StreetsPAC today announced a new round of candidate endorsements in New York City’s September 2017 primary, backing Keith Powers and Amanda Farias for open seats in Manhattan and the Bronx, respectively, Brian Cunningham, a challenger for the 40th District seat in Brooklyn, and Council incumbents Helen Rosenthal and Ritchie Torres for re-election.

"We're especially excited about today's group of endorsees," said Dave 'Paco' Abraham, a member of StreetsPAC's board. "Amanda, Keith and Brian are all young and energetic candidates, but they also bring a wealth of experience to their respective campaigns. We expect that they'll all make a quick, positive impression in the Council and in their districts."

"Helen Rosenthal has been an outspoken advocate for safer streets," said StreetsPAC Executive Director Eric McClure. "She introduced and passed Cooper's Law shortly after taking office, was instrumental in getting cars out of most of Central Park, and authored the law that permits folding bikes in passenger elevators. She's clearly deserving of another term."

"There's no brighter rising star in city government than Ritchie Torres," said StreetsPAC Board Member Sebastian Delmont. "He's been committed to making streets safer since his first day in the Council, has pushed for a number of street and intersection redesigns in his district, and has been an advocate for Community Board and police reform."

Today’s announcement brings the total number of City Council candidates endorsed by StreetsPAC to 15. StreetsPAC issued a first round of endorsements on July 24, and endorsed a second group of candidates last week. StreetsPAC plans to make several more endorsements in City Council races in the coming days.

Here’s the rundown on today’s endorsees:

Keith Powers, Council District 4, Manhattan (Open Seat) – Powers, a former Chief of Staff in the Assembly, is running for the East Side Council seat held currently by the term-limited Daniel Garodnick. He supports the creation of a "PeopleWay" on 14th Street during the extended shutdown of the L train, and would like to see complete-streets treatments implemented on 5th and 6th Avenues. He'll also advocate for closing the gaps in 2nd Avenue's protected bike lane, and will work to complete the East River Greenway.

Helen Rosenthal, Council District 6, Manhattan (Incumbent) – Rosenthal, who's running for a second term, faces a strong challenge from the very capable Mel Wymore. She's determined to make Central Park's loop fully car-free, and will push for protected bike lanes on the Park's transverses. She's also committed to working with the Parks Department to improve the hilly detour for cyclists along the Hudson River Greenway between 72nd and 83rd Streets. In addition, she plans to advocate for a dedicated rush-hour bus lane on Amsterdam Avenue, and will work for smarter curbside regulations to reduce double parking.

Ritchie Torres, Council District 15, Bronx (Incumbent) – Torres, who has yet to turn 30, is the only first-term Council Member to hold a leadership position. He's committed to passing a Council home rule message supporting the Move NY Fair Plan, and is interested in increasing deployment of speed cameras for research and education purposes. He'll also advocate for making the Grand Concourse a true complete street, and to expand and improve bicycling infrastructure on East Tremont and Arthur Avenues. He also wants to see Vision Zero education made an integral part of police training.

Amanda Farias, Council District 18, Bronx (Open Seat) – Farias is a native of the area she seeks to represent, the district currently led by term-limited Council Member Annabel Palma. Her top priority is improving transportation access for constituents. She'll advocate to bring NYC Ferry service to Soundview, expand Select Bus Service in the district (especially connecting to the ferry), and work to improve subway accessibility. She's committed to bringing Citi Bike to the district, and to complete-streets initiatives that will ensure neighborhood sidewalks and streets are accessible to all.

Brian Cunningham, Council District 40, Brooklyn (Challenger) – Cunningham, born and raised in Flatbush, is a former State Senate and City Council staffer. He's dedicated to making Vision Zero projects a local priority. While another contender for the seat, Pia Raymond, has done noteworthy work to increase street safety along the Nostrand Avenue corridor, we are backing Cunningham for his commitment to advocate for expansion of the area's nascent bike lanes along Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn Avenue, and Kingston Avenue, along with his support for a robust proposal to create a safe pedestrian plaza at the Franklin Avenue triangle. He also pledges to make Prospect Park permanently car-free, and to work with the MTA to give the Prospect Park subway station the much-needed facelift straphangers deserve. 

StreetsPAC will help elect endorsed candidates with cash contributions and volunteer support.