Election 2013
Streetsblog Basics
Vacca Staffer, Running for Council, Bucks His Boss on Complete Streets
In a City Council district in the heart of the Bronx, where the overwhelming majority of households are car-free, an aide to Council Member James Vacca distinguished himself last night by vocally supporting congestion pricing, on-street parking reform, and protected bike lanes.
July 23, 2013
Council Candidates at Fort Greene Forum Agree: Don’t Touch Parking
If you were hoping for inspiring leadership from the City Council on transportation issues after the next election, you may want to look somewhere other than District 35, which covers the neighborhoods just east of downtown Brooklyn. Two-thirds of households in the district are car-free, according to the 2000 Census. But while most candidates supported traffic calming improvements at a forum last night, they were unanimous in their opposition to removing on-street parking spaces, and many were reluctant to support policy changes that would cut down on driving in the district.
July 19, 2013
StreetsPAC Announces Second Round of City Council Endorsements
StreetsPAC announced its second round of City Council endorsements today. Endorsees include a council newcomer in the Bronx, and incumbents in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
July 18, 2013
TA Sends Questionnaires to Mayoral and City Council Candidates
Yesterday, Transportation Alternatives sent out questionnaires to all City Council and mayoral candidates, asking their positions on pedestrian safety, bike lanes, transit, bike-share, and traffic justice. The first responses are set to go up on TA's website at the end of this month.
July 11, 2013
West Harlem Council Candidates Want Bike-Share, Complete 125th Street SBS
Candidates for a City Council seat on the west side of Upper Manhattan expressed support for bike-share expansion and complete Select Bus Service on 125th Street at a campaign forum last night. Some candidates urged the city to restore the original SBS plan and extend the bus lane west, after DOT curtailed its proposal to the delight of State Senator Bill Perkins.
July 10, 2013
Weiner on Bike Policy: Small Talk, Small Stick
Yesterday, riders at the sixth annual Tour de Queens got a preview of Anthony Weiner's proposal to introduce new city tax breaks for businesses that help employees bike to work. It's one of the meager transportation proposals in his policy book, "Keys to the City." There are already plenty of financial incentives to bike -- walking is the only mode of transportation that's cheaper -- so, understandably, riders were much more interested in hearing from Weiner about how he'll make streets safer. But his ideas about street design were similarly underwhelming.
July 8, 2013
Quinn’s Policy Book Skews Toward Transpo Issues the Mayor Can’t Control
Slowly, the major mayoral candidates are fleshing out their platforms, including their positions on transportation issues. Last month, Bill de Blasio used his policy book to stake out street safety goals. This morning, Anthony Weiner stumped for a bike commuter subsidy he proposed in April. Last week, Christine Quinn released her own policy book, in which she adds some new information about her previously-announced policy goals.
July 8, 2013
At Forum, Mayoral Candidates Back Bus Lanes, Shy Away From Funding
At a mayoral forum on transportation this morning, the first since a February event hosted by Transport Workers Union Local 100, eight candidates offered ideas on how they would improve the city's road and transit network. For the most part, the candidates were eager to support buses, quick to get agitated about bike lanes, and short on realistic ideas for how to fund their plans.
June 19, 2013
De Blasio Lays Out Ambitious Goals for Street Safety, Better Buses, Bicycling
Bill de Blasio's mayoral campaign released a wide-ranging policy book today, with a transportation platform that emphasizes the expansion of Select Bus Service, a "Vision Zero" approach to street safety, and the continued growth of the city's bike lane and bike-share networks. De Blasio also pledges to target upzonings and new housing near transit and to build more permeable street surfaces to absorb stormwater.
June 19, 2013
Advocates Outline a Progressive Transportation Platform for the Next Mayor
Ahead of this morning's mayoral debate on transportation, sustainability, and livability, a coalition of transportation advocates, community groups and environmental organizations released a set of priorities for the next mayor yesterday afternoon.
June 19, 2013