New York is bracing for Biblical snowfall, but somehow that seems like one of the least ominous things floating down to them.
On one hand, we have a governor who is Heismanning crash victims as part of her car insurance affordability push. On the other hand, we have state lawmakers treating micromobility as a grave danger while not quite knowing what e-bikes are. Maybe snow angels will distract from the dire circumstances we're in.
If Hochul succeeds in her gambit to shortchange crash victims and benefit drivers (and Uber for some reason?), it will win her votes upstate, as Streetsblog's own Kevin Duggan has been dutifully reporting. But will it tarnish her legacy?
Back in Albany, lawmakers spent yesterday considering following New Jersey's lead and treating e-bikes like cars (and doing so ham-handedly, as I report today on this site).
Whatever happened to simply not doing something because people in New Jersey liked it?
In other news:
- The state Comptroller's Office wants to know how rideshare giant Uber is addressing allegations of drivers sexually assaulting passengers. (Newsday)
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Hochul are on different pages when it comes to taxes. (Gothamist)
- After Clifton Park Town Supervisor Phil Barrett crashed his car in September, he failed to follow town policy and report the incident to a safety officer. (The Times Union)
- Republicans are appealing a court decision that would dismantle Rep. Nicole Malliotakis's mostly Staten Island district. (NY1)
- The need for speed on Long Island roads is already claiming lives in 2026. (Newsday)
- The state Department of Motor Vehicles is planning to beef up its point system in what could see a 40-percent increase in license suspensions and revocations. (Newsday)
- Democrats may have hope to thin the Republican ranks on after a redistricting case swung their way. (The New York Times)
- The trial lawyers and insurance lobby are at odds on Hochul's auto insurance plans. (WXXI)
- The Hudson River was so icy that ferry service from Haverstraw to Ossining was halted. (The Journal News)
- Grab what you need now, we have a serious snowstorm rolling in. It's so bad, state lawmakers will get a snow day:
Albany programming note: The state Legislature has canceled session on Monday due to inclement weather and will instead meet Tuesday-Thursday next week (instead of ending on Wednesday)
— Rebecca C. Lewis (@_rebeccaclewis) January 22, 2026
