Primary day is September 12, when New Yorkers will cast votes for mayor and other citywide offices, as well as every borough president, district attorney, and City Council seat.
Council members wield a lot of influence over city transportation policy, and with Republicans a non-factor in most districts, the Democratic primary is where the action is.
StreetsPAC, the political action committee that backs candidates who promote better conditions for walking, biking, and transit, has made endorsements in around two dozen council districts. This week, the organization released its final round of council picks, giving the nod to three incumbents.
Council District 3: Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, Greenwich Village, Times Square: StreetsPAC likes Corey Johnson for a second term. Johnson defended the Times Square plazas when the tabloids were freaking out over painted breasts (which is more than can be said for Mayor de Blasio). Johnson tells StreetsPAC he’s committed to advocating for protected crosstown Manhattan bike lanes, and addressing curb management dysfunction near the Port Authority Bus Terminal and elsewhere in the district. Johnson has no primary opposition.
Council District 33: Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, Greenpoint, Williamsburg: StreetsPAC says Steve Levin “achieved the near-impossible" by successfully badgering DOT to put protected bike lanes and pedestrian islands on Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn. According to StreetsPAC, Levin’s third term priorities include a safer Meeker Avenue and Schermerhorn Street, minimized commute disruptions during the L train shutdown, and waste carting reforms. Levin is running unopposed.
Council District 34: Williamsburg, Bushwick, Ridgewood: StreetsPAC wants a second term for Antonio Reynoso. “As Chair of the Council’s Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management,” StreetsPAC writes, “Reynoso will push for major safety improvements on the part of private carters, as well as changes to the city’s snow-removal protocol to ensure that crosswalks and bus stops are cleared in a more timely manner.” Reynoso says he wants more protected bike lanes in the district, and an examination of traffic laws that apply to motorists but don’t make sense for people on bikes. Tommy Torres is also on the ballot as a Democrat in District 34.
