Policy

Hochul moves to reform environmental law to speed up housing construction

Credit: Susan Watts/Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul on Flickr

February 10, 2026

Hochul moves to reform environmental law to speed up housing construction

By Aaron Ginsburg

To accelerate housing development across the state, Gov. Kathy Hochul has proposed a series of reforms to New York’s environmental laws, which have delayed new projects for years. During an event with several elected officials on Tuesday, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the governor unveiled “common sense” reforms to the state’s Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), as well as executive actions to accelerate critical projects that, while not posing significant environmental impacts, have been caught in red tape and delays. The reforms also seek to cut bureaucratic hurdles for infrastructure projects, including clean water, green infrastructure, and parks, which are frequently slowed down by lengthy environmental review processes.
Learn more

City opens Studio Gang-designed Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in Flatbush

All photos © Alexander Severin unless otherwise noted

February 10, 2026

City opens Studio Gang-designed Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in Flatbush

By Devin Gannon

Brooklyn's largest recreation center officially opened its doors in East Flatbush this week. Located within Nostrand Playground, the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center measures 74,000 square feet and includes an indoor pool, basketball court, full gym, a media lab, outdoor spaces, and more. Designed by Studio Gang, the firm behind the Gilder Center at the Museum of Natural History and Brooklyn residential tower 11 Hoyt, the building features large arched windows, a curving brick facade, and a green roof.
see it here

Judge allows Trump’s Gateway funding freeze to continue until Thursday

Credit: Gateway Development Commission

February 9, 2026

Judge allows Trump’s Gateway funding freeze to continue until Thursday

By Aaron Ginsburg

After ordering the Trump administration to resume funding for the Gateway project, a federal judge has agreed to temporarily allow the funding freeze to continue while an appeal moves forward. The order, issued Friday by Manhattan Judge Jeannette Vargas, follows a lawsuit filed by NY and NJ seeking emergency relief to stop the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) from withholding funds for the project. However, after the administration filed an appeal Sunday, Vargas agreed to pause the order until February 12 to allow the appeal to proceed, according to New Jersey Monitor.
Find out more

Trump said he’d restore Gateway funding if New York renames Penn Station after him

Photo of Penn Station by Don Ramey Logan via WikiCommons

February 6, 2026

Trump said he’d restore Gateway funding if New York renames Penn Station after him

By Aaron Ginsburg

President Donald Trump told Sen. Chuck Schumer last month that he'd resume funding for the Gateway project, but only if New York's Penn Station and Washington’s Dulles International Airport are renamed after him. Trump said he would release $16 billion in previously allocated federal funds for the critical infrastructure project on that condition, as CNN reported. Funding, which had been secured under the Biden administration, was frozen during October’s government shutdown. Construction on the project will stop at 5 p.m. on Friday if the funding does not resume.
Find out more

Advocates push for restoration of weekend G train service to Forest Hills

Credit: Adam Moss on Flickr

February 5, 2026

Advocates push for restoration of weekend G train service to Forest Hills

By Aaron Ginsburg

A coalition of public transit advocates is pushing the MTA to extend the G train to Forest Hills, bringing the line to central Queens for the first time since 2010. In a letter sent Thursday, more than 30 advocacy organizations and business leaders, including the New York Mets, urged city and state officials to bring back weekend G train service to Forest Hills–71st Avenue, arguing it would be a transformative improvement for outer-borough riders long underserved by a Manhattan-centric transit system. The group also noted that G train ridership has surged since service to Forest Hills was cut, with an increase of roughly 50,000 riders—one of the fastest growth rates in the subway system.
Find out more

NYC invests nearly $40M to bring clean heat pumps to Rockaways NYCHA complex

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

February 5, 2026

NYC invests nearly $40M to bring clean heat pumps to Rockaways NYCHA complex

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is investing nearly $40 million to bring clean heating and cooling to more than 700 homes at a public housing complex in the Rockaways. Announced on Wednesday by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the $38.4 million investment will install clean, reliable heat pumps in 712 apartments at NYCHA’s Beach 41st Houses in Edgemere, among the first NYCHA residences to receive custom-designed heat pumps under the agency’s “Clean Heat for All” initiative. The initiative aims to expand clean heat pump installations to more than 10,000 NYCHA apartments by 2030.
Learn more

Policy

NYC Council will bring back year-round outdoor dining

King, a restaurant in the Village. Photo by GuardianKC, CC BY-SA 4.0

February 5, 2026

NYC Council will bring back year-round outdoor dining

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council will make outdoor dining year-round again. During a speech at A Better New York's (ABNY) Power Breakfast on Wednesday, City Council Speaker Julie Menin said she plans to advance legislation introduced last year that would bring back the pandemic-era program, allowing for roadway dining in winter and reducing the cost to businesses.
READ MORE

NYC opens low-barrier shelter with 100+ units in Lower Manhattan

320 Pearl Street © 2024 Google

February 4, 2026

NYC opens low-barrier shelter with 100+ units in Lower Manhattan

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has opened a new safe haven shelter in the South Street Seaport, offering secure temporary housing to more than 100 unhoused New Yorkers, as deaths linked to the city’s ongoing stretch of extreme cold continue to rise. On Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the opening of a long-stalled shelter at 320 Pearl Street, offering 106 beds, on-site services, and no curfews or similar restrictions in an effort to encourage more homeless New Yorkers to come in from the cold, according to Gothamist. The new shelter is part of a series of measures Mamdani has enacted since the city entered this historic cold snap, including the opening of 50 additional shelter units in Upper Manhattan on Monday.
Learn more

Policy

NY and NJ sue Trump administration for withholding Gateway funding

Credit: Gateway Development Commission

February 4, 2026

NY and NJ sue Trump administration for withholding Gateway funding

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York and New Jersey are suing the Trump administration for withholding $15 billion in federal funding previously set aside for the transformative Gateway project. Announced Tuesday, the lawsuit seeks emergency relief to prevent the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) from continuing to withhold critical funding for the project, which is building a new rail tunnel and rehabilitating a dilapidated one. The legal action follows the Gateway Development Commission’s announcement last week that work would stop on February 6 unless federal funding is restored.
Find out more

Popular Articles

NYC passes landmark street vendor reform, including expanding permit cap

Credit: Hiroko Nishimura on Unsplash

January 30, 2026

NYC passes landmark street vendor reform, including expanding permit cap

By Aaron Ginsburg

Legislation to reform New York City street vending officially passed this week, after the City Council overrode Mayor Eric Adams' vetoes. One of the bills, Intro. 0431, sponsored by Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez, makes an additional 2,200 supervisory license applications available annually from 2026 through 2031 and creates 10,500 new general vending licenses in 2027. The legislation package was part of 19 bills vetoed by former Mayor Eric Adams on his last day in office, despite Council approval in December. This week, the Council overrode 17 of the 19 vetoes.
Learn more

Policy

Full Amtrak service from NYC to Albany resumes in March, Metro-North expansion scrapped

Credit: Phil Richards on Flickr

January 29, 2026

Full Amtrak service from NYC to Albany resumes in March, Metro-North expansion scrapped

By Aaron Ginsburg

Full Amtrak service between New York City and Albany will resume in March, ending plans for a more affordable Metro-North expansion. In response to reduced service between the city and Albany due to ongoing repair work on the East River Tunnel, Gov. Kathy Hochul last October announced plans to run Metro-North service between Grand Central and Albany starting this spring. But with the full restoration of Empire service, Amtrak has walked back plans for added Metro-North service.
Find out more

Work on Gateway project will stop next week unless Trump restores funding

In December 2025, the Tonnelle Ave bridge structure was completed, opening the passage beneath the highway that will be used to bring the TBM components in for assembly. Credit: Gateway Development Commission

January 28, 2026

Work on Gateway project will stop next week unless Trump restores funding

By Aaron Ginsburg

Construction of a crucial rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey will stop next week unless federal funding is restored. The Gateway Development Commission announced on Tuesday that funding for the Hudson Tunnel Project will run out on February 6. President Donald Trump's administration initially paused funding until the project's contracts were reviewed for compliance with new rules governing businesses owned by women and minorities—rules the GDC has pledged to follow—but funding has still not been restored, according to the New York Times.
Find out more

NYC Ferry service suspended because of ice in the East and Hudson Rivers

View of the icy East River from Williamsburg on Tuesday. Photo © Karen Palacios

January 28, 2026

NYC Ferry service suspended because of ice in the East and Hudson Rivers

By Aaron Ginsburg

NYC Ferry has suspended service on Wednesday because of ice in the East and Hudson Rivers and across the New York Harbor. The ferry announced the suspension in a post on X, citing "significant, continuing ice build-up" in surrounding waterways. Crews will continue monitoring conditions, but officials warned the shutdown could last several days as freezing temperatures persist.
details here

During extreme cold, NYC will expand warming centers, homeless outreach

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 27, 2026

During extreme cold, NYC will expand warming centers, homeless outreach

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is stepping up efforts to protect its most vulnerable residents amid this week’s extreme cold. On Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced 10 new warming centers, 10 warming buses, and expanded outreach to help connect people experiencing homelessness with shelter. The measures come as at least 10 New Yorkers have been found dead outdoors amid potentially life-threatening cold, with wind chills expected to reach 9 degrees below zero by Wednesday morning, according to NBC New York.
FIND A WARMING CENTER

Policy

NYC landlords must now disclose if buildings have rent-stabilized apartments

Credit: Matthew Moloney on Unsplash

January 27, 2026

NYC landlords must now disclose if buildings have rent-stabilized apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City renters are now legally entitled to clear, accessible information about whether stabilized apartments exist in their buildings. Last week, Local Law 86, aka the Rent Transparency Act, took effect, requiring landlords of buildings with at least one stabilized unit to post notices in common areas informing tenants that units may be rent-stabilized and how to get more information. The law aims to empower renters to know if they are being illegally overcharged.
Learn more

Policy

New bill requires air conditioning in most NYC apartments by 2030

Credit: Thomas Layland on Unsplash

January 23, 2026

New bill requires air conditioning in most NYC apartments by 2030

By Aaron Ginsburg

It may seem ludicrous to think about turning on your air conditioner during this bitter cold, but a new bill passed this week will eventually require most New York City apartments to have one—though it will be a few years before it takes effect. Enacted last weekend, the bill requires landlords to provide air conditioning, prompted by hotter summers and rising heat-related illnesses and deaths. The bill gives landlords until 2030 to comply, after which the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will enforce the rule, Council Member Lincoln Restler, the bill’s sponsor, told Gothamist.
Learn more

Policy

Mamdani bans hidden ‘junk fees’ at NYC hotels

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 22, 2026

Mamdani bans hidden ‘junk fees’ at NYC hotels

By Aaron Ginsburg

Hotels in New York City and beyond are now barred from charging hidden “junk fees” that often add unexpected costs to bookings. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the final rule Wednesday, which is projected to save millions by banning fees labeled as “destination” or “resort” charges, as well as unexpected credit card holds or deposits. Taking effect February 21, the rule also applies to businesses outside the city that advertise prices to New Yorkers.
Find out more

Policy

NYC’s top 2 worst landlords of 2025 hold most violations in city history

One of A&E’s buildings included in the settlement. Streetview of 340 Fort Washington Avenue © 2022 Google

January 22, 2026

NYC’s top 2 worst landlords of 2025 hold most violations in city history

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City released its 2025 list of the worst landlords, with the top violator holding more building-code violations than any landlord on record. On Wednesday, NYC Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the 2025 "Worst Landlords Watchlist," the annual list that exposes the city's 100 most negligent property owners and ranks them according to the number of housing violations in their buildings. Margaret Brunn of A&E Real Estate topped the list with 4,872 open violations across 24 buildings, and last week the company reached a $12 million settlement with the Mamdani administration to resolve thousands of them.
Find out more

Policy

NYC faces $12B budget deficit, new comptroller warns

Credit: Matthew Moloney on Unsplash

January 21, 2026

NYC faces $12B budget deficit, new comptroller warns

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mark Levine, New York City’s new comptroller, is sounding the alarm on a $12 billion budget shortfall—the city’s largest since at least the 2008 recession. Levine shared the figures with The City ahead of a report set for Friday, estimating that the current budget will close this fiscal year in June with a $2 billion deficit, while next year’s gap could reach $10 billion, posing a major challenge for Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration. The comptroller attributed the financial difficulties to sluggish economic growth and fiscal mismanagement under former Mayor Eric Adams.
Find out more

Policy

NYC landlord to pay $2.1M to resolve 4,000+ building-code violations

Streetview of 35-64 84th Street © 2017 Google

January 20, 2026

NYC landlord to pay $2.1M to resolve 4,000+ building-code violations

By Aaron Ginsburg

A major New York City landlord will pay $2.1 million to settle thousands of violations across its properties under a settlement announced by Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday. The deal covers 14 A&E Real Estate-owned buildings, requiring the landlord to pay fines, fix more than 4,000 building-code violations, and bar further harassment of tenants. The settlement concludes a year-and-a-half legal battle that began under former Mayor Eric Adams and is the largest in the history of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s (HPD) Anti-Harassment Unit, according to Gothamist.
Learn more

Policy

Mamdani signs executive order to cut costs and red tape for NYC small businesses

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 16, 2026

Mamdani signs executive order to cut costs and red tape for NYC small businesses

By Aaron Ginsburg

An executive order signed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani this week gives seven city agencies 45 days to inventory the thousands of fees and penalties facing small businesses and identify ways to reduce and streamline them. Signed on Wednesday, Executive Order 11 directs newly appointed Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su and city agencies to compile a comprehensive inventory of more than 6,000 rules, regulations, fees, and penalties affecting small businesses. The effort aims to lower costs and make it easier for small businesses to operate across the five boroughs.
Learn more

Policy

NYC to complete delayed Madison Avenue bus lane redesign

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 15, 2026

NYC to complete delayed Madison Avenue bus lane redesign

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is moving forward with a long-delayed project to give buses a dedicated lane along a busy stretch of Madison Avenue. Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn on Sunday announced that the agency will complete the stalled redesign of Madison Avenue, extending double bus lanes from 23rd to 42nd Streets. The upgrades aim to improve the commutes of the avenue’s 92,000 daily riders, a stretch where buses often crawl at speeds as low as 4.5 miles per hour, according to a press release.
Find out more

Second Avenue Subway to expand west on 125th Street with three new stations

A view of the tunnel under construction for the Second Avenue Subway’s second phase. Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

January 14, 2026

Second Avenue Subway to expand west on 125th Street with three new stations

By Aaron Ginsburg

The next phase of the Second Avenue Subway, originally planned to continue down Manhattan’s Second Avenue, will instead run west along 125th Street, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday. The announcement, delivered during Hochul’s 2026 State of the State address, marks a major departure from the century-old plan to extend the Second Avenue Subway all the way to lower Manhattan. Instead, the Q train will be rerouted west along 125th Street, adding three new stations and ending at Broadway in Morningside Heights.
Find out more

NYC to activate red-light cameras at 450 intersections by end of 2026

Credit: NYC DOT

January 13, 2026

NYC to activate red-light cameras at 450 intersections by end of 2026

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is ramping up its red-light camera program, aiming to quadruple the number of cameras at intersections by the end of the year. On Friday, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn announced the city will activate cameras at 50 new intersections per week for the next five weeks. Red-light cameras are currently installed at 150 intersections—the maximum previously allowed under law—but state legislation passed in 2024 now permits the expansion to reach the full 600.
Learn more

1
2
3