Divert Downtown LIRR Funds?
Yes, Please
Senator Charles Schumer told newspapers
a few weeks ago that he would look to transfer the
$2 billion in federal 9/11 funds slated for a LIRR
connection to downtown if plans are not set by July
2006. This would be welcome news to transit advocates
who believe that the LIRR connection is not a strong
transit priority for the city or the region.
The West Side Stadium- Transportation Connection
A
NY State judge may rule on several lawsuits challenging
the football stadium proposed for Manhattan’s
West Side this week, and a panel of state political
leaders could also vote whether or not to establish
a new public authority to borrow money run the stadium
and related projects. As recounted in these pages over
the past year, the stadium plan has a number of significant
transportation problems.
Atlantic Yards Highlights Absence
of Transport Planning in NYC’s Big Projects
The “transportation” slide
in Forest City Ratner’s presentation to the NYC
City Council last week was a great demonstration of
the regard given to transportation in many of the large
economic development projects under discussion in New
York City.
Corzine’s Freight Plan
U.S. Senator and NJ gubernatorial
hopeful Jon Corzine urged New Jersey to build on the
freight boom at Ports Newark and Elizabeth by capturing
business up and down the freight movement supply chain.
Corzine pledged to support rail and road construction
to facilitate freight movement and freight-related
companies.
Bloomberg’s
Truck Policy a Dead End?
Mayor Bloomberg thinks relieving
truck impacts in neighborhoods is good politics. We
agree. A recent web-banner ad for the mayor’s
re-election campaign targeted to Queens voters noted
the success of the NYC DOT’s decision to allow
some trucks onto the Grand Central Parkway between
the Triborough Bridge and Brooklyn-Queens Expressway,
which provided Astoria residents immediate relief from
a claimed “7 million trucks.”
Wanted: More Time for Route 347 Comments
The Tri-State
Transportation Campaign has asked the NY State DOT
to extend the “scoping” comment period
for the environmental impact statement for a project
to widen Suffolk County’s Route 347 (and has
questioned the adequacy of the scoping process itself).
The current deadline is June 6th.
