James Vacca
Streetsblog Basics
City Council Singles Out Bike Lanes in Bills to Codify DOT Outreach
The City Council Transportation Committee held hearings on three bills today, each of which would add more requirements to the Department of Transportation's review process for street redesigns, especially bike lanes.
September 26, 2011
James Vacca, NIMBY Accomplice
So we've gone through the initial round of coverage and reactions to Wednesday's bike-share announcement.
September 16, 2011
“Stop Means Stop”: Vacca Gives Thumbs-Up to Busy Red Light Cameras
We'll overlook the number of contortions performed by the Daily News to make today's report on the success of red light cameras look like a "he said she said" story. It's simply not a surprise when the city press corps assigns comparable weight to the wishes of motorists to break the law with impunity and the right of pedestrians and cyclists -- and, in this case, other drivers -- to reach their destinations in one piece.
August 22, 2011
Vacca Watch: Transpo Chair Stays Strong on Speeding Enforcement
City Council Transportation Chair James Vacca showed his safety supporter side at a press conference in the Bronx this morning. Standing with DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan at the corner of the Grand Concourse and 165th Street to announce the installation of countdown pedestrian signals, Vacca had strong words for speeding motorists and endorsements for both automated speeding enforcement and slow speed zones.
August 2, 2011
Vacca Watch: Transpo Chair a Big Booster of Parking Minimums
The Bronx is booming. Over the last decade, no borough added more new residents or posted faster wage growth.
August 1, 2011
Vacca Watch: Council Allows Parking Meter Rates to Rise to Dollar Per Hour
After a grim day, it's nice to be able to head into the holiday weekend with some good news.
July 1, 2011
Vacca Watch: At Budget Hearing, Council Calms Down, Focuses on Potholes
Call it the case of the missing demagoguery. Yesterday's City Council transportation budget hearing was less notable for what was said than what wasn't. Attacks on the city's proposed parking meter rate increase were largely absent, and the scapegoating of bike lanes and pedestrian plazas that has dominated recent hearings in James Vacca's committee failed to materialize. Mostly, council members just talked about potholes.
June 3, 2011
Vacca Watch: Pre-Bike Hearing Chatter Between Transpo Chair Staffer, NBBL
City Council Transportation Committee chair James Vacca has made headlines for his inquisitorial hearings on DOT's bike and plaza programs. And it looks like his office was batting around ideas with street safety opponents before the first of those hearings last December.
May 12, 2011
Mayor’s Budget Includes Parking Meter Rate Hike, Red Light Cam Expansion
Mayor Bloomberg's budget proposal, which was released today, still includes a plan to increase parking meter rates across the city, a plan which the City Council scuttled once in January. The transportation budget also includes an increase in revenue from an expansion of the city's red light camera program.
May 6, 2011
Introducing “Vacca Watch”
When Streetsblog interviewed City Council Transportation Committee Chair James Vacca a year ago, he was fresh off a press appearance with AARP calling for complete streets legislation in Albany. The Ninth Avenue protected bike lane was the backdrop. During our conversation a few weeks later he came across as someone who took street safety seriously and kept an open mind about redesigning streets for the 21st century. It's been mostly downhill for Vacca since then.
May 6, 2011