City Council

Spotted in the Working Families Party candidate questionnaire (hat tip to Liz Benjamin) -- the influential third party is asking 2009 City Council hopefuls to support dedicated lanes and automated enforcement for Bus Rapid Transit:

Yesterday the City Council approved a zoning change that mandates secure bike parking in new construction, putting the rule into effect. The amendment will help cyclists avoid the risks of locking up on-street by requiring new apartment buildings and offices to provide space for people to put their rides. (Check out this table from the Department of City Planning [PDF] for details.)

Tomorrow morning the City Council Zoning Subcommittee will hold a public hearing on a proposed zoning amendment to require bike parking in new construction (not to be confused with the Bikes in Buildings Bill, which would improve access to existing workplaces). The hearing will be held at 9:30 at 250 Broadway, between Park Place and Murray Street, in the 16th Floor conference room.

Following two incidents in which four pedestrians were killed, a bill proposed by Queens City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley would raise the fine for leaving an idling, unattended vehicle to $250, up from the current, negligible fee of $5.

On Wednesday, the City Planning Commission approved a zoning amendment to require bicycle parking in new construction. The City Council now has a 50-day window to vote on and finalize the measure. 

As we reported last week, Maria Baez and a handful of other City Council members want to issue free parking permits to every public school teacher in New York City. As the system presently employs some 95,000 full-time teachers, in addition to 18,000 part-time teachers and paraprofessionals, Intro 894 would encourage hundreds of thousands of car trips per year just as the city is making efforts to reduce driving by government employees by reining in parking placard issues.

Last week's Chinatown disaster has prompted a good bit of discussion about idling vehicles. As it happens, two bills are wending their way through the City Council that would tighten idling restrictions and foster improved enforcement.