Skip to Content
Streetsblog San Francisco home
Streetsblog San Francisco home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

STREETFILMS: Riding Around with Charlie Todd of Improv Everywhere

Charlie Todd of Improv Everywhere shows off the future of Ninth Avenue. Photo: Clarence Eckerson Jr.

Check out Eighth Avenue … with a comedian!

Earlier this month, Charles Eckerson of Streetfilms rode around Hells Kitchen with Charlie Todd from the city-based troupe Improv Everywhere to look at the new Phase II of the Department of Transportation’s transformational redesign of Eighth Avenue.

From five moving (or really sclerotic) lanes of car and truck traffic and virtually no pedestrian space and an unusable bike lane, the city has changed the stretch between Madison Square Garden and West 51st Street into two lanes for cars and trucks to create a much wider pedestrian area and, as a result, a bike lane free of walkers.

Todd and Eckerson also checked out the Department of Sanitation’s “Clean Curbs” pilot bins near 43rd Street. They’re not perfect, but they’re an improvement to forcing pedestrians to scurry like rats among garbage bags piled high. Eckerson’s flashback footage show just how far we’ve come as a city.

“It’s a lot better than giant mountains of trash on the sidewalk!” Todd said.

He also offered a preview of the work being done on Ninth Avenue. Check it out:

Is Todd — a professional entertainer — a laugh riot in the video? No, but give him a break — he’s now also a member of Manhattan’s Community Board 4, so perhaps he had on that august hat.

Click to view slideshow.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog San Francisco

Op-Ed: It’s Time to Extend the Central Subway to North Beach

There are abandoned tunnels under Stockton Street: here’s how they could transform San Francisco’s subway system.

May 8, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: ‘Normal’ is Not Correct, Someone Died Here

After a crash, the debris is quickly cleaned up and everyone moves on (usually too quickly). But these two experts are asking us to all slow down.

May 8, 2025

LA Metro Names Former SFPD Chief Bill Scott as Chief of Police

Chief Scott and Metro leadership emphasized that keeping Metro transit safe would require a multi-faceted approach that included the deployment of officers as well as collaboration with the community, ambassadors, and service providers. "Sometimes enforcement is the answer," Scott said. "Sometimes it's not."

May 7, 2025
See all posts