Former de Blasio aide Ben Furnas is taking over as the next executive director of Transportation Alternatives, the organization will announce on Monday.
Furnas, 40, worked on the former mayor's Vision Zero initiative when it launched in 2014, eventually rising to the role of director of the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Sustainability for the last eight months of the de Blasio's era.
Transportation Alternatives' search for a new executive director began when Danny Harris stepped down in June. The nonprofit, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, is one of the city's oldest transportation advocacy groups and had an annual budget of over $4.38 million in 2023, according to tax information published online by ProPublica, and 41 employees list on its website. In addition to community organizing in all five boroughs, the group runs Families for Safe Streets.
Here at Streetsblog, contributor Charles Komanoff gives his forecast for Gov. Hochul's $9 congestion pricing toll. The good news is that Komanoff thinks it'll raise over $900 million annually. The bad news is that the tolls will only initially improve traffic speeds 5 to 6 percent.
Also on the site, Kevin Duggan reports on the city's push to lift the cap on helicopter trips out of the Downtown Manhattan Heliport — to make room for allegedly quieter electric choppers. And over at Streetsblog USA, Aaron Short spoke with menswear expert Derek Guy of @dieworkwear about urbanism.
In other news:
- As Streetsblog readers well know, Mayor Adams has basically given up on bus lanes. Would his potential 2025 opponents do any better? (Crain's, Gothamist)
- Relatedly, from the Assignment Desk: On Tuesday, Riders Alliance and the Pratt Center will put out a report on bus service on Flatbush Avenue — where Adams's promised bus lanes still aren't a reality entering the fourth and final year of his term. 11 a.m. Tuesday at Times Plaza above the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center subway station.
- The MTA tackled congestion pricing "frequently asked questions" in its regular amNY column.
- NY1 probed how hard Trump and the GOP will try to kill congestion pricing, while toll booster and environmentalist Alex Matthiessen urged Trump in the Times to stay away.
- NJ State Police practically gave up on traffic enforcement in the eight months after a report called "racial disparities" in its approach. (Jersey doesn't have speed cameras.) (NY Times)
- Hate the helicopters buzzing overhead? Meet the "unidentified drones." (NY Times)
- A speeding driver suffered crucial burns after a crash in Midwood on Friday night. (Daily News)
- The Post celebrated the city's "luxe" one-day Fifth Avenue open street — while deriding a proposed play street for a "posh" private school as a "private playground." (Note to Post editors and writers: Public schools have play streets, too.)
- Speaking of, cops are seizing more illegal pedicabs after a campaign by the city's top tabloid. (NY Post)
- Say it ain't so, Ritchie Torres — the pro-congestion pricing, anti-highway expansion congressman "pissed on" the MTA, taking a page out of pricing opponents rhetorical playbook and calling out the authority for "pissing away $700 million a year in fare evasion." (NY Post)
- We'll be back tomorrow with a new honor roll of donors to our annual donation drive, so if you want to see you name on the list, click below:
