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Mugging for TV, James Vacca Turns Transpo Committee Into Kangaroo Court
When James Vacca called a hearing of the City Council transportation committee to discuss the DOT plaza program yesterday, what was he trying to get out of it?
May 5, 2011
Help Streetsblog Tell the Political Story Behind the Prospect Park West Fight
Thanks to some rescheduling, we've got nearly two months until the first court hearing on the Prospect Park West lawsuit. Flimsy as the plaintiffs' case may be, they now have a long time to run their smear campaign against DOT and the neighborhood advocates who put in years of organizing to make this street safer.
March 30, 2011
City Council Unanimously Passes Bill to Open Street Safety Data
The City Council passed three bills to open up traffic information unanimously today, according to Juan Martinez of Transportation Alternatives. The most far-reaching of those bills, Jessica Lappin's legislation forcing the city to release fine-grained data about traffic crashes and traffic summonses every month, is expected to be signed by Mayor Bloomberg, the Daily News reported this morning.
February 16, 2011
Pedestrians and Cyclists Come First at D.C. Street Safety Hearing
"If we want to give meaning to multi-modal transportation ... and if we want a vibrant city, then we must encourage safety for people who walk and bicycle."
February 16, 2011
City Council Bills to Release Traffic Data Pass Committee Unanimously
Three bills to open up information about traffic and street safety to the public cleared the City Council's transportation committee unanimously today. According to committee chair James Vacca, the bills are scheduled for a floor vote this Wednesday. Two of the bills, in particular, should provide New Yorkers with a much clearer picture of what's happening on their streets and empower them to fight for increased safety.
February 14, 2011
Enviro Law Experts: Review For Bike Lanes a Waste of Taxpayer Money
You know something's amiss when you hear Republicans calling for more red tape and government bureaucracy, as Staten Island Council Members James Oddo and Vincent Ignizio did earlier this week with their call to require environmental review for all new bike lanes. But let's indulge Oddo and Ignizio and take their proposal seriously for a moment. Does it have any merit?
January 26, 2011
Council Mem James Oddo: Require Enviro Review for All New Bike Lanes
Last week's release of "before" and "after" stats on the Prospect Park West bike lane tells an increasingly familiar story: A DOT redesign has increased cycling while making the street safer for pedestrians and drivers. Since safer streets make it easier for New Yorkers to get around without a car, and since biking and walking are emissions-free modes, it's safe to say that this is good news for the environment.
January 24, 2011
Tell Eric Ulrich What You Think of Bike Licensing
Think that mandatory license plates for bikes is a bad idea? That it'll drain city resources and put a barrier between New Yorkers and a popular, efficient, and green transportation mode? That bike licensing is trying to solve a problem that only exists in some lawmakers' imaginations? Now's your chance to let Queens Republican Eric Ulrich know.
January 18, 2011
Queens Council Mem Eric Ulrich: Register Every Adult Who Rides a Bike
Looks like Queens Council Member Eric Ulrich has come down with a nasty case of legislative diarrhea. The Post reports on Ulrich's belief that streets will be safer if cyclists are required to ride with ID tags:
January 14, 2011