Policy

The City’s Department of Buildings has just released a new, interactive map that shows the location of all building construction projects that have been granted permits to proceed with work outside of normal business hours. These types of permits, known as an after-hours variance (AHV), apply to work taking place before 7 a.m., after 6 p.m., or anytime during the weekend. The DOB issued 18,866 AHV permits in 2018 and received 3,729 public complaints through the 311 system regarding construction work illegally performed after hours. The map will be updated daily and include links to further information about each project so that tenants have a way of confirming the status of construction projects on their block.
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Coast Guard bans Portal Bridge openings during rush hour to reduce Northeast Corridor delays

Photo by Ken on Flickr

October 16, 2019

Coast Guard bans Portal Bridge openings during rush hour to reduce Northeast Corridor delays

A 109-year-old swing bridge will no longer be the bain of commuters' existence. The United States Coast Guard agreed last week to permanently restrict when boats can pass under the Portal Bridge, which carries about 200,000 passengers daily to and from Penn Station via New Jersey Transit and Amtrak. The 1910 bridge's aging mechanics frequently malfunction while opening and closing for maritime traffic, causing hourslong delays, felt especially during rush hour.
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NY senator proposes tax relief program for New Yorkers who spend over 30 percent of income on rent

Image via Pexels

October 15, 2019

NY senator proposes tax relief program for New Yorkers who spend over 30 percent of income on rent

State Sen. Brian Benjamin has proposed a bill that aims to give New York renters a much-needed break. The Harlem Democrat's bill is modeled after the federal version proposed by Sen. Kamala Harris and would entitle lower-income tenants to a refundable tax credit if their rent and utilities account for a significant portion–over 30 percent–of their income, the Daily News reports.
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Cuomo announces state commission to build Mother Cabrini statue following ‘She Built NYC’ snub

Image via Governor Cuomo’s Flickr

October 14, 2019

Cuomo announces state commission to build Mother Cabrini statue following ‘She Built NYC’ snub

Despite garnering the most votes in a public poll, Mother Frances Cabrini will not be memorialized as part of the She Built NYC program run by First Lady Chirlane McCray. Controversy has followed the decision to not include Cabrini in recent days, with Mayor Bill de Blasio stepping in to suggest she would be a contender in future editions of the program during The Brian Lehrer Show last Friday. Gov. Andrew Cuomo responded by calling the decision an “affront” to the Italian-American community. During Monday's Columbus Day Parade, the governor announced a new state commission that will lead the creation of a separate memorial for Cabrini.
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WeWork’s private NYC elementary school, WeGrow, will close after current school year

Photo by Laurian Ghinitoiu courtesy of WeWork

October 14, 2019

WeWork’s private NYC elementary school, WeGrow, will close after current school year

Following a failed IPO and an impending takeover by Japanese parent company SoftBank amid an exodus of investors, office space sublease and coworking brand leader WeWork informed parents that the 2019-2020 school year would be the last for the newly-launched Manhattan elementary school, HuffPost reports. Rebekah Neumann, the co-founder of the company and wife of its recently-ousted CEO, Adam Neumann (and first cousin of Gwyneth Paltrow), had helmed the educational program for children ages three to nine, titled WeGrow, with a focus on education through play and interaction. The small New York City private school opened in 2018 with a tuition bill of between $22,000 and $42,000 a year. On the curriculum were yoga, dance and martial arts and weekly trips to an upstate farm to learn how to plant and harvest crops–in addition to fundamental courses, all with a heavy emphasis on creative expression and immersion in nature.
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Reports find open space falls short of key goals in Bushwick, Long Island City, and part of Staten Island

Photo via Joe Mabel / Wiki Commons

October 11, 2019

Reports find open space falls short of key goals in Bushwick, Long Island City, and part of Staten Island

New Yorkers for Parks has released three new Open Space Index reports, a series of in-depth “neighborhood snapshots” of parks and open space in Staten Island's Bay Street Corridor, Bushwick, and Long Island City. According to the reports, the Bay Street Corridor failed 11 of 14 open space goals, Bushwick failed 12 of 14, and Long Island City failed 11 of 14. The goals factor in characteristics including the total amount of open space, access, tree canopy, and overall maintenance. According to the City’s own standards, all of the neighborhoods lack sufficient open space and what does exist is often hard to get to or improperly maintained.
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Policy

Completed report announced following East Side Coastal Resiliency Project consultant review

Preliminary design of Corlears shared use path; via DDC.

October 11, 2019

Completed report announced following East Side Coastal Resiliency Project consultant review

Borough President Gale A. Brewer and Council Member Carlina Rivera announced Thursday the completed report by independent consulting firm Deltares on the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR). As 6sqft previously reported, the project was first developed in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and is intended to protect 2.2 miles of Manhattan’s East Side, between East 25th Street and Montgomery Street, from flooding and improve access to waterfront space. According to the city, the ESCR project would protect over 110,000 New Yorkers in the area.
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The East River prison barge, intended to be temporary, draws ire amid plans to close Rikers

Photo via Wiki Commons

October 10, 2019

The East River prison barge, intended to be temporary, draws ire amid plans to close Rikers

The Vernon C. Bain Center, an 800-capacity floating jail in the East River, costs $24 million a year to operate and was supposed to be permanently shut down decades ago. Opened in 1992 to help with an overcrowded prison system due in part to the crack epidemic, the 625-foot-long motorless barge has been docked along New York City's shoreline since then, the New York Times reports. And as the city plans to shut down Rikers Island, overhaul the criminal justice system, and create more humane jails with fewer inmates, advocates say the barge has to go. The city has pledged to close the facility once the City Council votes on the prison reform plan; both Rikers and Bain would close by 2026.
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Policy

Names of celebrities and wealthy New Yorkers buying condos under LLCs could be disclosed

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October 9, 2019

Names of celebrities and wealthy New Yorkers buying condos under LLCs could be disclosed

The names of some wealthy property owners in New York City will soon be made public under a new state law signed last month by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. In response to reports of illegal home conversions in Rockland County, state lawmakers drafted a bill to prevent buyers from purchasing homes through limited-liability companies. The new law requires the name and address of each member of the LLC for both buyers and sellers in New York State. According to the Wall Street Journal, the change in law may affect buyers of Manhattan real estate who wish to remain undisclosed.
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Policy

MTA report says subway speeds should be increased by 50 percent

By Dana Schulz

In June, Governor Cuomo advocated for an MTA task force that would specifically address issues related to subway speeds. After an initial analysis, the Speed and Safety Task Force found that subways in 2019 were running slower than they did 20 years ago due in large part to a flawed signal system and deficient posting of speed limits. Using that information, the Task Force released this week its preliminary findings, which note that "train speeds could be increased by as much as 50 percent" if these issues are fixed.
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Climate change research center proposed for Governors Island

Photo by Michael Vadon on Flickr

October 7, 2019

Climate change research center proposed for Governors Island

A research center dedicated to climate change could open on Governors Island, the New York Times reported on Sunday. The city is seeking proposals for a "major center for climate adaptation research, commercialization, conversation, and policymaking," to be built on the southern portion of the island, according to documents obtained by the Times. The city has looked to transform Governors Island into a 24/7 community since taking over control of the 172-acre site from the federal government in 2003.
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Policy

Uber Copter launches $200 helicopter rides from Manhattan to JFK

Photo via Neo_II / Flickr cc

October 3, 2019

Uber Copter launches $200 helicopter rides from Manhattan to JFK

By Dana Schulz

As of today, New Yorkers who want to get to JFK Airport as quickly as possible can do so via a private helicopter ride. In an email sent out to customers today, Uber Technologies announced the full launch of Uber Copter, a helicopter that you can book via the app that will take you from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport to JFK for $200-$225. The program opened on July 9th, but now any Uber member can book a chopper on weekday afternoons between 1pm and 6pm. Though you'll need to get to/from the heliport in lower Manhattan and your terminal, the flight itself is only eight minutes.
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NYPD will now monitor homeless New Yorkers 24/7 at some subway stations: report

Photo by arvind grover on Flickr

October 3, 2019

NYPD will now monitor homeless New Yorkers 24/7 at some subway stations: report

The city's police department has launched a new surveillance system to keep an eye on homeless New Yorkers at more than 10 subway stations, THE CITY reported on Thursday. NYPD officers will watch feeds from more than 100 live cameras that show views from stations and platforms in order to respond to "quality-of-life and public safety concerns," the city announced in August. The monitoring program comes as part of a city and state effort to address homelessness in the subways.
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Policy

City is heavily-subsidizing ferry rides for white, wealthy New Yorkers

Image © 6sqft

October 1, 2019

City is heavily-subsidizing ferry rides for white, wealthy New Yorkers

A majority of New York City Ferry riders are white and wealthy, the Daily News reported on Monday. According to a survey conducted by the city's Economic Development Corporation, which operates the ferry system alongside Hornblower, more than 60 percent of NYC Ferry riders are white with an average annual income between $75,000 and $99,000. In March, a study from the Citizens Budget Commission found the NYC Ferry costs the city $10.73 per rider, about 10 times that of subway subsidies.
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Hyperloop that could get you from NYC to DC in 30 minutes gains steam

Image of the Hyperloop pod at a test site in Las Vegas; courtesy of Virgin Hyperloop

October 1, 2019

Hyperloop that could get you from NYC to DC in 30 minutes gains steam

Over the past few months, Virgin Hyperloop One has been bringing its XP-1 test Pod on a cross-country roadshow, allowing residents in cities that may adopt the technology to learn more about the project and its progress. They made a stop at Rockefeller Plaza last Friday, as the New York Post reported, giving visitors a glimpse inside the 20-foot vessel that may one day get passengers from NYC to Washington DC in just 30 minutes.
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DOT plans to roll out 14th Street ‘busway’ this week after judges give the stalled project a green light

Image via Oran Viriyincy / Flickr

September 30, 2019

DOT plans to roll out 14th Street ‘busway’ this week after judges give the stalled project a green light

It looks like the 14th Street busway will finally roll out this week following a court ruling on Friday. As Streetsblog reported, a panel of judges from New York State Supreme Court's Appellate Division voted 3-2 to overturn an August 9th ruling that blocked the city from starting the pilot program. Not long after Friday's order was handed down, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Department of Transportation confirmed plans to begin implementing the busway on Thursday, October 3.
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Report suggests looking to zoning to speed up subway accessibility; map shows which lines lag

Photo via Carl Mikoy / Flickr cc

September 30, 2019

Report suggests looking to zoning to speed up subway accessibility; map shows which lines lag

Despite recent progress–and a federal lawsuit–only 23 percent of New York City's 493 subway and Staten Island Railway (SIR) stations are fully ADA-accessible, a statistic which puts the city dead last among the country’s 10 largest metro systems for accessibility of its transit stations. The MTA has made a commitment to funding accessibility in its much-discussed Capital Plan, but hundreds of stations are still without without plans for ADA access. On Friday Speaker Corey Johnson and the City Council released a report showing that the use of zoning tools to incentivize or require private development projects to address subway station access could speed up progress toward the goal of system-wide ADA access–and simultaneously cut public expense. The report, and an interactive map, show the current system, future plans and what the use of zoning tools could accomplish.
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The new year will bring toll and fare hikes for NY-NJ bridges and tunnels

Image via alvaroreguly / Flickr

September 27, 2019

The new year will bring toll and fare hikes for NY-NJ bridges and tunnels

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey voted to increase tolls and fares on Hudson River bridges and tunnels, paving the way for a costlier commute between New Jersey and New York. The agency also imposed fees on taxis and for-hire vehicles at the area's major airports and raised fares on the JFK and Newark AirTrain. The new tolls on bridges and tunnels will go into effect on January 5, 2020, the Wall Street Journal reports.
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MTA board approves $51.5B capital plan, largest in the agency’s history

Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr cc

September 26, 2019

MTA board approves $51.5B capital plan, largest in the agency’s history

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board on Wednesday approved its largest capital plan ever, with a $51.5 billion investment in the city's transit system. The 2020-2024 capital plan will invest a whopping $40 billion in subway and buses alone, which includes fully funding the long-awaited second phase of the Second Avenue Subway. In phase two, three new subway stations will be built with the Q train extending to East Harlem.
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City’s Gowanus Canal cleanup plan gets squashed by Trump’s EPA

Photo by Danny Navarro / Flickr cc

September 25, 2019

City’s Gowanus Canal cleanup plan gets squashed by Trump’s EPA

By Dana Schulz

Photo by Danny Navarro / Flickr cc Since taking office, Donald Trump and his administration have been proposing cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that would decrease funding for the cleanup of the Gowanus Canal. Declared a federal Superfund site in 2010, the Canal has a major issue with combined sewer overflow (CSO), which occurs when heavy rainfall overtaxes the sewer system and causes stormwater runoff and wastewater to empty into the waterway. As Brooklyn Eagle reports, the city's proposal to mitigate this issue was to "replace two [CSO] retention tanks holding 8 and 4 million gallons with a 16 million-gallon CSO tunnel running beneath the upper portion of the canal." However, in a letter obtained by the Eagle, Trump EPA appointee Pete Lopez said that they would instead install two large retention tanks along the Canal walls.
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Policy

As Hart Island nears capacity, city seeks new public cemetery sites

Photo by cisc1970 on Flickr

September 25, 2019

As Hart Island nears capacity, city seeks new public cemetery sites

The city is looking for land to build a new public cemetery for residents who were unclaimed or unable to afford a burial. The city's Human Resources Administration on Tuesday issued a request for information (RFI) from private burial companies to develop ideas for new cemeteries, citing concerns over the lack of space on Hart Island, land located off the Bronx where more than one million people have been buried since the Civil War. The RFI comes as the City Council recently finalized a package of bills to reform the Island, as well as the city's process for public burials.
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Policy

Image via Wiki Commons

September 24, 2019

Owner of The Strand Book Store will challenge landmark status in court

Following a City Council Land Use Committee vote on Monday that confirmed the landmark designation of The Strand, store owner Nancy Bass Wyden said she will sue the city. Wyden has been staunchly opposed to the designation since the building at 826 Broadway was first calendered, citing concerns about costly construction and renovation work that could force her out of the business her grandfather started 92 years ago. Wyden will sue the Landmarks Preservation Commission in Manhattan Federal Court "to start," according to the Daily News, who spoke with her lawyer, Alex Urbelis. Politicians "picked the wrong bookstore and they certainly picked the wrong woman,” Urbelis said.
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Policy

$139M street repair and infrastructure upgrade project kicks off in Far Rockaway

Rendering of Mott and Central Avenues next to the planned new public library, courtesy of NYCEDC

September 23, 2019

$139M street repair and infrastructure upgrade project kicks off in Far Rockaway

About 25 blocks of Downtown Far Rockaway will soon see major changes as the Queens neighborhood gears up for one its largest infrastructure project in decades. Construction will kick off this week on a $139 million plan to revamp the area's streets, pedestrian space, and stormwater drainage, city officials announced Wednesday. The project, expected to take three years to complete, falls under the city's Far Rockaway rezoning plan, which was approved in 2017.
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Policy

Image courtesy of Urban Archive.

September 20, 2019

Urban Archive’s new History Crush feature lets you swipe right on your favorite images of NYC’s past