A weekly roundup of good deeds, missteps, heroic feats and epic failures in the tri-state region and beyond.
WINNERS
New Jersey Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto – With the state’s Transportation Trust Fund “run dry, starved of revenue for close to 20 years”, Assembly Speaker Prieto has joined Tri-State and other advocates in calling for a “modernization” of the state’s gas tax, which is currently the second lowest in the country.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone – As the benefits of sustainable, transit-oriented development are becoming more widely acknowledged on Long Island and with success stories such as the rebirth of previously downtrodden downtown Patchogue Village, it’s no surprise that County Executive Bellone would double the amount of funding available for downtown revitalization projects from $250,000 in 2013 to $500,000 for 2014.
New York City Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg – Commissioner Trottenberg made a strong leap from rhetoric into action last week as she announced Atlantic Avenue is to became the first arterial slow zone in New York – “We’re going to be demonstrating our commitment today to Vision Zero and declaring once again the de Blasio administration wants to reduce fatalities across New York City.” Though the speed limit reduction is slight, officials say that New York City police officers will also zero in on traffic violations in the area, and there is still hope for speed cameras to be added to the project.
LOSERS
Brooklyn Community Board 1 – Last week Brooklyn Community Board 1 denied four requests for bike corrals from local businesses in Williamsburg. “Enough is enough,” said CB1 member Simon Weiser. “They can put [their bikes] on the sidewalk and stop taking away car parking spaces.”
Congress – The Highway Trust Fund will run dry by the end of August, and “every day that Congress waits to address this looming crisis, states will be forced to make difficult planning decisions.” Concerns about the dependability of federal reimbursements for their projects if the fund runs dry has spurred some states to begin scaling back and even cancelling planned work.
