City Council
Streetsblog Basics
Council’s E-Bike Obsession: Like Trying to Drain the Ocean With a Thimble
Last Thursday, City Council members held another press event on electric bikes. A bill introduced by Dan Garodnick would double the fine for riding an e-bike on the sidewalk from $100 to $200, according to a DNAinfo report, while the penalty for running a red light would go as high as $900.
July 17, 2012
At Transpo Hearing, Council Members Ask for More Select Bus Service
The New York City Council has learned to stop worrying and love the bus lane. In a transportation hearing held this morning on the topic of outer borough transit, not a single person, whether on the council or testifying before it, had a bad word to say about NYC's Select Bus Service program, which has consistently increased speeds and ridership where implemented. In a span of just a few years, SBS appears to have become a permanent and popular part of New York City's transit toolkit -- and one that will continue to expand.
June 19, 2012
Motorist Who Killed Phyllis Pitt “Most Likely” Not Cited for Careless Driving
A Brooklyn motorist who jumped a curb, fatally injured a pedestrian and crashed into a restaurant while attempting to park her minivan last week will likely not receive as much as a traffic ticket, according to NYPD.
June 5, 2012
The Real Menace on Our Sidewalks
So it looks like the City Council is pondering legislation that would raise the fine for biking on the sidewalk (currently $100) and possibly establish a new squad of enforcement agents dedicated entirely to ticketing commercial cyclists.
May 31, 2012
City Council Can’t Force NYPD to Adhere to State Law on Crash Investigations
The City Council has concluded it cannot require NYPD to fully investigate traffic crashes, despite indications that current department protocols may violate state law.
May 15, 2012
Quinn Deal Reduces Parking — and Housing — at St. Vincent’s Site
Responding to requests from the community board and advocacy groups, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn did what neither the City Planning Commission nor Borough President Scott Stringer would: reduce the excessive number of parking spaces planned for the Rudin family's redevelopment of the St. Vincent's Hospital site.
March 16, 2012
Steve Levin to Ray Kelly: Time to Fully Investigate Serious Traffic Injuries
Brooklyn City Council Member Steve Levin wants NYPD to explain the way it investigates traffic crashes, and is preparing legislation that would bring department procedures in line with state law and significantly increase the number of officers trained to deal with cases involving serious injury and death.
March 15, 2012
NYC Open Data Law Will Sort Out NYPD’s Jumbled Traffic Crash Data
When the City Council passed Jessica Lappin's Saving Lives Through Better Information bill last year, traffic safety and open government advocates cheered. Under the law, the NYPD is required to provide monthly data on both traffic crashes and traffic summonsing, shedding light on the hazards of city streets and what steps police take to protect New Yorkers from dangerous drivers.
March 9, 2012
Are Council Members Ready to Pay for Their MTA Wish List?
The New York City Council doesn't like the MTA's budget. And really, who would? Fares and tolls are scheduled to rise in 2013 and again in 2015, bus lines cut in 2010 aren't scheduled to ever come back, and the MTA is assuming net zero increases for transit worker compensation. It's a product of worldwide financial crisis and Albany fiscal skullduggery, and it isn't pretty.
March 6, 2012
Numbers Tell the Tale of Ray Kelly’s Squandered Street Safety Resources
A lot of notable statistics surfaced at Wednesday's City Council hearing on NYPD traffic enforcement. Many of them paint a picture of a department that devotes relatively little effort to combating traffic crime, while failing to distinguish vehicles that weigh a couple-dozen pounds from those weighing several tons. Here's a rundown:
February 16, 2012