Hudson Yard Sale: Bloomberg's
Zone Defense
This week the MTA announced that it was opening up bidding
on the Hudson Rail Yards, but there was a catch: the
Jets would get the benefit of a rezoning; everyone else
has to bid on an "as is" land use basis.
Passengers Ask for More NJTransit Funding
At hearings from Camden to Patterson last week, dozens
of riders, civic leaders, and a handful of elected officials
spoke against NJTransit’s proposed fare increases
and for the state to create a dedicated fund for transit
operations. (For remaining hearings, see the calendar
last page.)
Pataki's Budget Threatens Federal Transit Funding
East Side Access and the Second Avenue Subway were the
only two transit projects out of 27 evaluated nationwide
to receive "highly recommended" ratings in
the Federal Transit Administration "New Starts" 2006
report. However, Governor Pataki’s budget, which
allocates only $2 billion to the transit expansion projects,
$3 billion less than the MTA says it needs from the state
for its 2005-2009 capital program, could jeopardize up
to $5 billion in federal allocations.
NJDOT Designates Two New Transit Villages
New Brunswick and Jersey City are the 15th and 16th cities
added to the state’s transit village program, NJ
DOT announced last week. 20 municipalities applied to
join the popular program this year.
Spotlight on Trucks: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
Last week, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign joined
Councilman David Yassky, Brooklyn Community Board 2 and
the Boerum Hill Association to publicly pressure the
city to make truck route enforcement a priority.
NYC Car Owners Hit the Brakes
Crain’s reported a 5% drop overall in NYC car ownership
between 2000 and 2003, noting that the cumulative costs
of driving, including auto insurance and gas prices,
have increased dramatically.
New Visions Presents Lower Manhattan Update
New York New Visions, a collation of architecture, planning
and design organizations that formed after September
11th hosted a meeting on Lower Manhattan’s transportation
plan last week.
