Policy

New York City officials are working to bolster fire safety in the wake of the devasting Bronx apartment fire in January that killed 17 people. Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday signed an executive order that aims to improve coordination between the city's Fire Department and inspectors from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to identify safety violations earlier and increase fire safety compliance. The mayor said he plans to work with the City Council to pass a number of fire safety bills, including legislation that would increase fines for landlords who falsely report curing a self-closing door violation.
Find out more

Policy

New York to distribute 20M at-home Covid tests statewide to prepare for potential surges

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

March 18, 2022

New York to distribute 20M at-home Covid tests statewide to prepare for potential surges

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced New York will distribute more than 20 million over-the-counter Covid-19 tests to bolster New York's ongoing preparation efforts and as virus cases rise in other parts of the world. The tests will be sent to nursing homes, adult care facilities, and schools across the state. Over 1.7 million tests will be reserved for NYCHA tenants, according to the governor. The state will also create new distribution points for tests and partner with local officials to improve public access to kits.
Find out more

Policy

Brooklyn Point in Downtown Brooklyn offers 421-a benefits through 2045; Rendering by Williams New York

March 17, 2022

NYC Comptroller calls for end of 421-a tax break, estimated to cost city $1.8B in revenue this year

The controversial 421-a tax abatement program that provides a tax break to developers who set aside affordable housing at new developments should not be replaced when it expires in June, says New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. According to an analysis released Wednesday by Lander's office, the tax program will cost the city $1.77 billion in forgone tax revenue in 2022, without creating homes that are affordable to most New Yorkers. While Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a replacement plan as part of her budget, the comptroller, along with other elected officials, called the governor's proposal too "modest" and instead wants deeper structural reform of the property tax system.
Learn more

Policy

New York receives just $119M of the $1.6B requested for rent relief

Photo by Daryan Shamkhali on Unsplash

March 16, 2022

New York receives just $119M of the $1.6B requested for rent relief

New York on Tuesday received an additional $119 million in rent-relief funds from the U.S. Treasury Department, a fraction of the $1.6 billion requested by Gov. Kathy Hochul in January. Hochul's office estimated 8,500 pending applications for rent relief will be fulfilled with this new funding, as Crain's reported.
Find out more

Policy

NYC to roll out secure bike parking pods at five high-traffic cycling spots

All images courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation

March 15, 2022

NYC to roll out secure bike parking pods at five high-traffic cycling spots

Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez last Friday announced the city will be piloting a new bike parking model this spring. DOT will be testing Brooklyn-based company Oonee's "Mini," a prototype of the company's six-bike corral, at five high-traffic locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens over the next couple of months. The pilot program is part of the city's broader effort to expand secure bike parking.
See more here

Hochul recommends five historic places in NYC to be added to state and national registers

Photo showing storefront stands on Ninth Ave. looking south from just north of West 40th St., 1936.(Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy, The New York Public Library.

March 14, 2022

Hochul recommends five historic places in NYC to be added to state and national registers

Gov. Kathy Hochul last week announced 21 nominations for possible placement on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The list of nominations includes a diverse set of locations that are intricate to the history of New York. Nominations include early automobile manufacturing sites in Buffalo and Syracuse, a Mohawk Valley cemetery home to the author of the Pledge of Allegiance, and the only remaining 19-century textile mile in Troy. Of the total nominated places, five are located in New York City, including an abandoned Bronx train station designed by Cass Gilbert and an area in Hell's Kitchen once home to a famed open-air market.
See more here

36% of New York City residents have received a Covid booster shot

Map courtesy of NYC Department of Health

March 14, 2022

36% of New York City residents have received a Covid booster shot

Just over a third of New York City residents have received a coronavirus booster shot, according to newly published data released by the city's health department this week. While roughly 77 percent of New Yorkers are fully vaccinated, just 36 percent have received an additional dose of the Covid vaccine. The data also reveals racial disparities among vaccination rates citywide, with 57 percent of Asian and Pacific Islander residents getting boosted compared to 24 percent of Black New Yorkers.
Learn more

Policy

NYC to resume work on over 100 delayed parks projects this spring

All images courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 14, 2022

NYC to resume work on over 100 delayed parks projects this spring

Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday announced over 100 park projects halted due to the pandemic will resume work this spring. The city has invested $417 million in NYC Parks to break ground on the 104 projects, which is a 142 percent increase in new park projects compared to 2021. According to a press release, more than 86 percent of the new projects implement sustainable features like LED lighting, rain gardens, new trees, stormwater capture systems, and the use of recycled materials. Roughly 62 percent of these new projects are being installed in neighborhoods classified as underserved and are expected to be completed by the summer of 2023.
Find out more

Penn Station’s transformation takes next steps with removal of low-hanging beams

All images courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA

March 9, 2022

Penn Station’s transformation takes next steps with removal of low-hanging beams

A major step in the transformation of Penn Station has begun. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on Tuesday announced they would begin the removal of seven massive low-hanging beams known as "head knockers," dated structural beams that have limited the height of passageways in Penn Station's Long Island Rail Road Concourse to under 7 feet. The removal of these beams will help project crews reach their goal of increasing the ceiling height to 18 feet across the entire concourse, doubling the width of the 33rd Street corridor to 57 feet, and improving lighting.
See more here

Study says vaccines prevented 48,000+ Covid deaths in NYC

More than 48,000 deaths, 300,000 hospitalizations, and 1.9 million cases have been prevented since the city's Covid-19 vaccination campaign started in December 2020, the New York City Health Department announced on Friday. “COVID-19 vaccines have saved so many lives and prevented an immense amount of suffering," Dr. Dave A. Chokshi, Health Commissioner, said. "Nearly 48,000 New Yorkers will celebrate another birthday this year due to the power of vaccination."
Find out more

Policy

NYC school mask mandate will continue for children under five

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

March 4, 2022

NYC school mask mandate will continue for children under five

New York City public school students under the age of five will need to continue wearing masks even though the city's mask mandate in public schools will be lifted on March 7, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Friday. Children under the age of five are still ineligible for vaccination.
Find out more

Policy

South Brooklyn Marine Terminal to become one of nation’s largest offshore wind ports

Image courtesy of Equinor

March 3, 2022

South Brooklyn Marine Terminal to become one of nation’s largest offshore wind ports

Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced an agreement that will transform New York City's South Brooklyn Marine Terminal into one of the country's largest offshore wind ports. As part of the deal made with the city's Economic Development Corporation, Equinor, and the Sustainable South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, L.P., the terminal will become a power interconnection site for the Empire Wind 1 project, with heavy-lift platforms being built on the 39th Street Pier for use as wind turbine staging. The terminal's transformation will help the city meet its climate goal of having 100 percent clean electricity by 2040.
See more here

Port Authority releases mass transit options as possible alternatives to LaGuardia AirTrain project

Rendering courtesy of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

March 3, 2022

Port Authority releases mass transit options as possible alternatives to LaGuardia AirTrain project

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Wednesday released a set of alternative options to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $2.1 billion LaGuardia AirTrain project, a 1.5-mile elevated rail that would connect the airport with the subway system at Willets Point and link to the Long Island Rail Road. After Gov. Kathy Hochul halted the project last October and urged developers to look for alternate options, Port Authority has come up with 14 alternatives including two subway extensions, five light rail routes, five bus options, a ferry service, and options utilizing "emerging technologies."
See more here

Photo by Daniel Lee on Unsplash

March 2, 2022

City intensifies enforcement at 250 apartment buildings with 40,000 open violations

New York City will increase enforcement at 250 apartment buildings that together have roughly 40,000 open housing maintenance code violations. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development on Tuesday announced the buildings, which include more than 5,000 households, will be placed in the city's Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP), which aims to hold bad landlords accountable and improve living conditions for tenants.
More here

Policy

Photo of NYC’s Billionaires’ Row in 2020: Wikimedia commons

March 1, 2022

New transparency bill would make it harder for international elites to hide behind LLCs in NY

State Sen. Brad Hoylman and Assembly Member Emily Gallagher on Tuesday introduced legislation that would help shine a light on the money behind Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) and anonymous shell companies. The new bill would help uncover assets of international oligarchs, trace tax evaders and help hold bad landlords accountable by requiring LLCs to disclose to the NYS Department of State the names and addresses of their beneficial owners.
Find out more

Brooklyn officials call for end of minimum parking requirements at new developments

Photo courtesy of Mike Petrucci on Unsplash

March 1, 2022

Brooklyn officials call for end of minimum parking requirements at new developments

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.
Find out more

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.
Find out more

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.
Find out more

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.
Find out more

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.
See more here

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.
Find out more

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.
Find out more

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