City Council
Streetsblog Basics
City Council Regresses on Street Safety, Weighs Fines for Cyclists
Less than a year ago, the City Council overwhelmingly passed a raft of bills designed to protect New Yorkers from reckless driving. Was it the beginning of a new era, where street safety is taken seriously by city legislators, or was it a fluke? The council could go either way, based on a transportation committee hearing today that considered a new bill to fight the phantom menace of cyclists on cell phones.
April 15, 2015
These Are the Streets Projects Vying for Your Vote in Participatory Budgeting
On Saturday, polling places opened for participatory budgeting, which gives New Yorkers the opportunity to decide how to spend small pots of city capital funds on everything from schools to parks. Many of the projects up for a vote could yield safer streets and better public spaces for neighborhoods across the city.
April 13, 2015
Participatory Budgeting: Your Chance to Vote for Livable Streets
A record 24 City Council members have launched participatory budgeting efforts this year, giving local residents a say in how to spend a share of the council's discretionary capital funds. Starting last fall, volunteers and staff spent months refining proposals and suggestions. Council members are now releasing sample ballots so the public can learn more about the projects before voting for their favorites in the coming weeks.
March 25, 2015
Ben Kallos Won’t Talk About Why He Wants to Gut the Right of Way Law
On October 8, 2014, the driver of a Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation bus hit cyclist Anna Maria Moström while making a left turn. Moström was mortally injured. Two days later, a Coca-Cola truck driver hit an unidentified 86-year-old man in a crosswalk while turning from E. 96th Street onto Third Avenue. The senior died from his injuries. Both drivers reportedly failed to yield.
March 18, 2015
With Traffic Deaths Trending Downward, Lancman Attacks Right of Way Law
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton told the City Council today that NYC traffic fatalities have continued to drop in 2015, but not every council member is pleased with the city's recent steps to deter dangerous driving.
March 12, 2015
The New York City Parking Rule That Makes Intersections More Dangerous
We've reported before how certain New York City parking rules are designed to cram a little more free car storage onto the street at the expense of pedestrian safety. In 2009, DOT removed parking restrictions on unmarked crosswalks at T intersections, and the city allows drivers with disability permits to block curb ramps that were intended to help pedestrians with disabilities cross the street.
February 27, 2015
Ydanis Rodriguez Bill Would Open Residential Elevators to Bikes
The City Council is poised to eliminate a major hassle for many New Yorkers who own bikes. A bill from Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez would mandate that all residential buildings in the city allow residents to use elevators to transport their bikes to and from their apartments.
February 26, 2015
Margaret Chin: Toll Reform Will Protect New Yorkers From Truck Traffic
City Council Member Margaret Chin today introduced legislation to require the city to examine the effects of New York City's dysfunctional bridge toll system on traffic safety. The bill would also mandate regular DOT safety audits for all city truck routes.
February 12, 2015
Progressive Caucus to de Blasio: Let Us Help Build New York’s BRT Network
As a mayoral candidate, Bill de Blasio promised a citywide network of more than 20 “world-class” Bus Rapid Transit routes within four years. More than a year into his term, bus riders are still waiting. Now 17 City Council members are asking the administration to take bolder action on BRT and offering to help NYC DOT and the MTA bring the projects to fruition.
February 10, 2015
Council Members Grill Uber on Prices, But What About Safety?
The City Council transportation committee heard testimony today on a bill to prohibit for-hire vehicle companies from "charging excessive rates." Council members made no bones about the fact that they are taking aim at Uber, which raises and lowers fares in response to demand. Uber calls it "dynamic pricing." It's also known as "surge pricing" and, to some council members and Uber competitors, "price-gouging."
January 12, 2015