Comments on: City’s Parking Expansion Sustains Nothing but Motoring http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:43:57 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Angus Grieve-Smith http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/comment-page-1/#comment-30836 Angus Grieve-Smith Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:06:28 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/#comment-30836 Curbed didn't print the letter, so the only thing we have to go on is their final letter, <a href="http://saveourparks.blogspot.com/2007/04/open-letter-to-saveourparks-members.html" rel="nofollow">posted here</a>. All that says is "after being hindered in their actions to fulfill their responsibilities as boards of directors of SaveOurParks! by a few radicals from outside the community, [board members] feel their efforts are more productive outside the organization rather than inside." So according to the letter, it sounds like the Trotskyites weren't actually roaming the strets of Highbridge, but instead came in from outside the community. It's possible that they were more interested in fomenting revolution than in stopping the garage. Curbed didn't print the letter, so the only thing we have to go on is their final letter, posted here. All that says is "after being hindered in their actions to fulfill their responsibilities as boards of directors of SaveOurParks! by a few radicals from outside the community, [board members] feel their efforts are more productive outside the organization rather than inside."

So according to the letter, it sounds like the Trotskyites weren't actually roaming the strets of Highbridge, but instead came in from outside the community. It's possible that they were more interested in fomenting revolution than in stopping the garage.

]]> By: Trotskyites? http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/comment-page-1/#comment-30824 Trotskyites? Mon, 16 Apr 2007 18:42:08 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/#comment-30824 What exactly does a Trotskyite, circa Bronx 2007, have as their goal? Are these creatures often spotted roaming the streets of Highbridge or Concourse Village? Do they wear little hats with a capital T on them? What exactly does a Trotskyite, circa Bronx 2007, have as their goal? Are these creatures often spotted roaming the streets of Highbridge or Concourse Village? Do they wear little hats with a capital T on them?

]]> By: Gizler http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/comment-page-1/#comment-30809 Gizler Mon, 16 Apr 2007 14:20:19 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/#comment-30809 Is this New York, or St. Louis? Is this New York, or St. Louis?

]]> By: Angus Grieve-Smith http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/comment-page-1/#comment-30756 Angus Grieve-Smith Fri, 13 Apr 2007 00:14:18 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/#comment-30756 Am I right in counting three separate instances of "economic development" agencies bulldozing historic buildings to build parking facilities in the densely populated, transit-rich Downtown Brooklyn area? <a href="http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/01/rally-against-demolition-for-enormous-temporary-parking-lots/" rel="nofollow">The "Temporary" Atlantic Yards parking lot</a>, built by Ratner with ESDC financing <a href="http://dailygotham.com/blog/yero/lots_of_blog_coverage_of_the_duffield_underground_railroad_safehouses" rel="nofollow">the Duffield garage</a>, financed by the city EDC <a href="http://northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MDgmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcxMDAwNzgmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXky" rel="nofollow">the "BAM Cultural District" garage</a>, built by the ESDC and rented out to owners of condos at One Hanson Place In addition, there are the massive parking facilities planned for Yankee Stadium and "Citifield," the Shea Stadium replacement, plus the Hudson Yards rezoning. It seems that as a stepping stone to Zero Parking Growth in New York City, we should at least fight for zero publicly-funded parking growth. And it definitely looks like the groups fighting these various misguided project could stand to pool their resources and support each other, particularly in Brooklyn. The group in the Bronx <a href="http://www.curbed.com/archives/2007/04/11/park_group_says_it_got_its_ass_kicked_gives_up.php" rel="nofollow">apparently could have used more support</a> (but maybe not from Trotskyite infiltrators). Am I right in counting three separate instances of "economic development" agencies bulldozing historic buildings to build parking facilities in the densely populated, transit-rich Downtown Brooklyn area?

The "Temporary" Atlantic Yards parking lot, built by Ratner with ESDC financing
the Duffield garage, financed by the city EDC
the "BAM Cultural District" garage, built by the ESDC and rented out to owners of condos at One Hanson Place

In addition, there are the massive parking facilities planned for Yankee Stadium and "Citifield," the Shea Stadium replacement, plus the Hudson Yards rezoning.

It seems that as a stepping stone to Zero Parking Growth in New York City, we should at least fight for zero publicly-funded parking growth. And it definitely looks like the groups fighting these various misguided project could stand to pool their resources and support each other, particularly in Brooklyn. The group in the Bronx apparently could have used more support (but maybe not from Trotskyite infiltrators).

]]> By: Yero http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/comment-page-1/#comment-30750 Yero Thu, 12 Apr 2007 21:48:10 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/#comment-30750 Another example of the EDC is promoting vehicular traffic over "multi-use urban environment" (their words) is on Duffield Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The EDC wants to seize private homes that the residents claim were part of the historic Underground Railroad of the Civil War era in order to build an underground parking lot. See http://dailygotham.com/blog/yero/lots_of_blog_coverage_of_the_duffield_underground_railroad_safehouses Another example of the EDC is promoting vehicular traffic over "multi-use urban environment" (their words) is on Duffield Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The EDC wants to seize private homes that the residents claim were part of the historic Underground Railroad of the Civil War era in order to build an underground parking lot.

See http://dailygotham.com/blog/yero/lots_of_blog_coverage_of_the_duffield_underground_railroad_safehouses

]]> By: steveo http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/comment-page-1/#comment-30742 steveo Thu, 12 Apr 2007 20:31:40 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/#comment-30742 I'll see you at the rally on Sunday: http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/01/rally-against-demolition-for-enormous-temporary-parking-lots/ I'll see you at the rally on Sunday:

http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/01/rally-against-demolition-for-enormous-temporary-parking-lots/

]]> By: Laurence Aurbach http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/comment-page-1/#comment-30740 Laurence Aurbach Thu, 12 Apr 2007 20:11:37 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/12/citys-parking-expansion-sustains-nothing-but-motoring/#comment-30740 <i>Developer Forest City Ratner is about to knock down historic buildings near downtown Brooklyn to construct the borough's biggest surface parking lot.</i> Amazing. It's a replay of the bad old days of 1950s-60s urban renewal. Except today we have half a century of experience, research and case studies that tell us, in excruciating detail, exactly why this is a failed planning policy. Developer Forest City Ratner is about to knock down historic buildings near downtown Brooklyn to construct the borough's biggest surface parking lot.

Amazing. It's a replay of the bad old days of 1950s-60s urban renewal. Except today we have half a century of experience, research and case studies that tell us, in excruciating detail, exactly why this is a failed planning policy.

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