Blood on the Asphalt, Silence in City Hall

State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and others joined a lawsuit to block New York’s congestion pricing. The editorial rails against tolls, calling them a blow to working New Yorkers. No mention of pedestrian or cyclist safety. The fight centers on driver costs.

On February 6, 2024, an editorial titled 'Time for insane NYC congestion pricing plan to hit the road' opposed the city’s congestion pricing scheme. State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-23) joined 17 other lawmakers in a lawsuit against the plan, which would charge drivers entering Midtown Manhattan. The editorial claims, 'solving [MTA fiscal problems] by punishing average New Yorkers simply for driving is insane,' and highlights concerns over economic burden. The piece quotes union leaders and lawmakers, including Scarcella-Spanton, City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli, and US Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, all opposing the tolls. There is no assessment of the impact on vulnerable road users—pedestrians, cyclists, or transit riders. The focus remains on driver expenses and political backlash.

• Time for insane NYC congestion pricing plan to hit the road, nypost.com, Published 2024-02-06

Eighteen lawmakers, including Joseph Borelli, sued to stop New York’s $15 congestion pricing. They claim the toll shifts pollution, burdens drivers, and fails communities with poor transit. The MTA defends the plan, saying it funds safer, less crowded streets.

On February 4, 2024, Council Member Joseph C. Borelli (District 51) joined seventeen other lawmakers in a federal lawsuit to block New York City’s $15 congestion pricing toll for Midtown Manhattan. The suit, supported by both Democrats and Republicans, argues the toll 'is a detriment to those that will be affected by this toll, environmentally and financially,' and claims it will shift traffic and pollution to other neighborhoods. Other plaintiffs include State Senators James Skoufis, Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, Iwen Chu, Monica Martinez, and Assemblymembers Aileen Gunther, Jamie Williams, and David Weprin. The MTA, backed by Governor Hochul, says the toll will raise $1 billion yearly for transit upgrades, promising safer, less congested streets and better transit for the majority who rely on public transportation. The case highlights the political and environmental battle over how to fund and shape New York’s streets.

• 18 NY lawmakers join suit to block $15 congestion toll, nypost.com, Published 2024-02-04

Eighteen lawmakers, including Joseph Borelli, sued to stop New York’s $15 congestion pricing. They claim the toll shifts pollution, burdens drivers, and fails communities with poor transit. The MTA defends the plan, saying it funds safer, less crowded streets.

On February 4, 2024, Council Member Joseph C. Borelli (District 51) joined seventeen other lawmakers in a federal lawsuit to block New York City’s $15 congestion pricing toll for Midtown Manhattan. The suit, supported by both Democrats and Republicans, argues the toll 'is a detriment to those that will be affected by this toll, environmentally and financially,' and claims it will shift traffic and pollution to other neighborhoods. Other plaintiffs include State Senators James Skoufis, Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, Iwen Chu, Monica Martinez, and Assemblymembers Aileen Gunther, Jamie Williams, and David Weprin. The MTA, backed by Governor Hochul, says the toll will raise $1 billion yearly for transit upgrades, promising safer, less congested streets and better transit for the majority who rely on public transportation. The case highlights the political and environmental battle over how to fund and shape New York’s streets.

• 18 NY lawmakers join suit to block $15 congestion toll, nypost.com, Published 2024-02-04

New York will install fixed trash containers in West Harlem’s curb lanes by spring 2025. Sidewalk garbage bags will vanish. Custom trucks will haul the bins. The plan removes 150,000 parking spots. Streets clear. Rats drop. Sidewalks open for people, not cars.

On February 1, 2024, the city announced an expansion of trash containerization in West Harlem. The Department of Sanitation will install stationary curbside trash enclosures for buildings with 31 or more units in Manhattan Community Board 9 by spring 2025. The policy, championed by Mayor Adams, follows a pilot that cut rat sightings by 68 percent. Adams called the new side-loading truck 'the future of New York City garbage collection.' The plan replaces about 150,000 parking spots—five percent of the city’s total—with trash containers. Smaller buildings will use wheeled bins on sidewalks. Advocates support the move, urging shared containers to keep sidewalks clear. Some warn that too many bins could harm businesses and streetscapes. The city will study environmental impacts before rollout. The expansion aims to reclaim space from cars, clear sidewalks, and improve safety for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.

• No Parking: City is Expanding Harlem Trash Containerization — And Getting the Trucks to Do It Right, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-02-01

SUVs and pickups crush safety. They kill more, clog streets, burn more fuel. Komanoff says electrification and downsizing are not enough. Driving must fall. Road pricing, better transit, and livable streets matter as much as cleaner cars. The toll is real.

On February 1, 2024, Charles Komanoff published an op-ed in Streetsblog NYC warning of the dangers of rising SUV and pickup truck use. He writes, 'The increasing size of passenger vehicles has been catastrophic for road safety, traffic congestion, climate viability, and household budgets.' Komanoff opposes SUV and pickup proliferation and supports downsizing, electrification, and policies like road pricing and better transit. He stresses that larger vehicles are far more likely to kill other road users. He argues that electrification and smaller cars alone cannot cut emissions or deaths enough. Only less driving, paired with systemic changes—congestion pricing, curb pricing, and livable streets—will protect the vulnerable and the climate. No council bill is attached, but the warning is clear: car bloat endangers everyone outside the vehicle.

• Komanoff: Get the Facts About ‘Car Bloat’ and Pollution, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-02-01

Five years after passage, the city’s commercial waste overhaul crawls forward. Only one zone starts in 2024. Fewer trucks, fewer miles, but delays keep danger rolling. Streets still wait for safer rigs. Cyclists and pedestrians remain exposed.

Bill creating the Commercial Waste Zone program, sponsored by Antonio Reynoso, passed in 2019 after deadly crashes involving private haulers. The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) announced on January 31, 2024, that only one of twenty zones—Jackson Heights, Corona, Elmhurst—will launch this year. The law aims to cut truck miles in half, add backup cameras, GPS, and safety training. DSNY spokesperson Joshua Goodman said contracts target safety and worker protections. Reynoso urged ongoing oversight, saying, 'It is important that DSNY continuously reassess implementation and course correct as needed.' Yet, delays persist, especially on installing guard rails to prevent pedestrians and cyclists from being swept under trucks. Justin Wood of NYLPI voiced concern over the slow rollout. The program promises fewer trucks and safer streets, but for now, most neighborhoods wait.

• Long-Delayed Business Waste Program to Start Later This Year, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-01-31

Senate passes S 6808. The bill creates first responder safety zones. It sets speed limits in these zones. Lawmakers act after crashes and close calls. The vote is strong. The danger is real. The streets demand change.

Senate bill S 6808, titled 'Relates to establishing first responder safety zones and setting speed limits in such safety zones,' moved through committee and passed multiple Senate votes between May 2023 and March 2024. Primary sponsor John Mannion led the push, joined by Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Iwen Chu, and Pamela Helming. The bill aims to carve out protected zones for first responders and lower speed limits in those areas. The measure passed with broad support, reflecting urgency after repeated crashes near emergency scenes. The bill’s text and votes show lawmakers responding to the deadly toll of reckless driving near first responders. Vulnerable road users—pedestrians, passengers, and responders—stand in harm’s way. The bill targets that risk.

• File S 6808, Open States, Published 2024-01-30

Senate passes S 6808. The bill creates first responder safety zones. It sets speed limits in these zones. Lawmakers act after crashes and close calls. The vote is strong. The danger is real. The streets demand change.

Senate bill S 6808, titled 'Relates to establishing first responder safety zones and setting speed limits in such safety zones,' moved through committee and passed multiple Senate votes between May 2023 and March 2024. Primary sponsor John Mannion led the push, joined by Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Iwen Chu, and Pamela Helming. The bill aims to carve out protected zones for first responders and lower speed limits in those areas. The measure passed with broad support, reflecting urgency after repeated crashes near emergency scenes. The bill’s text and votes show lawmakers responding to the deadly toll of reckless driving near first responders. Vulnerable road users—pedestrians, passengers, and responders—stand in harm’s way. The bill targets that risk.

• File S 6808, Open States, Published 2024-01-30

Every day, 9,000 trucks thunder through Sunset Park and Red Hook. Warehouses choke streets. Black and Latino residents breathe the fumes and dodge danger. Lawmakers push the Clean Deliveries Act to curb the chaos. The burden falls hard. The fight is on.

The Clean Deliveries Act, now under consideration in Albany, aims to regulate last-mile warehouse traffic and emissions across New York State. The bill responds to a new report showing Sunset Park and Red Hook face the city's highest truck volumes—over 9,000 daily trips—linked to sprawling Amazon, FedEx, and UPS facilities. The report states, 'a quarter of residents across the Empire State live within half a mile of a distribution center that’s at least 50,000 square feet, disproportionately harming Black and Latino communities.' State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, representing the affected Brooklyn neighborhoods, calls for urgent action 'for the sake of our climate and the safety of our streets.' Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes, whose district sees the most daily truck traffic, urges colleagues to pass the Act. Advocates like Kevin Garcia say the bill is 'key legislation to protect frontline communities from increased vehicular traffic and tailpipe emissions.' The Act would require emissions reviews, pollution minimization, and studies of low-emission zones in hotspots.

• Poorer Brooklynites Bear the Brunt of Online Delivery Boom: Report, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-01-23

Thousands of cars without plates clog city streets. Enforcement is weak. Only a fraction get towed. Council Member Sandy Nurse calls ghost plates a public safety risk. The city’s response is slow. Vulnerable road users pay the price for inaction.

On January 16, 2024, the City Council held an oversight hearing on traffic enforcement for plateless vehicles. The Sanitation Committee, chaired by Council Member Sandy Nurse (District 37), led the debate. The hearing focused on the city’s failure to remove unregistered, plateless cars. In 2023, over 51,000 complaints were filed, but only 1,821 cars were towed. Nurse said, 'Cars with ghost plates are a risk to public safety.' Council Member Shaun Abreu pushed for a bill to streamline the Department of Sanitation’s towing process, but DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch opposed it, citing legal and operational hurdles. The NYPD and DSNY formed a task force, but advocates and councilmembers say it is not enough. The city’s lack of action leaves vulnerable road users exposed to reckless, untraceable drivers.

• No License Plates? No Problem! Scofflaw Drivers Remove Tags Yet Rarely Get Caught, streetsblog.org, Published 2024-01-16

Thousands of cars without plates clog New York streets. City agencies barely act. Drivers dodge tickets and accountability. Council Members Nurse and Abreu demand action. The city shrugs. Plateless cars stay. Vulnerable road users pay the price.

Council Member Shaun Abreu introduced a bill in September 2023 to streamline the Department of Sanitation’s (DSNY) towing of plateless vehicles. The bill remains stalled after DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch testified against it, citing operational and legal hurdles. The matter, discussed in the Sanitation Committee led by Council Member Sandy Nurse, highlights a citywide crisis: over 51,000 complaints about plateless cars in 2023, but only 1,821 removals. The article quotes Nurse—'Cars with ghost plates are a risk to public safety'—and Abreu, who calls the city’s inaction a repurposing of public space for dumping. Despite a DSNY/NYPD task force, enforcement remains weak. The city’s failure leaves reckless drivers unaccountable and endangers everyone outside a car.

• No License Plates? No Problem! Scofflaw Drivers Remove Tags Yet Rarely Get Caught, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-01-16

Concrete barriers on Park Avenue bike lanes promised safety. Drivers ignored them. Cars block both ends. Cyclists forced into traffic. Police rarely ticket. Council stalls on citizen reporting. The city’s fix failed. Cyclists pay the price.

On January 12, 2024, Streetsblog NYC reported on the failure of new concrete barriers meant to protect bike lanes on Park Avenue in the Bronx. The Department of Transportation, led by Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, installed these barriers in fall 2023, aiming to 'harden' bike lanes in a borough with few safe cycling routes. Cyclists like Joseph Rienti say the barriers are better than nothing, but drivers now park at both ends, forcing riders into car traffic. Rienti urges better design or enforcement, not removal. Police enforcement is almost nonexistent: less than 2 percent of 76,000 complaints led to tickets. City Council, including Transportation Committee Chair Selvena Brooks-Powers, has not advanced a bill allowing citizen reporting of blocked lanes, despite majority support. DOT spokeswoman Mona Bruno promises to work with police, but for now, the barriers fail to protect vulnerable cyclists.

• Barriers Fail To Keep Drivers From Blocking Bronx Bike Lanes, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-01-12

Senator Lanza pushes to kill congestion pricing. Streets may see more cars, more chaos. The bill strips a key tool for safer, calmer roads. Vulnerable New Yorkers face greater risk.

Senate Bill S 8149, sponsored by Andrew J. Lanza of District 24, seeks to repeal congestion pricing. Introduced on January 9, 2024, the bill is at the sponsorship stage. The measure's title is blunt: 'Repeals congestion pricing.' Lanza stands as the primary sponsor. If passed, this repeal would remove a policy designed to limit car traffic in crowded city streets. No safety analyst has yet weighed in, but the move threatens to flood roads with more vehicles, putting pedestrians and cyclists in harm’s way.

• File S 8149, Open States, Published 2024-01-09

Vendors vanished from the Brooklyn Bridge. City workers swept the span at midnight. Tourists walked free of tables and hawkers. The walkway opened up. No ducking, weaving, or crowding. The city seized eight vendor tables. The bridge stayed packed, but clear.

On January 3, 2024, the city implemented a total vendor ban on the Brooklyn Bridge. The Department of Transportation and NYPD cleared all souvenir stands and food sellers at midnight. A sign now reads, 'No vending allowed.' Councilmember Gale A. Brewer, District 6, was mentioned for introducing a related bill last month to restrict sales only on narrow sections. Mayor Eric Adams said, 'Tourists and New Yorkers alike deserve to walk across it and enjoy its beauty without being packed together like sardines or risking their safety.' The ban aims to improve pedestrian flow on the crowded bridge, which sees over 34,000 walkers on a fall weekend. Supporters of vendors mourned the loss of affordable food and art. Tourists welcomed the extra space and easier passage.

• Tourists enjoy vendor-free Brooklyn Bridge as ban goes into effect, gothamist.com, Published 2024-01-03

Downtown Brooklyn saw new public spaces, art, and transit upgrades in 2023. City leaders cut sidewalk sheds, opened plazas, and boosted subway access. Over $40 million was pledged for streets, transit, and pedestrian safety. Lincoln Restler and others pushed for these changes.

Council Member Lincoln Restler (District 33) and city leaders announced major transportation and public space improvements in Downtown Brooklyn on December 29, 2023. The announcement, titled 'A jam-packed 2023: A look back at Downtown Brooklyn improvements and enhancements this year,' highlighted new public spaces, art installations, and infrastructure upgrades. Notably, the Hoyt Street Subway Station entrance at Fulton Mall was renovated with a new elevator for better accessibility. The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, with Restler's support, pushed for the removal of long-standing sidewalk sheds at Willoughby Plaza, restoring open space to the public. Mayor Eric Adams pledged over $40 million for streetscape, transportation, and pedestrian safety enhancements, with $8 million earmarked for Fulton Mall. These actions aim to make Brooklyn safer and more accessible for all road users.

• ‘A jam-packed 2023’: A look back at Downtown Brooklyn improvements and enhancements this year, brooklynpaper.com, Published 2023-12-29

A hit-and-run truck killed an 82-year-old cyclist on Northern Boulevard. The driver fled. This marks the 29th cyclist death in 2023. Councilmember Brooks-Powers blasted DOT for missing legal bike lane targets. Streets remain deadly. Progress is slow. Accountability is lacking.

On December 28, 2023, Council Transportation Committee Chair Selvena Brooks-Powers responded to the death of an 82-year-old cyclist killed by a hit-and-run truck on Northern Boulevard. This incident marked the 29th cyclist fatality in 2023, a grim milestone in a year of rising traffic violence. Brooks-Powers criticized the Adams administration and the Department of Transportation for failing to meet the Streets Plan's legal requirement of 50 miles of protected bike lanes, achieving only about 30 miles. She stated, 'Thirty-plus miles of completed new bike lane is of course better than none, but falls far short of Streets Plan requirements.' Brooks-Powers also condemned the missed bus lane targets and called out DOT's lack of transparency, pledging to hold the agency accountable and push for safer, more equitable streets. The city faces more cars, more crashes, and more injuries, while vulnerable road users pay the price.

• Another Cyclist Killed in One of the Deadliest Years on Record, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-12-28

Sanitation will plow bike lanes and roads at the same time. No more waiting. No more trade-offs. Commissioner Tisch says every street gets cleared together. Cyclists will not be left stranded in snow. The city finally treats bike lanes as vital.

On December 21, 2023, the Department of Sanitation announced a major shift in snow removal policy. Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch declared, “For the first time the plan calls for doing both at the same time, rather than prioritizing one over the other or making trade-offs.” This policy change ends years of prioritizing car lanes over bike lanes for snow clearance. The agency updated its annual snow plan and hired 563 new workers, now able to dispatch plows for all routes simultaneously. The new approach means protected bike lanes—165 miles worth—will be cleared alongside roads, not after. Tisch emphasized, “Every street in the city is on a route and we are staffed to dispatch every route at the same time. Prioritization of certain streets is a thing of the past.” Advocates, including Jon Orcutt of Bike New York, praised the move as overdue and vital for cyclists’ safety. The city’s snow fleet now includes smaller plows fit for bike lanes, ending the era of neglect.

• Sanitation Promises to Plow Bike Lanes at the Same Time As Roads, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-12-21

Federal officials updated the MUTCD, touting flexibility for safer streets. Advocates wanted more. The new rules clarify design for human error and ease bike and transit features. But speed limit reforms are weak. Cities get tools, but danger remains entrenched.

On December 19, 2023, the Federal Highway Administration released a new Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), the first update since 2009. The policy, shaped by advocacy campaigns, was summarized as offering 'more flexibility to design roads safely,' but advocates say it is 'a transitional document; it’s not a transformational document.' FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt claimed the update empowers cities to prioritize active transportation, stating, 'The cities that are really thriving... are the ones who are really putting active transportation at the forefront.' However, advocates like Mike McGinn and Beth Osborne criticized the weak reforms to the 85th percentile speed rule and the lack of bold safety mandates. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law now requires updates every four years, giving hope for future, stronger reforms. For now, the MUTCD still leaves vulnerable road users at risk, with only incremental gains.

• Feds, Advocates Talk About What’s In The New MUTCD (And What Isn’t)!, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-12-19

MTA revealed its final Queens bus overhaul. Routes shift. Stops thin out. Riders brace for longer walks. Council Member Brooks-Powers warns of harm to her district. The city lags on bus lanes. Public review looms. Vulnerable riders face uncertainty.

On December 12, 2023, the MTA released its final proposal for the Queens bus network redesign. The plan, shaped by two years of outreach, proposes 121 routes—eight more than before—but cuts and combines stops, aiming for straighter lines and faster trips. The matter summary states the redesign seeks 'improved travel speed and reliability.' Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, chair of the Transportation Committee, voiced 'serious concerns about the proposal’s impact on her constituents, especially with the looming arrival of congestion pricing.' She called for an 'equitable and balanced' approach. The plan faces backlash over wider stop spacing and fewer stops, which could force longer walks for riders—many of them elderly or disabled. The city has failed to meet its legal mandate for new bus lanes, building only 18 miles this year. The proposal enters public review ahead of a 2025 rollout.

• MTA unveils final proposal for Queens bus network redesign, amny.com, Published 2023-12-12

The MTA’s 20-Year Needs Assessment draws fire for playing it safe. Critics say it ignores bold transit expansion. The plan favors maintenance and minor tweaks. It leaves regional riders stranded. No real integration. No big moves. Just more of the same.

On December 12, 2023, Streetsblog NYC published a critique of the MTA 20-Year Needs Assessment. The article, titled 'Raising the Regional Bar: Why the MTA 20-Year Needs Assessment Inevitably Falls Flat,' argues the plan 'fails to accomplish its stated mission of bringing the New York region into the 21st century.' The critique highlights the lack of major expansion projects and the absence of a plan to fully integrate Penn Station into a regional rail network. The author calls for greater cooperation among the MTA, NJ Transit, Port Authority, Amtrak, and local bus operators. The piece urges leaders to deliver a world-class, interconnected transit system instead of isolated improvements. No council members are named; this is a policy critique, not a legislative action.

• Raising the Regional Bar: Why the MTA 20-Year Needs Assessment Inevitably Falls Flat, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-12-12