NYC cyclists want de Blasio off 2020 campaign trail
August 25, 2019
By Khristina Narizhnaya and Jorge Fitz-Gibbon
Mayor Bill de Blasio should stop running for president and focus on Big Apple cyclists getting run over, cycling enthusiasts said Sunday.
The call came as more than 200 cyclist rallied for safe streets in memory of Jose Alzorriz, the 19th cyclist killed on Big Apple streets this year — while the mayor chases his long shot presidential bid.“Mr. Mayor, I know you’re running for president,” Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said at the Prospect Park launching site of the rally, urging hizzoner to “please stop running, come back home.”
“Nineteen cyclists have died,” Williams said. “So many pedestrians have died. There are so many issues here in New York City that you have to deal with. Come back home. We have a lot of work to do.”
De Blasio has been called out repeatedly for being AWOL while he desperately tries to qualify for the next round of debates in the Democratic presidential race. Last week, de Blasio “missing” posters even popped up in Midtown.
Meanwhile, cyclists are being killed at an alarming rate on city streets.
At Sunday’s rally, riders pedaled their way to the Brooklyn intersection on Coney Island Avenue and Avenue L where Alzorriz was struck and killed two weeks ago in a grisly caught-on-video crash.
Police said a teen driver allegedly blew through a red light and killed the 52-year-old Brooklyn cyclist while injuring a pedestrian.
“We need to change the streets,” said Irene Hanna, 46, Alzorriz’s partner. “We need to change the idea that the motorist comes first. We need people who violate the law to understand the repercussions.”
Alzarriz was on his way home for a family brunch after a swim at Brighton Beach — his Sunday routine. He typically rode Ocean Parkway to get home, but opted for Coney Island Avenue that day.
He was a familiar figure in Brooklyn cycling circles, organizing riding groups in Prospect Park, participating in triathlons and teaching others how to ride.