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Vacca Committee Passes DOT Public Review Bills With Friendly Amendments
Amended versions of two bills adding requirements to the Department of Transportation's public review process passed the City Council's transportation committee unanimously this afternoon. The bills, which mainly codify current practices, would require DOT to consult with other city agencies and compile data on safety and traffic patterns for all major projects. "It is crucial that all the stakeholders are not only fully involved but also fully informed about what is happening in their communities," said committee chair James Vacca.
November 28, 2011
City Council Votes to Increase Oversight of Bike Lane Removal
Yesterday the City Council passed Lew Fidler's Intro 412 -- the bill mandating community board notification about the installation of bike lanes -- setting the stage for some showboating from Fidler, Speaker Christine Quinn and Transportation Committee Chair James Vacca.
November 4, 2011
Council Committee Endorses Residential Parking Permits Over DOT Objections
A City Council committee took the first step toward bringing residential parking permits to New York City neighborhoods this afternoon. Details haven't been worked out yet, but committee members signaled their desire to move forward on a system that would restrict a portion of curbside parking space to use by local residents.
November 2, 2011
What Should James Vacca’s Pet Peeve Committee Tackle Next?
James Vacca is redefining the role of the City Council Transportation Committee.
November 2, 2011
City Council Singles Out Bike Lanes in Bills to Codify DOT Outreach
The City Council Transportation Committee held hearings on three bills today, each of which would add more requirements to the Department of Transportation's review process for street redesigns, especially bike lanes.
September 26, 2011
City Council Leaders Support Bike-Share After Procedural Disagreement
New York City's bike-share plans are poised to make a big leap this week, with the city expected to select the winner of the contract to operate the system very soon, according to Transportation Nation. The announcement will come after top City Council leaders have signaled that they back bike-share.
September 12, 2011
Manhattan Borough Board Unanimously Endorses Car-Free Central Park Trial
Though Mayor Bloomberg has ruled out the possibility of implementing a car-free Central Park trial this year, opting for further data collection instead, public support for the proposal continues to grow. At a meeting of the Manhattan Borough Board yesterday, the car-free trial picked up support from still more community boards and new City Council members.
July 22, 2011
Vacca Watch: Transpo Chair Stokes Fears of Phantom Bike Lanes on NY1
To borrow from the Wall Street Journal's Jason Gay, this NY1 segment starring City Council Transportation Chair James Vacca seems to come straight out of the "shrill and embarrassing" early 2011 phase of NYC bike coverage.
July 14, 2011
Vacca Watch: Council Allows Parking Meter Rates to Rise to Dollar Per Hour
After a grim day, it's nice to be able to head into the holiday weekend with some good news.
July 1, 2011
NYPD Opposes Bill to Curb Placard Abuse as Total Soars to 118,000
At a City Council Transportation Committee hearing today, the New York Police Department announced its opposition to legislation that would curb parking placard abuse by requiring barcodes on official placards. NYPD claimed that it has placard abuse under control and that only Police Commissioner Ray Kelly should have the power to determine what tools are used to defend against it. Testimony from NYPD and DOT also revealed that there are currently 118,000 official placards in circulation, tens of thousands more than previously realized.
June 22, 2011