Doug Gordon

@brooklynspoke

Co-author, "Life After Cars,” co-host, The War on Cars. Runner, Disney parks fan (he/him) Taking a break for the summer. Donate to my 2027 run in support of PPMD:

1572 Siguiendo35.460 Seguidores10.576 Publicaciones

Bluesky

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Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 30

This should have been Schumer and Jeffries' statement. Instead it's the reaction of the architect of the project to dismantle birthright citizenship.

Tweet from Ilan Wurman. "a year and a half ago a federal judge in Washington basically said the Trump administration view was borderline sanctionable. That view just got 4 votes on the U.S. Supreme Court."

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 29

Another simple yet important addition to the bike network in Brooklyn: 2 parking spaces removed to make it easier and safer for people on bikes to access President Street from Prospect Park West. Thanks @nyc-dot.bsky.social and @bkcb6.bsky.social for making this happen!

Green bike lane in foreground, black pavement with white stripes and tall building in background.

green bike lane in foreground, white stripes on black asphalt street in background with apartment buildings behind that.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 27

It's called "A Short History of America" and was published in 1979. There is a nice epilogue that Crumb illustrated in 1994. A rare bit of optimism from the famed illustrator.

Three illustrated panels. First shows burned out abandoned street baking under the son. Second shows a futuristic version of the same spot with flying cars. Third shows green trees and bikes.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 27

Reminds me of this classic R. Crumb illustration, which of course came long after the predictions made in that 1925 comic.

Color illustration showing 12 panels starting with green rolling hills gradually transforming into a car-dominated sprawl nightmare with utility poles and buildings instead of nature.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 26

What a pleasure it was to finally meet @steinberg.nu of @humankindcity.bsky.social in Rimini during the @velo-city-conference.com — and it brightened my day to get a copy of his children’s book, “The Car that Wanted to be a Bike,” in the mail today. bookshop.org/a/9252/97890...

Cover of "The Car that Wanted to be a Bike" featuring anthropomorphic blue car on street with red bike lanes and cyclists next to Dutch-style gabled homes.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 26

This account posted some AI slop to make a point and is now defending it by accusing critics of being behind the times, using as an example this farmer who railed against autos in the early 1900s. Yet cars have killed 4 million people in the US since 1899 and perhaps as many as 80 million worldwide.

Bluesky account @altnoaa.bsky.social "The future always arrives looking rude to the people invested in the past. Every century has its James Millar." Followed by a newspaper clip with a letter from James Millar of Dixon, California mentioned that the car is "a road destroyer and menace to people who drive."

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 25

I'm guessing that Janet Schroeder, the head of EVSA, also emailed her members to tell them to show up to the meeting. That TA did it is not some grand conspiracy; that's just how advocacy works. These people are Trumpists by another name.

Community Board 7 resident Janet Schroeder, who leads the E‑Vehicle Safety Alliance and wants more enforcement of e-bikes, claimed Transportation Alternatives blasted out emails to mobilize supporters to show up early to the meeting.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 25

Note how the Post neglects to mention that @familiesforsafestreets.org is made up of people who have lost loved ones to traffic violence. In this telling, they're merely the arm of a shadowy lobbying organization. Pretty sick stuff, as expected, from the anti-bike people and the Post.

“It’s our job to represent the people in our community and our community is overwhelmingly concerned about this proposal,” he said, announcing he would vote against the resolution.

About 80 people signed up to speak in favor of the redesign and around 60 against.

“It seems to me that a majority of the people who spoke in favor were either wearing T‑shirts that said ‘Families for Safe Streets’ or stickers in support of it,” Adolf said, noting that Families for Safe Streets is a spin‑off of and still works closely with Transportation Alternatives.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 23

I finally got to see the newly restored Carroll Street Bridge in Gowanus and it's a thing of beauty. Open for pedestrians and people on bikes only. I'm so proud of my friends at @bkcb6.bsky.social for advocating for this and thankful to @nycdot.bsky.social for getting it done. I'm overjoyed!

couple walking over a wooden walkway on a blue steel bridge.

blue bicycle on wooden bridge with blue steel.

person walking dog over wooden bridge surface with blue steel supports.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 13

Today I explored Hellerup, a Copenhagen suburb, and took the long way back to the city. I saw lots of examples of neighborhoods with single family homes and wide arterial roads that wouldn't be out of place in the US. All of them still had ample bike infrastructure that made the trip safe and easy.

Wide asphalt bike lane with white bike symbol. On right is red Circle K gas station. On left is wide arterial road with cars.

wide asphalt bike lane next to wide arterial road with cars on it. Sky is cloudy.

Suburban style road with wide asphalt bike lane. On left is grassy strip with trees. On right are driveways and walls and trees.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 11

My 16-year-old daughter’s take on game 4.

Text exchange. First text says “do you think it was awkward that taylor swift probably got home last night from the game and said to travis kelce “that was the best game i’ve ever seen”

Second text says “hahahahah. You are hilarious.”

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 11

One of my favorite little touches of a bike-friendly city: Copenhagen's footrests for cyclists.

Five people on bikes at red stop light on Copenhagen street. Two hold onto a metal railing with the one in front putting his foot on a lower bar.

close up of cyclist putting his foot on a metal footrest while stopped.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 10

My favorite thing about this is "Orange & Blue Flavor You'll Love." I'm curious what "blue flavor" is.

Sign on sidewalk with orange and blue bagel that says "Now available New York Knicks Bagel. Made for Knicks Fans By Bagel Lovers. The Knicks Bagel is Here! Orange & Blue flavor you'll love. Fresh. Hot. Game-ready. Try it today - Limited time Only.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 9

Just received from Bronwyn!

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 8

Hilarious. Ben Stiller went to private school. Is he not a New Yorker? Gotta be a lot of Spence and Horace Mann alums who wouldn't like this definition.

Hunter Walker: This is among a few fair arguments!

G&T Snowracer: I maintain that you are from an area if you went through their public school system, since public school is where you interact with as much of your community and effect of policy of your area."

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 8

Even this doesn't pass muster. Bronx and Brooklyn accents are different from each other. Someone from the Upper West Side speaks differently than someone from the Upper East. Hunter is assuming all these people are white, too. Different cultures within each borough have different accents!

Post from Hunter Walker: Saying anyone can move here and suddenly "embody" it is ridiculous! There's an accent for god's sakes!

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 8

The "native New Yorker" discourse has gone completely off the rails.

Post from Hunter Walker "I've had multiple people with pride flags in their bios tell me I can't take pride in the place and culture where I am from? Make it make sense!"

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 8

Although, a tip of the hat to Emma Fitzsimmons for this kicker.

Still, Ms. Lopez, who is promoting a new film called “Office Romance,” may be an imperfect champion for New York City pride. Her 2002 song “Jenny from the Block” highlighted her upbringing in the Bronx, and her first album was named for the 6 train.

But she appears to live primarily in Los Angeles, where one of her children recently graduated from high school.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 7

Saw the 34th Street-Penn Station subway entrance and it's awesome. Well done, @mta.info.

blue and orange subway entrance on city sidewalk A tall black building is in the background.

Green and orange glove atop blue subway pole. Lower part of globe in orange is painted to look like a basketball.

Sign and blue and orange subway station that says 34th Street-Penn Station A C E (in blue circles) with a basketball next to it.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 4

Also remarkable that the owner of a *shoe store* thinks a street redesign that makes things safer for pedestrians will shut him down. (FWIW, this is exactly the same fear a shoe store owner in Ghent made when the city pedestrianized the center.)

“I shop with my bike. This plan is great. Far safer than I’m used to, and I need a new pair of shoes,” Ira Gershenhorn, a 38-year resident of the Upper West Side, said during his testimony. His comment about the shoes was in reference to remarks made earlier in the meeting against the bike lane plan by Lester Wasserman, the owner of Tip Top Shoes at 155 West 72nd Street.

“This bike lane will shut me down, not inconvenience me, but it will shut me down,” Wasserman said during his testimony. Ownership from Acker Wines at 160 West 72nd Street also spoke against the redesign.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 4

What a way to run transportation planning in the greatest city in the world. www.westsiderag.com/2026/06/03/u...

Later in the night, a different speaker was making his way back to his seat after giving testimony against the new bike lane, when a supporter of the redesign engaged him on the topic. The back and forth quickly led to one of the two men asking, “You want to take this outside?” which was immediately met by a “Let’s go.”

The two men briskly walked out of the auditorium and proceeded to yell at each other in the hallway in a loud enough fashion for the back of the room to hear.

A security guard went to check on the situation. One man returned; the other did not.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 3

It's great that CB 7 voted in favor of the 72nd St redesign, but look at this room. The idea that transportation issues in a city that's home to millions of people should be decided by a relative handful of people who can show up to a meeting on a Tuesday night is absurd. We gotta change this.

Auditorium with people in seats and standing. Picture shows perhaps 150 - 200 people.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· Jun 2

The story is bad enough, but what an irresponsible thing to put on the front page. We're talking about people's lives and a transportation system that's an international outlier in terms of how deadly it is.

front page of USA today featuring picture of cyclist in green bike lane, shot from above, over the headline, "do drivers hate cyclists?"

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· May 28

Look at the language used by the manufacturer to describe this thing: "Built to Match The Freeway." "...like a wolf in a tailored suit, poised to strike." "Built to Rule the Streets." "...explosive power..." This is how Dodge describes its vehicles, too. Sociopathic.

Super Speed
Built To Match The Freeway
BLADE GT II combines a refined, business-class look with untamed performance. Beneath its sleek, understated design lies immense power and explosive acceleration — like a wolf in a tailored suit, poised to strike. Every twist of the throttle delivers thrilling speed while maintaining effortless control, turning your daily ride into an extraordinary experience.

Built to Rule the Streets
Feel unstoppable with 11-inch puncture-resistant tires that grip and smooth out every surface, giving you confidence on city streets and beyond. Paired with a breathtaking 0–85 km/h acceleration in just 3.9 seconds, this machine delivers explosive power and stability from the first twist of the throttle. It’s built for riders who demand both extreme performance and fearless versatility.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· May 21

This is "I mean, it's one banana, Michael. What could it cost? 10 dollars?" but for parking. If she's complaining that the lot is usually full by 10:30, what time does she think most people have to leave for work?

If I can even get a spot anymore, that is. The station is so busy I’m often white-knuckling the steering wheel as I wind my way to the top of the garage looking for parking. The non-reserved daily fee went from $3 to $3.90 to $5 starting in July, but it’s often full by 10:30 a.m.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· May 20

Scene from Twilight Zone episode, How to Serve Man, which shows a bigheaded alien at the bottom of a set of stairs to a spaceship. A man is screaming and trying to get down.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· May 17

DOT added new exits with daylighting off the Prospect Park West bike lane at 4th St and at 6th St. (Might be more but I didn't check.) I and my friends at @bkcb6.bsky.social have been advocating for this for years to help make more of a network in the neighborhood. Great to see it finally happened!

green bike lane with white striped buffer next to 6-story apartment building. parked and moving cars are on the adjacent street.

green bike lane with white striped buffer next to apartment buildings. parked and moving cars are on the adjacent street. A cyclist is in the bike lane and pedestrians are in the crosswalk in the background.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· May 16

It was an absolutely beautiful day for open streets in Brooklyn today. This picture shows how much higher and better a use of this space is other than private car storage. More please!

people sitting in red and yellow chairs eating food on a street in front of a black suv parked at the curb in front of a multistory building.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· May 15

Whoa! First time holding the new printing with the “national bestseller” burst on the front. A nice surprise before our Philly show!

Black yellow and white book cover. In black lettering, the title says life after cars, freeing ourselves from the tyranny of the automobile. There is the illustration of a yellow traffic light on the front.

Doug Gordon@brooklynspoke· May 14

One of the more beautiful venues we’ve been in for book tour. Resurrection Philadelphia.