The challenge is that a lot of the people who’ve settled in the subway-less, trolley-robbed low-density tracts of Central and Eastern Queens and Southeastern Brooklyn have become NIMBY car potatoes. So far they’ve been able to block the N extension to La Guardia and the restoration of the Rockaway Cutoff. They may also be in a position to block funding for the South 4th Street Tunnel and a lot of the other improvements you recommend. How do you plan to convert or overcome them?

- Second Avenue Subway (four tracks north of Houston Street)

- Extend Second Avenue Subway to The Bronx and via JFK Rail Link

- Extend 7 Train via High Line

- 4-track 34 Street-LIE Line

- Utica Avenue Line via 6th Avenue Express (current 6th Ave Express via 2nd Ave Local)

- Extend Nostrand Ave IRT to Kings Plaza

- Extend New Lots IRT to Spring Creek

- Convert LIRR Port Washington Branch to TA Operation

- Restore Rockaway Cutoff

- Extend A from Lefferts Blvd to Jamaica

- Upgrade Jamaica BMT between Broadway Junction and 121 St for express service

- Extend F to eastern Queens

- Extend E to Valley Stream (convert LIRR St Albans service to TA operation)

(The truth hurts, eh?)

Oh, yeah. George Haikalis, Stephen Dobrow (R.I.P.), myself, and others have long advocated the East Side Access Upper Level Loop Alternative (ULLA). The MTA’s Deep Cavern Alternative (DCA) would prevent NJT from operating to Grand Central Terminal, cost at least $1 billion more, and be a major terrorist target. We have been able to QUALitatively and QUANTITatively show how the ULLA is far superior to their DCA.

http://www.irum.org

David Kupferberg
Member, Committee for Better Transit, Inc.
http://brooklynbus.tripod.com/

BTW: it is Charles Schumer, not Chuck Shumer. Who dat?

Iris Weinshall was appointed Commissioner of the Department of Transportation on September 8, 2000. Ms. Weinshall came to that position after a career of more than 20 years in city government. Her most recent previous position was First Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services.

Commissioner Weinshall served from 1988 to 1996 as Deputy Commissioner for Management and Budget at the Department of Environmental Protection. Previously, she was President of the New York City Financial Services Corporation, a nonprofit organization which functioned as the financing arm for the City’s economic development initiatives. Prior to this, she served as Regional Vice President of Integrated Resources, Inc. where she structured limited partnerships for property acquisition and operation. Earlier, she held the position of Senior Vice President of the New York State Urban Development Corporation, where she oversaw the development and implementation of the State’s overall economic development program.

Iris Weinshall is a lifelong resident of Brooklyn, attended Brooklyn College where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History and received her Masters in Public Administration from NYU. She is married to U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and they have two daughters. She was appointed Commissioner on September 8, 2000.

What about the huge swaths of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island that aren’t served by subways? How about bringing back the trolleys that used to run in between the subway lines in the outer boroughs? How about updating the never-implemented IND Second System plan?

As far as mass transit goes, the Second Avenue Subway, the THE Tunnel (stupid name) and George’s light-rail plans are good ideas. BRT is an idea, but it’s problematic.

Is that it? Is that all we got? What about the huge swaths of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island that aren’t served by subways? How about bringing back the trolleys that used to run in between the subway lines in the outer boroughs? How about updating the never-implemented IND Second System plan? Why is everyone’s vision so limited?

Frankly, when you’re the only guy putting forward an issue, there is an element of risk-taking in that. Especially in Bloomberg NYC where most of the rest of the city’s electeds, officials and business elite are in communications lock-down, afraid to say anything that might be getting out in front of the Big Guy.

Incidentally, it’s interesting that Fred Kent senses NYC is ready for big changes. Fred has been around for a long time. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that the Queens and Brooklyn assemblymembers who control the balance of power in the Assembly are anywhere near voting to give the mayor the power to create a cogestion pricing zone — which is probably the only measure able to reduce the regional traffic in Hells Kitchen and other neighborhoods with the misfortune of being near a bridge or tunnel entrance.

Don’t forget about Thru Streets — the biggest transportation idea that’s been implemented during the 8 years of the Iris Weinshall regime. Visionary!

More generally, how (if at all) does planning public spaces differ when you anticipate lots of tourism, as compared to when you are thinking exclusively about local residents?

Stringers new speech: “The ideas for making a better future are out there. Now let’s put them in place.”

Kudos to the Department of City Planning and Jack Schmidt (Traffic Division) for attending with 2 other planners. Working with communities is not an easy process, their attendance is a positive first step.

It really blows my mind that Mayor Bloomberg can be so damn good on just about any other issue except Transportation. And that is the one issue that is most intergral to the whole city. I mean we all do it EVERY DAY!