Streetsblog New York City

Mayoral candidate Christine Quinn said today that if elected, she would appoint an interagency “Safe Streets Working Group” tasked with cutting traffic fatalities in half by 2021. The working group, featuring “high level staff” from DOT, NYPD, City Planning, and the Department of Health, would coordinate automated enforcement, police enforcement, street design, and traffic calming interventions.

Achieving that goal would entail a significant acceleration in the reduction of citywide traffic deaths, which dropped 17.5 percent — from 297 to 245 — between 2004 and 2011, then increased to 274 last year.

The news was featured in the transportation section of a mobile app Quinn’s campaign released this afternoon. The app also lays out a few other ideas related to transit and bicycling: installing countdown clocks outside of subway stations, installing MetroCard vending machines above ground at transit hubs along Select Bus Service routes, reducing the amount of time between a bike rack request and its installation, and increasing the amount of bike parking at train stations, bus stops, and ferry landings.

Quinn made a major transportation speech last month in which she focused on expanding ferry service, increasing city control of the MTA, rolling out 10 new Select Bus Service routes in the next four years, and an already-planned expansion of Metro-North service through the Bronx to Penn Station.

NYC’s new safe streets political action committee is set to send out its first candidate questionnaire.

StreetsPAC has put together a 7-page doc that summarizes the committee’s agenda and solicits candidate responses to questions on traffic enforcement, transit, the use of street space, and more. It’s incredibly thorough, and should go a long way toward separating candidates who are serious about transportation reform from those who aren’t.

Launched in April, StreetsPAC aims to make livable streets an issue in the 2013 election, with a focus on races for City Council. The PAC will be sending the questionnaire to all candidates for council, mayor, district attorney, and borough president.

We’ll keep an eye out for questionnaire results and other StreetsPAC news.

The question of the Prospect Park West bike lane, posed by WNYC’s Andrea Bernstein at the Park Slope mayoral forum on Monday, may have been intended as red meat. But it’s also a serviceable litmus test.

If a candidate can’t get behind one of the city’s premiere cycling facilities, which grew from the grassroots and transformed a dangerous speedway into a humane neighborhood street, it’s a pretty good indication as to where that candidate stands on the issue of street safety in general.

So congratulations to Sal Albanese for setting himself apart from a pack of know-nothings and fence-sitters. From CapNY:

Sal Albanese, the former Brooklyn councilman who is probably the most pro-transit Democrat in the race, said he “absolutely” would have been installed the bike lane, and that there was “enough community input.”

An honorable mention to Bill de Blasio. Though he repeated the fiction that public input was lacking, said de Blasio: ”I think in practice it has worked. In the end, I think it has worked.”

Yes, Bill, it has.

This morning, a group of livable streets advocates gathered in the Madison Square pedestrian plaza to announce the formation of StreetsPAC, a political action committee to put street safety front and center in New York City’s 2013 election cycle.

Eric McClure announces the formation of StreetsPAC at Madison Square this morning. Photo: Stephen Miller

Many of the names behind the effort should be familiar to Streetsblog readers, including Aaron Naparstek, Streetsblog’s founding editor, and attorney Steve Vaccaro, who writes the Street Justice column.

As StreetsPAC board member Eric McClure noted, the setting perfectly illustrated what the group stands for: the plaza, filled with people at tables and chairs, is flanked by bike lanes. Nearby, people waited at bus stops and walked to subway entrances, as traffic flowed smoothly without speeding.

“New York City has made major advances in street safety over the past several years, and we’re launching StreetsPAC to help continue that momentum,” McClure said. The organization will be sending questionnaires to all city council, borough president, and mayoral candidates shortly, and might take an interest in district attorney races. In the future, the group may also look to Albany races, where the winners vote on issues including congestion pricing and speed cameras. But for now, the PAC is focusing on the City Council, especially those districts where grassroots support for livable streets is not reflected in the positions of elected officials. This year, there will be elections for all 51 council districts, including 18 open seats.

“There’s a very strong undercurrent of support for this in places like Astoria,” StreetsPAC board member and Brooklyn Spoke blogger Doug Gordon said. “When you have a problem with a dangerous street in your neighborhood, you don’t call City Hall. You call your local community board, you call your local council member,” he said.

So far, the organization has gathered pledges and donations totaling $30,000. “We expect to get well into six figures,” McClure said. The group is registered with both the New York State Board of Elections and the New York City Campaign Finance Board. Its current registration, according to Vaccaro, prohibits independent expenditures such as campaign advertising. Instead, the PAC can fundraise, donate to campaigns, and mobilize volunteers.

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Last night’s mayoral forum on sustainability at Cooper Union was the first to attract the full slate of candidates this election season, perhaps a sign that environmental issues now figure prominently in the campaigns’ electoral calculus. Organized by the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and the Cooper Union Institute for Sustainable Design, the event packed all nine registered mayoral candidates onto the stage, where Brian Lehrer of WNYC guided a conversation that touched on topics ranging from climate change to energy efficiency.

All candidates but Republican John Catsimatidis assured the audience that they believed in climate change, thought the next mayor should take measures to reduce the number of cars entering Manhattan below 59th Street, and would like to see an increase in bicycle commuting.

The latter two points came forth due to a cautious approach by Lehrer, who opted to acknowledge the touchy political subjects of congestion pricing and bike lanes while allowing the candidates to avoid an overt stance. While this put all mayoral candidates but Catsimatidis on the record in favor of the outcomes of bike lanes, bike-share, and road pricing, it left the audience without an explanation of how candidates who have stated disdain for bike infrastructure and congestion pricing would achieve these goals.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, former City Council Member Sal Albanese, and former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion did expand on this discussion by positioning multi-modal transit networks at the core of their sustainability platforms. Albanese renewed his call for fair tolling and the expansion of bike lanes and Select Bus Service to “get as many people out of their cars as possible.” Quinn pitched an expansion of Bus Rapid Transit and an expanded network of ferries to bring East River Ferry-style options to other waterfront neighborhoods. Carrion expressed support for more efficient bus, car, and taxi fleets and pushed for “smart growth, building vertically instead of horizontally, and transit oriented development” within a “holistic” transportation network that prioritizes mass transit, bicycling, and walking.

Meanwhile, the current and former comptrollers on stage, John Liu and Bill Thompson, offered only passing mentions of the need for improved transit infrastructure to accommodate impending population growth. Former MTA chief and Republican frontrunner Joe Lhota stepped into the discussion with a jab at the aging infrastructure he once oversaw, though he made no proposal to modernize it. This came not long after Lhota offhandedly endorsed the Bloomberg administration’s proposed rezoning of East Midtown, stating that the redevelopment of the business district would replace mid-century structures with more energy-efficient new towers. Lhota left unresolved the question of how to retrofit the aged and overloaded Lexington Avenue subway line to absorb the increased ridership that would come with the rezoning.

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We continue our series on City Council candidates with a Q&A with former New York Young Republican Club President Daniel Peterson, who’s running to represent District 22, covering Astoria, Ditmars-Steinway, and northern Jackson Heights. Yesterday we ran a Q&A with Democratic District Leader Costa Constantinides. There are two other candidates in this district. Antonio Meloni responded to Streetsblog’s questionnaire but did not provide answers for publication. Danielle De Stefano did not respond.

City Council District 22 candidate Daniel Peterson. Photo: Daniel Peterson/Facebook

Streetsblog: A proposal for a pedestrian plaza at 30th Avenue, 33rd Street and Newtown Avenue was defeated by opposition from Community Board 1 and Council Member Vallone. Do you think public plazas, like the ones installed in other neighborhoods throughout the city, provide a benefit to the community?

Daniel Peterson: I welcome proposals for additional public space in Astoria and throughout New York City. As councilman, I will listen to new proposals for areas of Astoria that can potentially be transformed into new public space. I will also make sure all the pros and cons are thoroughly vetted. The democratic process may not grant every proposal, but we should certainly look for alternative options that can improve our public space.

SB: Astoria Boulevard is slated to receive Select Bus Service improvements to speed bus travel. Could other parts of the neighborhood benefit from things like dedicated bus lanes?

DP: Other parts of Astoria would most certainly benefit from dedicated bus lanes. If 21st Street is an option, I would definitely look at such a proposal. The real question is: Can other parts support dedicated bus lanes? Unfortunately, Astoria’s street grid does not support many options for dedicating a section of road for a bus lane as our roads are just not wide enough. However, I am open to any improvements for our public transportation.

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Streetsblog continues our series on City Council candidates with a look at the race for District 22 in Queens, which covers Astoria, Ditmars-Steinway, and northern Jackson Heights. The seat has been held by Peter Vallone, Jr. since 2002; he is now running for Queens Borough President.

City Council District 22 candidate Costa Constantinides.

Two Democratic primary candidates – Democratic District Leader Costa Constantinides and anti-crime activist Antonio Meloni – are joined by a Republican candidate, former New York Young Republican Club President Daniel Peterson. Danielle De Stefano is also listed as a candidate by the New York State Board of Elections.

Streetsblog sent questionnaires to the campaigns to get a better understanding of where the candidates stand on transit, traffic safety, and transportation policy. We begin in alphabetical order with responses from Costa Constantinides and will run Daniel Peterson’s answers in a separate post. Antonio Meloni responded to Streetsblog’s questionnaire, but did not provide answers for publication. Danielle De Stefano did not respond.

Streetsblog: A proposal for a pedestrian plaza at 30th Avenue, 33rd Street and Newtown Avenue was defeated by opposition from Community Board 1 and Council Member Vallone. Do you think public plazas, like the ones installed in other neighborhoods throughout the city, provide a benefit to the community?

Costa Constantinides: Generally, I think that public plazas provide tangible benefits to their neighborhoods. With a few exceptions, many of the communities in western Queens don’t have park space within walking distance. Without shared public spaces where friends and neighbors can congregate, a community has no place to vent and breathe. As a Council member, I will work with the community to create more public spaces that meet the needs of both residents and small business owners.

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In anticipation of primary day on September 10, we continue our series on City Council candidates with a Q&A with civil rights lawyer Yetta Kurland, who’s running to represent District 3. The district covers Midtown, Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea, and the West Village, and it’s currently represented by Council Speaker Christine Quinn. Yesterday we posted responses from District 3 candidate Corey Johnson. A third candidate, Alexander Meadows, did not respond.

City Council District 3 candidate Yetta Kurland. Photo: Yetta Kurland/Facebook

Streetsblog: Protected bike lanes on 8th and 9th Avenues involved extensive planning efforts with CB 4. Does the district benefit from the bike lanes and pedestrian islands? Would you like to see similar treatments on other avenues in the district?

Yetta Kurland: Protected bike lanes and pedestrian islands are a benefit to the Lower West Side in a number of ways. Most prominently, bicycle safety, traffic calming, shortened pedestrian crossing distance and reduced particulate emissions. The most urgent need for bicycle lanes in Manhattan is currently on 5th/6th Avenues, as bicycle transit is still dangerous in the middle of the island.

Campaign season in New York is already well underway. And when New Yorkers vote in the primary election on September 10, it won’t just be for the next mayor. They’ll also be choosing City Council members, borough presidents, the comptroller, and the public advocate.

In a series of candidate interviews, Streetsblog will be focusing on contested City Council races. In addition to proposing and voting on legislation, council members recommend Community Board appointees and occupy a powerful bully pulpit that can make or break proposals for safer streets and effective surface transit. Witness Dan Dromm’s support for “Diversity Plaza” in Jackson Heights, Melissa Mark-Viverito’s advocacy for East Harlem protected bike lanes, and Brad Lander’s defense of the Prospect Park West bike lane. Conversely, look at Peter Vallone, Jr.’s obstruction of a pedestrian plaza in Astoria, or the bellyaching from Staten Island’s Vincent Ignizio that’s made it harder for bus riders to use Select Bus Service.

City Council District 3 candidate Corey Johnson. Photo: Corey Johnson/Facebook

On the West Side, three Democratic City Council candidates — Community Board 4 Chair Corey Johnson, civil rights lawyer Yetta Kurland, and Community Board 2 member Alexander Meadows — are vying to replace Christine Quinn, who is vacating the District 3 seat she first won in 1999. The district covers Midtown, Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea and the West Village, an area that has been a hotbed of livable streets progress, from protected bike lanes to pedestrian plazas to parking reform.

Streetsblog sent questionnaires to the campaigns to get a better understanding of where the candidates stand on transit, traffic safety, and transportation policy. We begin in alphabetical order with responses from Corey Johnson and will run Yetta Kurland’s answers in a separate post. Alexander Meadows did not respond.

Streetsblog: Protected bike lanes on 8th and 9th Avenues involved extensive planning efforts with CB 4. Does the district benefit from the bike lanes and pedestrian islands? Would you like to see similar treatments on other avenues in the district?

Corey Johnson: I was proud to partake in the Community Board 4 planning efforts that resulted in the bike lanes and street redesign including sidewalk expansions and on-street bike parking. There are still areas with outstanding safety concerns that I will continue to push DOT to address but I stand behind dedicated bike lanes as part of a more comprehensive plan that includes increasing mass transit options, reducing congestion, and enforcing traffic laws for cyclists, as well as for cars and trucks.

SB: The City Council will soon vote on changes to the Manhattan Core parking regulations. What direction would you like to see off-street parking policy take in the future?

CJ: In July 2012, I wrote a letter to City Planning Commission Chair Amanda Burden expressing the opinion of CB 4 that opening accessory parking to transient public use will negatively affect the pedestrian safety and quality of life in residential districts and encourage the building of excessive parking capacity. We need to reinforce the current market trends towards reduced parking demand and increased transit use, rather than add to parking availability that encourages driving and car oriented development and undermines the clean air and health objectives of PlaNYC 2030.

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At its annual membership meeting last night, Transportation Alternatives unveiled its transportation policy platform heading into the thick of this year’s election cycle. Primary day — September 10 — is less than six months away, and TA is calling on candidates in the mayoral and City Council races to include these principles in their campaign platforms:

1. Safe Neighborhood Streets For All: To ensure neighborhood streets offer safe space for local families, seniors and children to bike, walk and play, the City must fulfill local demand for Play Streets, 20 mph Slow Zones, bike lanes, Safe Routes to School and Safe Routes for Seniors in 50 neighborhoods a year.
2. Transportation Choice On Commercial Streets: To guarantee New Yorkers have the safe and convenient access to local businesses allowed by a robust variety of transportation choices, the City needs to provide protected bike lanes, Select Bus Service, bike share and pedestrian refuges and plazas on four major roadways in each of the city’s five boroughs each year.
3. Zero Tolerance Traffic Enforcement: To make New York City streets as safe as they can be, the New York City Police Department needs to enact a zero tolerance policy for dangerous driving by setting a multi-year goal of eliminating traffic deaths and cracking down on the deadliest traffic violations like speeding and failure to yield.

In June, TA will launch a website where supporters can send messages to candidates asking them to support safe streets. The site will also link to voter registration forms and information about the candidates.