Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about City Council

Why Does Rory Lancman Want to Save Drivers From “Scofflaw Pedestrians”?

By Brad Aaron | May 20, 2015 | 16 Comments

City Council Member Rory Lancman wants to make it more difficult for NYPD to charge drivers who injure and kill people when, in his words, “accidents are caused by poor road conditions, bad weather and scofflaw pedestrians.” But if anything, NYPD has been exceedingly cautious in applying the Right of Way Law when there’s a chance the […]

Rory Lancman Will Introduce Bill to Hamstring NYPD Crash Investigators

By Brad Aaron | May 19, 2015 | 16 Comments

City Council Member Rory Lancman thinks NYPD is playing fast and loose with the Right of Way Law, and he’ll soon introduce a bill that would make it more difficult for police to apply it. A key facet of Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative, the Right of Way Law allows NYPD to file misdemeanor […]

City Council Members Ride to City Hall to Celebrate Bike Month

By Stephen Miller | May 15, 2015 | 18 Comments

Seven City Council members rode their bikes to work yesterday in observance of Bike Month — up from five last year. They came in two groups, one starting from Union Square and the other from Brooklyn Borough Hall, before gathering on the steps of City Hall. Clarence Eckerson Jr. of Streetfilms was there to capture it. Council members on bikes […]

Can New York City Reform Its Dysfunctional Community Board System?

By Stephen Miller | May 1, 2015 | 7 Comments

New York City’s 59 community boards often serve as the sole venues where the public can assess and vet street design projects. But they are also structured in a way that inhibits any sort of change, giving de facto veto power over street improvements to a small clique who can serve for life. A bill in the City Council would establish […]

City Council Regresses on Street Safety, Weighs Fines for Cyclists

By Stephen Miller | Apr 15, 2015 | 29 Comments

Less than a year ago, the City Council overwhelmingly passed a raft of bills designed to protect New Yorkers from reckless driving. Was it the beginning of a new era, where street safety is taken seriously by city legislators, or was it a fluke? The council could go either way, based on a transportation committee hearing today […]

These Are the Streets Projects Vying for Your Vote in Participatory Budgeting

By Stephen Miller | Apr 13, 2015 | No Comments

On Saturday, polling places opened for participatory budgeting, which gives New Yorkers the opportunity to decide how to spend small pots of city capital funds on everything from schools to parks. Many of the projects up for a vote could yield safer streets and better public spaces for neighborhoods across the city. This year, 24 of the city’s […]

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