| Issue 53 | September 29, 1995 |
South Bronx Tackles Transport
The South Bronx Transportation Education Initiative has organized five workshops to help residents get involved in local, borough and city-wide transportation issues. Banana Kelly, the community redevelopment organization, has marshalled transit advocates, transportation officials and economists to give perspectives on issues facing the Bronx and NYC. The first two sessions have been well-attended, with residents generating intelligent, sustained dialogue with panelists. Some citizens already seem tired of talk and ready to get to work in their neighborhoods. The series is a good model for generating local participation and transportation activism. Last week's workshop addressed "tools for influencing policy." It heard contrasting views from NY State DOT and NYMTC on the one hand, who described formal policy procedures, and the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance and the Tri-State Campaign on the other, who focused on the tactics often needed to win agency responses to community concerns. The next workshop (Oct. 18) will dig into the issue of the Harlem River Rail Yard. See calendar section below or call Ryan Fitzpatrick at Banana Kelly, 718-328-1064.
