StreetsPAC Announces Second Round of City Council Endorsements

StreetsPAC announced its second round of City Council endorsements today. Endorsees include a council newcomer in the Bronx, and incumbents in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

StreetsPAC likes Assembly Member Vanessa Gibson to succeed termed-out Bronx rep Helen Foster in District 16. Gibson backed legislation to bring speed cameras to NYC, according to StreetsPAC, and supports slow zones, public plazas, and Webster Avenue Select Bus Service. “She also supports a host of district-wide safety measures,” StreetsPAC says, “such as countdown clocks, speed bumps, and increased enforcement in both residential and commercial areas.” Gibson is one of 10 candidates for the District 16 seat, according to the Campaign Finance Board.

StreetsPAC supports Margaret Chin for a second term in Lower Manhattan’s District 1. Chin wants to help advance Sam Schwartz’s “Move NY” toll plan, according to a StreetsPAC press release, and has submitted an application for a DOT slow zone in Battery Park City. Chin will be challenged in the Democratic primary by Jenifer Rajkumar.

Incumbent Steve Levin is the StreetsPAC choice for District 33, in Brooklyn. “Levin has established a reputation as one of the City Council’s staunchest advocates for safe and livable streets,” says StreetsPAC, citing Levin’s efforts to calm traffic in Boerum Hill and on Jay Street. Levin introduced legislation to expand the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad, StreetsPAC says, and was one of the first City Council members to sign up for Citi Bike. Levin faces opposition from fellow Democrat Stephen Pierson.

In Queens, StreetsPAC has endorsed Mark Weprin for reelection in District 23. StreetsPAC says Weprin will call for the expansion of bike-share, and wants local laws to “ensure serious consequences” for curb-jumping motorists who strike pedestrians on sidewalks. “Weprin wants to see car-dependent Eastern Queens become much more accessible via transit,” says StreetsPAC. “He wants the neighborhoods in his district to flourish with livable streets for all.” Weprin is running unopposed.

StreetsPAC, NYC’s first livable streets political action committee, released its first set of endorsements in June.