Policy

May 29, 2025

4, 5, and G subway lines to get expanded cell service

More subway riders will soon no longer have to wait until their train reaches the next station to get cell service. During the MTA’s monthly committee meetings on Wednesday, CEO and Chair Janno Lieber announced that 5G coverage will be added to the 4 and 5 train tunnels between Bowling Green in Manhattan and Borough Hall. Expanded service is also planned for the G line between Court Square and Hoyt-Schermerhorn. Both projects are expected to be completed within one to two years, according to Lieber.
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4,600 new homes coming to Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights after NYC Council approves Atlantic Ave rezoning

Rendering of Atlantic Avenue’s improved, and safer streets, courtesy of DCP

May 29, 2025

4,600 new homes coming to Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights after NYC Council approves Atlantic Ave rezoning

By Aaron Ginsburg

Thousands of new homes will be built along a largely industrial stretch of Atlantic Avenue in Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights. The New York City Council on Wednesday voted to approve the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, which rezones 21 blocks to allow for 4,600 apartments, including 1,900 permanently affordable units, more affordable housing than has been constructed in the area over the last decade. The plan also comes with $235 million in community investments, park renovations, and infrastructure upgrades.
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Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from ending congestion pricing

Credit: André Eusébio on Unsplash

May 28, 2025

Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from ending congestion pricing

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has scored a legal win against the Trump administration as the battle over congestion pricing continues. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman issued a temporary restraining order on Tuesday blocking the administration from withholding federal funding for New York transit projects, which it had threatened if the MTA didn’t end the program by May 28. Liman ruled that the federal government cannot withhold any funding until the MTA’s lawsuit over the toll program is resolved.
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NYC wants to turn vacant lots into public parks and playgrounds

Greenacre Park in Midtown is one of the city’s most famous pocket parks. Opened in 1971, the park was pieced together from three lots and includes a 25-foot-high waterfall. Photo by Jim.henderson on Wikimedia

May 28, 2025

NYC wants to turn vacant lots into public parks and playgrounds

By Aaron Ginsburg

Vacant lots across New York City could soon become lush green spaces. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced plans to transform underutilized and abandoned lots into parks, playgrounds, and green space in neighborhoods lacking open public space. The $30 million proposal includes going through the city's uniform land use review procedure (ULURP) to allow for multiple locations in a neighborhood to be reviewed in one application. Earlier this month, the Parks Department submitted applications for 44 sites in the first two community districts identified, Brooklyn Community District 5 and Queens Community District 3.
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Policy

Rent Guidelines Board revotes on rent hikes for NYC’s stabilized apartments, lowers range for two-year leases

Credit: Tyler Donaghy on Unsplash

May 27, 2025

Rent Guidelines Board revotes on rent hikes for NYC’s stabilized apartments, lowers range for two-year leases

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Rent Guidelines Board on Tuesday voted to lower the range of potential rent hikes for New York City's one million stabilized apartments. In a rare redo, the board revised its preliminary range of increases for two-year leases to between 3.75 percent and 7.75 percent, down from the 4.75 percent and 7.75 percent range approved on April 30. All other proposed guidelines, including for one-year leases, remain the same.
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Policy

NYC expands reservation-only Rockaway ferry service this summer, hikes price

Rockway Line NYC Ferry. Photo: Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office on Flickr

May 22, 2025

NYC expands reservation-only Rockaway ferry service this summer, hikes price

By Aaron Ginsburg

Riding the New York City ferry to the beach will be easier this summer, but it’ll cost more. NYC Ferry and the city's Economic Development Corporation on Wednesday announced plans to expand the popular "Rockaway Rocket" and "Rockaway Reserve" programs, offering more reserved seats at a new price of $12 per ticket, up from $10. The expanded service will let beachgoers reserve spots on the crowded ferries in advance, a response to rising demand as the city's public beaches saw 11.6 million visitors in 2024—an increase of over 230,000 people from the previous year, according to the city's Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC).
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Central Park launches new Ranger Corps to encourage better public behavior

Credit: Central Park Conservancy

May 22, 2025

Central Park launches new Ranger Corps to encourage better public behavior

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new team of park rangers has been patrolling Central Park for the past six weeks, helping visitors and ensuring the beloved green space remains safe, clean, and welcoming. Managed by the Central Park Conservancy, the Ranger Corps has been on duty since early spring, addressing visitor concerns and quality-of-life issues, including noise complaints, illegal vending, assisting unhoused individuals, reuniting lost children with their families, and more.
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Policy

Adams announces $250M more for Fifth Avenue redesign plan

Images by Field Operations, courtesy of City Hall

May 21, 2025

Adams announces $250M more for Fifth Avenue redesign plan

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is investing another $250 million to transform Fifth Avenue into a pedestrian-centric corridor. Mayor Eric Adams announced the new funding on Wednesday, bringing the total investment in the project to $400 million, including $152 million the city had previously committed. Focused on the stretch between Central Park and Bryant Park, the Fifth Avenue redesign will reduce traffic lanes from five to three, nearly double the width of sidewalks, shorten crosswalks, and add more than 230 trees, as well as new seating and improved lighting.
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NYC unveils plan for dedicated busway on 34th Street

Images courtesy of NYC DOT

May 21, 2025

NYC unveils plan for dedicated busway on 34th Street

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City plans to transform a busy stretch of 34th Street in Manhattan into a busway to improve sluggish crosstown commutes. The Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled plans for a dedicated lane along 34th Street between Third and Ninth Avenues for buses, trucks, and emergency vehicles, which could boost speeds by up to 15 percent for the more than two dozen bus routes that use the corridor. Modeled after the successful 14th Street busway, the plan would still permit other vehicles to enter but require them to make the next available legal turn off the street.
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Breuer Building gets landmarked before Sotheby’s opens headquarters

Photo courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

May 21, 2025

Breuer Building gets landmarked before Sotheby’s opens headquarters

By Devin Gannon

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission voted on Tuesday to designate the Breuer Building on the Upper East Side as an individual and interior landmark, protecting the Brutalist icon before auction house Sotheby's opens its global headquarters there. Designed by innovative architect Marcel Breuer, the building at 945 Madison Avenue was home to the Whitney Museum of American Art from 1966 to 2014. Sotheby's acquired the building in 2023; Herzog & de Meuron are currently leading a renovation and restoration of the space.
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Related drops casino from Hudson Yards plan, but keeps proposal for 4,000 new homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

Related Companies is dropping the casino from its project proposed for the undeveloped section of Hudson Yards, the developer announced Monday. In partnership with Wynn Resorts, Related previously pitched a $12 billion mixed-use development anchored by a casino, dubbed "Hudson Yards West," as part of its bid for one of the state's three downstate gaming licenses. Due to opposition from the community and local elected officials, Related and Wynn announced they would no longer pursue a gaming license. However, the developer plans to move forward with a plan to build 4,000 apartments, nearly 50 percent of which will be affordable under a tentative agreement with the Adams administration.
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Policy

Hazardous section of Jacob Riis beach will stay closed this summer

Credit: Steven Pisano on Flickr

May 20, 2025

Hazardous section of Jacob Riis beach will stay closed this summer

By Aaron Ginsburg

Parts of Jacob Riis Park in the Rockaways will remain closed this summer due to unsafe conditions. Bays 1 through 5 of the beach, labeled "extremely hazardous" by the National Park Service, have experienced years of erosion, with nearly century-old wooden pilings and rockwork now exposed along the shoreline, as first reported by Gothamist.
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Policy

Officials begin investigation into Brooklyn Bridge ship crash

Mayor Eric Adams visited the Mexican Navy tall ship after it collided with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday. Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 19, 2025

Officials begin investigation into Brooklyn Bridge ship crash

By Devin Gannon

New York and federal officials have begun an investigation into why a Mexican Navy ship crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday. About five minutes after the Cuauhtémoc left Pier 17 with the intention of traveling south, the vessel drifted in the wrong direction and its soaring masts struck the iconic 142-year-old structure. The accident left two sailors dead and more than a dozen crew members injured. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that a "multidisciplinary" team is conducting a safety investigation.
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Policy

NJ Transit strike ends, service to resume Tuesday

Photo by James Petts on Flickr

May 19, 2025

NJ Transit strike ends, service to resume Tuesday

By Aaron Ginsburg

NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) reached a tentative agreement on Sunday, ending the first strike at the agency in 42 years. Regular weekday train service will resume on Tuesday, May 20, giving workers a day to inspect and prepare tracks and rail cars. The strike began on Friday when 450 unionized workers walked off the job over engineers' wages. While details of the agreement have not been released, Gov. Phil Murphy called the contract settlement "fair and fiscally responsible" with a "generous wage increase" for union members.
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CityPickle unveils plan for huge pickleball hub under the Brooklyn Bridge

Renderings courtesy of CityPickle

May 16, 2025

CityPickle unveils plan for huge pickleball hub under the Brooklyn Bridge

By Aaron Ginsburg

CityPickle on Friday released its plan to transform two parking lots beneath the Brooklyn Bridge in Dumbo into a pickleball hub. The project, slated for Anchorage Plaza—an area under the bridge between Old Fulton and Washington Streets—takes up 60,000 square feet and features 11 pickleball courts, food trucks, green space with planters, games, seating, shaded areas, bike racks, and space for community programming. CityPickle was selected by the city’s Parks Department last June to revitalize the underused space, which will operate from March through November.
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May 15, 2025

MTA proposes 684-unit development above future Second Avenue Subway terminus in East Harlem

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority wants to rezone a block in East Harlem to allow for a nearly 700-unit residential building above the future terminus of the Second Avenue Subway. The MTA filed plans on Tuesday to rezone the south side of East 125th Street between Third and Lexington Avenues, where the station for the last stop on the Q line will eventually open as part of the Second Avenue Subway extension. As first reported by Crain's, the MTA plans to partner with a private developer to build an apartment tower with up to 684 units on the block's west side, an MTA-owned property.
details here

NJ Transit strike: The best travel alternatives for getting to NYC

NJ Transit gated off the concourse at Penn Station as a result of the strike. Photo © 6sqft

May 14, 2025

NJ Transit strike: The best travel alternatives for getting to NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

NJ Transit engineers are now on strike for the first time in more than 40 years, impacting commutes for hundreds of thousands of residents. According to the New York Times, about 450 unionized workers went on strike on Friday as the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and NJ Transit failed to reach a long-delayed contract agreement. The engineers' demands include pay parity with engineers at nearby commuter railroads. With no train service as of Friday morning, here’s how you can still get to New York City from the Garden State.
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Queensboro Bridge to open separate paths for cyclists and pedestrians

Credit: David Wilson on Flickr

May 13, 2025

Queensboro Bridge to open separate paths for cyclists and pedestrians

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Queensboro Bridge will finally have separate paths for cyclists and pedestrians, starting this weekend. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced that the bridge’s north outer roadway is now a dedicated bike lane and the south outer roadway, a pedestrian-only path. Originally announced in 2021, the project was expected to open in March, but was abruptly delayed by the mayor, who required a "full briefing" before the path could open, as Streetsblog reported.
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Adams allocates $52M to replace West Village rec center in proposed budget

Tony Dapolito Recreation Center. Tdorante10 via Wikimedia Commons

May 12, 2025

Adams allocates $52M to replace West Village rec center in proposed budget

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams is allocating $51.8 million to rebuild a beloved, but run-down, recreation center in the West Village. The 100-year-old Tony Dapolito Recreation Center has been closed since 2019 due to significant structural issues, including foundation damage. Under his proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, Adams includes funding for the Parks Department to demolish the existing building on Clarkson Street and construct a modern facility across the street as part of a new mixed-use development.
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A train service to the Rockaways will resume this month

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

May 9, 2025

A train service to the Rockaways will resume this month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Just in time for summer, A train service to the Rockaways will resume later this month following a four-month shutdown. On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that regular service will return on May 19, restoring subway access for the more than 9,000 daily commuters who travel in and out of the Rockaways. The shutdown, which began in January, allowed the agency to strengthen infrastructure against extreme weather and repair viaducts and bridges damaged during Hurricane Sandy.
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NYC officials predict 17 percent drop in international tourists due to Trump policies

Photo by Lerone Pieters on Pexels

May 9, 2025

NYC officials predict 17 percent drop in international tourists due to Trump policies

By Devin Gannon

After a strong tourism year in 2024 when New York City saw nearly 65 million visitors, the second highest figure in the city's history, officials predicted an even better 2025. Last year, New York City Tourism + Conventions projected the five boroughs would make almost a full economic and tourist recovery from the pandemic. And then President Donald Trump took office. With the administration's tariffs, detainment of immigrants, and threats to Canada's sovereignty, the city revised its forecast to reflect a 17 percent drop in international travelers this year.
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Policy

Updated plan for Broadway Junction redevelopment adds 1,000 affordable homes

Images courtesy of Totem

May 9, 2025

Updated plan for Broadway Junction redevelopment adds 1,000 affordable homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

A plan to redevelop a two-acre site around the Broadway Junction transit hub has been revised to increase the number of affordable homes from 600 to 1,000. After nearly 100 public meetings, developer Totem on Thursday released an updated version of its proposal to rezone the East New York site into Herkimer-Williams, a mixed-use project with four buildings along four blocks, containing housing, retail, community space, and open space. The revisions include more affordable housing, community-led retail, reduced building heights, and less office space.
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72-story tower with 1,200 apartments proposed to replace Downtown Brooklyn ‘eyesore’

Rendering courtesy of Binyan Studio and TenBerke Architects

May 7, 2025

72-story tower with 1,200 apartments proposed to replace Downtown Brooklyn ‘eyesore’

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City wants to redevelop an outdated office building in Downtown Brooklyn to make way for a 72-story mixed-use tower with over 1,000 units. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is looking to rezone the commercial building at 395 Flatbush Avenue Extension to allow for a new skyscraper with 1,263 apartments, as first reported by The Real Deal. The existing 350,000-square-foot building—a Verizon call center—was called "one of the biggest eyesores in Downtown Brooklyn" by Brownstoner for its homely architecture. The proposed tower will be the second-tallest in the borough, after The Brooklyn Tower.
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Policy

City landmarks duplex apartment in Paul Rudolph’s Modulightor Building

Exterior photo courtesy of the Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture; interior photo courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

May 6, 2025

City landmarks duplex apartment in Paul Rudolph’s Modulightor Building

By Aaron Ginsburg

The duplex apartment inside Paul Rudolph’s iconic Modulightor Building in Midtown East is officially a New York City landmark. On Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously to designate the third- and fourth-floor residence at 246 East 58th Street as an interior landmark, citing the significance of its "complex, multi-layered interior." With the designation of the Modulightor Building as an individual landmark in December 2023, the interior and exterior of the building are now both protected.
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NYC to install panic buttons at 500 bodegas

Credit: Robinson Greig on Unsplash

May 5, 2025

NYC to install panic buttons at 500 bodegas

By Aaron Ginsburg

Hundreds of bodegas across New York City will soon be outfitted with emergency "panic buttons" designed to alert police during emergencies in real time. On Sunday, Mayor Eric Adams announced $1.6 million in funding for "SilentShields," discreet devices to be installed in bodegas located in "high-crime areas," connecting directly to the NYPD’s central command to cut down response times. The initiative comes just days after a man was fatally stabbed inside a Harlem bodega and follows years of advocacy by the United Bodegas of America (UBA), which has long called for the devices, according to Gothamist.
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