Policy

Brooklyn officials are calling for the end of minimum parking requirements at new construction projects in transit-rich neighborhoods. Currently, developers of most new residential developments in the borough must create off-street parking spaces for both as-of-right and rezoned projects. Officials argue parking minimums disrupt the area by adding congestion, reducing walkability, and producing more carbon emissions. While changing requirements is seen as more of a long-term goal, officials on Monday voiced a temporary solution: asking the Department of City Planning to encourage developers to include special permit applications to waive parking requirements for any residential project subject to rezoning.
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Manhattan borough president calls for seizure of Russian oligarchs’ NYC properties

220 Central Park South as seen in May 2020. Photo by Jim.henderson (cropped) via Wikimedia Commons.

February 28, 2022

Manhattan borough president calls for seizure of Russian oligarchs’ NYC properties

High-profile sales deals with wealthy Russian buyers have made headlines–Dmitry Rybolovlev's $88 million condo buy at 15 Central Park West, for example–and Manhattan's trophy condos have been seen as a safe investment for Russian oligarchs. But since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there have been calls to seize those properties, The Real Deal reports.
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Adams to end school mask mandate, most indoor vaccine requirements on March 7

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

February 27, 2022

Adams to end school mask mandate, most indoor vaccine requirements on March 7

New York City will no longer require masks in public schools or proof of vaccination for indoor dining and entertainment starting March 7 if there is no spike in Covid-19 cases before then, Mayor Eric Adams announced Sunday. The announcement comes after Gov. Kathy Hochul lifted the indoor mask mandate statewide for schools. In addition to ending the mask mandate in schools, Adams said the "Key to NYC' initiative, which has required proof of vaccination at restaurants, bars, gyms, and indoor entertainment venues since August, will also be lifted. An official decision is expected on March 4.
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Policy

NYC Council approves zoning amendment in move toward permanent outdoor dining

Maiden Korea, 316 5th Avenue; Courtesy of Alfresco NYC

February 25, 2022

NYC Council approves zoning amendment in move toward permanent outdoor dining

The New York City Council on Thursday approved the Open Restaurants zoning text amendment to NYC’s Zoning Resolution, an important step in the path to making permanent outdoor dining a part of city life. The zoning amendment expands the areas where outdoor dining can be considered to all NYC neighborhoods. The amendment joins proposed legislative changes that would cut red tape for restaurant owners.
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February 24, 2022

NYC reaches $2.25M settlement with notorious Crown Heights landlord duo

Mayor Eric Adams and New York Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday announced a $2.25 million settlement against Gennaro Brooks-Church and Loretta Gendville, who attempted to illegally evict tenants at their Brooklyn property during the pandemic in violation of the state's moratorium, and reportedly ran an illegal hotel operation over the course of several years. By terms of the settlement, the property located at 1214 Dean Street in Crown Heights will be turned over to the city and transformed into affordable housing, with the previous owners paying $250,000 in fines.
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MTA to test platform barriers at 3 stations in Manhattan and Queens

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

February 23, 2022

MTA to test platform barriers at 3 stations in Manhattan and Queens

After the tragic killing of a subway rider pushed in front of a train earlier this month, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has finally heeded the calls of transit advocates and New Yorkers and will be testing platform doors at three stations in Manhattan and Queens. The MTA will be piloting the barriers at Times Square on the 7 line, at Third Avenue on the L line, and at Sutphin Boulevard/JFK on the E line, as MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber told NY1 Wednesday morning.
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Mayor’s budget comes up short on housing and homelessness, NYC advocates say

Mayor Eric Adams presents New York City’s $98.5 billion Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. City Hall. Wednesday, February 16, 2022. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office via Flickr.

February 23, 2022

Mayor’s budget comes up short on housing and homelessness, NYC advocates say

Mayor Eric Adams released the city's preliminary budget for fiscal year 2023 last Wednesday, placing emphasis on public safety, employment, and aiding the plight of the city's youngest residents by addressing childcare and at-risk youth. While the mayor's safety-focused policy actions–prohibiting homeless people from sleeping in subway stations, for example–made headlines, advocates for equitable housing and the homeless say the proposed budget is a disappointment without a previously promised focus on those basic needs.
More on where the money's going, this way

NYC begins effort to ‘harden’ 20 miles of protected bike lanes

Image courtesy of NYC DOT on Flickr

February 22, 2022

NYC begins effort to ‘harden’ 20 miles of protected bike lanes

The New York City Department of Transportation is implementing new strategies to keep cyclists safe while navigating the hectic city streets. Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Friday announced the start of a new project that will fortify half of all delineator-protected bike lanes in NYC, which better protects cyclists and keeps lanes clear of vehicles. Originally set to be completed within the first 100 days of Rodriguez's term, as Streetsblog reported, the city now aims to harden 20 of the city's 40 miles of delineator-protected bike lines by the end of 2023.
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NYC announces plan to stop homeless New Yorkers from sheltering on the subway

Photo by Charles16e on Flickr

February 18, 2022

NYC announces plan to stop homeless New Yorkers from sheltering on the subway

New York City will increase enforcement of certain rules in the subway system as part of a broader safety plan to address homelessness announced by Mayor Eric Adams and the MTA on Friday. The NYPD will boost their enforcement of the "rules of conduct," which includes the prohibition of lying down or sleeping in a way that interferes with others, exhibiting aggressive behavior, spitting, smoking, using drugs, and "using the subway for any purpose other than transportation," according to the 17-page plan. "No more just doing whatever you want," Adams said on Friday. "Those days are over. Swipe your MetroCard, ride the system, and get off at your destination."
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New interactive map highlights 400+ arts organizations led by people of color in NYC

HueArts NYC, a coalition of over 400 New York City arts groups founded, led, and serving Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and all People of Color (POC), launched an interactive digital map and directory of the city's POC-led arts and culture landscape. The map accompanies a report with key findings and recommendations for the city's policymakers and arts donors to address the city's cultural equity gap, including a call to create a $100 million fund to support POC-led arts groups.
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February 16, 2022

Former illegal Upper West Side hotel will become apartments for homeless and low income residents

As part of a larger plan to create much-needed affordable housing, Mayor Eric Adams has expressed his support for converting hotels to residential units. In the first such attempt by his administration, Adams announced on Monday plans to convert what had been an illegal hotel at 258 West 97th Street on the Upper West Side into 80 new units of housing primarily for formerly homeless and low-income New Yorkers.
More on illegal hotels and new housing

NYC commits $75M to Fair Fares program, makes it a permanent part of budget

Photo by Asael Peña on Unsplash

February 15, 2022

NYC commits $75M to Fair Fares program, makes it a permanent part of budget

Funding for New York City's Fair Fares program, which offers a 50 percent discount on subway and bus trips for low-income New Yorkers, has been secured annually for the first time ever. Mayor Eric Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams on Monday announced an agreement to baseline $75 million in funding for the program for the upcoming fiscal year 2023 budget. Fair Fares was originally funded at $106 million in 2020, but pandemic-related budget cuts reduced funding for the program to just over $40 million.
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New York City’s housing experts have a wish list for Mayor Adams

Mayor Eric Adams announces his housing leadership team in the rotunda at City Hall on Sunday, January 30, 2022. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office via Flickr.

February 14, 2022

New York City’s housing experts have a wish list for Mayor Adams

Shortly after taking office last month, New York City Mayor Eric Adams introduced the team that will take the lead on affordable housing strategy, headed by Jessica Katz as the city’s chief housing officer. The announcement came not a moment too soon; rents and home prices continue to rise beyond the reach of many, while homelessness and eviction threats are a growing concern. In a city where the topic of housing is never far from view every day, New Yorkers are looking to the new mayor to address the issues they feel must change. 6sqft asked individuals and organizations involved in the city's housing and real estate sectors to offer an important "wish list" item they would like to see Adams address during his time in office.
A housing wish list from NYC to Mayor Adams, this way

NYC cultural landmarks and public libraries will distribute free at-home Covid testing kits

Image courtesy of Gerardo Romo/NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

February 14, 2022

NYC cultural landmarks and public libraries will distribute free at-home Covid testing kits

The NYC Test & Trace Corps has partnered with 14 city cultural sites and 27 branches of the city's public libraries to hand out free at-home covid-19 testing kits. Starting on February 14, libraries across the city's three branches and cultural sites will be conducting weekly walk-up distributions of the free kits, which will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis with a limit of one per person.
Find out more about free at-home test kits

New York lawmakers call for investigation into soaring ConEd bills in NYC

Photo by Dimitry Anikin on Unsplash

February 10, 2022

New York lawmakers call for investigation into soaring ConEd bills in NYC

New York City residents are outraged after receiving electricity bills with astonishing price spikes, some by 300 percent of their normal rate. After receiving hundreds of calls from concerned New Yorkers over their skyrocketing electricity bills, elected officials are calling on the state's Public Service Commission (PSC) to launch an investigation into the sudden price increase among ConEd customers.
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Policy

Hochul lifts New York’s indoor mask mandate

Photo: Don Pollard/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

February 9, 2022

Hochul lifts New York’s indoor mask mandate

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced New York will be following in the footsteps of New Jersey and California and dropping its indoor mask mandate. The mandate, which required all businesses to verify proof of full vaccination or require mask-wearing, was set to expire on Thursday. Masks will still be required in schools, childcare centers, health care facilities, and public spaces like subways, trains, buses, and airports.
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Policy

MTA to roll out fare-capping pilot program for OMNY this month

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

February 8, 2022

MTA to roll out fare-capping pilot program for OMNY this month

In an effort to get riders back on the New York City subway system, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has introduced a pilot fare-capping program that they believe will be "more affordable, more flexible, and more fair." Starting on February 28, subway or bus riders who use the OMNY contactless payment system 12 times within a seven-day period will be automatically upgraded to an unlimited pass for the rest of that week. The fare-capping program will last for at least four months.
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New Jersey will end mask mandate in schools in March

Image courtesy of Josue Lora/NJ Governor’s Office on Flickr

February 7, 2022

New Jersey will end mask mandate in schools in March

New Jersey's school mask mandate that's been in effect since September 2020 will end March 7, Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Monday. The state mandate required all students, staff, and visitors to wear face coverings while inside New Jersey school facilities. School districts can choose to keep the mandates in place, but the statewide requirement will be lifted. The mandate's removal comes as positive tests and hospitalizations have dropped significantly statewide and the rate of vaccinations continues to rise.
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Policy

NYC commission withholds support for Hochul’s plan to rebuild Penn Station

Rendering courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

February 2, 2022

NYC commission withholds support for Hochul’s plan to rebuild Penn Station

Gov. Kathy Hochul's massive redevelopment plan of Penn Station hit a roadblock last week. The City Planning Commission said it will withhold support for Hochul's new transit hub due to uncertainties over funding and a lack of improvement to transit and the public realm. Before the city recommends its full support, the project's planners must resolve these issues, as the commission wrote in a letter to the Empire State Development Corporation.
Details here

NYC-area transit agencies seek ways to restore ridership post-Covid

Image courtesy of Patrick Cashin / MTA New York City Transit

February 1, 2022

NYC-area transit agencies seek ways to restore ridership post-Covid

New York City-area transit agencies are looking for ways to restore public transit ridership to the levels they were before the pandemic. The MTA, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, NJ Transit, the city's Department of Transportation, and the Partnership for NYC announced on Monday the fourth round of the Transit Tech Lab, a program that aims to find solutions to problems facing the city's public transportation system. The agencies put forth two challenges; the first is a solution to help the public transit system recover from Covid-19 and restore its ridership to pre-pandemic levels. The second is a sustainability challenge, looking for innovations that will better prepare the transit system against extreme weather conditions while leaving less of a carbon footprint.
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NYC offers free, same-day home delivery of antiviral Covid treatment pills

Photo credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 31, 2022

NYC offers free, same-day home delivery of antiviral Covid treatment pills

Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday announced oral antiviral pills are now available for free same-day, at-home delivery for eligible New Yorkers. Oral antiviral pills–as well as monoclonal antibodies–have been shown to be effective in preventing hospitalization and death from Covid. The medication will be available for people who test positive for the virus, have mild or moderate symptoms, and have a doctor's prescription; due to a limited supply, the city is prioritizing those who are at elevated risk for severe illness from the virus.
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Policy

New York requests additional $1.6B in federal rent assistance

Photo by Jonathan Riley on Unsplash

January 28, 2022

New York requests additional $1.6B in federal rent assistance

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday the state has requested an additional $1.6 billion from the United States Department of Treasury to help fund the state's Emergency Rental Assistance program. Although $1.4 billion has been distributed to New Yorkers struggling to pay rent due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are nearly 174,000 tenants whose applications to the state's program have not yet been fulfilled, according to the governor.
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Policy

New York’s mask mandate is reinstated, for now

Photo: Don Pollard/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

January 26, 2022

New York’s mask mandate is reinstated, for now

New York's mask mandate has been reinstated after an appeals court judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a ruling from a lower-court judge that struck down the policy. One day prior, Nassau County Supreme Court Justice Thomas Rademaker said Gov. Kathy Hochul's mask requirement, which applies to all indoor public places in the state that do not require proof of vaccination, was unconstitutional.
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Policy

January 20, 2022

Hochul outlines replacement for New York’s expiring 421-a tax break program