Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about City Council

Are Council Members Ready to Pay for Their MTA Wish List?

By Noah Kazis | Mar 6, 2012 | 2 Comments

The New York City Council doesn’t like the MTA’s budget. And really, who would? Fares and tolls are scheduled to rise in 2013 and again in 2015, bus lines cut in 2010 aren’t scheduled to ever come back, and the MTA is assuming net zero increases for transit worker compensation. It’s a product of worldwide […]

Numbers Tell the Tale of Ray Kelly’s Squandered Street Safety Resources

By Brad Aaron | Feb 16, 2012 | 9 Comments

A lot of notable statistics surfaced at Wednesday’s City Council hearing on NYPD traffic enforcement. Many of them paint a picture of a department that devotes relatively little effort to combating traffic crime, while failing to distinguish vehicles that weigh a couple-dozen pounds from those weighing several tons. Here’s a rundown: There were 39,953 city […]

NYPD’s Lax Crash Investigations May Violate State Law

By Brad Aaron | Feb 15, 2012 | 21 Comments

Unacceptable. Absurd. “Next to useless.” Those were just a few terms employed by City Council members today describing the NYPD approach to traffic enforcement. During a four-hour hearing, so packed with spectators and media that some were pointed to an overflow room to listen to testimony, council members grilled department brass on traffic crime prevention […]

After Hearing, Vallone and Vacca Support Strengthening Careless Driving Law

By Noah Kazis | Feb 15, 2012 | 11 Comments

This morning’s City Council hearing on traffic crash investigations is already having an impact. Public Safety Committee Chair Peter Vallone, Jr. and Transportation Committee Chair James Vacca announced today that they will introduce a resolution in support of Albany legislation to make it clear that the police can enforce the state’s careless driving law. Right […]

T.A. Calls For Interagency Traffic Safety Task Force at City Council Hearing

By Noah Kazis | Feb 15, 2012 | 4 Comments

The City Council is holding a first-of-its-kind hearing on NYPD crash investigations today, a joint effort of the transportation and public safety committees. Based on the early reports via Twitter, it sounds like council members are holding NYPD’s feet to the fire for failing to investigate serious crashes and letting motorists off the hook for […]

Q Poll: Chris Quinn’s Parking Agenda Out of Touch With New Yorkers

By Brad Aaron | Feb 9, 2012 | 23 Comments

To hear Christine Quinn tell it, New Yorkers are crying out for relief from unjust parking policies. Over the last two years, it seems that when City Council members weren’t flogging legislation to add layers of bureaucracy to DOT’s street safety program, they were tripping over themselves to absolve motorists of one responsibility after another. […]

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