Policy

NYC is hiring a rat czar with a ‘virulent vehemence for vermin’

Photo by Ludovic Bertron on Flickr

December 1, 2022

NYC is hiring a rat czar with a ‘virulent vehemence for vermin’

By Michelle Cohen

Though there may be bigger battles, New York City's war against rats is an arduous and ongoing affair. Mayor Eric Adams has positioned himself as a sworn enemy of the scurrying horde: During his time as Brooklyn Borough President, Adams expressed his distaste for the resilient rodents. Now, as mayor, Adams is seeking a fearless lieutenant to lead the extermination effort, Gothamist reports. According to a new job listing published by the city for Director of Rodent Mitigation, the individual sought for this position–"rat czar," says a City Hall spokesperson–will have a "Swashbuckling attitude, crafty humor, and general aura of badassery” and a “virulent vehemence for vermin.” In return, they can expect a salary of up to $170,000.
Rat eradication strategy ahead

NYC subway fare could hit over $3 by 2025

Photo by Asael Peña on Unsplash

December 1, 2022

NYC subway fare could hit over $3 by 2025

By Aaron Ginsburg

The cost of a subway or bus ride in New York City could increase to more than $3 per trip by 2025 under proposed fare hikes, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced this week. During the transit agency's monthly board meeting on Wednesday, officials said a higher-than-projected fare increase, from a planned 4 percent hike to instead a 5.5 percent jump, is needed because of significant budget deficits due to low ridership.
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NYC to involuntarily hospitalize people with severe mental illness

Photo from 2020 subway closure by Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit

November 30, 2022

NYC to involuntarily hospitalize people with severe mental illness

By Michelle Cohen

Mayor Eric Adams announced on Tuesday an 11-point mental health legislative agenda for the next session in Albany aimed at addressing a growing need to provide care for people living on New York City's streets and subways with untreated severe mental illness. A controversial part of the new plan includes a directive for emergency medical workers to hospitalize those who are deemed too mentally ill to provide basic care for themselves, even if they pose no threat to the public.
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Policy

NYC unveils plan for car-free streets in Midtown to reduce holiday crowds

Photo by Alex Haney on Unsplash

November 23, 2022

NYC unveils plan for car-free streets in Midtown to reduce holiday crowds

By Devin Gannon

Some streets in Midtown Manhattan will be closed to cars during the holiday season to provide New Yorkers and visitors a safe way to enjoy the festivities, Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday. Under the plan, the city will open 11 blocks to pedestrians, including a strip of Fifth Avenue from 49th Street to 57th Street, the first time in 50 years the iconic thoroughfare will close to traffic. Starting next week, certain streets around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall will only be open to pedestrians during the busiest hours.
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Park Slope’s Lesbian Herstory Archives becomes first official LGBTQ+ landmark in Brooklyn

Street view of the Lesbian Herstory Archives at 484 14th Street in Park Slope; © Google Maps

November 22, 2022

Park Slope’s Lesbian Herstory Archives becomes first official LGBTQ+ landmark in Brooklyn

By Aaron Ginsburg

A row house in Brooklyn that is home to the country's oldest and largest collection of lesbian-related historic material is New York City's newest landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday voted to designate the Lesbian Herstory Archives building as an individual landmark, the first in Brooklyn designated for its connection to the LGBTQ+ community.
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NYC landmarks were lit blue, pink, and white in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance

Image courtesy of Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of the Governor on Flickr

November 21, 2022

NYC landmarks were lit blue, pink, and white in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance

By Aaron Ginsburg

Landmarks across New York were lit blue, pink, and white on Sunday in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance. The day honors transgender individuals who have lost their life due to anti-transgender violence. The tribute came just one day after a mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado left five people dead.
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NYC taxi fares to increase by 23% by end of the year

Photo by Taton Moïse on Unsplash

November 17, 2022

NYC taxi fares to increase by 23% by end of the year

By Devin Gannon

The cost of an average metered New York City taxi ride will increase by nearly 23 percent by the end of the year. The city's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) voted this week to approve fare hikes for yellow cabs, the first increase in roughly a decade. The average passenger metered fare will increase from $15.97 to $19.62 per ride, which will lead to drivers seeing a 33 percent jump in gross revenue, according to the TLC.
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NYC’s first professional soccer stadium will open in Queens

A conceptual rendering, courtesy of S9 Architecture

November 16, 2022

NYC’s first professional soccer stadium will open in Queens

By Devin Gannon

New York City's first professional soccer stadium will be built in Queens, officials announced Wednesday. The major mixed-use development is proposed for Willets Point, across the street from Citi Field. In addition to a 25,000-seat stadium for the New York City Football Club, the 23-acre project also includes a hotel, thousands of affordable housing units, and a new public school. As first reported by the New York Times, the stadium is expected to be completed by 2027.
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Preservationists, local pols hope to save 200-year-old Greenwich Village house from demolition

Photo by Spencer Means on Flickr

November 15, 2022

Preservationists, local pols hope to save 200-year-old Greenwich Village house from demolition

By Devin Gannon

A 200-year-old landmarked property in Greenwich Village once home to author Ruth McKenney could soon be demolished. The city's Department of Buildings last week ordered the immediate demolition of the rowhouse at 14 Gay Street after learning unpermitted work on the building has left it at risk of collapsing. According to The Village Sun, adjacent 16 Gay Street, also constructed in 1827, has also been compromised.
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Adams announces overhaul of NYC’s housing voucher program

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

November 15, 2022

Adams announces overhaul of NYC’s housing voucher program

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City officials are fighting the city's looming housing crisis with a few major policy changes. Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced new housing reforms that will help homeless New Yorkers easily transition from the shelter system into affordable and supportive housing and give them access to housing in higher-income neighborhoods that have previously been out of reach for lower-income families.
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Popular Articles

NYC to close Randall’s Island migrant shelter after a month

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

November 11, 2022

NYC to close Randall’s Island migrant shelter after a month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Only a month after opening, the migrant shelter on Randall's Island will close, Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday. The 84,400-square-foot facility, which was designed for adult men and held 500 beds and a recreation center, will be replaced by a new center in Midtown Manhattan, as first reported by City Limits. The Randall's Island facility is set to be shuttered next week, and current occupants of the facility will be provided with transportation to the Watson Hotel on West 57th Street, where 600 rooms will be used to house asylum seekers.
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Policy

NYC is considering making Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza car-free

Photo courtesy of Jordan Rathkopf/ Prospect Park Alliance

November 11, 2022

NYC is considering making Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza car-free

By Aaron Ginsburg

Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza may become the city's next car-free space. As first reported by Gothamist, the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) is considering connecting the Prospect Heights plaza to the Open Streets program on Vanderbilt and Underhill Avenues. The plaza, anchored by its ornate Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch and the official entrance to Prospect Park, has long been the target of safe street activists due to its vehicle traffic and poor sidewalk conditions.
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Along with electing Hochul, New York voters approve $4.2B in climate spending

In 2021, Hochul toured several homes in the East Elmhurst section of Queens that flooded from torrential rains brought on by Hurricane Ida. Photo: Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of the Governor on Flickr

November 9, 2022

Along with electing Hochul, New York voters approve $4.2B in climate spending

By Aaron Ginsburg

In addition to electing Gov. Kathy Hochul, voters in New York on Tuesday approved four new ballot measures that focus on fighting climate change and improving racial equity. Nearly 70 percent of voters said yes to the landmark "Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act," which gives the state permission to borrow $4.2 billion for funding projects that will protect New Yorkers from future extreme weather due to climate change. It's the largest initiative for environmental protection in New York State history.
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NYC’s area median income increases by 16 percent, ‘wildly out of sync’ with actual income of New Yorkers

Photo by Emiliano Bar on Unsplash

November 8, 2022

NYC’s area median income increases by 16 percent, ‘wildly out of sync’ with actual income of New Yorkers

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new report highlights how the area median income (AMI) set by the federal government for New York City is "wildly out of sync" with the actual incomes earned by most New Yorkers. The New York Housing Conference (NYHC) last week released a policy brief outlining the discrepancy, citing the new AMI levels set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the area. The federal government set the new median family income at $94,500 while the city's actual household median income remains at $60,550.
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2,600 supportive housing units in NYC remain vacant despite new developments

Image courtesy of mari small on Unsplash

November 7, 2022

2,600 supportive housing units in NYC remain vacant despite new developments

By Aaron Ginsburg

The city has delivered on its promise to create more housing for homeless and mentally ill New Yorkers but has had trouble actually filling the units, according to a new report. Data released by the city last week obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request showed that 2,600 supportive housing units are still vacant despite New York City's urgent housing crisis and despite Mayor Eric Adams' pledge to streamline the application process for these apartments, as first reported by the New York Times.
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Here’s what Rikers Island could look like as a green infrastructure hub

All renderings courtesy of Andrea Johnson for the Regional Plan Association

November 3, 2022

Here’s what Rikers Island could look like as a green infrastructure hub

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new report released this week details how New York City's notorious Rikers Island could become a green energy center after the prison complex closes. The Regional Plan Association and Rhode Island School of Design on Wednesday revealed their vision to transform the over 400-acre Rikers Island into a green energy hub with solar energy production, recycling and composting infrastructure, a research and training facility for the formerly incarcerated, and a wastewater treatment plant.
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Judge halts Elizabeth Street Garden-replacing senior housing development

Rendering courtesy of Curtis + Ginsberg Architects

November 2, 2022

Judge halts Elizabeth Street Garden-replacing senior housing development

By Devin Gannon

Long-stalled plans to build an affordable senior housing development at the Elizabeth Street Garden in Little Italy hit another roadblock this week. State Supreme Court Judge Debra James on Tuesday vacated and annulled the environmental impact statement for Haven Green, a 123-unit mixed-use rental for older New Yorkers approved by the City Council in 2019. While developers determined the building would not have a negative impact on the neighborhood's environment, the judge disagreed, ruling that "reduction in open space ratios is sufficient to indicate the presence of a significant adverse impact."
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Bushwick block with diverse 19th-century architectural styles may be landmarked

Streetview of 25-29 Linden Street © Google 2022

November 1, 2022

Bushwick block with diverse 19th-century architectural styles may be landmarked

By Aaron Ginsburg

A collection of rowhouses representing a variety of distinct architectural styles in Brooklyn may become the city's next historic district. The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday voted to calendar the Linden Street Historic District, which consists of a group of 32 intact brick and brownstone row houses in Bushwick. Located on Linden Street between Broadway and Bushwick Avenue, the rowhouses are designed in varying late-19th-century architectural styles that give them a distinct look and strong sense of place, according to the commission.
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Policy

Finalist proposals unveiled for new climate change center on Governors Island

Conceptual rendering of Proposal #1. Credit: Trust for Governors Island

October 27, 2022

Finalist proposals unveiled for new climate change center on Governors Island

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams and the Trust for Governors Island on Wednesday unveiled the three finalists for the city's global competition to design a state-of-the-art research institution on Governors Island dedicated to climate solutions. The so-called Center for Climate Solutions will create 7,000 permanent jobs, approximately $1 billion in economic impact, and develop innovative ways for New York City and the rest of the world to address the climate crisis, according to the city. The winning design team will be announced next year.
Details here

10 years after Superstorm Sandy: rebuilding, redesigning and rethinking New York City

Photo credit: Chris Ford via Flickr

October 27, 2022

10 years after Superstorm Sandy: rebuilding, redesigning and rethinking New York City

By Michelle Cohen

A decade ago, an Atlantic hurricane-turned-superstorm named Sandy caught ready-for-anything New York City completely off guard as it raged up the East Coast from the Caribbean to Canada. On October 29, 2012, the city was blindsided by an unanticipated storm surge that flooded streets and subway tunnels and cut power. It took some areas weeks to get the lights back on and, in the best of cases, open for business, and years to rebuild (an effort which is still ongoing). It goes without saying that the city would like this disaster to be the first and last of its kind, but predictions of future environmental impacts are front-page news daily. To that end, experts and innovators in architecture and engineering, government organizations, regulators, and planners have dedicated their efforts–and billions of dollars–to protect the city in a post-Sandy world. But what has really been accomplished–and is the city safer?
Storm clouds, silver linings, but few solutions

NYC businesses on car-free ‘Open Streets’ prospered during the pandemic, report says

Image courtesy of Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

October 25, 2022

NYC businesses on car-free ‘Open Streets’ prospered during the pandemic, report says

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City businesses on streets closed to cars under the Open Streets program reported better sales than those located on streets with car traffic, according to a new study. The city's Department of Transportation on Tuesday released a report that highlights for the first time the positive economic impact of the Open Streets program, which was established at the start of the pandemic as a way for New Yorkers to remain safe and later grew into a lifeline for restaurants and bars. According to the report, Open Streets saw more new businesses open during the pandemic, stronger sales, and a higher number of restaurants and bars stay open than on similar commercial corridors not participating in the program.
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MTA to reopen some subway station bathrooms early next year

Image via WikiCommons

October 25, 2022

MTA to reopen some subway station bathrooms early next year

By Aaron Ginsburg

Straphangers in need of relief will be happy to hear that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will begin reopening subway station restrooms in early 2023, as Streetsblog first reported on Monday. Thanks to the hiring of 800 new cleaners in recent months, public bathrooms at eight subway stations will reopen starting in January, with the transit agency gradually opening restrooms at additional stations. The subway system's 133 public restrooms across 69 stations have been closed since March 2020 because of the pandemic.
More here

Nearly 100 NYC streets will go car-free for safe trick-or-treating this Halloween

Photo courtesy of Marco on Flickr

October 24, 2022

Nearly 100 NYC streets will go car-free for safe trick-or-treating this Halloween

By Aaron Ginsburg

For the first time, dozens of New York City's "Open Streets" will expand operating hours on Halloween to make trick-or-treating safer for young New Yorkers. As part of the Department of Transportation's "Trick-or-Streets," nearly 100 streets, plazas, and other commercial corridors across the city will be closed to cars on October 31 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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Caesars Palace casino proposed for Times Square office tower

Photo by Andrae Ricketts on Unsplash

October 20, 2022

Caesars Palace casino proposed for Times Square office tower

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's bustling entertainment hub may soon welcome a casino. Developer SL Green and Caesars Entertainment on Thursday announced plans to pursue a gaming license for a potential Caesars Palace casino in the heart of Times Square at 1515 Broadway, a 54-story office building. The bid comes after the state legislature in April approved up to three casinos to open in the New York City area.
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Here’s how to help asylum seekers in NYC

Photo of the humanitarian emergency response and relief center for asylum seekers on Randall’s Island courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 19, 2022

Here’s how to help asylum seekers in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is currently experiencing a migrant crisis, with thousands of asylum seekers arriving in the city to take refuge from danger and lack of opportunity in their home countries. On Wednesday, the city opened its first outdoor shelter for asylum seekers on Randall's Island, seen as a temporary rest stop before they reach their next destination. In addition to shelter, newly arrived migrants are in need of basic necessities and clothing, especially winter coats and warmer apparel. Ahead, find organizations and community centers across the city accepting donations for asylum seekers.
Here's where you can donate

Policy

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