Policy

NYC begins redesign of Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen

Images courtesy of NYC DOT

March 20, 2026

NYC begins redesign of Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen

By Aaron Ginsburg

Ninth Avenue in Hell's Kitchen will join a growing number of Manhattan corridors slated for redesigns, the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Thursday. The project will immediately begin along a stretch from West 34th to West 50th Streets, where pedestrian space will be expanded, the protected bike lane widened, and the bus lane extended and repainted to 50th Street. The improvements are expected to be completed ahead of the FIFA World Cup this summer, when sidewalk overcrowding in the area is expected to increase.
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Prospect Park’s east side is getting a protected bike lane, pedestrian plaza

Rendering of Ocean Avenue perimeter, courtesy of Prospect Park Alliance.

March 20, 2026

Prospect Park’s east side is getting a protected bike lane, pedestrian plaza

By Devin Gannon

A connected bike lane around the entire perimeter of Prospect Park is closer to becoming a reality. The city on Friday broke ground on a $15.5 million project aimed at enhancing the eastern edge of the Brooklyn park along Ocean and Parkside Avenues, from Empire Boulevard to Parade Place. The project includes installing a sidewalk-grade, two-way protected bike lane that will connect to existing bike paths around the park and a new pedestrian plaza that will be home to the new Shirley Chisholm monument.
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Policy

MTA to replace more than 2,000 NYC subway cars, largest order in agency history

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

March 20, 2026

MTA to replace more than 2,000 NYC subway cars, largest order in agency history

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is seeking a manufacturer to deliver 2,390 new subway cars, the largest order in the transit system’s history. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the request for proposals (RFP) on Friday, which calls for a base order of 1,140 R262 cars to replace the R62 and R62A fleets on the 1, 3, and 6 lines. An additional 1,250 cars could be ordered to replace the R142 and R142A fleets on the 2, 4, and 5 lines.
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NYC to end criminal summonses for minor e-bike and cycling offenses

Credit: Elvert Barnes on Flickr

March 19, 2026

NYC to end criminal summonses for minor e-bike and cycling offenses

By Aaron Ginsburg

E-bike riders and cyclists will no longer face criminal summonses for low-level offenses, as Mayor Zohran Mamdani rolls back a policy of his predecessor. On Wednesday, Mamdani announced that, beginning March 27, the NYPD will rescind a policy introduced under former Mayor Eric Adams that issued criminal summonses for minor violations, like running a stop sign, which required riders to appear in criminal court. Instead, officers will issue standard traffic tickets to cyclists, the same given to drivers.
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See what NYC’s new backyard apartments could look like

All renderings courtesy of NYC’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development

March 18, 2026

See what NYC’s new backyard apartments could look like

By Devin Gannon

New York City could gain roughly 25,000 basement, attic, and backyard apartments, also known as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), over the next 15 years under rezoning rules approved in 2024. The city on Wednesday released a series of new tools to help New Yorkers navigate the process, including a library of pre-approved ADU designs that are compliant with city code. The library currently has designs for backyard cottages, but more will be added once approved by the Department of Buildings.
tiny homes this way

Policy

MTA sues Trump administration over frozen Second Avenue Subway funding

Photo courtesy of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr.

March 17, 2026

MTA sues Trump administration over frozen Second Avenue Subway funding

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is suing President Donald Trump's administration after it failed to resume federal funding for the Second Avenue Subway expansion. Filed Tuesday in the Federal Court of Claims, the lawsuit claims the federal government breached a contract with the MTA and threatens the $7 billion project to extend the Q line from 96th Street to 125th Street in East Harlem by blocking the agency from awarding its next excavation contract for two new stations. The MTA had warned the federal government late last month that it would take legal action if more than $58 million owed for the project was not restored within a week.
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NYC to reduce speed limit to 15 mph in 800 school zones this year

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 17, 2026

NYC to reduce speed limit to 15 mph in 800 school zones this year

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will lower the speed limit to 15 miles per hour at 800 school zones this year, with plans for so-called slow zones at all 2,300 school locations by 2029. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Monday plans to use Sammy's Law, state legislation that allows the city to lower speed limits, to expand slow zones for schools.
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Mamdani creates NYC’s first LGBTQIA+ office

Credit: Kara McCurdy | Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 16, 2026

Mamdani creates NYC’s first LGBTQIA+ office

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday signed an executive order establishing the city’s first Mayor’s Office for LGBTQIA+ Affairs and appointed the first transgender person to lead a New York City office. Led by Taylor Brown, now the highest-ranking trans person in city government history, the office will focus on advancing policies that ensure city agencies serve queer New Yorkers while upholding sanctuary protections and supporting individuals fleeing anti-LGBTQIA+ oppression. The move comes amid growing attacks on LGBTQIA+ protections and resources under President Donald Trump’s administration, including incidents in NYC.
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Policy

Full NJ Transit service to resume with new Portal North Bridge opening

The project in 2024. Photo courtesy of Amtrak

March 13, 2026

Full NJ Transit service to resume with new Portal North Bridge opening

By Aaron Ginsburg

Some good news for New Jersey Transit riders: Full service to and from New York City will resume Sunday as the agency finishes replacing the century-old Portal Bridge. Service has been cut by 50 percent since February 15, while rail operations switched from the old bridge to the new $1.5 billion Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River. A key part of the Gateway Project, the bridge will improve service by allowing trains to travel up to 90 mph, up from the previous 60 mph limit, according to Gothamist.
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Historic ruling forces Bronx landlord to pay $2.1M, fix violations within a month

919 Prospect Avenue © 2024 Google

March 12, 2026

Historic ruling forces Bronx landlord to pay $2.1M, fix violations within a month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A South Bronx landlord must pay $2.1 million and fix severe, long-standing violations within a month following a historic court judgment. On Thursday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the first-of-its-kind ruling against the owners of 919 Prospect Avenue, imposing the maximum penalties under the city’s Nuisance Abatement Law. The landlord must address the most severe violations within two weeks, correct all remaining issues within a month, and pay $1,000 for each day the property remained a public nuisance, including a retroactive penalty of $2,174,000.
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Policy

Popular Articles

City Council approves 72-story Downtown Brooklyn tower with 1,200+ apartments

All renderings courtesy of Binyan Studio and TenBerke Architects

March 11, 2026

City Council approves 72-story Downtown Brooklyn tower with 1,200+ apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council on Tuesday approved a plan to transform a Downtown Brooklyn office building into a massive mixed-use tower with over 1,200 new homes. The existing city-owned seven-story office tower at 395 Flatbush Avenue Extension will be replaced with a 72-story building, set to become the second-tallest building in the borough after The Brooklyn Tower. The project includes 1,263 new housing units, including 325 affordable apartments for households earning an average of 60 percent of the area median income (AMI).
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Mamdani unveils reforms to NYC’s sidewalk shed rules

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 10, 2026

Mamdani unveils reforms to NYC’s sidewalk shed rules

By Aaron Ginsburg

While Mayor Zohran Mamdani may disagree with much of former Mayor Eric Adams’ agenda, the two align on one issue: removing New York City’s sidewalk sheds. Last week, the mayor announced a series of new initiatives aimed at removing longstanding scaffolding, with a focus on sidewalk sheds at public housing developments. The city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) will advance reforms to reduce the amount of shed coverage required over open space farther from buildings and to lengthen the timeline between facade inspections. The effort builds on initiatives from previous administrations, including Adams’ 2023 “Get Sheds Down” campaign, which sought to overhaul the city’s scaffolding rules and develop more aesthetically pleasing shed designs.
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Policy

14th Street’s pedestrian-focused redesign moves forward

East 14th Street at University Place © NYC DOT

March 9, 2026

14th Street’s pedestrian-focused redesign moves forward

By Aaron Ginsburg

Nearly seven years after the 14th Street busway launched, New York City is moving forward with more improvements to the Manhattan corridor. The city's Department of Transportation on Monday announced public outreach will kick off this month on the redesign of 14th Street, which will include upgraded pedestrian space, parks, and plazas, landscaping and greenery, and safety enhancements, all intended to complement the successful busway. DOT is currently conducting a $3 million, two-year study, first introduced by former Mayor Eric Adams last summer, to develop ways to enhance the experience of pedestrians and commuters on 14th Street.
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New York law banning discrimination against Section 8 tenants struck down by judges

Credit: Thomas Habr on Unsplash

March 6, 2026

New York law banning discrimination against Section 8 tenants struck down by judges

By Aaron Ginsburg

A New York appeals court on Thursday nullified a state law that prohibits landlords from discriminating against tenants who use Section 8 to pay rent. The five-judge panel sided with a landlord who appealed a lawsuit brought by Attorney General Letitia James in 2022, arguing the law violated his constitutional rights because the program allows housing officials to inspect his properties without a warrant, violating the Fourth Amendment.
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Policy

NYC announces $50M to rebuild 10 parks in underserved neighborhoods

Prospect Park. Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 5, 2026

NYC announces $50M to rebuild 10 parks in underserved neighborhoods

By Aaron Ginsburg

Ten parks across New York City will receive $50 million in new investments, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Thursday. The parks, spread across every borough, are located in neighborhoods with the greatest need and have not seen significant upgrades in more than two decades. While the improvements are expected to benefit more than 116,500 New Yorkers, advocates have criticized Mamdani’s 2027 preliminary budget, which does not include the 1 percent of the budget for Parks Department funding that he pledged during his campaign.
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Policy

NYC’s largest men’s homeless shelter to close this month

Credit: Carl Mikoy on Flickr

March 5, 2026

NYC’s largest men’s homeless shelter to close this month

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's largest men's homeless shelter will shut down this month because of the building's deteriorating condition. As first reported by Gothamist, the Mamdani administration plans to close the city-owned Bellevue Shelter on East 30th Street in Kips Bay in mid-March, relocating 250 residents to allow for work to be done on the building. The shelter’s intake services will move elsewhere in Manhattan, and several new shelters are expected to open over the next six months.
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Policy

Hundreds of NYCHA apartments taken over by squatters as vacancies soar, report finds

Lilian Wald Houses in the East Village. Photo by Tdorante10 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia

March 4, 2026

Hundreds of NYCHA apartments taken over by squatters as vacancies soar, report finds

By Aaron Ginsburg

Squatters have occupied hundreds of New York City public housing apartments in recent years, as the number of empty units continues to rise, a new report shows. According to the report released Tuesday by the city’s Department of Investigation, the number of vacant NYCHA units increased from 2,840 in January 2022 to approximately 6,740 vacancies as of last May, despite 165,000 households waiting for an apartment. According to the DOI, the surge in empty units and the “absence of regular inspections” have fueled unauthorized occupancy, prompting the NYPD, DOI, and NYCHA to recover 548 apartments from illegal squatters over three years.
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Congestion pricing lives on after federal judge rules Trump’s effort to end program unlawful

Credit: Mike Chavarri on Unsplash

March 4, 2026

Congestion pricing lives on after federal judge rules Trump’s effort to end program unlawful

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's congestion pricing program will live on, as a federal judge on Tuesday ruled that the Trump administration's attempt to nix the toll system was unlawful. In a 149-page decision, Judge Lewis J. Liman called U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s move to end the program "arbitrary and capricious," but he did not bar future attempts to halt it. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which sued the U.S. DOT in February 2025 to prevent the program’s elimination, can now continue operating the system indefinitely.
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Brooklyn Public Library ends passport processing services under federal order

Credit: Antonio Bonanno on Flickr

March 4, 2026

Brooklyn Public Library ends passport processing services under federal order

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Brooklyn Public Library ended its passport services last Friday following an order from the federal government. Last fall, the U.S. Department of State sent notices to hundreds of nonprofit libraries nationwide notifying them that they could no longer participate in the Passport Acceptance Facility Program, as reported by the Associated Press. The library, which had offered passport application services since 2011, closed the facility on February 27.
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Policy

NYC to revamp six more blocks of Broadway by 2031

Credit: Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

March 3, 2026

NYC to revamp six more blocks of Broadway by 2031

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is pressing ahead with its transformation of Broadway into a pedestrian-focused corridor, with plans to redesign six additional blocks by 2031. According to a Department of Transportation (DOT) presentation to Manhattan Community Board 5 last month, the $156 million expansion will upgrade Broadway between 21st and 27th Streets with permanent concrete plazas, widened sidewalks, and improved bike lanes. The project builds on the city’s broader "Broadway Vision" initiative, launched in March 2023 to improve safety and reduce vehicle traffic along the heavily traveled corridor.
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Newark Airport to test self-driving shuttle buses this spring

Image courtesy of Oceaneering on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Flickr

February 27, 2026

Newark Airport to test self-driving shuttle buses this spring

By Aaron Ginsburg

Self-driving shuttle buses are coming to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) this spring, with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey launching a pilot program to test the technology. The agency announced Wednesday that it has partnered with three autonomous vehicle companies to operate electric self-driving shuttles at the airport through the spring, with each company conducting two-week test periods in a section of the airport currently closed to the public as part of its ongoing redevelopment. The Port Authority will evaluate whether the shuttles could serve as an effective way to transport passengers between existing airport facilities and the new AirTrain system currently under construction.
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Mamdani pitches 12,000-unit Sunnyside Yard development to Trump

Rendering from 2020 Sunnyside Yard master plan courtesy of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU)

February 27, 2026

Mamdani pitches 12,000-unit Sunnyside Yard development to Trump

By Devin Gannon

A mammoth plan to bring thousands of affordable homes to one of the largest undeveloped sites in New York City was resurrected this week. In a meeting at the White House on Thursday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani pitched President Donald Trump on the Sunnyside Yard development, a proposal to build a deck over the 180-acre rail yard in Queens and create a new mixed-use community with 12,000 affordable apartments, new schools, and public space above a new regional rail hub. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration released a master plan for the project right before the city shut down during the pandemic in March 2020, and it has been at a standstill since. Mamdani said he asked the president for $21 billion in federal grants to advance the project.
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Trump partners with Pakistan in strange plan to redevelop NYC’s Roosevelt Hotel

Image via WikiCommons

February 27, 2026

Trump partners with Pakistan in strange plan to redevelop NYC’s Roosevelt Hotel

By Aaron Ginsburg

An unlikely player has entered Midtown’s Roosevelt Hotel redevelopment: President Donald Trump and the federal government. As first reported by Reuters last week, the United States government's General Services Administration (GSA) signed an agreement with Pakistan, which owns the iconic but shuttered hotel at 45 East 45th Street, to jointly redevelop, renovate, operate, and maintain the property. The pact, negotiated by New York real estate developer and Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff, marks a surprising turnaround for the project, which returned to the drawing board last week after Pakistan restarted its search for a broker and financial advisor, according to The Real Deal.
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Policy

New York officials introduce bill to protect Pride flag

Credit: Will Alatriste/NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

February 26, 2026

New York officials introduce bill to protect Pride flag

By Aaron Ginsburg

After President Donald Trump ordered the removal of the Pride flag at New York City's Stonewall National Monument earlier this month, Sen. Chuck Schumer on Wednesday formally introduced legislation to make the flag congressionally authorized. Supported by Schumer and Rep. Dan Goldman, the bill seeks to amend current policy that permits only the U.S. flag and other “congressionally or departmentally authorized flags” to fly on National Park Service flagpoles, as Gay City News reported. The flag was taken down on February 9, and New York City officials defiantly raised it again three days later.
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Policy

MTA threatens to sue Trump over stalled Second Avenue Subway funds

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

February 26, 2026

MTA threatens to sue Trump over stalled Second Avenue Subway funds

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says it will sue the federal government unless funding for the Second Avenue Subway expansion resumes within a week. The MTA on Wednesday sent a letter to President Donald Trump's administration, warning that the agency will pursue legal action unless the federal government restores more than $58 million owed for the project by March 6, citing concerns that further delays could stall the long-planned expansion. Funding for the Second Avenue Subway was halted during the October government shutdown, along with funding for the Gateway project.
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