Policy

As New York struggles with basic maintenance, global cities build cheaper, better infrastructure

Construction workers giving a tour of the Second Avenue subway; photo via the MTA on Flickr

February 6, 2018

As New York struggles with basic maintenance, global cities build cheaper, better infrastructure

By Devin Gannon

The exorbitant construction costs of building transit projects, coupled with project delays, could make the New York region lose jobs and businesses to other global cities that are completing transit projects in a more timely, and economical, fashion. A report released on Tuesday from the Regional Plan Association (RPA) says high-costs and delays are ingrained in every part of the public-project delivery, including too-long environmental reviews, inaccurate project budgets and timelines and a lack of communication with labor unions. In their report, the RPA analyzed three projects and their costs and delivery issues: the Second Avenue Subway, East Side Access and the extension of the 7-train.
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State risks $14M in road and highway funding for keeping flashy ‘I Love NY’ signs

Big blue signs, similar to this one, decorate the sides of New York’s highways; photo via Wikimedia

February 2, 2018

State risks $14M in road and highway funding for keeping flashy ‘I Love NY’ signs

By Devin Gannon

Despite demands from the federal government for over two years to remove the "I Love NY" highway signs, Gov. Andrew Cuomo refused to comply. Now, the state of New York could lose up to $14 million in federal funding for not taking down the more than 500 big blue signs found along the state's highways, considered to be distracting to drivers. According to the New York Times, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) first raised concerns in 2011 when the signs were still an abstract idea. The state installed them anyway.
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Proposed congestion pricing in Manhattan would have little impact on commuters, study says

Photo via joiseyshowaa on Flickr

January 30, 2018

Proposed congestion pricing in Manhattan would have little impact on commuters, study says

By Devin Gannon

When Gov. Andrew Cuomo's task force, Fix NYC, released its congestion pricing plan last week, critics were quick to say the fees would most burden commuters who live outside the city and drive into Manhattan for work. However, a new report from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign found that less than 4 percent of residents in most districts commute by car into proposed congestion zones. In their report, the transportation research group analyzed the community patterns by looking at state Senate and Assembly districts; they found that a majority of commuters rely on mass transit, rather than cars, to commute.
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RPA report calls for more affordable housing in wealthy, job-rich NYC neighborhoods

Map courtesy of RPA

January 30, 2018

RPA report calls for more affordable housing in wealthy, job-rich NYC neighborhoods

By Devin Gannon

To solve New York City's housing and homelessness crisis, more affordable housing should be built in high-rise neighborhoods which have the infrastructure and amenities to support it, the Regional Plan Association (RPA) said in a report released Monday. In order to build more developments in areas of all incomes, RPA says a 67-year-old state law that prohibits residential buildings larger than 12 times their lot size needs to be repealed. Passed by the state in 1961, the law caps residential floor area ratio (FAR) at 12.0. The report calls for lifting the cap to give communities more of a voice in the creation of mixed-income housing, as well as allow for expensive neighborhoods to diversify and expand affordability.
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Report: Airbnb listings removed up to 13,500 long-term rentals in NYC over past three years

Photo courtesy of Airbnb

January 30, 2018

Report: Airbnb listings removed up to 13,500 long-term rentals in NYC over past three years

By Devin Gannon

Airbnb is responsible for the loss of between 7,000 and 13,500 long-term rental units in New York City while increasing the median long-term rent in the city by $380 a year, says a new report from McGill University. The study, commissioned by the union Hotel Trades Council, also found 87 percent of entire-home reservations are considered illegal under state law (h/t Politico NY). Mayor Bill de Blasio last year announced his plan to expand the city's Office of Special Enforcement to crack down on illegal short-term rentals; it is illegal for NYC landlords to rent entire apartments for fewer than 30 days.
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Union Square tech hubbub heats up ahead of public review date with mayor’s latest rezoning bid

Rendering via NYCEDC

January 30, 2018

Union Square tech hubbub heats up ahead of public review date with mayor’s latest rezoning bid

By Michelle Cohen

In what may be shaping up to be one of New York City's biggest preservation battles of the coming year, Mayor Bill de Blasio's application Monday for a rezoning in order to move forward with a proposed tech hub at 124 East 14th Street in Union Square led neighborhood preservation and affordable housing groups to escalate cries of protest. Community organizations, including the Cooper Square Committee and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), restated the urgent need for assurance that rezoning would come with protections for the adjacent residential neighborhood. Preservationists fear the creation of a new "Silicon Alley" near Union Square will bring rent hikes and more condo and office towers. The proposed tech center, which the mayor hopes will nurture budding entrepreneurs in the technology field and bring over 600 jobs to New Yorkers, is planned at the site of a P.C. Richard & Son store, in an area already filled with new developments with more on the way.
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To fund MTA projects, Cuomo calls for a tax increase on properties near the subway

Second Avenue Subway station, courtesy of Governor Cuomo’s Flickr

January 29, 2018

To fund MTA projects, Cuomo calls for a tax increase on properties near the subway

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed FY 2019 budget, released earlier this month, calls on New York City to increase its funding to the cash-strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority, forcing the city to pay half of the authority's $836 million emergency action plan. Another provision in the governor's proposal allows the MTA to create special "transit improvement" districts and impose higher taxes on property owners in these areas in order to raise money for subway repairs and projects. According to the New York Times, the governor's plan, known as "value capture," would apply to future projects that would cost over $100 million. Like most issues involving both state and city cooperation, this proposal has continued the rift over MTA funding between the governor and Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has already expressed disapproval of the plan.
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City selects de Blasio donors to build pair of towers on NYCHA property in Boerum Hill

Rendering of 120 3rd Avenue via Aufgang Architects

January 26, 2018

City selects de Blasio donors to build pair of towers on NYCHA property in Boerum Hill

By Devin Gannon

The city announced on Thursday their selection of two developers, Arker Companies and Two Trees Management, to build two 16-story apartment towers on parking lots at Wyckoff Gardens, a New York City Housing Authority property in Brooklyn. However, according to the Daily News, the owners of both companies have raised a total of $124,600 for Mayor Bill de Blasio, bringing into question the influence of donations on the city's choice of the two developers.
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City taps Perkins Eastman to study designs for Rikers Island replacements

Photo of Rikers Island courtesy of Wikimedia

January 26, 2018

City taps Perkins Eastman to study designs for Rikers Island replacements

By Devin Gannon

New York City has awarded architecture firm Perkins Eastman a $7.6 million contract to study where to build jails that would eventually replace those on Rikers Island, the Wall Street Journal reported. The firm will have ten months to propose locations for new jails while looking into whether existing jails could be expanded. Mayor Bill de Blasio in June released his plan to close Rikers over the next ten years, focusing first on significantly lowering the number of inmates.
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Policy

MTA funding dispute postpones $200M of Cuomo’s subway stations renovations

R211 subway car prototype © MTA/Flickr

January 25, 2018

MTA funding dispute postpones $200M of Cuomo’s subway stations renovations

By Devin Gannon

The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday delayed a vote on construction contracts to renovate two stations in the Bronx and six in Manhattan after MTA members, appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, objected. The contracts fall under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $1 billion plan to outfit 33 subway stations with countdown clocks, LED lighting, USB ports and other amenities. The board's city representatives questioned why so much money was being put towards unnecessary, cosmetic improvements at stations that are in decent condition already, instead of funding signal and track repairs. As the New York Times reported, the decision to postpone the vote has ramped up the public dispute between de Blasio and Cuomo over MTA funding.
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Popular Articles

De Blasio joins group of mayors in Washington to talk infrastructure with Trump

Photo via Wikimedia

January 24, 2018

De Blasio joins group of mayors in Washington to talk infrastructure with Trump

By Devin Gannon

Editor's Note: Although City Hall previously said the mayor would meet with Trump, on Wednesday he tweeted: "I will NOT be attending today’s meeting at the White House after @realDonaldTrump’s Department of Justice decided to renew their racist assault on our immigrant communities. It doesn’t make us safer and it violates America’s core values." Mayor Bill de Blasio will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday, the first meeting between the two since the president's inauguration. De Blasio, along with the rest of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, will discuss infrastructure funding with Trump, who is expected to release his long-awaited plan this month. During his campaign, the president pledged to introduce a $1 trillion proposal in his first 100 days in office, later changing the deadline to the third quarter. The White House claimed a detailed infrastructure plan would be released in early January (h/t Daily News).
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After seven years, Landmarks approves controversial Canal Street apartment building

Revised Design for 312-322 Canal Street courtesy of Paul A. Castrucci Architects

January 23, 2018

After seven years, Landmarks approves controversial Canal Street apartment building

By Devin Gannon

For Trans World Equities and Paul A. Castrucci Architects, the third time is truly the charm. Nearly seven years after they first proposed a plan to replace a row of five buildings at 312-322 Canal Street with a residential building, the Landmarks Preservation Commission officially approved on Tuesday the duo's revised design. The updated plan reduces the height of the building from nine to seven stories and mutes the color of the facade from a bright-red brick to terracotta. During the developer's third presentation for LPC, the commissioners said the building's rhythm and height will now fit better with the district, according to CityRealty.
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De Blasio administration falls short of pledge to open 20 homeless shelters in 2017

Photo via Wikimedia

January 23, 2018

De Blasio administration falls short of pledge to open 20 homeless shelters in 2017

By Devin Gannon

In 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration opened just 10 out of the 20 shelters planned for New York City under an initiative aimed at curbing the city's growing homelessness crisis. Last February, the city unveiled its "Turning the Tide on Homelessness" plan that included opening 90 shelters over five years, with about 20 shelters each in 2017 and 2018. But, according to the New York Times, the city fell short of its target last year, opening just half the number of shelters planned due to delays in the permit process, time-consuming negotiations with nonprofits that run the shelters and backlash from the community and public officials. Under de Blasio, the homeless population has grown. When the mayor took office in 2014, about 68,000 New Yorkers were without homes. Today, roughly 77,000 people are considered homeless in NYC, with 3,900 on the street, the largest homeless population in the U.S.
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WeWork will open its office spaces to graduate students seeking online degrees

Photo via pixabay

January 22, 2018

WeWork will open its office spaces to graduate students seeking online degrees

By Devin Gannon

The co-working company WeWork made headlines in November for announcing its plan to open a private elementary school in New York City designed for "conscious entrepreneurship." Now, the company has an idea to appeal to a slightly older market: graduate students. According to Bloomberg, WeWork will partner with 2U Inc., an online education provider, to give students seeking an online graduate degree access to any of the co-working offices, with the ability to rent conference rooms for study groups and enjoy the fast WiFi.
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Policy

Cuomo says New York will pay $65K per day to keep Statue of Liberty open during shutdown

Photo of the Statue of Liberty courtesy of the NPS

January 22, 2018

Cuomo says New York will pay $65K per day to keep Statue of Liberty open during shutdown

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday said the state of New York will pay $65,000 per day to reopen the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island during the ongoing federal government shutdown, which forced the park to close over the weekend. Cuomo said the state made an agreement with the Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, to keep New York Harbor's landmark open. The government closed midnight on Saturday after Republican and Democrats in Congress failed to pass an appropriations bill. "The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom and opportunity for all, and it is a gross injustice that this administration's dysfunction caused it to shut down," Cuomo said. "When this administration tries to deport immigrants, when they close down the Statue of Liberty, they are attacking who we are."
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Policy

Here is what might temporarily close in New York City if the government shuts down

Federal Hall, photo courtesy of Wikimedia

January 19, 2018

Here is what might temporarily close in New York City if the government shuts down

By Devin Gannon

If you're an out-of-towner planning a classic, tourist-attraction-filled trip to New York City soon, you may want to rethink your visit. The U.S. government might be headed toward a shutdown, with its funding set to expire by midnight Friday. Although it's not totally clear yet what will be affected in NYC, the last government shutdown in 2013, which lasted 16 days, temporarily closed national parks and a few federally-funded museums citywide. While there's a chance the national parks and museums might choose to stay open, ahead find which ones might be affected in the event of a government shutdown.
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Under proposed congestion plan, driving a car into Manhattan will cost $11.52

Photo courtesy of Davide Gabino’s Flickr

January 19, 2018

Under proposed congestion plan, driving a car into Manhattan will cost $11.52

By Devin Gannon

Drivers entering the busiest areas of Manhattan might soon be required to pay $11.52 per trip under a congestion pricing plan expected to be released by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday. According to the New York Times, the proposal comes from an advisory panel "Fix NYC," a group assembled by the governor to explore ways to reduce congestion and also fund the city's strapped-for-cash transit system. Under the proposal, trucks would pay $25.34 and taxis would see a surcharge of $2 to $5 per ride if entering the "pricing zone," which would run south of 60th Street. Cuomo first introduced the idea of a congestion pricing plan to fund the MTA's transit repairs in August, after declaring the subway in a state of emergency earlier that summer.
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New York City’s first crosstown bike lanes proposed for Midtown

Photo via Wikimedia

January 18, 2018

New York City’s first crosstown bike lanes proposed for Midtown

By Devin Gannon

Crosstown protected bike lanes may finally come to Manhattan's Midtown neighborhood, the first of its kind in New York City. The city's Department of Transportation presented on Wednesday a series of proposals to create bike lanes that stretch from the East River to the Hudson River, traveling east to west instead of north to south. The first two protected lanes are proposed to run east on 26th Street and west on 29th Street, where an existing lane will be replaced. Officials are also looking to add a lane moving west on 55th Street and east on 52nd Street. DOT's move to add more protected bike lanes in Midtown comes after the city experienced an increase in the number of cyclist deaths in 2017, despite it being the safest year on record for traffic fatalities.
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New York City, Newark officially contenders for Amazon’s HQ2

Photo courtesy of Robert Scoble’s Flickr

January 18, 2018

New York City, Newark officially contenders for Amazon’s HQ2

By Devin Gannon

Amazon announced on Thursday it narrowed its list of potential cities for its second headquarters to 20, with New York City and Newark as candidates. The tech giant said it received 238 proposals, evaluating each based on the criteria outlined in their RFP and then selecting cities to move on to the next phase. The 20 chosen cities will now work with Amazon to provide any additional information needed, with the company expected to make a decision in 2018 about where its HQ2 will land.
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Policy

City to open homeless shelter adjacent to One57 on Billionaires’ Row

Image © 6sqft

January 18, 2018

City to open homeless shelter adjacent to One57 on Billionaires’ Row

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to open a new homeless shelter for 150 single adult men on Manhattan's Billionaires' Row, part of the city's initiative to open 90 new shelters over the next five years. According to the New York Post, a former hotel at 158 West 58th Street, the Park Savoy, will be converted into the shelter and open in March. The Central Park South building sits behind One57, a supertall known for the city's most expensive residential sale ever: a penthouse that sold for $100 million in 2015.
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Policy

Cuomo’s proposed MTA budget requires more funding from New York City

Photo of Cuomo via the governor’s Flickr

January 17, 2018

Cuomo’s proposed MTA budget requires more funding from New York City

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled on Tuesday his proposed $168 billion FY 2019 executive budget, aimed mostly at raising revenue and protecting New York taxpayers from future federal cuts with a possible restructuring of the state's tax code. “Washington hit a button and launched an economic missile and it says ‘New York’ on it, and it’s headed our way,” Cuomo said. “You know what my recommendation is? Get out of the way.” While the governor's budget clearly targets President Trump and his administration, it appears to impose more financial responsibility on Mayor Bill de Blasio as well, according to Politico New York. The budget includes three provisions that require the city to increase their funding of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, including making City Hall pay half of the authority's $836 million emergency action plan. So far, de Blasio has refused to provide any additional funds to the MTA.
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Could legalizing marijuana be the state’s solution to fixing the NYC subway?

Photo via Dan Phiffer’s Flickr

January 16, 2018

Could legalizing marijuana be the state’s solution to fixing the NYC subway?

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to present the state legislature this week with ways to fund the financially troubled Metropolitan Transportation Authority. On Tuesday, he released his $168 billion budget proposal for the fiscal year 2019, which includes a proposal for charging vehicles for driving in the busiest areas of Manhattan during peak hours, with the money raised going to mass transit. According to the Daily News, a Republican gubernatorial candidate has a different idea. Joel Giambra, a former Erie County executive who announced his bid for governor last week, said he wants to legalize marijuana to fund the city's desperately-needed transit repairs.
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New York City secured 24,500 affordable housing units last year, setting new record

Photo courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

January 16, 2018

New York City secured 24,500 affordable housing units last year, setting new record

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday announced another record-breaking affordable housing milestone: the city financed more than 24,500 affordable homes in 2017, the highest number in nearly three decades. Over the past four years, the de Blasio administration has created or preserved more than 87,500 affordable housing units, on pace to meet the city's goal of 300,000 units by 2026. Under "Housing New York 2.0," which the mayor unveiled in October, 25,000 affordable apartments will be secured each year until 2021. About half of the homes are set aside for individuals making $33,400 annually or $43,000 annually for a family of three.
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After funding lawsuit against Pier55 offshore park, Durst joins board of Hudson River Park Trust

Rendering via Pier55, Inc

January 16, 2018

After funding lawsuit against Pier55 offshore park, Durst joins board of Hudson River Park Trust

By Devin Gannon

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer appointed Douglas Durst on Friday to the board of the Hudson River Park Trust, a group he has frequently criticized over their proposed Pier55 project. Durst admitted last year to funding a lawsuit to stop the trust's plan for an off-shore park on the Hudson River. While billionaire businessman Barry Diller, who is funding the $250 million project, halted construction in September, the plan was restored a month later, with pressure and financial help from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Brewer told Crain's that Durst didn't volunteer, she asked him to join the board. "I think he loves the park," she said.
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City decides to keep controversial statue of Christopher Columbus

Photo via Creative Commons

January 12, 2018

City decides to keep controversial statue of Christopher Columbus

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday plans to keep the contentious Christopher Columbus memorial at Columbus Circle, following a 90-day review of the city's monuments and markets by a mayoral advisory commission. Although the statue will stay put at its Upper West Side location, the city plans to add new historical markers to explain the history of Columbus and also commission a new monument to honor Indigenous peoples. The statue of Theodore Roosevelt in front of the American Museum of Natural History and the plaque memorializing Henri Philippe Pétain in Lower Manhattan will also not be removed or relocated, but more information and context will be added to them.
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