Mayor’s Budget Includes Parking Meter Rate Hike, Red Light Cam Expansion
Mayor Bloomberg's budget proposal, which was released today, still includes a plan to increase parking meter rates across the city, a plan which the City Council scuttled once in January. The transportation budget also includes an increase in revenue from an expansion of the city's red light camera program.
May 6, 2011
Behind the Scenes of a Marcia Kramer Hit Piece
Ever wondered what goes into the making of a Marcia Kramer hit piece, those nearly-perfected hatchet jobs on whatever DOT safety improvement is on her radar that week? We got to watch Kramer in action at Wednesday's transportation committee meeting as she gathered footage for her most recent attack on the city's plaza program.
May 6, 2011
The Untold Story of DOT’s Plaza Program: It’s a Hit
You wouldn't know it from opening the newspaper or turning on the television, but yesterday's City Council hearing on pedestrian plazas actually showed how widespread support for the plazas are. Only two council members appeared to be at all opposed to the plaza program -- though of course those two have dominated the headlines -- while the rest were busy figuring out how to get a plaza in their district. It's no wonder why: the community members and business leaders who spoke at the hearing were nearly unanimous in their support for the plaza program, testifying to its success in creating high-quality public space in neighborhoods that badly need it and helping business along the way.
May 5, 2011
Mugging for TV, James Vacca Turns Transpo Committee Into Kangaroo Court
When James Vacca called a hearing of the City Council transportation committee to discuss the DOT plaza program yesterday, what was he trying to get out of it?
May 5, 2011
Bending to East Side Traffic, DOT Limits Plan for Faster Buses, Safer Cycling
Not so long ago, it was common to hear NYCDOT staff say their job was "to keep the traffic moving." Engineers working from "the motorist's viewpoint" ran the show, much like they did in the 1950s. Those days are thankfully over. Today's DOT prioritizes safety and sustainability and has compiled a lengthy track record of innovation in a few short years. But as the transportation committee of Manhattan Community Board 6 learned last night, the old emphasis on keeping the traffic moving still restrains how far the department will go to improve conditions for other modes.
May 3, 2011
DOT’s Annual Scorecard Confirms: Most New Yorkers Don’t Shop and Drive
NYCDOT's annual scorecard, the Sustainable Streets Index, adds more information about how New Yorkers get around every year. In addition to regular statistical snapshots of the city's transportation system, like transit ridership or traffic speeds culled from GPS devices in taxis, this year's version adds neighborhood travel profiles. Compiled from interviews in eight neighborhoods, these profiles to show just how little New Yorkers rely on cars to get around.
May 2, 2011
CB 8 Transpo Committee Endorses Washington Avenue Safety Improvements
DOT's plans to redesign two Prospect Heights intersections to improve safety earned the endorsement of Brooklyn Community Board 8's transportation committee last Tuesday. The plan also includes an "optional" painted bike lane along Washington Avenue between Eastern Parkway and Atlantic Avenue [PDF].
May 2, 2011