i admit am not fully informed about many aspects of the project, but i DO really like the claims (red herrings?) that the new facility would relieve the environmental stress at the existing facility and cut truck traffic in the south bronx a great deal!

full disclosure, i am a full time bike commuter who uses the west side greenway along the gansevoort stretch almost every day and am willing to deal with the additional truck traffic if it helps the folks in the bronx. lord knows with the bruckner, x-bronx, deegan, and all the industrial installations and facilities they get enough traffic and shit in their back yard. give ‘em a break!

on the other hand, i just hope the DOS, HRPT, and DOT work out a sensible plan to deal with the potential truck-bike-jogger-pedestrian conflicts. as for those who cannot recall your last casual, scenic hike or bike ride to the bronx/south bronx… you are missing out on a few things. see for example:

http://www.friendsofbrookpark.org/
http://www.waterwire.net/News/fullstory.cfm?ContID=1923 (note: the water park has been killed – yay!)
http://www.pbase.com/jonathanbarkey/bronxriver

I can understand the pro-park point of view, but honestly, even in the twenty-first century I don’t think it’s possible for the borough to function without some kind of industrial/freight waterfront access. On the other hand, what’s definitely not needed is that stupid parking garage.

We did not defeat Westway and create a Hudson Park to turn it into a garbage dump.

We love Silver!

Streetsblog’s Hometown Favorite,
Sheldon “Shelly” Silver

Perhaps he took bribes from the rats and flies to stall the cities garbage proposal.

CB2 ranks 58 of 59 of CBs in parkland, has the most sidewalks usurped by sidewalk cafe (both with and without legal permits), pretty much the most number of bars and clubs, and you want us to accept a garbage dump after we killed Westway and fought hard for the Hudson Park.

Hi yo, Silver. Give Bloomberg hell.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/16/pressing-for-a-garbage-transfer-station-in-manhattan/

Silver knows he would lose the vote in a rout if he let it come to the floor. What does he owe these three assembly members that would cause him to continually stonewall the passage of this bill? I’m not educated enough in the ways of Albany, but does Silver have any pet causes that Bloomberg can start to stonewall in return? This is really getting to be a bit much.

Silver is a one-trick pony. He is always last to come down on an issue (because there’s never enough information available). Other politicians like Bloomberg then have to throw all kinds of concessions at him while the public holds its breath. It’s the same thing over and over on every issue of significance.

Offer to turn either of the two sites, and the amount of money the city has set aside for the Manhattan transfer station, over to a state entity that would build the site to the city’s specifications. When completed, the city would accept the station if those specifications were met. Until then, garbage would be trucked to the outer boroughs, and residents would be kept informed who decided this is the way it should be.

Red herring or not? We’d find out.

But, by the way, there is a large facilty off South Street on the other side of the elevated FDR drive that could be used.

It is in Silver’s district, isn’t it?. Why was than not considered? Because there are poor people living on the other side of the highway? Too far south, so longer trips for the garbage trucks? Or something else?