Department of Parks & Recreation
Streetsblog Basics
Ideas Competition for Brooklyn’s Grandest Plaza
The Grand Army Plaza Coalition (GAPCo) and The Design Trust for Public Space have launched a website for their "Ideas Competition" called Reinventing Grand Army Plaza, which is intended to generate new visions for the plaza's design. The jury will award three cash prizes to the winners, and along with other top entries will be exhibited in an outdoor exhibition at Grand Army Plaza later this year.
February 20, 2008
City Subsidizing Boater Parking
The New York Times reports that the comptroller's office is concerned about possible fraud at the Parks Department's 79th Street Boat Basin. Buried in the piece is the small revelation that the Parks Department offers off-street car parking at far below market rates to boaters moored there.
February 4, 2008
Illegal Parking Now “Legal” for Marty Markowitz
Yesterday we wondered if the city might be convinced to reconcile its vision of a sustainable city with its anti-urban parking policies. We'll mark this one in the "no" column.
January 16, 2008
Blinding Headlights Make Part of West Side Greenway Unusable
Blinding headlights make cycling difficult on a mile-long uptown stretch of the Hudson River Greenway.
December 12, 2007
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: DOT to Install Sleek New Bike Parking Shelters
While the NYPD, Parks Department, MTA, unnamed authorities and, of course, bike thieves, busily clip locks and cart off New Yorkers' bicycles in great number, the Department of Transportation is making sure that not only do bike commuters have a classy spot to park outdoors, but their tushies won't get wet when it rains. Next month, cyclists will be happy to see the first of many new public bike-parking shelters popping up near transit hubs throughout the city. Word has it there was a bit of flexibility built in to the Cemusa bus shelter contract and DOT decided to get a bit creative and try this out. New York Magazine reports:
November 15, 2007
Speak Up for an Accessible Car-Free High Bridge
In other parks news, as reported on Streetsblog in June, the car-free High Bridge is poised to undergo a long-awaited restoration. Built as part of the Croton Aqueduct, the bridge connects Washington Heights in Manhattan with the Bronx neighborhood of High Bridge, near Yankee Stadium. In April, during his PlaNYC unveiling, Mayor Bloomberg announced that the city would be allocating $60 million to restore and reopen the High Bridge, which has been closed to the public since 1970; another $5 million will come from a Congressional earmark.
August 21, 2007
Car-Free Hours Extended in Prospect Park
Thanks to Streetsblog tipsters who've written in about the evening rush closure of Prospect Park's East Drive. This sign went up Friday at the corner of Parkside and Ocean Avenues.
August 21, 2007
Commish Benepe Gently Reminds “Parkies” to Drive Safely
For better and worse, the Parks Dept. seems to be popping up quite a bit lately. In July, Parks was spotted clipping locks and seizing bicycles in Forest Hills, Queens. And last week the agency revoked employee parking permits for Central Park's East Drive. This week, a tipster sends along this Aug. 6 e-mail sent by Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, pictured right, to Parks Dept. employees.
August 13, 2007
Central Park No Longer a Parking Lot for City Employees
According to a Streetsblog tipster, the Parks Dept. is finally cracking down on the numerous employees who have turned sections of Central Park into a parking lot. Below is a broadcast e-mail from Parks Dept. Assistant Commissioner and Senior Counselor Jack Linn to Parks Dept. employees. I have a call in to the Parks Dept. to verify this e-email. Here is the message that was reportedly sent out on Friday:
August 6, 2007
How Do Bike Seizures Fit Into Bloomberg’s “Green Plan”
On Tuesday afternoon the Parks Dept. seized dozens of bikes parked at the Forest Hills train station
July 13, 2007