December 9: Shovel-Ready 25x25 streets, Town Hall with Sen. Schumer and CM Lander, City Council Legislation
With three million free parking spaces and 6,300 miles of streets, New York City has no shortage of public space. But from Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn to Jerome Avenue in the Bronx, a better use of our streets is possible.
This week, we released Shovel-Ready NYC 25x25 Streets, a new report showcasing five re-imagined New York City streets that prioritize people over cars. This project shows what more equitable, healthy, and safe streets look like in each borough. This project shows that Streets for People can be a reality.
The solutions were devised with input from residents and the expertise of planners, and are built upon the collaborative mapping technology of Remix, a tool from Via. This first-of-its-kind collaboration showcases the power of community input in creating streets for people and a new way to accelerate the work of reclaiming space from cars.
See the reimagined streets and read more about this new project in a new piece by John Surico in CityLab.
Three Things To Know
1️⃣ TONIGHT! We’re co-hosting a Zoom town hall with Sen. Schumer and Comptroller-elect Brad Lander. At 6:30 p.m., join us as we discuss what the infrastructure bill means for New York City (hint: new bike lanes, better subways, improved broadband, and lead removal are in the pipeline). RSVP for tonight’s town hall.
2️⃣ TA and Families for Safe Streets are on Mayor-elect Adams’ transition team. We’re grateful that Mayor-elect Adams has invited us to be a part of his transition team alongside other New Yorkers passionate about making this city a better place to live.
3️⃣ Here’s what we’re reading this week. In the news:
Bike Lanes: Council Member Antonio Reynoso has introduced a bill that wold streamline the engagement and installation process for bike lanes, removing an unnecessary 45 day waiting period before any bike lane project can move forward. Read Streetsblog for more details and sign our petition in support of this bill and others.
Open Streets: The DOT is drafting regulations for outdoor dining structures, according to Gothamist. This includes proposed fees to use public space — does this mean DOT is going to start metering car storage on public streets? Asking for a friend.
Two Things to Do
1️⃣ Tell your City Council member to support safe streets bills. With just a few weeks left in 2021, the City Council has the chance to make progress on Vision Zero, crack down on placard abuse, and make our streets more fair. See which bills we’re supporting and sign a petition to tell your elected officials that you want them passed!
2️⃣ Power us into 2022 and beyond. Your support makes our efforts to reclaim our streets possible. Thanks to the generous support from a local foundation through the end of the year, your gift is doubled. Chip in today, and help build safe streets in NYC!
One Action To Take Now
Check out our latest job posting. Our team is growing, and we need your talent. We’re hiring a Development Coordinator, who will provide operational, administrative, and strategic support to the development team. Read more about the position and apply.
Thanks for reading!