Air Quality
Streetsblog Basics
Businessman Hopes to Bring Bikes Back to Beijing
Only 20 years ago, Beijing was one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world. Today, rapidly increasing automobile congestion is helping to turn the Chinese capital into one of the most polluted cities on Earth. Air quality is so bad, the Chinese government is initiating special driving restrictions ahead of next year's Olympic Games in order to make the air breathable for the world's elite athletes. Meanwhile, one entrepreneur is trying to bring back bicycles, capitalist-style with a bike sharing program similar to the one recently set up in Paris.
October 25, 2007
State Opposes City Plan for Hell’s Kitchen Parking
In June we reported on the city's effort to bring some 20,000 additional parking spaces to the Hudson Yards area on the far West Side, via a rezoning provision adopted in 2005. Though it's a remnant of the failed stadium plan, the Bloomberg administration nonetheless intends to hold on the parking component, going so far as to defend itself against a related lawsuit by claiming that the city's carbon monoxide levels are declining. (Not surprisingly, neighborhood folk aren't taking the city's word for it.)
October 24, 2007
Carrion Supports Congestion and Congestion Pricing
Last week AMNY ran a profile of Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr., playing on the angle that he may make a run for mayor in two years. The piece is mostly flattering, but does make mention of Carrion's controversial support for the new Yankee Stadium, which, as Streetsblog readers are probably sick of hearing by now, will bring ~4,000 parking spaces to what was public park land, further polluting the asthma-stricken South Bronx with additional year-round traffic.
October 16, 2007
The MTA is Testing Battery-Powered Buses
Here's a good little item that nearly slipped past us. City Room reported the other day that the MTA is testing new battery-powered buses:
October 15, 2007
“Not Getting Anywhere” at Bronx Pricing Forum
And we thought Bloomberg had a tough crowd...
October 12, 2007
Congestion Pricing, Hashed Out Over Pints
It wasn't your typical congestion pricing forum, but last night about 50 people got to hear the pros and cons of the Bloomberg plan debated in a relaxed, informal setting, with instructions from the moderators to keep drinking.
October 11, 2007