Appropriate weather for the first day of August:

Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. North wind 5 to 7 mph.
Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.
Sunrise 5:52am
Sunset 8:12pm
All this Green Wave stuff might lead you to believe the NYPD is shifting all its ticketing energy towards drivers, but rest assured nothing could be further from the truth:
A #bikenyc trap on 2nd Ave and 66th streets. pic.twitter.com/btm4AP0AtS
— Reasmus (@Reasmus2) July 31, 2019
If you've been flustered by the large sign in the new East River Greenway bike lane, the DOT would like you to know that the lane is not open yet and that when it is there will be jersey barriers:
Implementation is ongoing at this location and the bike lane is not yet open to cyclists. The barrels & VMS board will be removed when jersey barriers are installed, which is expected in the next few weeks.
— NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) July 31, 2019
By way of communicating this they have added a sign on one end as well as some barrels:

[Photo: @leroys_dog]
Though given the sheer number of orange barrels scattered around the city at any given time its difficult to infer any meaning from them at this point.
Yesterday Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, Transportation Alternatives, and Bike New York held a press conference proposing the transformation of Long Island City into the city's first "accessible bike neighborhood:"
Our proposed network of protected bike lanes would be the first of its kind in all of New York City. And it’s what our state of emergency—after 18 cyclists deaths already this year—demands. pic.twitter.com/m3tQUjR9Bv
— Jimmy Van Bramer (@JimmyVanBramer) July 31, 2019
Some attendees experienced the current lack of accessibility firsthand:
Why I was late for the #bikenyc press conference: over 5+ box trucks in the Vernon Blvd bike lane; tried to get attention of two NYPD vehicals that passed to help and they both ignored me. pic.twitter.com/7X20pDZEmg
— Shannon (@goaliegirl44) July 31, 2019
In other bike lane news, a judge denied the temporary restraining order that would have blocked the Central Park West bike lane:
“We are grateful for the judge’s decision today that will allow us to move forward with a design that will transform Central Park West this summer, and make our streets safer for everyone," ~Commissioner Trottenberg.
— NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) July 31, 2019
📷: Cyclists ride as crews install new #bikenyc lane markings pic.twitter.com/HBfXmy6UNf
This is terrible news for the poor unfortunate residents of 25 Central Park West, who fear the environmental catastrophe that will surely unfold when the city places a bicycle lane next to a park:
The lawsuit, filed by residents of 25 Central Park West in Manhattan Supreme Court, argues that the city did not complete an environmental review for its plans as required by state law #CrainsNY https://t.co/mZNQSa3HZr
— Crain's New York (@CrainsNewYork) July 31, 2019
A group of condo owners on the Upper West Side are suing the city over its plan to add a protected bike lane along Central Park West.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by residents of 25 Central Park West in Manhattan Supreme Court, argues that the city did not complete an environmental review for its plans as required by state law.
And who above all are dedicated to preserving the city's public space for the people, by allowing car owners to store their property there for free:
The lawsuit argues that the mayor’s plan ignores detractors who say bike lanes strip the city of prime real estate and “favor a tiny minority of citizens by handing over vast swathes of the city’s public space.”
Yes, there is no better way to take advantage of the city's streetscape than by getting down on your belly and slithering underneath a Mercedes:
Walking down CPW, I'd say every 3rd plate is from out of state. Too bad all these "local residents" will soon lose 400 free parking spaces for a protected bike lane... pic.twitter.com/Ao9XTKdUcx
— Bike Snob NYC (@bikesnobnyc) July 3, 2019
Tell them this evening what they can do with their lawsuit:
We will be rallying outside 25 Central Park West tmrw (8/1) at 6:30pm to demand that the co-op drop their bad-faith lawsuit to kill a life-saving street redesign.
— Thomas DeVito (@PedestrianTom) July 31, 2019
Our message: We see you. We know you want to endanger us for the sake of parking. We will not let you win.
Join us? pic.twitter.com/DIvbvzNosi
Still, everybody knows how dangerous bicyclists are--just ask Bob Holden, or more accurately his wife:
Want to get inside the head of an anti-bike politician, #bikenyc? You MUST read this incredible interview that @Julcuba did with Queens Councilman @bobHoldennyc. If we just got rid of all the cyclists, NYC would be a safe paradise, apparently.https://t.co/CndiBOn8Qd pic.twitter.com/bpw6zPuvMV
— Streetsblog New York (@StreetsblogNYC) July 31, 2019
Bob Holden: (My wife) says that she has to watch out for cyclists more than motorists — they’re both bad, let’s put it that way. Some cyclists, especially in Manhattan and all over the city, I would say the vast majority, I see don’t observe traffic etiquette, endangering pedestrians and endangering themselves. Of course, dealing with a 4,000-pound vehicle versus someone on a bike, there’s no doubt about it. But I think everyone needs to observe traffic rules. Don’t argue that bikers are obeying the laws because they’re not. In Downtown Brooklyn, a bike hit my car coming down Jay Street, and I had a bike hit me almost three or four times within one week — they come flying down Jay Street, go through lights, don’t care about pedestrians.
That bike hit his car like that iceberg hit the Titanic.
But he is for protected bike lanes:
BH: I welcome protected lanes. I want the community to have input, there’s going to be opinions. We have a low percentage of cyclists in this area. If you think everybody rides bikes you’re mistaken. A lot of people in my district, I have a lot of seniors, they can’t. There are other solutions, other designs where we don’t have to lose parking, that’s always a problem. I welcome proposals, I want the community to have input, I don’t want things shoved down people’s throats. A protected bike lane is safer for everybody — that’s a better way to go, it’s a lot of capital, a lot of money, a lot of planning. This conversation should have been started years ago.
And even open to "breaking the car culture:"
BH: If the mayor wants to invest in more public transit to get us out of cars, I welcome that. I’m not for that unless I get public transportation, viable options.
There's always common ground buried under there somewhere.
Finally, what is the city doing about dooring?
What Is NYC Doing To Prevent Cyclists From Getting Fatally Doored? 'Basically Nothing' #bikeNYC https://t.co/YuaLZxgadZ pic.twitter.com/wKMenMVsaz
— Gothamist (@Gothamist) July 31, 2019
Michael Padwee, whose son Aaron was fatally doored into traffic while biking in Long Island City last year, has experienced the NYPD's indifference firsthand. The spokesperson's comments are "enraging," he said, and served as further proof that the city does not take dooring seriously.
"When my son was killed, the police actually said to me that woman was wrong in throwing her door open like she did," he told Gothamist on Tuesday. "But they also said that the [District Attorney, Richard Brown] was not going to charge her with anything, so there's essentially nothing that could be done."
Basically, the only thing between you and that car door flinging open are some optional decals and the kernel of hope that one day drivers will adopt the Dutch Reach:
Since 2012, the DOT and the Taxi & Limousine Commission have made "Look for Cyclists" window decals available—but not mandatory—for professional drivers, along with an accompanying PSA that plays in TaxiTV. For the first time this year, the city's transportation department also included questions about the Dutch Reach in their July survey of drivers.
But those efforts are not reaching as many New Yorkers as they could be, says Charney, in part due to apparent disinterest from Mayor Bill de Blasio. Despite adoption in other cities' Vision Zero programs, the mayor only learned about the method last month, when someone called into his weekly segment on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show to ask why the city wasn't promoting the Dutch Reach.
Until then, we remain pinballs.