Policy

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

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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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$700M climate research campus designed by SOM headed to Governors Island

Aerial view of The Exchange, showing the iconic forms designed to evoke the dramatic landscapes and hills of Governors Island. © SOM | Miysis

April 24, 2023

$700M climate research campus designed by SOM headed to Governors Island

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New York City has revealed its vision for a first-in-the-nation climate research hub on Governors Island. Led by Stony Brook University, the New York Climate Exchange will be a nonprofit organization dedicated to climate research and solutions and serve as a center for climate education and green job training. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the 400,000-square-foot campus includes classrooms, laboratories, new open space, student and faculty housing, university hotel rooms, and more. Construction on the $700 million project is expected to begin in 2025, with the first phase slated for completion in 2028.
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NYC subway tops 4 million daily riders for the first time since March 2020

Photo by on Flickr

April 24, 2023

NYC subway tops 4 million daily riders for the first time since March 2020

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For the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the New York City subway system served more than four million riders in a single day. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced the NYC subway system recorded 4,002,961 paid riders on April 20, the highest tally reached since March 12, 2020. OMNY, the transit system's contactless fare system, also set a single-day subway record on Thursday with 1,699,914 taps, representing 42.5 percent of the day's subway rides.
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NYC board weighs biggest rent hike for stabilized apartments in nearly two decades

Image courtesy of Maxim Pierre on Flickr

April 21, 2023

NYC board weighs biggest rent hike for stabilized apartments in nearly two decades

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The panel that determines the percentage landlords are allowed to raise the rent for the roughly one million rent-stabilized apartments in New York City this week discussed a proposal for the most significant hike in nearly two decades. During a meeting on Thursday, the Rent Guidelines Board weighed a proposed 8.25 percent increase for one-year leases and a 15.75 percent increase for two-year leases, as Patch reported. While the board likely won't approve the nearly 16 percent increase, rent hikes are still expected in response to a drop in operating income for landlords.
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NYC will repair 400 vacant rent-stabilized apartments to house homeless New Yorkers

Photo by Anthony Fomin on Unsplash

April 20, 2023

NYC will repair 400 vacant rent-stabilized apartments to house homeless New Yorkers

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New York City will invest up to $10 million to provide homeless New Yorkers with newly repaired, rent-stabilized homes. As part of the new "Unlocking Doors" program, the city will invest up to $25,000 for urgent renovations at 400 rent-stabilized homes that have fallen into disrepair and are unavailable for rent. The city will then match households with City Fighting Homeless and Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS) vouchers with the new apartments.
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A majority of NYC’s rent-stabilized tenants spent over a third of income on housing last year

Image courtesy of edwardhblake on Flickr

April 14, 2023

A majority of NYC’s rent-stabilized tenants spent over a third of income on housing last year

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Most of New York City's one million rent-stabilized tenants paid roughly a third or more of their income on rent in 2022, a new report found. According to the city's Rent Guideline Board's annual "Income and Affordability Study" released on Thursday, more than half of tenants in stabilized apartments spent at least 32.2 percent of their income on rent, as Gothamist first reported. Tenants who spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent are considered rent burdened, according to federal guidelines.
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New York City hires its first-ever ‘rat czar’

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

April 13, 2023

New York City hires its first-ever ‘rat czar’

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New York City has finally found the rat vanquisher it's been looking for. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday appointed Kathleen Corradi as the city's first-ever director of rodent mitigation, also referred to as the "rat czar." Corradi, who will earn $155,000, will work with city government agencies, community organizations, and private sector companies to effectively reduce the rat population across the five boroughs.
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New NYC subway announcements recorded by children with autism

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

April 12, 2023

New NYC subway announcements recorded by children with autism

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New York City subway commuters will be guided by announcements recorded by young New Yorkers in recognition of World Autism Awareness Month. To bring attention to the millions of people living with autism worldwide, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and INCLUDEnyc invited children with autism to record subway announcements that both encourage straphangers to follow transit rules and remind them of Autism Awareness Month. The recordings are playing in select subway stations through Sunday, April 30.
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NYC will create 20 ‘micro’ delivery hubs this summer to reduce truck traffic

Photo by carlfbagge on Flickr

April 10, 2023

NYC will create 20 ‘micro’ delivery hubs this summer to reduce truck traffic

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Starting this summer, New York City will create new hubs to make package delivery more sustainable and efficient, while also reducing truck congestion. As part of a pilot program announced by the Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, the new "microhubs" include dedicated curbside or off-street locations for trucks to unload packages onto smaller, energy-efficient vehicles or human-powered transportation like bikes and hand carts that will bring deliveries to their destination.
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City designates these NYC neighborhoods as ‘rat mitigation zones’

 Photo by Ludovic Bertron on Flickr

April 5, 2023

City designates these NYC neighborhoods as ‘rat mitigation zones’

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New York City this week named eight rat-prone neighborhoods as part of Mayor Eric Adams' quest to control the rodent population. According to a notice posted by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Monday, the "rat mitigation zones," which are areas with "high levels of rat activity," include Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, and Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, Grand Concourse in the Bronx, and Chinatown, the East Village, the Lower East Side, and Harlem in Manhattan. As Crain's reported, these identified zones will be the focus of a multiagency effort to address the rats and the conditions that cause them, according to the city.
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Three NYC buildings with significant ties to the history of jazz may become city landmarks

Image courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

April 4, 2023

Three NYC buildings with significant ties to the history of jazz may become city landmarks

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Just in time for Jazz Appreciation Month, the city may landmark three properties connected to the history of jazz. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to calendar the legendary Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, the one-time Queens home of Dizzy Gillespie, and an apartment building in Hamilton Heights where jazz pioneers Duke Ellington and Noble Lee Sissle once lived.
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What New Yorkers should know about Trump’s arraignment in NYC

Photo by Ajay Suresh on Wikimedia

April 3, 2023

What New Yorkers should know about Trump’s arraignment in NYC

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For the first time in history, a president of the United States has been charged with a crime. After arriving in Manhattan on Monday night, former President Donald Trump will travel from Trump Tower in Midtown to the office of the Manhattan district attorney to surrender to authorities and be arraigned at a Lower Manhattan courthouse. Swarms of media personnel and protestors are expected to line up to witness the historic event. Here's what New Yorkers should know about how New York City has prepared for Tuesday, including possible street closures and other security plans.
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Adams proposes NYC’s first composting mandate

Image courtesy of the Department of Sanitation

March 27, 2023

Adams proposes NYC’s first composting mandate

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For the first time ever, New York City residents will be required to separate their organic waste from their other garbage or face fines. Mayor Eric Adams on Monday proposed NYC's first composting mandate, a new policy that will require New Yorkers with yards to separate yard waste, which are biodegradable materials like leaves, flowers, twigs, and grass clippings, into a separate bin for pickup by the NYC Department of Sanitation. Residents who fail to do so will have to pay fines similar to the penalties for failing to recycle properly.
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MTA to install dedicated stroller spaces on over 1,000 NYC buses across 57 routes

Image courtesy of the MTA on Flickr

March 27, 2023

MTA to install dedicated stroller spaces on over 1,000 NYC buses across 57 routes

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week announced it would begin the second phase of its Open Stroller Pilot, expanding its dedicated stroller spaces to over 1,000 buses on 57 routes across the five boroughs. The program will equip all local and select buses operating out of six bus depots with dedicated stroller spaces by the fall of 2023.
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7-mile Harlem River Greenway expansion connects Randall’s Island to Van Cortlandt Park

Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 22, 2023

7-mile Harlem River Greenway expansion connects Randall’s Island to Van Cortlandt Park

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New York City is expanding the Harlem River Greenway to the Bronx. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday announced plans for a seven-mile continuous walking and biking path linking Randall's Island and Van Cortlandt Park. The new greenway aims to reconnect Bronxites to the Harlem River waterfront, which has been largely inaccessible since the construction of the Major Deegan Expressway in the 1930s.
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NYC multi-family housing production down for third straight month, report finds

Image courtesy of robertotmn on Flickr

March 22, 2023

NYC multi-family housing production down for third straight month, report finds

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A new report shows that New York City is not building enough housing to meet current demand. The Real Estate Board of New York on Tuesday released its February 2023 Multi-family Foundation Plan Application Report, a monthly report that reviews applications submitted by developers to the NYC Department of Buildings for new residential developments. For the third month in a row, there have been fewer than 30 total filings for new developments across the five boroughs, according to the report.
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NYC to lift ban on e-bikes in city parks this summer

Image courtesy of Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

March 22, 2023

NYC to lift ban on e-bikes in city parks this summer

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New Yorkers will soon be able to ride electric bikes and scooters in New York City parks legally. As part of a pilot program starting this summer, the city's Department of Parks and Recreation will drop its current ban on certain electric vehicles on park drives and greenways, lifting a rule that conflicts with state laws. The pilot program is one part of a plan unveiled by Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday aimed at promoting the safe usage of e-bikes and other electric micro-mobility devices and preventing fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.
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NYC public libraries say $36.2M budget cut will impact service, free programs

Image courtesy of the New York Public Library

March 21, 2023

NYC public libraries say $36.2M budget cut will impact service, free programs

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New York City's three public library systems are protesting Mayor Eric Adams' planned $36.2 million budget cuts in the FY24 budget. Brooklyn Public Library President Linda Johnson, Queens Public Library President Dennis M. Walcott, and New York Public Library President Anthony W. Marx testified in front of the City Council on Monday, warning the proposed budget cut could lead to reduced hours of service and fewer free programs, classes, and other opportunities thousands of New Yorkers depend on.
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New York lawmakers call for $2.75 fare freeze and free bus pilot in NYC

Image via WikiCommons

March 16, 2023

New York lawmakers call for $2.75 fare freeze and free bus pilot in NYC

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New York lawmakers on Tuesday proposed keeping New York City subway and bus fares at $2.75. As first reported by Crain's New York, the state legislature's one-house budgets rejected Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposal to raise transit fares to $3, and instead called for a freeze on fares and an investment of $50 million for a free bus pilot program.
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New York lawmakers clash with Hochul’s housing plan in budgets

Photo courtesy of Darren McGee/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

March 15, 2023

New York lawmakers clash with Hochul’s housing plan in budgets

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The New York State Assembly and Senate on Tuesday released their budget proposals, which both deviate from the priorities of Gov. Kathy Hochul and set the stage for negotiations over the next two weeks. As first reported by City & State, the Senate's budget discarded some of Hochul's top goals, including the "New York Housing Compact," a plan to build 800,000 new homes over the next 10 years to address the state's looming housing crisis. The Senate did show support for "good cause" eviction protections and the creation of a Housing Voucher Program, two proposals omitted by the governor in the past.
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Two historic FDNY buildings in the Bronx may become city landmarks

Fire Alarm and Telegraph Bureau, Bronx Central Office. Images courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

March 14, 2023

Two historic FDNY buildings in the Bronx may become city landmarks

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Two Bronx buildings associated with the Fire Department of New York may become New York City landmarks. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to calendar the Firehouse, Engine Company 88/Ladder Company 38 in Belmont, and the Fire Alarm and Telegraph Bureau, Bronx Central Office, both of which are architecturally significant and represent historic moments in the development of the city's fire department.
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Plans for AirTrain to LaGuardia have been scrapped

Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

March 14, 2023

Plans for AirTrain to LaGuardia have been scrapped

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Plans to build an AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport are officially dead after the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Monday released the results of a 17-month-long analysis of mass transit options to the Queens airport. A panel of experts recommended the Port Authority abandon the proposed 1.5-mile elevated rail line and instead move forward with improving existing bus service and adding a new non-stop airport shuttle. Estimated costs for the bus options are just under $500 million, according to the report, compared to estimates of between $2.4 billion and $6.2 billion for light rail options.
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NYC’s redesign of Broadway blocks into pedestrian-friendly stretch begins

Rendering of Greeley Square after capital construction work is completed; Courtesy of “New” New York Panel

March 13, 2023

NYC’s redesign of Broadway blocks into pedestrian-friendly stretch begins

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New York City will begin its transformation of an iconic stretch of Broadway into a pedestrian-friendly corridor this week, Mayor Eric Adams announced Sunday. The work is part of the first phase of "Broadway Vision," a plan to make the chaotic and crowded streets between Madison Square and Herald Square safer by banning cars on some blocks and creating more space for pedestrians. As part of the first phase, the city will add two new plazas, shared streets, and a two-way bike lane on Broadway from West 25th Street to West 32nd Street.
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NYC Council Speaker revives plan to build new homes on open NYCHA land

NYCHA LaGuardia Houses; Photo via Wikimedia

March 9, 2023

NYC Council Speaker revives plan to build new homes on open NYCHA land

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A New York City official is reviving a plan to turn the green spaces on public housing complexes into homes. In her State of the City address on Wednesday, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams proposed the construction of new apartment buildings on existing open spaces, known as "infill development," within New York City Housing Authority properties. Adams said her proposal would help address the city's housing crisis and provide current public housing tenants with an opportunity to relocate into upgraded, modern housing units.
Details here
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