Policy

Deal reached for new Court Square public library at 5Pointz development

View of 5 Pointz LIC in September 2020; Photo: © CityRealty

September 17, 2024

Deal reached for new Court Square public library at 5Pointz development

After over four years, Court Square in Long Island City is getting its public library back. The Queens Public Library (QPL) announced a tentative deal for a new branch at the 5Pointz LIC rental development on Jackson Avenue. After occupying the ground floor of One Court Square for 30 years, the branch closed in 2020 when Amazon's plan to open a headquarters there fell through.
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Policy

Washington Bridge dedicated bus and protected bike lanes now open

Images courtesy of NYC DOT

September 17, 2024

Washington Bridge dedicated bus and protected bike lanes now open

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Washington Bridge has undergone a transformative redesign, ensuring safety for pedestrians and cyclists while also speeding up bus service. Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Monday announced the completion of a redesigned intersection at the bridge's approach, along with a dedicated bus lane and a two-way protected bike lane, stretching from Amsterdam Avenue in Washington Heights to University Avenue in the Bronx. The project will deliver quicker, more reliable bus service to the 68,000 daily riders who travel along the corridor.
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MTA expands bus lane cameras to 20 more routes

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

September 16, 2024

MTA expands bus lane cameras to 20 more routes

By Aaron Ginsburg

Double-parkers beware. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on Monday began its Automated Camera Enforcement (ACE) in all five boroughs, issuing warnings for vehicles blocking bus stops or illegally double parking in bus lanes during an initial 60-day period. After the warning period, drivers who break the rules will face fines starting at $50, with repeat offenses increasing up to $250.
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Pedestrian plaza, two-way bike lane now on Broadway near Union Square

Cyclists and pedestrians travel along the newly redesigned plaza block on Broadway, from East 17th Street to East 18th Street. Credit: NYC DOT

September 13, 2024

Pedestrian plaza, two-way bike lane now on Broadway near Union Square

By Aaron Ginsburg

Broadway is gradually becoming a safer, more welcoming space for pedestrians and cyclists. Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Thursday announced the completion of the latest phase of "Broadway Vision," bringing a new pedestrian plaza, two-way bike connections, and other safety upgrades between East 17th and East 21st Streets. The Union Square Partnership and the Flatiron NoMad Partnership will maintain the new spaces.
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NYC to study impacts of slavery, consider reparations

Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

September 13, 2024

NYC to study impacts of slavery, consider reparations

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council on Thursday passed a package of legislation aimed at addressing the impact of slavery and racial injustice in New York City. The legislation establishes a "Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation" process on slavery in NYC, which was the nation's capital of slavery for nearly two centuries. Other bills require the city to conduct a reparations study, install informational plaques at the site of the city's first slave market in lower Manhattan, and create a task force to explore creating a "freedom trail" recognizing sites linked to the Underground Railroad and the abolitionist movement.
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Policy

MTA could need $100B+ to fund transit projects over next five years

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

September 12, 2024

MTA could need $100B+ to fund transit projects over next five years

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) needs over $100 billion for transit projects and maintenance over the next five years, significantly more than the funds currently available, according to a new report. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli on Thursday released a report estimating the MTA's 2025-2029 capital plan could cost up to $92.2 billion. This figure doesn't account for the $15 billion gap in the current plan due to Gov. Kathy Hochul's pause on congestion pricing, which would bring the total funds needed up to $107 billion.
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September 11, 2024

Construction to begin on Bedford Avenue protected bike lane in Bed-Stuy

By Aaron Ginsburg

One of the most dangerous sections of Brooklyn's longest street will soon be safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Tuesday announced work will begin this week on a 1.5-mile protected bike lane from Dean Street to Flushing Avenue in Bed-Stuy, among other safety improvements, including new pedestrian islands and loading zones. Similar bike lane redesigns in NYC have led to a 21 percent drop in injuries, according to a press release.
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East River Park partially reopens with new ballfields and pedestrian bridge

Photos courtesy of NYC Parks / Daniel Avila

September 11, 2024

East River Park partially reopens with new ballfields and pedestrian bridge

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City officials this week opened two ballfields in East River Park and unveiled the new Delancey Street pedestrian bridge, marking a significant milestone for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR). Ballfields 1 and 2 have been equipped with an advanced drainage system and new amenities to withstand climate change through the $1.45 billion ESCR initiative. The Delancey Street Bridge, manufactured in Italy and installed in the park, provides an ADA-accessible entry point from the Lower East Side to East River Park.
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Coney Island Cyclone reopens after two-week shutdown

Photo courtesy of Philipp Potocnik on Unsplash

September 9, 2024

Coney Island Cyclone reopens after two-week shutdown

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Coney Island Cyclone is back in business after a mid-ride breakdown two weeks ago. The famous Luna Park coaster reopened on Saturday after passing a series of tests and getting approval from Department of Building (DOB) inspectors, as reported by the Associated Press.
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Policy

96th Street bus lane plan faces backlash from Upper West Side residents

Image via WikiCommons

September 5, 2024

96th Street bus lane plan faces backlash from Upper West Side residents

By Aaron Ginsburg

A plan to add dedicated bus lanes along 96th Street has sparked outrage from some Upper West Side residents. The Department of Transportation proposal, first introduced to Manhattan Community Boards 7, 8, and 11 in May, would limit general traffic along the corridor to a single lane and convert the outer traffic lanes into dedicated bus lanes. During a press conference on Thursday, a group of local residents and elected officials said the plan will exacerbate existing congestion issues and further affect the quality of life in the area, as local news site I Love the Upper West Side reported.
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Grand Central-Times Square shuttle gets full cell service

By Aaron Ginsburg

The shuttle connecting Grand Central Terminal and Times Square now has full cell service. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday announced the installation of 5G wireless service on the 42nd Street Shuttle line, marking the MTA's first step in adding connectivity to all 418 track miles of subway tunnels. The new service, made possible through a public-private partnership with Boldyn Network, allows Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and T-Mobile customers to take a phone call or browse the internet while traveling between the two stations.
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NYC installs pizza box bins at city parks

Images courtesy of NYC Parks

August 30, 2024

NYC installs pizza box bins at city parks

By Aaron Ginsburg

Ahead of pizza parties and picnics this holiday weekend, New York City has installed trash cans designed to fit pizza boxes at six city parks. The city's Parks Department on Friday unveiled the new rectangular trash bins, which feature a classic red-and-white checkered design reminiscent of tablecloths in pizzerias. As first seen in Central Park earlier this summer, the receptacles help avoid trash pileups that often attract rats.
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Policy

NYC’s Open Streets will expand to 70+ schools

School children participate in activities with Street Lab on an Open Street: School. Credit: Street Lab

August 29, 2024

NYC’s Open Streets will expand to 70+ schools

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's Open Streets program is expanding to more than 70 schools this year. The city's Department of Transportation on Thursday announced a record-breaking expansion of the program, with 71 schools across the five boroughs set to gain additional outdoor space for students to learn and play. This initiative will improve safety by simplifying the pick-up and drop-off process. Most of the new open streets will be located outside of schools in underserved communities in the outer boroughs, including 12 in the Bronx, 12 in Brooklyn, and 20 in Queens.
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As nearly half of NYC bus riders don’t pay, MTA deploys inspectors to combat fare evasion

Photo by Marc A. Hermann/ MTA on Flickr

August 28, 2024

As nearly half of NYC bus riders don’t pay, MTA deploys inspectors to combat fare evasion

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is ramping up its efforts to stop fare evasion in the bus system following a report that nearly half of all riders are not paying. The MTA on Monday revealed that new unarmed fare inspectors will be deployed on local buses throughout the city to enforce fare payment, with fare evaders being asked to leave the bus and potentially facing a summons or arrest. The city bus system has the worst fare evasion problem of any major city in the world, costing the transit agency more than $300 million every year.
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$120M project to close gap in Manhattan’s East River greenway moves forward

Image courtesy of the NYC Economic Development Corporation

August 26, 2024

$120M project to close gap in Manhattan’s East River greenway moves forward

By Aaron Ginsburg

A decade-old plan to fill in the gap in the East River greenway near the United Nations is finally moving forward. The city's Economic Development Corporation last week issued a request for proposals (RFP) from contractors to supervise the construction of the proposed esplanade, which will span less than a mile between East 41st and East 53rd Streets, as first reported by Gothamist. The project is the city's latest effort to reach its goal of creating a 32-mile cycling and pedestrian path along Manhattan's waterfront.
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Policy

Coney Island Cyclone shut down indefinitely after mid-ride breakdown

Photo courtesy of Luna Park

August 26, 2024

Coney Island Cyclone shut down indefinitely after mid-ride breakdown

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Coney Island Cyclone has been closed indefinitely after a mechanical failure caused the iconic roller coaster to halt mid-ride. While the famous Luna Park coaster ascended to its drop on Thursday, an operator stopped the ride after noticing a damaged chain sprocket in its motor room, as reported by the Associated Press. The nearly century-old attraction is currently undergoing repairs and will reopen once the work is complete and the ride passes an inspection by the city's Department of Buildings (DOB), according to Luna Park.
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Policy

Celebrities join last-minute effort to save Elizabeth Street Garden

Photo by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft

August 23, 2024

Celebrities join last-minute effort to save Elizabeth Street Garden

By Devin Gannon

With its eviction looming, Little Italy's Elizabeth Street Garden is throwing one last hail mary. New York celebrities Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, and Patti Smith penned letters to Mayor Eric Adams this week, asking him not to build an affordable senior housing development on the city-owned site of the community garden, a plan approved in 2019 but delayed by legal challenges. The A-listers join thousands of residents who oppose replacing the unique green space with apartments, despite the city's current housing crisis. Demolition of the garden could begin next month after the nonprofit that runs the space lost two separate court battles.
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NYC secures largest civil rights settlement in city history for housing discrimination

Parkchester, East Bronx. Photo by TheBronxNYC on Wikimedia

August 22, 2024

NYC secures largest civil rights settlement in city history for housing discrimination

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has secured the largest civil rights settlement in history, holding a prominent landlord accountable for rampant discrimination against housing voucher holders. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced the landmark settlement, which imposed $1 million in civil penalties against Parkchester Preservation Management and secured 850 apartments to be set aside for voucher holders. The settlement represents the highest fine and largest number of apartments secured in a settlement by the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
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Policy

City moves forward with scaled-back McGuinness Boulevard redesign

McGuinness Boulevard. Courtesy of NYC DOT

August 21, 2024

City moves forward with scaled-back McGuinness Boulevard redesign

By Aaron Ginsburg

A plan to take away lanes of traffic and add protected bike lanes on busy McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint will be scaled back. The Department of Transportation shared its plan with elected officials on Tuesday for the street's redesign, which will extend a bike lane to the southern half of McGuinness but not reduce the number of traffic lanes or create a protected bike path as originally proposed, The City reported. According to reports, Mayor Eric Adams' administration pushed for the watered-down redesign, citing community concerns over the plan.
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Adams directs NYC agencies to find city-owned land for potential housing development

Photo © 6sqft

August 21, 2024

Adams directs NYC agencies to find city-owned land for potential housing development

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Eric Adams is finding new ways of meeting his goal of building 500,000 new homes in New York City over the next decade. The mayor on Wednesday signed an executive order directing every city agency to determine if housing can be built on property it owns. As the New York Times first reported, this could mean constructing new homes on properties like underused parking lots or garages.
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Harris proposes 3 million new homes, $25K in down payment assistance

Image courtesy of Wake Technical Community College on Flickr

August 20, 2024

Harris proposes 3 million new homes, $25K in down payment assistance

By Aaron Ginsburg

Vice President Kamala Harris last week released several proposals to lower housing costs for Americans if elected. During a speech in North Carolina on Friday, Harris outlined her plans to construct three million new housing units, expand tax incentives for developers who build affordable rentals, encourage the construction of starter homes for first-time homebuyers, and provide $25,000 in down-payment assistance for first-time buyers.
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Landlords register more rent-stabilized units to avoid fines

Image courtesy of Ruoyu Li on Unsplash

August 19, 2024

Landlords register more rent-stabilized units to avoid fines

By Aaron Ginsburg

Thousands more rent-stabilized apartments have been filed with the state of New York this year after a new law passed last year that fines landlords who fail to register units, as The City first reported. So far in 2024, roughly 919,500 apartments have been registered, up from between 750,000 and 800,000 registrations in recent years.
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NYC Council approves East Bronx rezoning that will add 7,000 new homes

An illustration of the rezoning’s potential effects along Eastchester Road. Image courtesy of DCP.

August 16, 2024

NYC Council approves East Bronx rezoning that will add 7,000 new homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council on Thursday approved a major rezoning that will bring thousands of homes and $500 million in investments to the East Bronx. The Bronx Metro-North Station Area Plan targets 46 blocks around four new Metro-North stations planned for Co-op City, Hunts Point, Morris Park, and Parkchester/Van Nest. The rezoning, which includes over a million square feet of commercial space and retail space, and 10,000 new permanent jobs, is the first approved under Mayor Eric Adams.
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Scaffolding costs Manhattan businesses $9.5K in monthly revenue, study finds

Photo courtesy of Billie Grace Ward on Flickr

August 15, 2024

Scaffolding costs Manhattan businesses $9.5K in monthly revenue, study finds

By Aaron Ginsburg

Scaffolding and sidewalk sheds cost Manhattan businesses up to $10,000 in monthly revenue. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday released a study conducted in collaboration with Mastercard that found cardholders spend between $3,900 and $9,500 less every month at Manhattan businesses covered by scaffolding and sidewalk sheds. Restaurants and bars are hit the hardest, with a 3.5 to 9.7 percent decrease in weekly transactions during the six months following the construction of sidewalk sheds.
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Policy

NJ lawmaker calls for riders to get refunds for Amtrak, NJ Transit delays

NJ Transit hall in Penn Station. Photo by Chris Rycroft on Flickr.

August 15, 2024

NJ lawmaker calls for riders to get refunds for Amtrak, NJ Transit delays

By Aaron Ginsburg

A New Jersey official wants Amtrak and NJ Transit to refund riders when their travel plans are delayed or canceled. NJ Rep. Josh Gottheimer on Monday introduced the All Aboard Act, which includes a "Rail Passenger Bill of Rights" that guarantees refunds to riders experiencing transit disruptions, as reported by Gothamist. If passed, the legislation would require the rail company to invest in improving maintenance issues and service times. In the meantime, Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday announced NJ Transit trains and buses will be free for one week at the end of August to thank commuters for putting up with a summer of service problems.
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Policy

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