Speaker Corey Johnson discusses his bill to open 75 miles of street "We shouldn't use New York's exceptionalism as an excuse for settling." (scratching head emoji) He also says he walks 7-10 miles a day...that's some nice strolling.

Ydanis Rodriguez says the bill would: Require DOT provide additional street space for pedestrians and cyclists of no less than 75 miles. Shared streets or closing one lane of street to traffic. Says this will help city combat spread of COVID-19.

Carlina Rivera says each street can look diff depending on the neighborhood, but says it will address inequity in city. Says she's gotten too many calls from doctors complaining about over crowded parks.

NYPD says, NYC is not Oakland. Every closed street would need an officer or traffic agent. "It would not be a one day block party." Says it's not realistic or workable right now.

And another bucket of cold water from DOT Head Polly Trottenberg: Shares the "underlying principal" of opening 800 city blocks, but "doing it in the time frame the bill mandates would not be possible to do safely and effectively." Notes NYC's denseness is diff than Oakland's.

Trottenberg says we just can't put up a saw horse and hope folks won't drive through it.

Corey Johnson: In other cities has there been an increase in traffic crashes and fatalities?

Polly Trottenberg: No chance to pour over their stats yet.

Eric Beaton Deputy Commissioner for Transportation Planning and Management at DOT: NYC is just different than other cities, can't compare other models to us.

CoJo: What percentage of streets are 6-ft wide?

PT: Gonna say, probably a good percentage if you count trees and street furniture, can’t perfectly clear 6 ft. But NYers are clever.

CoJo: Warmer weather coming, playgrounds, and pools are closed, what's the plan?

PT: Discussions underway at City Hall.

Ydanis Rodriguez (FTW hatwise) says POC are dying in the Bronx and Queens, look at those neighborhoods first for opening city streets.

And Carlina Rivera isn't buying it. Says Milan has 22 miles of open streets, equally deadly coronavirus, and if it was a city in the US it would be the 2nd densest city. So, why not?

Trottenberg says NYC closed streets still need police presence.

Going in circles now.

And now for the non-sequitur fact section of the program: NYPD is issuing about 100 highway speeding tickets a day.

More relevant fact: Side streets speeding is going down in recent weeks.

Rivera asks how many school traffic crossing guards are still out there? I've seen some in my neighborhood, who mostly stand around waiting for the very very few people crossing.

Councilman Fernando Cabrera wants to know about plans for ebikes, which state finally passed, and is waiting for city council to fully legalize.

PT: "Enthusiastic about talking to you about that and coming up with a plan for the city."