Noah Kazis

On Tuesday, Mayor Bloomberg announced a new pilot program to provide livery van service for transit-starved neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens, a proposal stemming from his 2009 campaign transit platform. The push to provide more mobility options in the wake of MTA service cuts is to be applauded, as is the administration's willingness to experiment with something new. But the jury is still out on this one. In particular, how livery vans will be integrated with the transit system remains a big question mark. 

In a region where passenger transportation is being reimagined, freight needs to catch up. That's the message Chris Ward, the executive director of the Port Authority, delivered in a "call to arms" at Baruch College this morning. After outlining the importance and challenges of moving freight, Ward put forward the beginning of a plan to rationalize cargo movement, calling for a combination of new infrastructure, new pricing schemes, and centralized distribution centers scattered across the New York region. 

The results are in from the City Council Progressive Caucus budget survey, and when it comes to road pricing, they're telling, if unscientific. Road pricing remains unpopular across a broad swath of New York City, though among proponents, support is intense.

New York's smart growth legislation is about to become law, so it's worth looking at precisely how much it will do. Smart growth laws from around the country offer some perspective: New York's law could be transformative, but the devil's in the details. To really curb suburban sprawl, smart growth is going to need a cooperative governor, active watchdogs, and a thorough plan for implementation.

It took a few tries, but the Department of Transportation finally won the support of Manhattan Community Board 5's Transportation Committee for its Union Square bike-ped plan last night. While a few safety improvements were sacrificed to local objections, the community board rejected calls by a particularly aggressive minority to scrap the centerpieces of the plan, including an extension of Broadway's protected bike lane, a traffic-calming pedestrian plaza, and the conversion of 17th Street into a one-way with a contraflow bike lane.

Bus bulbs are one of the most versatile tools in the livable streets toolkit. By extending the sidewalk out into the street, you can send a calming signal to through traffic, spare buses the trouble of pulling to the curb every few blocks, and expand the amount of pedestrian space in one fell swoop.

Skeptics and boosters of high-speed rail traded views at NYU this Wednesday at a conference notable for the low expectations expressed by many panelists. While the much-heralded potential of 200 mph trains was discussed at length, many speakers, particularly those close to the ground in New York, argued that true high-speed rail is a pipe dream or won't provide its promised benefits.

MTA Folds to Albany as Student MetroCard Deal Reached (Post, NYT, WSJ, NY1, AMNY, SAS) Climate Change Legislation Almost as Dead as Gulf Wildlife (The Hill) Bloomberg Walks Back Attack on Art Vendors in Parks (NYT) Parking Glut Undiscussed in New Domino Point-Counterpoint (Brooklyn Paper 1, 2) Dog Bites Man: CB 2 Wishes Vanderbilt Ave Bike … Continued

Every summer, New Yorkers face a dire shortage of tube socks. Or so you'd assume if you walked through the city's 300-odd street fairs. Though some fairs are cherished local institutions, the majority are corporate cookie-cutter affairs. That's a real wasted opportunity in a city so starved for public space. 

BP Could Owe $280 Million. A Day. Just In Civil Charges. (NYT) Michael Daly to Obama: To Hit BP Where It Hurts, Build More Subways (News) Bus Cam Legislation Has Clear Path Forward in the Assembly (News) Daily News: Did We Say Fare-Beating Was a Problem on Bx12? Our Bad.  Cops Driving on Wrong Side … Continued