Your weekly guide to heroic and villainous actions in tri-state transportation and development.
Winners
Tribeca residents—NYCDOT has installed a traffic light at the perilous Greenwich and Duane intersection, where a three-year-old was struck by a cab in October of last year. Pedestrians now have 25 seconds to make the crossing.
Camden, New Jersey—This week, Camden County announced that it would soon begin a $6.8 million street improvement project. The construction, which is funded by the federal government’s TIGER grant program, will make roadways safer and more pleasant for pedestrians, cyclists, and all users.
The Town of Manchester, Connecticut—Tri-State wrote a letter in support of Manchester’s proposed traffic calming plan, and now, the Capitol Region Council of Governments’ endorsement has placed the town in line to receive federal funding for the initiative.
Long Island taxi industry—Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano handed a windfall to the taxi industry by naming Lawrence Blessinger Jr., vice president of Nassau County’s largest taxi service, to the council that oversees the county’s bus system. Route cuts mean more business for cabs, and the taxi industry will now have a vote when service changes are on the table.
Losers
New York City’s freight policy—After receiving a $127.8 million subsidy from New York City, Fresh Direct (and its fleet of grocery delivery trucks), will relocate to the South Bronx. While the new facility is adjacent to state-of-the-art rail infrastructure, the incentive package did not push hard enough to make the company consider using it, which means more trucks and pollution in the South Bronx (whose residents have one of the nation’s highest asthma rates).
New York City taxpayers—Opponents of the Prospect Park West bike lane have cost New York City taxpayers over $140,000 in legal fees. Despite losing a case last year, opponents show no sign of letting up: they are appealing the court’s decision.
