Policy

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

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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

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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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Replacement approved for iconic Watchtower sign in Brooklyn Heights

Via Wikimedia

November 9, 2018

Replacement approved for iconic Watchtower sign in Brooklyn Heights

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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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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

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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.
More here
Amazon’s HQ2 could be headed to Long Island City

Via CityRealty

November 6, 2018

Amazon’s HQ2 could be headed to Long Island City

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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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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

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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.
More here
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

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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'
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

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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.
More here
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

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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.
More here
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

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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?
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

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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.
More here
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

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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.
More this way
Salted fish, puppet shows, and spitting: Strange ways to break the law in NYC

Via WNYC/Flickr

October 22, 2018

Salted fish, puppet shows, and spitting: Strange ways to break the law in NYC

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New York may be known around the world as a city where anything goes, but in fact, the NYC is home to a long list of unusual, and in some cases, archaic laws that suggest the opposite may hold true. Most of these laws—with the exception of those concerning postering—are not readily enforced, but they are technically still on the books. As for the consequences of breaking some of the city’s more peculiar laws, they run the gamut from small fines of $25 to jail time up to thirty days.
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Newark and NYC appear to be favored for Amazon’s HQ2 site

Photo via Robert Scoble on Flickr

October 22, 2018

Newark and NYC appear to be favored for Amazon’s HQ2 site

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The hunt for Amazon's second headquarters is still on, more than a year after the company first announced its plan for HQ2. The tech-giant has narrowed its list of potential cities from over 200 to 20, with Newark and New York City both making the cut. Amazon executives recently revisited both of the cities, as well as others like Chicago and Miami, making it seem like the company favors an urban area, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
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Developers of controversial Two Bridges towers pitch $55M in transit and open space improvements

Via Handel Architects

October 18, 2018

Developers of controversial Two Bridges towers pitch $55M in transit and open space improvements

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During a City Planning Commission hearing on Wednesday, local residents and officials of the Two Bridges community voiced their strong opposition to four towers planned for the Lower Manhattan neighborhood. Those who testified against the buildings questioned the developer's draft environmental impact study (DEIS), which found the projects would not cause displacement, amNY reported. Developers also announced measures to mitigate the potential adverse effects on the neighborhood, which include upgrading the F train station at East Broadway, improving public parks, and implementing flood protection measures.
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Cuomo tours Hudson River tunnel to expose severe damage and calls on Trump for funding

Photo courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office on Flickr

October 18, 2018

Cuomo tours Hudson River tunnel to expose severe damage and calls on Trump for funding

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans on sending video footage of the damaged tunnel under the Hudson River to Washington to show why federal funds are necessary for the repair project. On late Wednesday night, Cuomo toured the century-old tunnel that was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy and called on President Donald Trump to fund the Gateway Tunnel Project, which includes fixing the existing tunnel and constructing a new tunnel under the river. While President Barack Obama had pledged to split the cost of the $30 billion project, the Trump administration has said it won't contribute federal funds.
See the damage
Trump name finally gets dumped from Upper West Side apartment building at residents’ request

Photo via Nick Normal’s Flickr

October 18, 2018

Trump name finally gets dumped from Upper West Side apartment building at residents’ request

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In May, after a year of resistance from the Trump Organization, a judge ruled that an Upper West Side condo could have the president’s name expunged from the exterior of their 46-story building. Condo owners at 200 Riverside Boulevard voted to remove the bronze letters spelling “TRUMP” on the building, where they have hung for nearly two decades. Today they get their wish as their building joins three neighboring ones in dumping the Trump sign, the New York Times reports. Workers will remove the offending letters from the front and rear facades of 200 Riverside Boulevard; the building will become known merely by its address, like so many others in the city.
Find out how they did it
To boost travel from Southeast Asia, NYC tourism agency opens new office in Singapore

Via Wikimedia

October 16, 2018

To boost travel from Southeast Asia, NYC tourism agency opens new office in Singapore

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New York City is looking to attract more tourists from the Southeast Asian region. NYC & Company, the official tourism agency for the five boroughs, announced on Tuesday plans to open a satellite office in Singapore, to stipulate travel from countries like Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand to the Big Apple. The announcement comes after Singapore Airlines launched this month an 18-hour flight between Newark and Singapore, now considered the longest non-stop flight in the world. According to amNY, this outpost will be NYC & Company's 17th satellite office.
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New coalition forms to push for LaGuardia AirTrain
October 11, 2018

New coalition forms to push for LaGuardia AirTrain

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More than a dozen organizations have joined together to form A Better Way to LGA in support of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport (AirTrain LGA). Comprised of community members, economic development groups, transportation advocates, unionized labor, civic stakeholders, and local business leader, the coalition beleives that it is essential to create a viable transit alternative for LaGuardia Airport travelers and workers. The coalition is co-chaired by the Queens Chamber of Commerce, the Association for a Better New York, and the New York Building Congress. The group emphasized in a press release announcing their launch that LaGuardia is the only major East Coast airport without a direct rail connection, despite the fact that LaGuardia Airport is currently undergoing an $8 billion complete renovation.
Why ride the train?
City will spend $250M+ connecting and greening 32 miles of Manhattan waterfront

Concept rendering of Harlem River Greenway Link view toward RFK Bridge.

October 11, 2018

City will spend $250M+ connecting and greening 32 miles of Manhattan waterfront

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The NYCEDC, the NYC Parks department and NYC DOT announced today the results of a study on how to close the 32-mile loop of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway along with plans to invest over $250 million to get the project started in Inwood, Harlem, East Harlem and Midtown. The Manhattan Waterfront Greenway announcement outlines a strategy for connecting open waterfront spaces that total over 1,000 acres that will add about 15 acres of quality open space and integrate the Greenway into surrounding neighborhoods.
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Governor Cuomo says controversial Columbus monument will get historic listing

Photos via Public Domain Pictures and Flickr cc

October 9, 2018

Governor Cuomo says controversial Columbus monument will get historic listing

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Photos via Public Domain Pictures and Flickr cc Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday that New York City's Central Park-adjacent monument to Christopher Columbus has been listed on the State Register of Historic Places by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation. Cuomo also recommended the 76-foot rostral column statue, erected in 1892 by the city's Italian-American community, for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The statue was the subject of controversy earlier this year after violent white supremacist groups in Charlottesville, Virgina protested the city’s plan to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee. Mayor Bill De Blasio announced the statue would remain, following a 90-day review of the city’s monuments by a mayoral advisory commission.
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As it creates new fashion hub in Midtown, the city still pegs Sunset Park as next garment district

Image via Wally Gobetz/Flickr CC

October 4, 2018

As it creates new fashion hub in Midtown, the city still pegs Sunset Park as next garment district

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The city is looking to partner with a nonprofit to buy a building in the Garment District that would become a new hub for fashion businesses. The New York City Economic Development Corporation on Thursday released a request for expressions of interest (RFEI) seeking realtors who want to work with the city to acquire a Midtown property, the Commercial Observer first reported. While the city is looking to preserve Midtown's Garment District, primed for a rezoning, at the same time, it is still luring apparel makers and other manufacturers to Sunset Park in Brooklyn.
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Lower East Side Coastal Resiliency Project will get fast-tracked with an updated design

A previous rendering by Bjarke Ingels Group of ESCR, courtesy of the Mayor’s Office of Recovery & Resiliency

October 1, 2018

Lower East Side Coastal Resiliency Project will get fast-tracked with an updated design

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In July, Rebuild by Design released an RFP for a stewardship partner for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR), a  reconstruction of the 64-acre, 1.5-mile East River Park, a flood protection system conceived in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. ESCR is the first of three phases in Bjarke Ingels' Big U, a series of self-sufficient flood zones stretching from West 57th to East 42nd Streets. Under the city's new mandate, construction on ESCR, which spans the loop from Montgomery Street on the Lower East Side to East 25th Street, will begin in spring 2020. Roughly 70 percent of the design will be updated, allowing flood protection to be in place one year earlier, by summer 2023, with the entire project wrapping up six months sooner. According to a press release from the Mayor's Office, the updated $1.45 billion design will also "raise the entire East River Park, with the flood wall at the water’s edge integrated with the bulkhead and esplanade that does not obstruct views to the water."
More details on the updated plan
Port Authority approves $355M project to rehab JFK runway and add a ‘high-speed taxiway’

Photo via Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

September 28, 2018

Port Authority approves $355M project to rehab JFK runway and add a ‘high-speed taxiway’

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The Port Authority's Board of Commissioners approved on Friday a $355 million plan to rehabilitate a key runway at John F. Kennedy Airport and add a new high-speed taxiway. The 10,000-foot-long runway, or 13L-31R, that will get the revamp handles nearly half of all planes arriving at JFK. This runway, one of four at the airport, will close between April and the end of 2019.
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