Policy

Here’s what closed in NYC due to unhealthy air quality

Image courtesy of Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

June 8, 2023

Here’s what closed in NYC due to unhealthy air quality

By Aaron Ginsburg

As the smoke from the Canadian wildfires continues to blanket New York City with unhealthy air, many events and activities, especially those planned for the outdoors, have been canceled. The city broke its air quality index (AQI) record on Wednesday, hitting 405 out of 500, the highest record since the city started collecting air quality records in 1985. City officials have advised New Yorkers to stay indoors, and if they must go outside, to wear a high-quality mask. Ahead, find some of the places across the five boroughs that have announced closures and cancellations due to the air quality.
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New York issues health advisory over air quality from Canadian wildfires

New York City on June 6, 2023; Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 7, 2023

New York issues health advisory over air quality from Canadian wildfires

By Devin Gannon

New York officials are recommending residents limit outdoor activities on Wednesday as air quality across the state continues to deteriorate from the ongoing Canadian wildfires. The more than 100 wildfires currently burning in Quebec are creating hazy skies and unhealthy conditions, resulting in an Air Quality Health Advisory issued by the state's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Department of Health (DOH) for the New York City Metro Area, Long Island, Eastern Lake Ontario, Central New York, and Western New York regions. The air pollution in New York City has ranked as the worst of any city in the world. The state extended the health advisory through Friday.
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Policy

50 houses of worship in NYC to house asylum seekers

Photo credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 5, 2023

50 houses of worship in NYC to house asylum seekers

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced 50 houses of worship and faith-based facilities across the five boroughs will provide shelter to asylum seekers. As part of a two-year partnership between the city and the New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS), the shelter program includes housing about 19 single adult men at each location, with 1,000 men total expected to be housed by August. The city said it will also open five daytime migrant centers to allow the worship spaces to continue normal activities.
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Policy

Airbnb sues New York City over rules on short-term rentals

Photo by Emiliano Bar on Unsplash

June 2, 2023

Airbnb sues New York City over rules on short-term rentals

By Aaron Ginsburg

Airbnb sued New York City on Thursday seeking to block new restrictions that limit short-term rentals within the five boroughs. The lawsuits, filed by Airbnb and three local hosts, target a 2021 law designed to prevent illegal short-term rentals by requiring Airbnb hosts to register with the city. The city plans to enforce the new restrictions, which Airbnb has called "extreme and oppressive," in July.
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Policy

NYC Council passes legislation expanding rental assistance

Image courtesy of Filip Mishevski on Flickr

May 26, 2023

NYC Council passes legislation expanding rental assistance

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council on Thursday passed a set of bills that will help house more New Yorkers and free up shelter space for asylum seekers. The legislation ends a rule requiring unhoused people spend at least 90 days in shelter before qualifying for a rental assistance voucher, known as CityFHEPS, and expands the number of people eligible for the vouchers. Mayor Eric Adams, who may attempt to veto the bill, said the legislation will cost the city billions over the next five years.
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Citing influx of migrants, Adams looks to suspend NYC’s right to shelter rule

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 25, 2023

Citing influx of migrants, Adams looks to suspend NYC’s right to shelter rule

By Aaron Ginsburg

Citing the arrival of thousands of migrants in the city, Mayor Eric Adams wants to suspend a decades-old rule guaranteeing shelter to anyone. Adams on Tuesday filed an application with a judge asking to alter the city's right to shelter rule, which guarantees any homeless person looking for shelter access to temporary housing. The mayor is looking to rewrite the rule, which has been in place for 40 years, to allow the city to suspend the right for homeless adults when it "lacks the resources and capacity to establish and maintain sufficient shelter sites," according to Gothamist.
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NYC subway, bus fare to increase to $2.90 by end of summer, under MTA proposal

Photo by Asael Peña on Unsplash

May 23, 2023

NYC subway, bus fare to increase to $2.90 by end of summer, under MTA proposal

By Devin Gannon

New York City commuters will likely pay more for subway, bus, and commuter rail trips by the end of the summer. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday unveiled its proposal for fare increases across the system. The cost of a single subway and bus trip would increase by 5 percent from $2.75 to $2.90, the first base fare increase since 2015.
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Manhattan’s only surviving ‘colored’ school is now a city landmark

Mayor Eric Adams visits former Colored School No. 4 in Chelsea. Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 23, 2023

Manhattan’s only surviving ‘colored’ school is now a city landmark

By Devin Gannon

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday designated a building in Manhattan that serves as a reminder of racially segregated education in New York City. The former Colored School No 4. was a public school open to only Black students and teachers from 1860 to 1884. The remarkably-intact three-story building at 128 West 17th Street in Chelsea is the borough's only surviving school building that exclusively served African Americans. Not only does the new landmark represent the history of the Black community who lived in this part of Manhattan, but it also recognizes the many notable figures associated with the school.
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Policy

MSG should stay above Penn Station, says Manhattan borough president

Rendering: ASTM North America

May 22, 2023

MSG should stay above Penn Station, says Manhattan borough president

By Aaron Ginsburg

Madison Square Garden should be granted a new operating permit and be allowed to stay put, as long as it gives up some of its space for the expansion of Penn Station, Manhattan Borough Mark Levine said on Monday. As first reported by Crain's New York, Levine's recommendation includes demolishing MSG's theater and replacing it with a new grand entrance facing Eighth Avenue, a new mid-block entrance, and a double-height concourse. To do this, Levine advises giving MSG a new five-year special permit, if the Garden works with the city, state, and railroads to redevelop Penn Station and the surrounding area.
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NYC sues architecture firm behind new Long Island City library over accessibility issues

© Paul Warchol

May 19, 2023

NYC sues architecture firm behind new Long Island City library over accessibility issues

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has filed a lawsuit against the architects behind the inaccessible Hunters Point Library in Long Island City, as first reported by Crain's New York. Filed in Manhattan State Supreme Court on Wednesday, the lawsuit claims Steven Holl Architects violated its contract with the city by designing an inaccessible building. The suit says that the architecture firm should be forced to pay $10 million to cover the renovations needed to make the building accessible for people with disabilities.
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Popular Articles

Permanent outdoor dining in NYC takes major step forward

Nomad’s Pecora Biana on Broadway in June 2020. Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim via Flickr cc

May 19, 2023

Permanent outdoor dining in NYC takes major step forward

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council and Mayor Eric Adams reached a deal this week on legislation that would make the pandemic-era outdoor dining program a permanent fixture of city life. The Open Restaurants program launched in 2020 as a lifeline for city businesses and as a way for New Yorkers to gather safely. After over a year of debate over a permanent program, the Council introduced a bill on Thursday permitting outdoor dining structures, or "streeteries," on city streets, but only for eight months of the year. So-called "sidewalk cafes" would be allowed year-round. The bill is expected to be voted on by the Council next month.
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MTA unveils redesign of NYC subway turnstile as fare evasion solution

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

May 18, 2023

MTA unveils redesign of NYC subway turnstile as fare evasion solution

By Aaron Ginsburg

To deter the roughly 400,000 subway riders who don't pay the fare every day, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to redesign the turnstiles for the first time in modern history. The agency on Wednesday unveiled a potential design of a new subway fare gate that includes glass doors that slide open, replacing the rotating turnstiles that have been part of the system since its inception. The new gates would remove the need for emergency exit doors, which the MTA said accounts for more than half of all fare evasion.
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New renderings show off NYC’s first professional soccer stadium

All renderings courtesy of the New York City Football Club

May 16, 2023

New renderings show off NYC’s first professional soccer stadium

By Aaron Ginsburg

Renderings have been unveiled for New York City's first-ever professional soccer stadium. During a Queens Community Board 7 meeting last week, Related Companies, Sterling Equities, and the NYC Football Club (NYCFC) presented new renderings for the Willets Point Revitalization Plan, a massive mixed-use development planned for Queens that includes a 25,000-seat stadium, a 250-room hotel, a 650-seat public school, over 40,000 square feet of public open space, retail space, and 2,500 affordable housing units. The stadium is scheduled to open in time for the 2027 season.
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NYC’s historic Roosevelt Hotel becomes arrival center for asylum seekers

Photo by Billy Hathorn via Wikimedia Commons

May 15, 2023

NYC’s historic Roosevelt Hotel becomes arrival center for asylum seekers

By Aaron Ginsburg

A historic hotel in Midtown that has been closed since the start of the pandemic will become the city’s first arrival center for migrants, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Saturday. Located at 45 East 45th Street, The Roosevelt Hotel will serve as a “centralized intake center” for all arriving asylum seekers, providing them with legal, medical, and reconnection services and up to 175 rooms for children and families starting later this week. The new shelter is the ninth Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center opened by the city; more migrants are expected to arrive in New York after the end of the pandemic-era rule Title 42, which let the U.S. quickly expel migrants without documentation.
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Housing targets in every NYC district would lead to more equitable development, City Council says

Image courtesy of Vlada Karpovich on Pexels

May 12, 2023

Housing targets in every NYC district would lead to more equitable development, City Council says

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new plan by the New York City Council aims to increase affordable housing production by setting development goals for each of the city's 59 community districts. Speaker Adrienne Adams on Thursday unveiled her "Fair Housing Framework" legislation, a plan reminiscent of Gov. Kathy Hochul's rejected proposal earlier this year that called for every locality in the state to meet home creation targets. Under Adams' plan, "high-opportunity," or wealthier, transit-rich neighborhoods in the city, would be required to produce more low-income affordable housing. According to the plan, the city's housing agencies would be responsible for setting targets for each district, which would be reevaluated every five years, starting in 2025.
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300-foot timber bridge connecting the High Line and Moynihan Train Hall has been installed

All photos © 6sqft

May 11, 2023

300-foot timber bridge connecting the High Line and Moynihan Train Hall has been installed

By Aaron Ginsburg

The elevated pathway that will connect the High Line to the new Moynihan Train Hall hit a major milestone this week. The 260-foot-long timber bridge has been craned into place and is currently suspended 25 feet over Dyer Avenue. The new footbridge connects Manhattan West's public plaza Magnolia Court to a pedestrian pathway at West 31st Street, providing an easier way of accessing the Moynihan Train Hall without having to cross multiple streets. The timber bridge will link to the so-called Woodland Bridge, which will extend east from the existing northern terminus of the High Line. The new linear park, dubbed the High Line-Moynihan Train Hall Connector, is expected to open in late June.
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NYC designates Bushwick’s first historic district

All photos courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

May 9, 2023

NYC designates Bushwick’s first historic district

By Devin Gannon

A block in Bushwick with a collection of intact rowhouses has been designated as the neighborhood's first historic district. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to landmark a stretch of Linden Street between Broadway and Bushwick Avenues that represent several architectural styles of the late 19th century, including Queen Anne, Renaissance Revival, and neo-Grec. According to the commission, the Linden Street Historic District represents the neighborhood's transition from farmland to residential and boasts a "unified streetscape with a strong sense of place."
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Policy

NYC’s congestion pricing program gains key approval

Photo by Raidarmax on Wikimedia Commons

May 8, 2023

NYC’s congestion pricing program gains key approval

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's congestion pricing plan is finally moving forward after years of delays. President Joe Biden's administration last week approved the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's environmental review of their proposed Central Business District Tolling Program, which would charge drivers for entering certain parts of Manhattan at peak hours. With this initial approval from the Federal Highway Administration, a 30-day public review period is now open. The MTA said the new tolling system could launch as soon as spring 2024, as Politico reported.
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MTA service alerts are back on Twitter

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

May 5, 2023

MTA service alerts are back on Twitter

By Aaron Ginsburg

After suspending the use of Twitter for real-time service alerts just last week, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has resumed posting on the social media platform. The decision comes after Twitter reversed plans to charge government agencies for using its application programming interface (API), which would have cost the MTA $50,000 per month.
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NYC’s containerized trash program would eliminate 150,000 parking spaces

Image courtesy of m01229 on Flickr

May 4, 2023

NYC’s containerized trash program would eliminate 150,000 parking spaces

By Aaron Ginsburg

Containerization, storage of trash in sealed bins rather than in plastic bags, is possible on 89 percent of New York City's streets with residential properties. A new analysis released by the city's Department of Sanitation this week found installing collection receptacles across the city is actually feasible, but would require the elimination of roughly 150,000 parking spaces, or 10 percent of all curb space on blocks with residential buildings. As first reported by the New York Times, the city will launch a pilot program in West Harlem this fall that will include the installation of trash containers in parking spots on up to 10 blocks and at more than a dozen schools.
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Rent increase between 2% and 5% likely for NYC’s stabilized apartments

Photo by Avi Werde on Unsplash

May 3, 2023

Rent increase between 2% and 5% likely for NYC’s stabilized apartments

By Devin Gannon

The roughly two million New Yorkers who live in rent-stabilized apartments will likely see rents go up by the largest percentage in 10 years. In a preliminary vote on Tuesday, the Rent Guidelines Board, a nine-member panel responsible for adjusting the cost of rent for stabilized apartments, approved increases on one-year leases between 2 and 5 percent and increases on two-year leases between 4 and 7 percent. A vote determining the final increases will take place in June; the board historically has adopted rent hike proposals that fall within the preliminary range.
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Policy

Broadway Junction’s overhaul to include $500M in safety, public space, and accessibility upgrades

Image courtesy of Caroline Willis/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 2, 2023

Broadway Junction’s overhaul to include $500M in safety, public space, and accessibility upgrades

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is investing nearly $500 million to revitalize the area around one of Brooklyn's busiest transit hubs. The overhaul of East New York's Broadway Junction subway station includes accessibility upgrades, two new public plazas, and safety improvements as part of the city's effort to make the hub a regional transit center, Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday. Work is expected to begin in 2027 and finish by 2030.
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MTA suspends use of Twitter for service alerts, calls the platform ‘unreliable’

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

April 28, 2023

MTA suspends use of Twitter for service alerts, calls the platform ‘unreliable’

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City commuters will no longer be able to check Twitter for service alerts. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday suspended the use of Twitter for posting service alerts, stating that the social media platform's reliability "can no longer be guaranteed." The transit agency's Twitter access through its application programming interface (API) was "involuntarily interrupted" twice in the last two weeks on April 14 and April 27.
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Half of NYC households can’t afford basic needs, new report finds

Photo via Wikimedia

April 25, 2023

Half of NYC households can’t afford basic needs, new report finds

By Aaron Ginsburg

Half of all New York City households are unable to afford their basic needs, according to a new report. Released this week by the Fund for the City of New York, the report found that 1,298,212 working households, or 2,991,973 people, do not earn enough to afford essential expenses like rent, health care, food, and transportation. The number of struggling households is up to 50 percent from 36 percent in 2021, a 38 percent increase over a two-year period, highlighting the pandemic's immense economic impact on New Yorkers.
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300 NYC blocks to go car-free under this year’s ‘Open Streets’ program

The 31st Avenue Open Street in Astoria is 100% run by volunteer residents. Photo courtesy of the 31st Avenue Open Street Collective

April 25, 2023

300 NYC blocks to go car-free under this year’s ‘Open Streets’ program

By Aaron Ginsburg

Nearly 300 blocks across New York City will be closed to cars as part of the city's 2023 Open Streets program, the Department of Transportation announced this Earth Day. This year's program will have roughly 160 open streets, including more than 25 new locations. The program also features new redesigns of existing locations that prioritize pedestrians and cyclists and will "evolve beyond the need for metal barriers." While the final list of open streets is still being finalized, many are expected to launch by July 1.
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