Policy

Mamdani releases 170,000 pages of long-shielded records on Ground Zero air quality after 9/11

Photo courtesy of the Prints and Photographs Division. Library of Congress.”For information see “Unattributed 9/11 Photographs,” http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/res.297.unat

September 8, 2026

Mamdani releases 170,000 pages of long-shielded records on Ground Zero air quality after 9/11

By Aaron Ginsburg

For nearly 25 years, 68 boxes of records related to New York City's response to the 9/11 terror attacks remained out of public view in a city office. Now, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to see documents that shed new light on what government officials knew about the dangers posed by toxic air around Ground Zero and what information was withheld from the public. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday released more than 170,000 pages of records through a public portal, including documents related to air quality, health concerns, and the city's response to the attacks. The release settles two Freedom of Information Law requests (FOIL) over access to the records and includes the "Harding Memo," a 2001 internal city document that warned the city could face as many as 35,000 potential liability claims related to the aftermath of 9/11.
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Policy

Three Crown Heights buildings transferred from negligent landlord

Streetview of 1392 Sterling Place © Google 2024

September 4, 2026

Three Crown Heights buildings transferred from negligent landlord

By Aaron Ginsburg

Three rent-stabilized apartment buildings in Crown Heights have been transferred away from their negligent owners, paving the way for improvements for tenants across 88 apartments. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday announced the transfer of 1018 Eastern Parkway, 1074 Eastern Parkway, and 1392 Sterling Place, which under landlord Rubin Dukler had a combined total of nearly 1,000 open code violations. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will work with the buildings' new owner, Mark Schwartz, to implement critical repairs and resolve hazardous conditions that tenants have had to deal with for years.
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Policy

NYC announces one-year ban on generative AI for public school students through 8th grade

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 2, 2026

NYC announces one-year ban on generative AI for public school students through 8th grade

By Aaron Ginsburg

Roughly 600,000 New York City public school students will not be allowed to use generative artificial intelligence in the classroom for at least one year, under new guidelines announced by Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday. The mayor and NYC Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced a ban on student-facing generative AI use for students in preschool through eighth grade, the largest school system in the country to do so, as well as new screen-time limits for students in second grade and younger. As first reported by the New York Daily News, high school students will have restricted access to AI but will receive twice-yearly AI “critical thinking” modules focused on the risks of relying on the technology.
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Policy

After street redesign, 5.5-mile protected bike corridor between Sunset Park and Dumbo is complete

Credit: NYC DOT on Flickr

September 2, 2026

After street redesign, 5.5-mile protected bike corridor between Sunset Park and Dumbo is complete

By Aaron Ginsburg

A stretch of street in Downtown Brooklyn so notorious for safety issues that it has earned the nickname “Crashland” could soon shed its moniker following a redesign. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn on Tuesday announced the completion of work on a continuous protected bike lane on Ashland Place between Lafayette Street and Hanson Place, filling in the final gap in a 5.5-mile protected bike corridor between Sunset Park and Dumbo. While work began in 2022, construction was halted under former Mayor Eric Adams and left unfinished for three years.
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NYC ramps up Legionnaires’ disease prevention and enforcement measures

Photo of water towers on East 57th Street via WikiCommons

September 1, 2026

NYC ramps up Legionnaires’ disease prevention and enforcement measures

By Aaron Ginsburg

After a Legionnaires' disease outbreak affected the Upper East Side this summer, New York City is taking new measures to strengthen its response. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced sweeping new policies to bolster the city's detection of Legionella bacteria in cooling towers, strengthen enforcement and education, and improve transparency with New Yorkers. The measures build on the Mamdani administration's response to the July outbreak, which sickened dozens of New Yorkers and claimed 11 lives.
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Policy

116th Street overhaul will add new bus lanes, protected bike lanes, and pedestrian space

Credit: NYC DOT

September 1, 2026

116th Street overhaul will add new bus lanes, protected bike lanes, and pedestrian space

By Aaron Ginsburg

New bus lanes, protected bike lanes, and pedestrian safety upgrades are coming to Manhattan's busy 116th Street. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn on Monday announced that work has begun on a major revamp of the Harlem corridor, adding 2.5 miles of offset and curbside bus lanes and other street upgrades. The project aims to improve commutes for more than 65,000 daily bus riders, who contend with speeds of less than four miles per hour in certain sections.
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Mamdani signs bill restoring year-round outdoor dining in NYC

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 1, 2026

Mamdani signs bill restoring year-round outdoor dining in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

It's official: outdoor dining is once again a year-round fixture in New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday signed legislation establishing a permanent, year-round outdoor dining program that allows restaurants to keep roadway dining setups open through the winter, making permanent a pandemic-era program that served as a lifeline for businesses. The legislation amends a law under former Mayor Eric Adams that required restaurants to remove roadway dining setups from November 30 through March 31.
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Three Queens medians to become green ‘sponges’ to help curb flooding

Credit: NYC Mayor’s Office

August 28, 2026

Three Queens medians to become green ‘sponges’ to help curb flooding

By Aaron Ginsburg

Several concrete roadway medians throughout Queens are being transformed into green infrastructure “sponges” designed to reduce flooding. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday announced an $8.4 million investment that will turn medians in Whitestone, Forest Hills, and Queens Village into landscaped green spaces. Together, the green medians will capture an estimated five million gallons of stormwater each year, reducing strain on sewer systems and improving water quality in the East River, Flushing Bay, and Jamaica Bay.
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Policy

NYC extends pied-à-terre tax deadline again amid lawsuit

Credit: Rebecca Hankins on Unsplash

August 27, 2026

NYC extends pied-à-terre tax deadline again amid lawsuit

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has once again extended the deadline for homeowners notified they may be subject to the new pied-à-terre surcharge, giving them nearly three additional weeks to apply for an exemption. A Tuesday court filing shows that the Department of Finance (DOF) has moved the deadline from September 18 to October 6, after previously pushing it back four weeks from its original August 21 deadline earlier this month. The extension comes as legal proceedings continue over a lawsuit filed by a coalition of property owners challenging the rollout of the surcharge. After a Staten Island Supreme Court judge granted a temporary restraining order to pause the surcharge, the city appealed the decision, which stayed the order while a higher court reviews the matter.
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Policy

LIRR will run year-round direct trips from Penn Station to Montauk

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 26, 2026

LIRR will run year-round direct trips from Penn Station to Montauk

By Aaron Ginsburg

Direct journeys to Montauk on the Long Island Rail Road will no longer be seasonal, with transit officials making the service permanently year-round. Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday announced service changes and infrastructure upgrades to the LIRR's Montauk Branch, including the addition of a year-round weekday 5:13 p.m. train from Penn Station to the coastal hamlet, providing a one-seat journey to the eastern end of Long Island. Set to begin next month, the added service comes as the Montauk Branch has experienced continued growth, with ridership increasing 6.4 percent compared to the same period last year.
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NYC to speed up housing court cases for tenants facing worst conditions

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 26, 2026

NYC to speed up housing court cases for tenants facing worst conditions

By Aaron Ginsburg

Some of the most serious cases of landlord neglect will be “fast-tracked” under a new city directive instituted this week. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced the policy, which will allow housing court judges to expedite cases involving vacate orders, critically hazardous building conditions, elevator outages, and proceedings in which the city or tenants seek the appointment of a third-party building manager amid landlord neglect. These cases will be assigned to a judge on the same day they are filed, and once landlords are notified, they will be required to appear in court within five days.
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Policy

Mamdani assembles ‘renew crew’ to make fast repairs to NYC playgrounds and parks

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 24, 2026

Mamdani assembles ‘renew crew’ to make fast repairs to NYC playgrounds and parks

By Aaron Ginsburg

A crew of painters, electricians, plumbers, and other specialists has been assembled to make speedy upgrades to playgrounds and recreation spaces across New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday announced the launch of Renew Crew, a team of 24 trade specialists who will improve conditions at city parks by repairing playground equipment, replacing flooring, fixing amenities, and making other upgrades. The team will complete as many as 30 projects per year, with each effort taking three weeks or less.
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Policy

NYC announces $4B plan to fix city-owned portion of BQE

Credit: Mary and Andrew on Flickr

August 24, 2026

NYC announces $4B plan to fix city-owned portion of BQE

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will move forward with repairs to the decrepit, city-owned section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway following decades of delays. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn on Monday announced plans to fix the aging corridor between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street by installing temporary bypass structures that will allow the DOT to repair the structure while ensuring minimal disruption to traffic flow. The move marks the first major action to rehabilitate the 70-year-old triple-cantilevered portion of the BQE, where each year of inaction adds an estimated $160 million to the cost of rehabilitation.
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Jersey City bans data centers on industrial land

Credit: Fiaz Mohammed on Unsplash

August 20, 2026

Jersey City bans data centers on industrial land

By Aaron Ginsburg

Jersey City this week banned the construction of new AI data centers, joining a growing number of municipalities across the country that have placed restrictions on the power-hungry facilities. The Jersey City Council on Wednesday unanimously voted to pass an ordinance banning data centers in the city’s industrial zones, where such facilities would otherwise be permitted. Jersey City is now the 34th municipality in New Jersey to ban data centers, with more than one million Garden State residents living in municipalities where the facilities are banned.
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Policy

MTA unlikely to meet 2040 goal for 100% zero-emission bus fleet, audit finds

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 20, 2026

MTA unlikely to meet 2040 goal for 100% zero-emission bus fleet, audit finds

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is falling behind on its plan to replace New York City’s public bus fleet with zero-emission vehicles by 2040, according to the state comptroller. In the audit published on Wednesday, New York Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found that the MTA’s reliance on single manufacturers with limited production capacity has led to delays, while the cost of producing electric buses has risen substantially. The MTA's four-stage plan called for the next 485 of 500 buses to be delivered by the end of 2024, but only one had been delivered by June 2025. The agency has since reduced its next order from 1,000 to 500 buses.
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NYC needs 700,000 new homes: See the unit target for every district

Photo by Joshua Armstrong on Unsplash

August 19, 2026

NYC needs 700,000 new homes: See the unit target for every district

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City must create roughly 700,000 new homes over the next decade to address its housing shortage, according to a draft city report. Released Wednesday, the Fair Housing Growth Strategy report is an analysis of the city’s housing crisis, mandated under a 2023 City Council bill that called for an assessment of the city’s overall need for new housing. The report finds that the city’s current shortage is among the worst in recorded history, with a rental vacancy rate of just 1.4 percent. Among apartments with asking rents below $1,100, fewer than 0.4 percent are available.
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New DSNY facility on Staten Island paves the way for 200+ affordable homes

All images courtesy of DSNY unless noted otherwise

August 19, 2026

New DSNY facility on Staten Island paves the way for 200+ affordable homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new Department of Sanitation (DSNY) facility on Staten Island opened this week, paving the way for hundreds of new affordable homes. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced the opening of two new DSNY garages on a 13.55-acre site at Fresh Kills, once New York City’s largest garbage dump. The $230 million project replaces the old Jersey Street garage on the borough’s North Shore, which will be demolished and replaced with a mixed-use affordable housing complex featuring 232 homes, a grocery store, amenities, and open space.
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Noho parking lot to become 200 apartments after Landmarks approves revised design

All images courtesy of SOM

August 18, 2026

Noho parking lot to become 200 apartments after Landmarks approves revised design

By Aaron Ginsburg

A corner parking lot in Noho will become a pair of apartment buildings with over 200 apartments after the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday approved the project. Developed by Minskoff Equities and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the development includes two high-rise rental buildings, with up to 210 homes, including up to 65 affordable units, on a vacant lot at 375 Lafayette Street. First presented in March, the team's revised design addresses previous concerns over the scale, prominent facade exposures, and other details the commission felt were out of place in the historic neighborhood.
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Amtrak completes first phase of East River tunnel project amid LIRR disruptions

The new tunnel. All images courtesy of Amtrak

August 18, 2026

Amtrak completes first phase of East River tunnel project amid LIRR disruptions

By Aaron Ginsburg

A 15-month rehabilitation of one of two East River tunnels is complete. Amtrak on Monday announced the completion of phase one of the project, which began last year to repair two of the four tunnels damaged during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 that carry trains in and out of Penn Station and are also used by the LIRR and NJ Transit. The agency shut down one tunnel at a time despite MTA calls for a rush-hour service approach, which officials said curtailed LIRR service by forcing too many trains to share the remaining tunnels.
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Congestion pricing has had little impact on NYC air quality, city report finds

Credit: Spencer Liao on Unsplash

August 17, 2026

Congestion pricing has had little impact on NYC air quality, city report finds

By Aaron Ginsburg

While congestion pricing has delivered on its initial promise of curbing traffic in Manhattan’s busiest areas, the program's expected benefits for air quality and pollution have so far fallen short, according to a new report. Released Friday by the New York City Health Department, the report found that air quality in Manhattan’s central business district, where drivers are charged $9 to enter below 60th Street during certain times, remained stable or improved only marginally after the toll program took effect in January 2025. Meanwhile, on major highways outside the toll zone, where opponents had feared changing traffic patterns would lead to increased air pollution, pollution levels remained stable.
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NYC Council passes bills to curb and compost dog waste

Photo credit: John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

August 14, 2026

NYC Council passes bills to curb and compost dog waste

By Michelle Cohen

The New York City Council passed a package of bills Thursday that take aim at the proliferation of dog poop on city sidewalks and parks. Among them is a measure that would create a composting program that turns dog droppings into compost rather than ending up in landfills. The Safe and Clean Outdoor Ownership Practices (SCOOP) Act was created to address growing complaints about the notably unscooped piles that remained after the blizzard this past winter.
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Policy

City begins construction on first busway in the Bronx

Photo courtesy of DOT

August 14, 2026

City begins construction on first busway in the Bronx

By Devin Gannon

Starting next month, 39,000 bus riders in the Bronx will have a faster daily commute. The city's Department of Transportation (DOT) this week officially started construction on the Tremont Avenue Busway, a mile-long, car-free lane designated for the Bx36 bus from Third Avenue to Southern Boulevard. The busway, the eighth to be installed in the city, aims to speed up commutes by 60 percent for the bus route, which currently travels at less than five miles per hour.
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Year-round outdoor dining is coming back to NYC

In 2020, Rockwell Group debuted an outdoor dining block on Chinatown’s Mott Street. Photo courtesy of Emily Andrews for Rockwell Group

August 13, 2026

Year-round outdoor dining is coming back to NYC

By Devin Gannon

Year-round outdoor dining is coming back to the five boroughs. The New York City Council on Thursday passed legislation that allows restaurants to offer roadway dining in the winter, reviving a program that first launched as a way to keep businesses afloat during the start of the pandemic when indoor dining was prohibited. Current rules, approved by the Council in 2023, restrict roadway dining to April through November and force restaurants to follow specific design standards and disassemble and store the dining structures.
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New York provides $7.25M for legal services for immigrant children facing removal proceedings

Photo credit: Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

August 13, 2026

New York provides $7.25M for legal services for immigrant children facing removal proceedings

By Michelle Cohen

New York will fund legal services for approximately 1,400 unaccompanied immigrant children who are facing active removal proceedings, including the more than 250 young people who are currently detained, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday. The $7.25 million in funding will help vulnerable children access legal representation after the Trump administration allowed a nationwide federal contract providing legal services for over 24,000 unaccompanied migrant children to expire on July 31. The new state funding will ensure all children in active removal proceedings have access to representation.
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Policy

Elizabeth Street Garden deal saves green space, shifts affordable housing to Suffolk Street

Photo by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft. Photos are not to be reproduced without written permission from 6sqft

August 12, 2026

Elizabeth Street Garden deal saves green space, shifts affordable housing to Suffolk Street

By Devin Gannon

Affordable senior housing will not be built on the site of a Nolita community garden. Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration is expected to reach a settlement with developers that cancels the Haven Green project, a 123-unit rental for low-income seniors on the site of the Elizabeth Street Garden, in exchange for a new affordable development on a vacant Lower East Side lot. On Wednesday, Mamdani said the actions of former Mayor Eric Adams, who designated the city-owned site as parkland last year, requiring state legislature approval for development, made it "nearly impossible" to move ahead with the housing project.
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