I live in NYC, and there are a whole lot of layers to this onion. I'm advocating for safety improvements on a local road that people get hurt and killed on pretty regularly[1]. The DOT has a well-designed change that they've been working on for over two years, complete with community outreach. The change has broad community support, and every single elected official in the area is behind it, from the city council to the state assembly.

However, there are a few wealthy people against the change who can file lawsuits, pressure the community board, and donate to the mayor's office. That seems to have been enough to get the mayor to overturn his own DOT's plan[2]. The change itself isn't even a large-scale capital redesign of the street; it's entirely a plan using temporary repainting, movable barriers, and signal changes. It's exhausting living here.

Edit: If you live in New York and want to voice your support for the aforementioned road redesign, you can do so at https://www.safemcguinness.com

[1]:https://www.thecity.nyc/2023/6/13/23759703/keep-mcguinness-m... [2]:https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2023/07/05/mayor-yields-to-oppos...