Policy

NYC Council approves East Bronx rezoning that will add 7,000 new homes

An illustration of the rezoning’s potential effects along Eastchester Road. Image courtesy of DCP.

August 16, 2024

NYC Council approves East Bronx rezoning that will add 7,000 new homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council on Thursday approved a major rezoning that will bring thousands of homes and $500 million in investments to the East Bronx. The Bronx Metro-North Station Area Plan targets 46 blocks around four new Metro-North stations planned for Co-op City, Hunts Point, Morris Park, and Parkchester/Van Nest. The rezoning, which includes over a million square feet of commercial space and retail space, and 10,000 new permanent jobs, is the first approved under Mayor Eric Adams.
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Scaffolding costs Manhattan businesses $9.5K in monthly revenue, study finds

Photo courtesy of Billie Grace Ward on Flickr

August 15, 2024

Scaffolding costs Manhattan businesses $9.5K in monthly revenue, study finds

By Aaron Ginsburg

Scaffolding and sidewalk sheds cost Manhattan businesses up to $10,000 in monthly revenue. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday released a study conducted in collaboration with Mastercard that found cardholders spend between $3,900 and $9,500 less every month at Manhattan businesses covered by scaffolding and sidewalk sheds. Restaurants and bars are hit the hardest, with a 3.5 to 9.7 percent decrease in weekly transactions during the six months following the construction of sidewalk sheds.
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Policy

NJ lawmaker calls for riders to get refunds for Amtrak, NJ Transit delays

NJ Transit hall in Penn Station. Photo by Chris Rycroft on Flickr.

August 15, 2024

NJ lawmaker calls for riders to get refunds for Amtrak, NJ Transit delays

By Aaron Ginsburg

A New Jersey official wants Amtrak and NJ Transit to refund riders when their travel plans are delayed or canceled. NJ Rep. Josh Gottheimer on Monday introduced the All Aboard Act, which includes a "Rail Passenger Bill of Rights" that guarantees refunds to riders experiencing transit disruptions, as reported by Gothamist. If passed, the legislation would require the rail company to invest in improving maintenance issues and service times. In the meantime, Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday announced NJ Transit trains and buses will be free for one week at the end of August to thank commuters for putting up with a summer of service problems.
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How hot is your NYC bus stop? A new report reveals the city’s most sweltering stops

A bus shelter on Fulton Street in Brooklyn. Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 14, 2024

How hot is your NYC bus stop? A new report reveals the city’s most sweltering stops

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's hottest bus stops are 14.5 degrees hotter than its coolest stops, with most of the sweltering stations found in low-income neighborhoods of color, according to a new report. Transportation Alternatives (TA) collaborated with NASA to analyze summer daytime temperatures at city bus stops using thermal heat imaging satellites. The study found that bus riders in Black, Latino, Asian, and high-poverty communities, particularly in Queens and the Bronx, experienced the warmest waits. The report identified 100 bus stops and three routes in need of intervention and recommended ways to cool them down.
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NYC is selling authentic ‘Cornelia Street’ signs

Image courtesy of NYC DOT

August 13, 2024

NYC is selling authentic ‘Cornelia Street’ signs

By Devin Gannon

Attention Swifties! New York City's Department of Transportation (DOT) is selling a limited number of authentic, commemorative Cornelia Street signs, as part of the agency's monthly "sign drops." Taylor Swift once rented a home on the Greenwich Village street and name-dropped the block in the 2019 song "Cornelia Street."
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NYC’s first Dominican arts and cultural center coming to Inwood

Gov. Kathy Hochul marches in the 2024 Dominican Day Parade. Photo credit: Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

August 12, 2024

NYC’s first Dominican arts and cultural center coming to Inwood

By Aaron Ginsburg

Upper Manhattan will soon be home to the city’s first-ever institution dedicated to the vibrant arts and culture of the Dominican Republic. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday announced $12.5 million in funding to help establish the Dominican Center for the Arts and Culture at 375 West 207th Street. The center will include a museum and exhibition space featuring Dominican artists, a theater space, a children's library, and an oral history and archives project preserving the cultural history of Inwood/Washington Heights, the most populous Dominican neighborhood in the country.
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Policy

NYC launches multi-agency taskforce to improve public safety on East 14th Street

1st Avenue and 14th Street. Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Wikimedia

August 9, 2024

NYC launches multi-agency taskforce to improve public safety on East 14th Street

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is launching a multi-agency initiative to crack down on crime and improve the quality of life along East 14th Street. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday introduced the "14th Street Community Improvement Coalition," a task force designed to address various public safety concerns along the East Village corridor, including illegal vending, theft, substance use, mental health crises, unlicensed cannabis shops, and more. To support these efforts, the NYPD will set up a $1 million mobile outpost on East 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A.
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Policy

These vibrant artworks will brighten up NYC scaffolding

Clockwise from top left: Ebony Bolt, “The Jungle and The City;” Lauren Camara, “Paper Stories;” Neko Jiang, “Hidden Forest;” Venazir “Hannah Martinez,” The Shaping of New York; “Annette Weintraub,” The Myrtle Walks; “Zazu Swistel,” The Urbanite’s Clinic For Decadence and Decay; “Nikki Scioscia,” Plant Walk; “Bayeté Ross Smith,” Our Kind of People. Image courtesy of DCLA

August 7, 2024

These vibrant artworks will brighten up NYC scaffolding

By Aaron Ginsburg

Unsightly scaffolding and sidewalk sheds in New York City are getting a makeover. The city unveiled eight pre-approved vibrant artworks available to building owners looking to transform the green eyesores into platforms for beautiful public art. Overseen by the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), the City Canvas program aims to improve the pedestrian experience and provide local artists an opportunity to display their work in prominent locations.
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NYC floating pool coming to the Lower East Side (eventually)

+ POOL, designed by Family New York & PLAYLAB, INC. Rendering by Luxigon.

August 7, 2024

NYC floating pool coming to the Lower East Side (eventually)

By Aaron Ginsburg

Plans to bring a self-filtering floating pool to the East River are taking a small step forward this month. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams named Pier 35 on the Lower East Side as the official location for the +POOL, a first-of-its-kind swimming pool that uses a unique filtration system to provide safe swimming. Thanks to joint funding from the city and state, a three-month water filtration demonstration project will begin this month. A prototype of the +POOL structure could be ready by the summer of 2025.
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Policy

Adams announces more funding to help NYC homeowners build accessory dwelling units

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 6, 2024

Adams announces more funding to help NYC homeowners build accessory dwelling units

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will expand a pilot program that helps homeowners build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on their properties. Mayor Eric Adams this week announced an additional $4 million in state funding for the pilot program "Plus One ADU," launched last November. With the additional funds, the program will provide $395,000 to up to 35 homeowners to build or convert an ADU on their property.
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Popular Articles

NYC outdoor dining to shrink by over 80 percent under new rules

Miss Lily’s on Avenue A in 2020. Credit: Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

August 5, 2024

NYC outdoor dining to shrink by over 80 percent under new rules

By Aaron Ginsburg

Outdoor dining as New Yorkers have come to know it might be over. New York City restaurants with roadway and sidewalk dining setups that did not apply for the city's new program by the August 3 deadline must now remove their structures, many of which have been in place since 2020. According to the Daily News, about 2,500 restaurants, or about 15 percent, of the roughly 13,000 restaurants that had utilized outdoor dining have applied to keep their al fresco seating. The huge decline in participants in the program, which helped keep restaurants in business during the pandemic, comes after the city approved new guidelines to make the program seasonal, requiring restaurants to disassemble and store the structure during the winter, in addition to new fees and design requirements.
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NYC Council loses lawsuit over housing voucher expansion

Photo courtesy of Boran Pang on Unsplash

August 2, 2024

NYC Council loses lawsuit over housing voucher expansion

By Aaron Ginsburg

A state judge on Thursday rejected a lawsuit from the New York City Council that sought to force Mayor Eric Adams to expand a housing voucher program. Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Lyle E. Frank on Thursday ruled the City Council lacks the legal authority to expand the program, a 2023 law originally vetoed by Adams, The City reported. The judge sided with Adams, stating the Council's bill was invalid, "preempted by the state's social services law," and the council had no authority to expand the program.
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NYC to extend lifeguard shifts during heat waves

Rockaway Beach. Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

July 31, 2024

NYC to extend lifeguard shifts during heat waves

By Devin Gannon

New York City will extend lifeguard shifts at public beaches during heat waves after a series of drownings this summer. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday said 66 lifeguards will be on call for emergencies until 8 p.m., two hours after beaches close, during extreme heat. Swimming will still not be permitted after 6 p.m. and lifeguards will not sit on the stands so they don't "give the false impression that the beaches are open and that it's safe to swim," Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi said.
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Policy

Second Avenue Subway work resumes after Hochul allocates $54M

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

July 30, 2024

Second Avenue Subway work resumes after Hochul allocates $54M

By Aaron Ginsburg

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday allocated $54 million to immediately restart work on the Second Avenue Subway extension, which will bring the Q train from 96th Street to 125th Street in East Harlem. The new funding allows the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to relocate utility lines along Second Avenue in preparation for the next phase of the transit project. The MTA stopped work on the project last month after the governor indefinitely paused the start of congestion pricing; the $1 billion in projected annual revenue from the program was intended to fund the project.
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Mayor Adams invites volunteers to join ‘Rat Pack’ program to fight rodents on their home turf

Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 29, 2024

Mayor Adams invites volunteers to join ‘Rat Pack’ program to fight rodents on their home turf

By Michelle Cohen

Mayor Eric Adams announced this week the launch of a new volunteer program to help keep his nemesis–the New York City rat population–at bay. New Yorkers can sign up to join the "Rat Pack," a volunteer team that will step up for rat mitigation duty across the city. The new opportunity draws on the strength of the city's Department of Health-sponsored "Rat Academy." After a few training sessions, participants will be "deputized" to take the fight back to their neighborhood streets and sidewalks.
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Policy

Hochul is sued over congestion pricing pause

Photo Credit: Layla Melendez/Office of NYC Comptroller on Flickr

July 25, 2024

Hochul is sued over congestion pricing pause

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and a coalition of local advocacy groups and lawyers filed two lawsuits against Gov. Kathy Hochul, claiming she didn't have the legal authority to pause the tolling program last month, as reported by Gothamist. The program was originally scheduled to begin on June 30 but was delayed last minute by Hochul.
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New Student OMNY cards expand free rides to 24 hours a day

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

July 25, 2024

New Student OMNY cards expand free rides to 24 hours a day

By Aaron Ginsburg

Taking public transportation will soon be easier for New York City public school students. City officials on Tuesday announced Student OMNY cards will replace MetroCards, allowing for tap-and-go trips on the subway and bus. Plus, the new cards will be valid for four free rides per day, 24 hours a day, all year long. Previously, student MetroCards were limited to three free rides a day, from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and only on days when school was open.
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NYC announces pedestrian safety upgrades for Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue

New vehicle travel lane markings at Atlantic Avenue and Court Street. Image courtesy of the Department of Transportation

July 24, 2024

NYC announces pedestrian safety upgrades for Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is kicking off a series of key upgrades to Atlantic Avenue to improve pedestrian safety. Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Tuesday announced the start of pedestrian safety improvements along the western section of Atlantic Avenue that runs between Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill, a corridor infamous for traffic-related incidents. The enhancements include expanded pedestrian space, new mid-block crossings, upgraded traffic signals, vehicle travel lane markings, and more.
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NYC Ferry fares to increase this fall

Photo by The All-Nite Images on Flickr

July 23, 2024

NYC Ferry fares to increase this fall

By Devin Gannon

Ferry fares are going up this fall. The city's Economic Development Corporation announced that single-trip tickets will increase from $4 to $4.50 and the 10-trip pass will increase from $27.50 to $29, starting September 9. The new fare structure aims to reduce the system's huge public subsidy while making the ferry more equitable.
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New bill would require NYC landlords to provide air conditioning during the summer

Photo courtesy of Joe Shlabotnik on Flickr

July 23, 2024

New bill would require NYC landlords to provide air conditioning during the summer

By Aaron Ginsburg

After multiple heat waves this summer, a Brooklyn elected official has proposed legislation mandating landlords provide air conditioning to tenants. Last week City Council Member Lincoln Restler introduced a bill to update the existing housing code and require landlords to provide tenants with air conditioning in the warmer months, just as they are required to provide adequate heat during the winter. If the legislation is enacted, property owners would have four years to comply with the rule or face up to $1,250 in fines per day for noncompliance.
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Policy

Former Chelsea prison to become 124 affordable and supportive apartments

Renderings courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office

July 22, 2024

Former Chelsea prison to become 124 affordable and supportive apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

A former state prison in Chelsea will become 124 permanently affordable apartments. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday unveiled Liberty Landing, the proposal selected to redevelop Bayview Correctional Facility at 550 West 20th Street into a housing project with apartments for low-income New Yorkers and formerly incarcerated individuals. The women's prison closed in 2012 after damage from Hurricane Sandy and has sat vacant ever since.
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Biden proposes nationwide rent cap

Photo by Julie Ricard on Unsplash

July 17, 2024

Biden proposes nationwide rent cap

By Devin Gannon

President Joe Biden this week unveiled a proposal to cap rent at 5 percent annually for apartments owned by corporate landlords. The plan would apply to landlords who own more than 50 units in their portfolio, covering about 20 million units nationwide, roughly half of all rentals. The legislation requires congressional approval, including from the Republican-controlled House, to move forward.
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Policy

NYC rolls out official trash bin, expands containerization to most residential buildings

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 9, 2024

NYC rolls out official trash bin, expands containerization to most residential buildings

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's next step in its "trash revolution" is here: Wheelie bins. Mayor Eric Adams on Monday rolled out the city's first-ever official trash bin, which has wheels and a rat-proof lid, and announced a new containerization mandate for certain buildings. Starting November 12, the city's Department of Sanitation (DSNY) will require buildings with one to nine residential units to put trash in a bin. When the new trash rule goes into effect, the city will have containerized 70 percent of the city's 14 billion pounds of annual trash since 2022, reducing the mounds of trash bags piled on the sidewalks and streets.
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Policy

Sunday service is back at these NYC libraries this weekend

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library in Manhattan will reopen on Sunday, July 14. Photo © John Bartelstone courtesy of the NYPL

July 9, 2024

Sunday service is back at these NYC libraries this weekend

By Devin Gannon

For the first time since late last year, Sunday service will return to some New York City public library branches this weekend. Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council last month agreed to a budget for fiscal year 2025 that restores $58.3 million in funding for the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library. The libraries will reinstate Sunday service at branches that previously offered it on a rolling basis starting July 14.
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Citi Bike increasing e-bike prices this week

Photo courtesy of Elvert Barnes on Flickr

July 8, 2024

Citi Bike increasing e-bike prices this week

By Aaron Ginsburg

Citi Bike is hiking its prices for the second time this year. The bike-sharing service, operated by Lyft, is raising its prices for e-bikes starting Wednesday, July 10, with fees increasing from 20 cents to 24 cents per minute for those with Citi Bike and Lyft memberships and from 30 cents to 36 cents per minute for non-members. The ride-share company cited "higher than anticipated battery swapping, insurance, and vehicle expenses" for the rate increases.
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