Special Reports
Streetsblog Basics
Victims’ Families Head to Albany, Calling on Legislators to Save Lives
The State Senate budget released late last week includes a plan to expand New York City's school zone speed enforcement program from 20 cameras to 180 cameras. As the Senate, Assembly and Governor Cuomo enter budget negotiations, families of traffic violence victims are in Albany today to meet with legislators and push for policies that would do more to reduce traffic violence: lowering the citywide speed limit and giving NYC control of automated enforcement.
March 18, 2014
Morningside Road Diet Supporters Try to Find Common Ground With CB 10
Wednesday night, Harlem road diet supporters and opponents met in an attempt to find common ground on what can be done to improve safety on Morningside Avenue. The move comes in advance of DOT releasing a second plan for the street, after its first design encountered opposition from Community Board 10.
March 14, 2014
In Obama Budget, a Glimpse of What Beefed-Up Transit Funding Could Do
The budget proposal released by President Obama yesterday fleshes out the transportation ideas put out by the White House last week and includes specific grants for transit upgrades and expansions in 2015, but many of them won't be part of this budget unless Congress agrees to increase funding for transportation.
March 5, 2014
Inside Obama’s Transpo Budget: “Historic Increase” in Transit Funding
A few more details about the Obama administration's proposal for a new transportation bill surfaced today when the president unveiled his 2015 budget proposal.
March 4, 2014
Assembly Members: We Have to Stop Cuomo’s $40 Million Transit Raid
Yesterday, a group of Assembly members and advocates took Governor Cuomo to task for the $40 million transit raid in his budget proposal. The legislators unveiled a letter [PDF] urging Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to restore the funds in the legislative budget, due for a vote on March 12.
March 3, 2014
Bed Stuy CB Chair: Street Safety “Not an Issue in Our Community”
Earlier this month, Brooklyn Community Board 3 voted against a 20 mph Slow Zone in Clinton Hill and Bedford-Stuyvesant. In a recent interview, CB 3 Chair Tremaine Wright told Streetsblog that the board voted against it in part because dangerous driving is not an issue in the neighborhood, and Slow Zone supporters did not demonstrate that the plan would address a real problem.
February 27, 2014
Will Obama and the GOP Align on Plan to Fund Transpo With Tax Reform?
Today, both President Obama and Republican House Ways and Means Chair Dave Camp unveiled plans to pay for transportation with corporate tax reform. Few details have emerged about exactly how Camp plans to do this, but Politico has heard from Capitol Hill staffers that it would push $100 billion to $125 billion to transportation over an unspecified time frame.
February 26, 2014
Obama to Propose Four-Year Transpo Bill Funded By “Business Tax Reform”
President Obama will unveil a proposal for a $302 billion, four-year transportation bill during a speech today in Minnesota, according to an announcement from the White House. A fact sheet from the administration indicates the proposal would increase dedicated funding for transit more than funding for highways.
February 26, 2014
Brewer Asks Community Boards to Identify Dangerous Places for Walking
When it comes to street safety improvements, New York's community boards are usually in a position where they react to proposals from NYC DOT. Now, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer could turn that dynamic on its head: She's asked each board's district manager to identify three traffic safety hotspots, saying that she'll work with city agencies to make sure they're addressed.
January 29, 2014
Video: Drivers Endanger Lives on Morningside Avenue as CB 10 Dithers
While Manhattan Community Board 10 fails to take action, proposed measures to make Morningside Avenue safer for pedestrians continue to languish.
January 21, 2014