But What Would Matthew Modine Have To Say?

Now this sounds useful:

Outside Colombia, Bogotá is better known for its association with cocaine trafficking than for its traffic congestion.

For many of the city’s 7 million residents, however, it was the bumper-to-bumper traffic that topped their list of grievances as of 1998, when Enrique Peñalosa was elected mayor. During his three-year tenure, Mr. Peñalosa devised and implemented a comprehensive city bus system that has eased congestion in Colombia’s capital and cut Bogotános’ commutes to work by hundreds of hours a year.

In his keynote address today at a New York transportation conference, Mr. Peñalosa will discuss the overhaul of Bogotá’s mass transit system, and ways traffic could be eased along New York’s car-clogged streets. More than 500 people, including elected officials, mass transit advocates, community activists — and even celebrities such as actor Matthew Modine and the musician Moby — are expected at the day-long conference, hosted by Manhattan’s president, Scott Stringer.

. . .

Acknowledging the vast differences between New York and Bogotá, the latter of which is far poorer and has no subway system, Mr. Peñalosa said not all of the recent transportation reforms instituted in his hometown would be applicable here.

Brooklyn Neighborhood Wants Overzealous Sanitation Department To Toss Out Violations

Dyker Heights residents are banding together to protest ridiculous sanitation tickets:

After getting blitzed with $25 tickets for allegedly putting recyclables in their trash last week, some homeowners on 71 St. between 10th Ave. and Fort Hamilton Parkway are refusing to pay.

One resident was cited for tossing 30 “unsoiled” paper plates out with her trash.

Lina Giammarino also found a city Sanitation Department violation posted on her door the morning of Oct. 3.

But Giammarino said she places only grease-soaked paper plates in her trash — and at most, three or four.

“I want to know, are we supposed to wash them and dry them and put them in the recycle?” demanded the outraged grandmother.

. . .

Resident Tony Mastellone said he was ticketed for recyclable materials passersby tossed into his trash cans.

“Should we be policemen over our garbage?” asked an indignant Mastellone, 52, a retired sanitation officer.

Anthony Pandolfo, 72, was hit for not recycling a plastic food container and hanger. One problem: The city considers neither item recyclable.

While confusion over what to recycle reigned, Giammarino had no qualms about what to do. She waited for a Sanitation truck to arrive the morning she was ticketed and asked the crew to inspect her black garbage bag — which she said the ticketing agent had not bothered to open.

“Even the sanitation man said they were covered in grease,” Giammarino said.

You don’t think they have a quota, too?

Truly Tasteless Post Headline Of The Day

‘Bomber’ Pilot Crashes Plane:

Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle was instantly killed yesterday when his small plane slammed into an Upper East Side high-rise and exploded in flames.

The crash, which also killed Lidle’s flight instructor, spewed fiery debris onto the street, spurred a frenzied evacuation of building residents, and sent military fighter jets scrambling over Manhattan amid fears of another terror attack.

“[The plane] was sputtering. It looked like it lost a tail rudder. It went into the building sideways,” said Erroll Gindi, a witness to the disaster at 524 E. 72nd St., on the corner of York Avenue. “There was a deafening crash, and flames shot out of the building.”

. . .

A helicopter pilot who had been in the air over the East River at the time told authorities that he watched as Lidle’s plane performed wild “acrobatic maneuvers” moments before the crash, indicating that its pilot was likely trying to avoid the building as it experienced control problems.

Lidle’s death stunned the Yankee organization, which continues to mourn the 1979 loss of beloved Bronx Bomber catcher Thurman Munson in a plane crash.

Yes, yes — we know they’re called the Bombers, but jeez, can you not be so clever for one lousy day?

Then there’s this charming observation which I’m guessing isn’t in the Times:

The crash disintegrated most of the light plane, and both bodies were burned beyond recognition.

Last night, one of the victims remained strapped in his seat in the mangled cockpit, which lay on the street in front of the building.

The body of the other victim had been torn in half, with the lower part of his torso still missing.

See also: Yankee Cory Lidle Was On Plane That Crashed . . .; Yeesh.

Yankee Cory Lidle Was On Plane That Crashed . . .

Mayor Bloomberg is holding a worthless press conference right now*, confirming nothing that we already know:

Corey Lidle, a pitcher for the New York Yankees, was killed today when his small private plane crashed into a residential high-rise building on New York City’s Upper East Side, igniting several apartments before pieces of the aircraft crashed to the ground, a high ranking city official confirmed late this afternoon.

Police said two bodies were found on the ground shortly after the crash, one of them that of Mr. Lidle, who was a licensed pilot. The plane was registered to Mr. Lidle.

*Why bother? It certainly doesn’t make him look Giuliani-like when the graphic underneath him tells us more than he’s revealing.

Yeesh

If you’re flying an airplane, isn’t it fairly difficult to miss Manhattan? Not good:

An aircraft crashed into a residential high-rise building on New York City’s Upper East Side this afternoon, igniting several apartments before pieces of the aircraft crashed to the ground, the police and witnesses said.

Police officials said two bodies were found on the ground, possibly passengers or crewmembers from the aircraft, but the authorities are just beginning their investigations. There are no reports of any injuries yet.

A Fire Department spokeswoman, Emily Rahimi, told The Associated Press that the aircraft struck the 20th floor of the building, 524 E. 72nd St., near York Avenue. However, television reports and witnessed said the aircraft hit closer to the 40th floor. That building and one next door were evacuated, police said.

The authorities have not said whether the aircraft was a small airplane or a helicopter.

Television views of the fire showed flames shooting out of four windows and smoke that streamed up into the sky, visible for miles. The building is a 50-story condominium that was built in 1986, The A.P. said, and has 183 apartments. Many of the lower floors held offices for doctors and other professionals.

The crash interrupted the routine of an urban afternoon that consisted of construction work inside the building, doctor’s appointments and came at the end of the school day for nearby students.

Kim Quarterman, 50, a doorman at 411 E. 70th St., said he head a noise about 2:45 p.m. “It sounded like a truck gearing down,” he said. “You know how a truck sounds when it’s trying not to hit something? Then I saw a cloud of smoke.”

Belaire building (524 East 72nd Street) is the tallest building in the center of the photo:

Orient yourself: Manhattan Waterfront From Roosevelt Island.