Special Reports
Streetsblog Basics
Pressure Builds Upstate for Cuomo to Sign Transit Lockbox Bill
The transit lockbox bill, which would help safeguard dedicated transportation funds by requiring the state to disclose the impact of transit raids, still awaits a signature from Governor Cuomo following unanimous Senate and Assembly votes earlier this year. Now, two upstate newspapers are calling on the governor to sign the bill.
August 30, 2013
One-Way Gap in Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway Set to Be Closed This Fall
Construction continues on the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway along Van Brunt Street, with a two-way buffered bike lane extending the greenway south through Red Hook striped recently, but there's a conspicuous gap in the route that won't be filled until at least this fall.
August 2, 2013
Cuomo’s Office Opens Up Transpo Data, But Not Crash Locations
On Wednesday, Governor Cuomo announced a new raft of publicly-accessible data on the state's data transparency website, data.NY.gov. Some of the data sets include information that was already accessible in different forms, while other sets are newly available to the public. The release also includes detailed information about individual crashes from the Department of Motor Vehicles, but it falls short by failing to say where crashes occur.
July 26, 2013
Anybody Interested in Tearing Down a Couple of Yankee Stadium Garages?
Another attempt to salvage something positive from the Yankee Stadium parking boondoggle is underway. The company that operates the garages, having defaulted on hundreds of millions in triple-tax exempt bonds, has issued a request for proposals for the sublease and redevelopment of two lots.
July 12, 2013
Will Cuomo Sign the Transit Lockbox Bill?
The transit lockbox bill, which would require Albany to disclose the impacts of any raid of dedicated transit funds, passed both the Senate and Assembly unanimously in the final days of the legislative session, reports the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. It now heads to Governor Andrew Cuomo's desk. A nearly identical bill reached Cuomo in 2011, but the governor gutted the disclosure provision and signed a toothless bill. This time around, will Cuomo put pen to paper and protect transit riders?
June 20, 2013
On Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn CB 6 Prioritizes Left Turns Over People’s Lives
Brooklyn Community Board 6 tossed aside years of community activism and months of public meetings about safety improvements on Fourth Avenue Wednesday night, voting against a DOT proposal to calm traffic and expand pedestrian space on one of the borough's deadliest streets. The board not only rejected a resolution in support of the plan but also passed a resolution expressing its disapproval.
June 14, 2013
After Unanimous Senate Vote, Transit Lockbox Bill Heads to Assembly
Albany has long used the MTA as a piggy bank, raiding dedicated transit funds on a regular basis to cover gaps in the state budget. As a result, straphangers are squeezed as transit agencies resort to fare hikes and service cuts to make up the difference.
June 13, 2013
A Better Way to Grade City Transportation Systems
How should we grade America's transportation systems?
April 15, 2013
State DOT “Multi-Modal Funds” Have Starring Role in Malcolm Smith Scandal
In the wake of a scandal-soaked week in Albany, Governor Cuomo held a press conference this afternoon with district attorneys from across the state to announce a new anti-corruption law. As he seeks to tighten the rules in Albany, Cuomo could take immediate steps to make sure a transportation funding mechanism that featured prominently in last week's scandals is fortified against abuse by lawmakers.
April 9, 2013
This Weekend, NYC’s Traffic Dysfunction Gets Worse
In case you missed it, Crain's ran a good piece today wherein "Gridlock" Sam Schwartz explained one of the less-publicized effects of the MTA fare and toll hikes slated to take effect this weekend. NYC's already-dysfunctional road pricing system is about to make even less sense.
February 28, 2013