Policy

MTA says 500,000 daily fare evaders are to blame for budget deficit

Image via WNYC

December 4, 2018

MTA says 500,000 daily fare evaders are to blame for budget deficit

By Devin Gannon

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday said it expects to lose roughly $215 million this year from fare evasion on the city's subways and buses. Nearly 500,000 people daily are not paying to ride, according to a study conducted by the MTA, contributing to the agency's already massive deficit. At a meeting to discuss the issue, NYC Transit President Andy Byford told reporters he intends to focus on both fixing services and stopping fare evasion, as the New York Times reported. "I think the most pressing priority for customers is that they want reliable regular service," Byford said. "But equally, I think New Yorkers would expect that everyone pay their way."
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NYC Council to grill city leaders on Amazon deal

November 30, 2018

NYC Council to grill city leaders on Amazon deal

By Devin Gannon

Citing concerns about the closed-door deal that drove Amazon to choose Long Island City as home for its second headquarters, the New York City Council announced it will host three hearings to question both city leaders and company exeuctives. Council Speaker Corey Johnson said the first hearing will take place on Dec. 12 to look at how the deal happened, as the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. "One of the major perversions of this is that was all done behind closed doors, with nondisclosure agreements, and without the public or elected officials who weren't including feeling like they had any say," Johnson told the WSJ.
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Policy

City scraps controversial plan for a new 40-story jail on top of the Manhattan marriage bureau

80 Centre Street via Wiki Commons

November 29, 2018

City scraps controversial plan for a new 40-story jail on top of the Manhattan marriage bureau

By Alexandra Alexa

On Wednesday, city officials announced that plans to build a 40-floor high-rise detention center at 80 Centre Street will not be moving forward, reports the Daily News. The site had been proposed earlier this year as part of a plan to close the jail at Rikers Island and relocate the inmate population to four local jails spread throughout the boroughs. The de Blasio administration cited logistical challenges associated with moving the current tenants, which include the Manhattan Marriage Bureau and offices of the Manhattan District Attorney, as reason for the decision.
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Policy

Trump ‘receptive’ to Gateway project, but still no funding agreement reached

Via Gov. Cuomo’s office on Flickr

November 29, 2018

Trump ‘receptive’ to Gateway project, but still no funding agreement reached

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo called his meeting with President Donald Trump "productive," despite not reaching an agreement about the funding of a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River. The two Queens natives met for lunch at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the Gateway project, a plan to fix an existing train tunnel and build a new one, construct two new bridges, and expand Penn Station, estimated to cost $30 billion. "I think it's fair to say the president was receptive to what we were talking about," Cuomo said. But there is no timeline for the project, as the governor noted. "So we are nowhere right now," Cuomo told reporters. "There is no clock ticking because there is no clock."
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Cuomo to meet with Trump over funding for Gateway Tunnel project

Cuomo touring the tunnel in October; photo via governor’s office on Flickr

November 28, 2018

Cuomo to meet with Trump over funding for Gateway Tunnel project

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday to discuss funding for the Gateway Tunnel Project, a plan which would fix an existing rail tunnel and build a new one under the Hudson River between New Jersey and New York City. In October, Cuomo sent the president a video of the severely damaged, century-old tunnel and called on the Trump administration to fund their share of the project, which is estimated to cost $30 billion. "The Federal Government poses many challenges for the State of New York but one of the top priorities is to replace the Gateway tunnels," Cuomo said in a statement. "These tunnels are Federally owned by the Amtrak Corporation and must be replaced."
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Long Island City advocates want to obtain a city-owned building before Amazon takes over

Department of Education facilities via Google Earth

November 26, 2018

Long Island City advocates want to obtain a city-owned building before Amazon takes over

By Devin Gannon

Long Island City advocates are requesting ownership of a city-owned building that sits on land soon to be developed by Amazon for its second headquarters, as the Wall Street Journal first reported. The sprawling, block-long structure at 44-36 Vernon Boulevard currently houses offices related to the city's Department of Education along with over 1,000 staff members. For the past three years, local residents have asked for the building to be turned into a community facility. With all eyes on Long Island City due to Amazon's impending move there, advocates believe this is their last chance for the community to take over the property.
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Policy

Starting in January, it will cost $5.80 just to sit in a yellow cab in parts of Manhattan

November 21, 2018

Starting in January, it will cost $5.80 just to sit in a yellow cab in parts of Manhattan

By Devin Gannon

Under the state's new congestion pricing measure, starting in January it will cost $5.80 to get into a yellow cab in the most congested sections of Manhattan. Approved by state lawmakers earlier this year, the surcharge on for-hire vehicles affects all rides between Lower Manhattan and 96th Street during the busiest times of the day. But drivers of yellow cabs worry the fee will affect them more than app-based ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, which can mask the surcharge by tweaking trip costs (h/t WSJ).
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NYCHA will turn over 62,000 apartments to private developers for repair work

November 20, 2018

NYCHA will turn over 62,000 apartments to private developers for repair work

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Housing Authority will turn over 62,000 apartments to private developers as a way to provide necessary repairs to the units, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday. Through a public-private partnership, via the Rental Assistance Demonstration program (RAD), all units will be converted into Section 8 and remain permanently affordable. Renovations, which will cost nearly $13 billion, include new kitchens and bathrooms, improved common spaces, and replacing windows, boilers, roofs, and elevators. About 142,000 New Yorkers across the developments will benefit from the repair work.
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First look at the glassy rooftop addition Bjarke Ingels is planning for the Lord & Taylor building

November 19, 2018

First look at the glassy rooftop addition Bjarke Ingels is planning for the Lord & Taylor building

By Devin Gannon

As 6sqft reported earlier this month, Bjarke Ingels' restoration of the landmarked Lord & Taylor building won't alter the design of the original structure all that much. But one major update the Bjarke Ingels Group will bring to the 104-year Fifth Avenue department store includes a new roof terrace with multi-use areas and a glassy courtyard. The firm's proposal, set to be presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday, reveals a new rendering of the rooftop as well as plans to change the iconic store's signage.
Design updates here

Buyers of all-cash LLC purchases above $300K in NYC must be disclosed, under updated rule

November 19, 2018

Buyers of all-cash LLC purchases above $300K in NYC must be disclosed, under updated rule

By Chava Gourarie

A federal program designed to root out dirty money in real estate was drastically expanded Thursday, and will now apply to even more cash-deals in more cities. As of last week, all real estate purchases made through a limited liability company at or above $300,000 in 12 metropolitan area will be subject to the disclosure rules, known as the Geographic Targeting Orders, including New York City. The threshold previously varied across cities, starting at $3 million in Manhattan and $1.5 million in the city's other four boroughs, as first reported by the Real Deal. Virtual currency deals are now subject to the disclosure rules as well.
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Popular Articles

Plan for 1,500 units of affordable housing in LIC at risk as Amazon gets ready to move there

Rendering of Plaxall’s proposed, but not yet approved, mixed-use LIC project courtesy of WXY architecture + urban design

November 16, 2018

Plan for 1,500 units of affordable housing in LIC at risk as Amazon gets ready to move there

By Devin Gannon

A plan to create 1,500 units of affordable housing in the Anable Basin area of Long Island City will most likely be scrapped, as Amazon prepares to open its headquarters on that same land, Politico reported. Amazon announced this week plans to bring its second headquarters to the Queens neighborhood on land currently owned by plastics company Plaxall, as well as some parcels owned by New York City. Previous plans from Plaxall and the city, who hired developer TF Cornerstone to build a mixed-use campus at the site, called for 1,250 and 250 units of affordable housing, respectively. But an Amazon spokesperson told Politico there will be no housing at its new complex.
Amazon in, affordable housing out

Service cuts and fare hikes proposed as MTA faces major budget crisis

Via Roman Kruglov on Flickr

November 16, 2018

Service cuts and fare hikes proposed as MTA faces major budget crisis

By Devin Gannon

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in July said it would face a budget gap of $634 million in 2022. Turns out, it will actually be much worse than that. The transit authority on Thursday rolled out its proposed 2019 budget and four-year financial plan, which now projects the budget deficit to climb to a staggering $991 million in four years. With this major budget crisis brewing, the MTA announced two new options for fare and toll increases in 2019 and possible service cuts, all while service deteriorates and ridership drops (h/t WSJ).
More on the fare hike here

MTA approves discounted MetroCards for 7- and 30-day passes only

Via Ged Carroll on Flickr

November 14, 2018

MTA approves discounted MetroCards for 7- and 30-day passes only

By Devin Gannon

Reduced MetroCards are coming to New York City in January, but the discounts only apply to weekly and monthly passes. New details about the Fair Fares program, which was officially included in the city budget in June, were released on Tuesday during an MTA board meeting. According to meeting minutes, the MTA will not be providing single trip discounts when the program kicks off next year. Instead, low-income New Yorkers who are living at or below the federal poverty level, or a household income of $25,000 for a family of four, can buy half-off 7-day or 30-day passes.
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A move to Long Island City could allow Amazon to reap nearly $1B in city tax breaks

November 12, 2018

A move to Long Island City could allow Amazon to reap nearly $1B in city tax breaks

By Chava Gourarie

The state of New York is keeping the incentives it used to woo Amazon under wraps, but even without those benefits, an existing tax program could work in Amazon's favor -- to the tune of almost $1 billion. After a highly publicized search, the tech giant is nearing a deal to locate half of its new headquarters in Long Island City. And as The Real Deal explains, that move means Amazon will qualify for the city’s Relocation and Employment Assistance Program (REAP), which offers employers a $3,000 credit per employee per year for 12 years if they move their business into the outer boroughs and certain parts of Upper Manhattan. With Amazon’s projected workforce of 25,000, that would mean a total credit of $900 million.
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Policy

Replacement approved for iconic Watchtower sign in Brooklyn Heights

November 9, 2018

Replacement approved for iconic Watchtower sign in Brooklyn Heights

By Devin Gannon

The city's Board of Standards and Appeals voted on Thursday to allow for a replacement of the iconic 'Watchtower' sign in Brooklyn Heights, which was taken down last December. The 15-foot-tall red sign had sat atop the building, which served as the headquarters for the Jehovah's Witnesses, for nearly 50 years. The religious group sold the site at 25-30 Columbia Heights to the Columbia Heights Associates in 2016 and soon after the letters were removed, leaving its framework intact. While originally the Department of Buildings said the sign could not be replaced, the group of developers filed an appeal and won the right to put up new signage in the Brooklyn skyline, as the New York Post reported.
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Policy

Will a Democratic House help green-light the $30B Gateway tunnel project?

November 8, 2018

Will a Democratic House help green-light the $30B Gateway tunnel project?

By Michelle Cohen

As Politico reports, supporters of what many consider the region's most crucial infrastructure project are cautiously optimistic for the project’s future for the first time since President Trump nixed federal funding. The massive project involves fixing the existing tunnel and constructing a new tunnel under the Hudson River.
Are changes afoot?

Amazon looking at proposed Anable Basin mixed-use site for new home in Long Island City

Rendering courtesy of WXY architecture + urban design

November 7, 2018

Amazon looking at proposed Anable Basin mixed-use site for new home in Long Island City

By Devin Gannon

With Amazon nearing a deal to make Long Island City home to its second headquarters, a big question remains: Where in the Queens neighborhood will the tech-giant house its 25,000 employees? One possible location sits within a waterfront area known as Anable Basin, named for a 150-year-old inlet, sources familiar with the plan told Politico New York. As 6sqft reported last November, the family-owned plastics company Plaxall, who owns the site, proposed a massive rezoning of the area that would allow for 335,000 square feet for industrial spaces, nearly 5,000 housing units, and a new public school.
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Amazon’s HQ2 could be headed to Long Island City

November 6, 2018

Amazon’s HQ2 could be headed to Long Island City

By Devin Gannon

Amazon is close to naming Long Island City home to its second headquarters, following a competitive, yearlong search by the tech giant. The company is reportedly splitting "HQ2" between two locations, with the other being Crystal City, Virginia, a suburb outside of Washington, D.C, according to the New York Times. The news comes less than a week after New York City announced plans to invest $180 million in the infrastructure of the evolving Queens neighborhood.
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Policy

New York City to launch affordable co-living pilot program

The Collective Old Oak in West London

November 1, 2018

New York City to launch affordable co-living pilot program

By Devin Gannon

On the heels of London-based housing brand The Collective's announcement to bring a huge, co-living community to Brooklyn, the city of New York announced on Thursday plans to get involved with the growing housing trend. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development said it will launch a pilot program that lets developers seek public financing in exchange for creating affordable, shared-housing developments, the New York Times reported.
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In just three weeks, over 35,000 NYCHA residents have already experienced heat outages

Image via Wikimedia

October 26, 2018

In just three weeks, over 35,000 NYCHA residents have already experienced heat outages

By Michelle Cohen

Only three weeks into to the "heat season" when temperatures dip low enough for the heat to kick in, Gothamist reports that more than 35,000 people living in NYCHA housing have been left without heat and hot water. The Legal Aid Society has tracked unplanned outages on four separate occasions since the beginning of October and found that 35,475 residents have been affected by outages.
'A terrible start to heat season'

Policy

MTA’s five-year spending plan could double to $60B

Via Roman Kruglov Flickr

October 26, 2018

MTA’s five-year spending plan could double to $60B

By Devin Gannon

Fixing the Metro Area's mass transit system may cost $60 billion in a five-year spending plan, Politico New York reported this week. The capital spending plan includes system-wide repairs for the subway, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, and the bridges and tunnels overseen by the authority. This updated price tag is nearly double the MTA's existing five-year plan of roughly $33 billion.
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Lin-Manuel Miranda joins effort to encourage travel between NYC and Puerto Rico

La Perla in San Juan; photo courtesy of Discover Puerto Rico

October 24, 2018

Lin-Manuel Miranda joins effort to encourage travel between NYC and Puerto Rico

By Devin Gannon

The tourism agencies of New York City and Puerto Rico are teaming up to boost travel between the two places. At an event on Tuesday hosted by Lin-Manuel Miranda, NYC & Company and Discover Puerto Rico signed a one-year alliance to encourage "reciprocal travel," with a new advertising campaign and swapping of marketing tips. Miranda is also bringing his award-winning show "Hamilton" to the island from January 8 to January 27 at the Univesity of Puerto Rico's San Juan campus. All proceeds from the engagement will go toward an art fund on the island founded by Miranda.
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With $450M invested, Staten Island’s New York Wheel is a no go

October 23, 2018

With $450M invested, Staten Island’s New York Wheel is a no go

By Michelle Cohen

Staten Island’s New York Wheel project, SIAdvance reports, is dead. Cristyne Nicholas, a spokesperson for the project, has announced that the would-be world’s tallest Ferris wheel, dreamed up to anchor the redevelopment of the borough’s North Shore, will never be a reality. “After years of planning, the developers of The New York Wheel announce, with great disappointment, that the dream of building a world class attraction in Staten Island will unfortunately not come to fruition," Nicholas said. Construction on the privately-funded project that has been in the works for over half a decade was halted in May of 2017. $450 million had already been invested in the 630-foot Ferris wheel, which was originally scheduled to open in October of 2016. The total cost of the project was estimated at nearly $1 billion.
So what happened?

Policy

Amazon to open a cashier-less convenience store at Brookfield Place

Amazon Go in Seattle via Wikipedia

October 23, 2018

Amazon to open a cashier-less convenience store at Brookfield Place

By Devin Gannon

Amazon will open its first cashier-less store in New York City in Battery Park City, Recode reported on Monday. Amazon Go is like a futuristic convenience store, offering ready-to-eat meals and groceries without having to wait in line. According to the company, "Just Walk Out Technology" is used, which automatically keeps tracks of products taken or returned via a virtual cart. With no lines or checkout, once you find an item you want, you can just leave.
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Policy

MTA will add 1,000 new roundtrips each week during the L train shutdown

Via Dan Phiffer Flickr

October 22, 2018

MTA will add 1,000 new roundtrips each week during the L train shutdown

By Devin Gannon

During the L train shutdown, 1,000 new alternate roundtrips will be added every week, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Starting in April, extra service will be added to the A, E, F, J, Z, M, and G lines, NBC reported. The L train will not run between 8th Avenue and Bedford Avenue for 15 months while the Carnarsie Tunnel, heavily damaged by Hurricane Sandy, is repaired. About 275,000 of the L train's 400,000 daily riders are expected to be affected by the temporary shut down.
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