all the people? Cities are much better for the environment than equally populous suburbs or exurbs.