Public-Private Plan for Goethals Trades Higher Costs for Faster Construction
Public-private partnerships, or P3s, have been repeatedly held up as a way for New York and other states to replace crumbling infrastructure despite enormous budget deficits. The Port Authority recent announced that it will use a P3 to finance the new Goethals Bridge, an important development that's sure to be closely watched by the state's transportation officials.
March 4, 2011
34th Street Has Changed Before, And It Can Change Again
In the media hyperventilating over plans for 34th Street that led up to last night's cancellation of the pedestrian plaza between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, the biggest constant was the fear of change. An editorial in the Observer on Tuesday summed up the strange preference for the status quo: "From river to river, 34th Street moves cars, trucks, buses and pedestrians as efficiently and quickly as humanly possible in one of the world's most crowded pieces of real estate."
March 3, 2011
EPA: Energy Efficiency Is About Location, Location, Location
Where we live has an enormous impact on energy use, according to new research commissioned by the EPA. The report, "Location Efficiency and Housing Type -- Boiling It Down to BTUs" finds that Americans use far less energy if they live in an apartment building in a transit-oriented neighborhood than if they live in a detached suburban house, even if that house has green building features and sports fuel-efficient cars in the driveway.
March 3, 2011
Budget Woes Force MTA To Cut More Than Half of All LI Bus Lines
Nassau County's unwillingness to pay for its own buses is ending in disaster for Long Island Bus riders. The MTA has announced that it plans to cut 25 of the 48 LI Bus lines and axe weekend service on two more.
March 2, 2011
Despite NY Post Report to Contrary, Stringer Supports BRT for 34th Street
The Post's unhinged crusade against the 34th Street Transitway appears to be bleeding over from the editorial page into news content. The paper ran a story yesterday strongly implying that Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer opposes plans for separated bus lanes along 34th Street (headline: "Beep blasts 34th St. plan"), while in reality, Stringer seems to support the basic idea of the plan, urging mainly that DOT proceed with care. Here's Stringer's statement to us, in full:
March 2, 2011
Think New York Needs Complete Streets? Take the PBS Poll
Complete streets legislation remains a top priority for street safety advocates in Albany, and PBS ran a nice feature last week on the issue. It starts at the 4:45 minute mark in this clip.
March 1, 2011
Albany Lacks Leadership on Transit as Time Runs Out on MTA Capital Funding
The MTA is still staring down a $10 billion hole in its capital plan, and the consequences of that deficit continue to roll closer. Unless money is found by the end of the year, transit expansions like the Second Avenue Subway will slow down and important maintenance will be left undone. But despite the approaching deadline, no one in Albany seems willing to step up and even begin to tackle the issue.
March 1, 2011
There Is No War On Cars
"The city's war on automobiles has just gone aerial," screamed the New York Post in a recent story about speed cameras. A Daily News op-ed in support of safety improvements proclaimed "the battle against cars has saved lives." The Times matter-of-factly declared last month that "New York City has gone out of its way in recent years to cater to the nonmotorized." No matter where you get your news, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the last three and a half years have been a time of revolutionary frenzy on the city's streets.
March 1, 2011