Hunts Point to Cuomo: Get Trucks Off Local Bronx Streets
Hunts Point is one of New York City's largest industrial hubs, generating 15,000 truck trips every day over local streets in one of the city's poorest neighborhoods. The result? Pollution and dangerous streets for residents, as well as wasted resources for businesses. Yesterday, the city released a mammoth study of land use and transportation in the area, and it includes one recommendation that local advocates say the state should pursue immediately: a study of direct ramps from the Bruckner Expressway to the industrial areas of Hunts Point.
December 11, 2013
Who, Me? Cuomo Vetoes Lockbox Bill, Denies Raiding Transit
Hours after the MTA announced that it would be scaling back planned fare hikes in part because of better-than-expected tax receipts, Governor Cuomo vetoed two transparency bills designed to discourage Albany from siphoning away those very same dedicated transit funds. The governor capped his veto with a brazen denial: Despite getting caught raiding the MTA's budget earlier this year, Cuomo insisted that he's done no such thing.
November 14, 2013
Cuomo Administration in Absolutely No Rush to Provide Tappan Zee Transit
After the state dumped transit in its rush to build a new Tappan Zee Bridge, Governor Cuomo announced a transit task force and promised to open the new bridge's emergency shoulders to buses. But connections for bus riders on either side of the bridge remain a mystery, and the state continues to throw out overblown numbers as its task force is set to relegate land-side bus lanes to a study after the bridge opens in 2018.
November 12, 2013
As Deadline Approaches, Will Cuomo Sign or Veto Transit Lockbox Bill?
This afternoon, a coalition of more than 200 groups sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo [PDF] asking him to sign the transit lockbox bill, which would help safeguard dedicated transit funds by requiring the state to disclose the impact of any raids on transit agency budgets. The pressure is on: The governor has until the middle of next week to sign or veto the legislation.
November 4, 2013
Eyes on the Street: Ocean Parkway Gets Safety Upgrades, With More to Come
A plan to improve pedestrian safety at a dangerous Brooklyn intersection is seeing the first signs of progress on the ground.
October 24, 2013
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
State DOT Commits to Improve Deadly Intersection and Study Ocean Parkway
After delaying action on a NYC DOT pedestrian safety plan that local residents voted to fund, the state DOT says that it's not only "in general agreement" with the plan, but supports specific changes to be implemented as soon as this fall. In addition to upgrades at the intersection of Church Avenue and Ocean Parkway, state DOT also says it's examining the safety of 38 intersections along Ocean Parkway, but details about that study remain murky.
August 28, 2013
After Delay, State DOT Says Plan for Deadly Kensington Intersection Due Soon
This morning, Council Member Brad Lander delivered a stack of petitions to Governor Cuomo's Midtown office demanding approval from the state DOT for a pedestrian safety fix that his constituents developed with NYC DOT. It may happen: State DOT says that it will complete a final design with the city by the end of next month.
August 22, 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
At Prendergast Confirmation, NYC State Senators Bash Select Bus Service
It's been a long road for Tom Prendergast to become the chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. After the previous MTA chair, Joe Lhota, split to run for mayor, it took Governor Cuomo more than three months to nominate Prendergast. Then his confirmation hearing was put on hold for more than two months by Senate Transportation Committee chair Charles Fuschillo. But yesterday afternoon, on the final day of the legislative session, Prendergast secured a unanimous vote of approval from Fuschillo's committee.
June 21, 2013