Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Air Quality

Does the State Senate’s MTA Plan Pass Environmental Muster?

By Ben Fried | Apr 22, 2009 | 3 Comments

Where’s the Assembly’s eco-warrior when you need him? The Municipal Art Society came out with a report yesterday urging New York State to start analyzing greenhouse gas emissions in its environmental review process (SEQRA). MAS argues that the policy could be adopted without changing existing laws, which raises an interesting question to ponder on this […]

Enforcement Lags as Tour Bus Companies Flout Pollution Regs

By Brad Aaron | Oct 23, 2008 | 12 Comments

Comptroller William Thompson and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer want the city to enforce a law mandating that sightseeing buses reduce harmful emissions. Meanwhile, a citizen group called "Tour Buses No — Tourists Yes" also wants the buses off residential streets. In separate letters issued this month to the Department of Environmental Protection, Thompson and […]

How Clean Is Your Commute?

By Brad Aaron | Oct 14, 2008 | 30 Comments

A new report from Transportation Alternatives comparing carbon emissions for NYC transportation modes finds that drivers account for 60 percent of the city’s transportation-related CO2, while accounting for just 31 percent of all commuting trips. "Rolling Carbon: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Commuting in New York City" [PDF] reveals that the average New York City commute […]

Planners and Green Groups Call for Off-Street Parking Reform

By Ben Fried | Aug 18, 2008 | 13 Comments

Yesterday, several planning and environmental organizations joined Transportation Alternatives on the steps of City Hall to tout the release of "Suburbanizing the City" [PDF], the new report that critiques New York City’s off-street parking policies. The coalition is similar — but not identical — to the array of groups that pushed for congestion pricing earlier […]

Evaluating Summer Streets

By Aaron Naparstek | Jul 22, 2008 | 29 Comments

Here's a modest proposal for evaluating the success of a Summer Streets event: Measure the amount of time kids are able to run and play without their parents having to worry about them being hit by a car, the number of friends you bump into and new people you meet, the pounds of automobile exhaust and carbon that aren't being spewed into the hot summer air, the amount of horn-honking, engine-revving and boom stereos you're not hearing, and whether your local merchants are happy about the event and making more money than they usually do on a slow summer weekend.

City Council Signs Off on 400-Car Garage in Hell’s Kitchen

By Ben Fried | Jun 30, 2008 | 4 Comments

Last week, the New York City Council approved a special permit granting developer Glenwood Management the right to build a 400-car parking garage at 310-328 West 38th Street. The decision was not unexpected, as the permit had already been approved by the City Planning Commission earlier this month. The garage, situated near the mouth of […]

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