StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on Hard Infrastructure
Earlier this week, we testified at the New York City Council Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's oversight hearing on hard infrastructure, outlining our support for legislation that would require the Adams administration to develop a project plan and timetable for the installation of public restrooms across the city. Our full testimony follows below.
StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on the NYC Streets Plan
We submitted testimony earlier this week to the New York City Council's Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for the Committee's oversight hearing regarding an update on the New York City Streets Plan, expressing our concern over the pace of implementation of protected bus lanes and bike lanes required by the plan. We also offered support for three bills on the hearing agenda. Our full testimony follows below.
StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on Congestion Pricing
We testified at yesterday's New York City Council Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure oversight hearing on congestion pricing, urging the Council to push City Hall to make upgrades to bus service and biking infrastructure in advance of the launch of central business district tolling next year. We also called on the Council to pass pending bills that will help smooth the implementation of congestion pricing, and to take a stand against tolling exemptions that aren't already in the law. Our full testimony follows below.
StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on Ghost Cars
We testified at today's New York City Council Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Committee on Public Safety joint oversight hearing on enforcement of defaced, fraudulent and expired license plates, focusing on the significant concern posed by drivers operating "ghost cars," motor vehicles with fraudulent license plates. Our full testimony follows below.
It's Primary Day! Here's our City Council Voting Guide.
Good morning! It's Primary Day in New York City, and polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. If you're registered to vote with a political-party affiliation, you are eligible to vote today in your party's primary.
Once again, we've spent the past few months evaluating responses to our in-depth candidate questionnaire, analyzing policy platforms, and conducting personal interviews with dozens of candidates. We've endorsed 13 candidates for New York City Council, just five of whom have primaries today. You can learn more about each of the candidates on the ballot today below, as well as important aspects of their street-safety and transportation records.To find your polling location, see a sample ballot, and check your voter-registration status, please visit vote.nyc.
Today's primary will very likely continue a trend of low-turnout elections. While we'd always prefer to see robust voter participation, low turnout means that your vote for a candidate who supports safe, complete and livable streets, and reliable, efficient and affordable public transit, will be all the more valuable, critically so in a close race. Please vote!Candidates are listed below in ascending order by district number, with links to each candidate's website and a map of the Council district.
StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
We submitted testimony on Friday to the New York City Council's Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure pertaining to their oversight hearing on Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, raising concerns that while the transition to electric vehicles will be generally beneficial, it also presents safety challenges, given the relative weight and acceleration of battery-powered cars and trucks, does nothing to reduce congestion, and could reverse progress in diversifying uses of the curbside. We also put in a plug for putting electric micro-mobility devices on equal footing with other clean-powered vehicles. Our full testimony follows below.
Primary Election Tuesday – Help StreetsPAC Endorsees Get Out The Vote
Early voting in advance of Tuesday's primary election continues this weekend, and the five candidates we've endorsed for City Council who face challenges could use your help in getting out the vote.
The StreetsPAC-endorsed candidates who will appear on primary ballots are Jennifer Gutiérrez in Brooklyn, Carlina Rivera and Christopher Marte in Manhattan, and Julie Won and Shekar Krishnan in Queens.
If you're able to give even an hour or two of your time this weekend or Monday or Tuesday, it could truly help make a difference in what's shaping up to be a low-turnout primary. Just click on the links below to find out more about volunteer opportunities.
Volunteer for Jennifer Gutiérrez
Volunteer for Christopher Marte
In-person early-voting sites are open today and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Tuesday, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can confirm whether or not your district has a primary and find your early-voting and Primary Day voting sites (which may not be the same) using the polling site locator: findmypollsite.vote.nyc.
You can also confirm your registration status and find other important election-related information at vote.nyc. We've included links to district maps for each of our endorsed candidates below.
We urge you to join us in supporting these excellent candidates for the New York City Council. Read on to learn more about all our endorsees and important aspects of their records on street safety and transportation. Candidates are listed in ascending order by district number.
2023 NYC Primary
2023 City Council Endorsees: Manhattan | Queens | Brooklyn
Christopher Marte, Council District 1, Manhattan (Incumbent) – Christopher Marte, who won his seat in 2021 with StreetsPAC's support, is seeking re-election in the district that covers the southern tip of Manhattan. He's been advocating with the Department of Transportation for major fixes to Canal Street, and supports plans to pedestrianize significant portions of the Financial District. He's also been pushing to have Park Row, which has been closed off since 9/11, reclaimed from the NYPD, with an enhanced protected bike lane, expanded pedestrian space, and a busway. He's co-sponsored a number of street-safety bills, including being a co-prime sponsor of Intros 500 and 501-A, which would crack down on placards and allow public reporting of illegal parking, two issues that plague his district. While we had positive interactions with Susan Lee and Ursila Jung, who are challenging Council Member Marte in the Democratic primary, we believe the incumbent is the best choice on street-safety and transportation issues.
Carlina Rivera, Council District 2, Manhattan (Incumbent) – Carlina Rivera, who earned our endorsement in both 2017 and 2021, has proven herself a real champion on transportation issues in her five-and-a-half years in the City Council. During her current term, she sponsored the legislation that will require the city to produce a master plan for greenways in 2024, and in her first term, Council Member Rivera authored the laws that made the Open Streets program permanent, require implementation of temporary accommodations when construction projects impede on existing bike lanes, and guarantee restroom access for the city's Deliveristas. She was also a key supporter of the 14th Street busway, and has advocated for expanded cycling infrastructure throughout her district, where she can often be spotted riding her bike. Council Member Rivera will face a challenger in both the Democratic primary and November's general election.
Keith Powers, Council District 4, Manhattan (Incumbent) – Keith Powers, another two-time StreetsPAC endorsee, is the City Council's Majority Leader, and has been a strong advocate for walking, biking, and public transit, which happen to be the ways he gets around the city. During his first term in the Council, he supported the 14th Street busway, advocated for the extension of the protected bike lane on 6th Avenue to Central Park, and worked to improve the East River greenway. More recently, he pushed for the holiday pedestrianization of the streets around Rockefeller Center, which he believes will be an annual feature, and he introduced a bill this year that would create a free or low-cost lithium-ion battery swap program for delivery workers. Majority Leader Powers does not have a primary challenger, but will have an opponent in November's general election.
Shekar Krishnan, Council District 25, Queens (Incumbent) – Shekar Krishnan won his seat representing Queens's 25th Council District with StreetsPAC's backing in 2021. He's distinguished himself as a champion of the 34th Avenue Open Street, now dubbed "Paseo Park" and one of the city's most ambitious street transformations. His support has been instrumental to the creation of five fully pedestrianized school plazas along 34th Avenue, as well as a superblock around Travers Park. He's called for a comprehensive redesign of Northern Boulevard, and as someone who often gets around by bicycle, he's been outspoken about the need to protect bike lanes with more than plastic sticks. As chair of the Council's Committee on Parks and Recreation, he's in position to help steward the city's coming greenway master plan. His challenger in the Democratic primary is a critic of the 34th Avenue Open Street, and Council Member Krishnan believes voters will come down firmly on the side of progress. As do we.
Julie Won, Council District 26, Queens (Incumbent) – Julie Won won a hard-fought, 15-person race in 2021 to succeed Jimmy Van Bramer as the Council Member representing Queens's diverse 26th District. A victim of a hit-and-run while biking in 2020, she's proven herself a fierce advocate for safer streets, nowhere more so than in her continued push to have the Department of Transportation dedicate more space to biking and walking on the Queensboro Bridge. She's advocated for the hardening of protected bike lanes in her district, too many of which are frequently driven or parked in, and she's asked the administration to fund a comprehensive planning effort for Northern Boulevard. Council Member Won has fought hard for wide-ranging safety improvements in the wake of the death of seven-year-old Dolma Naadhun in Astoria in February. She faces a primary challenge from Hailie Kim, who also ran for the seat in 2021; while Ms. Kim has a strong transportation platform of her own, we believe Julie Won has more than earned another term in the Council.
Lincoln Restler, Council District 33, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – When Lincoln Restler ran for City Council in 2021, we gave him a narrow edge over Elizabeth Adams, who has since distinguished herself as Deputy Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. Mr. Restler has more than rewarded our faith in his initial candidacy, emerging as one of the city's most committed elected leaders on transportation issues. He's introduced several important pieces of legislation, including Int. 417, which would eliminate an extended and unjustified waiting period for bike-lane projects; Int. 500, which would eliminate thousands of city-issued parking placards; and Int. 501-A, which would enable citizen reporting of "hazardous obstruction," including parking in bike lanes, bus stops, and on sidewalks. He convinced a majority of his colleagues to sign on to a letter supporting "Sammy's Law," a precursor to a home-rule message, and was the driving force in the creation of the protected, two-way Schermerhorn Street bike path. He's been a strong advocate for a slimmer, future-friendly BQE, and for a major road diet for McGuinness Boulevard, and he's committed to tackling safety issues on Atlantic Avenue. Council Member Restler does not face a primary challenge, but will have an opponent in November's general election.
Jennifer Gutiérrez, Council District 34, Brooklyn/Queens (Incumbent) – Jennifer Gutiérrez was elected with StreetsPAC's support in 2021 to succeed Antonio Reynoso in this district straddling Brooklyn and Queens. She recently rallied her City Council colleagues around the "Sammy's Law" home-rule resolution for which she was lead sponsor, which should have been the key to the bill's passage in the Assembly. Ms. Gutiérrez has advocated for better bike infrastructure, including a Citi Bike station at transit-starved Ridgewood Reservoir, and has pushed to make certain that plans for the repair and renovation of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which runs through her district, address the entire corridor. As Chair of the Council's Committee on Technology, she's interested in exploring ways to identify and track motor vehicles with fake or obscured license plates, and she's also planning to introduce a bill that would require the placement of anti-dooring reminders on the passenger windows of for-hire vehicles. Council Member Gutiérrez faces a challenge in the Democratic primary.
Crystal Hudson, Council District 35, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Crystal Hudson won her City Council seat with our endorsement in 2021. As Chair of the Council's Committee on Aging, she's keenly interested in making streets safe, and the transit system fully accessible for older New Yorkers, while trying to balance their needs and concerns with a broadly progressive transportation agenda. She's supported the Willoughby and Vanderbilt Avenue Open Streets in her district, and has been pushing the Department of Transportation for greater progress on protected bike lanes. Council Member Hudson believes the current two-lane configuration of the BQE Triple Cantilever should be made permanent, and she made sure that NYCHA tenant representatives were included on the BQE Community Visioning Council. She's an advocate for better bus service, and for improving conditions for the city's Deliveristas, and she's supportive of safety upgrades on Franklin Avenue. Council Member Hudson does not face a primary challenge.
Sandy Nurse, Council District 37, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Sandy Nurse earned our endorsement in 2021 on her way to winning her seat by defeating an incumbent Council Member. As Chair of the Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management, she's been pushing City Hall to speed up the implementation of the commercial waste zone program, which should have a significant benefit to street safety, and is committed to moving a bill that would require the installation of cameras on street sweepers to enforce against alternate-side parking violations. Council Member Nurse has also been advocating for creation of a greenway segment through the blue belt portion of Conduit Boulevard, and for accessibility and public realm improvements around Broadway Junction, to which the MTA and the city committed last month. She does not face a primary challenge, but is likely to have an opponent in November's general election.
Alexa Avilés, Council District 38, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Alexa Avilés earned our support when she succeeded Carlos Menchaca in this highly diverse district covering Sunset Park and Red Hook. She's the prime sponsor of a widely supported bill that would require the Department of Transportation to redesign the city's truck routes to improve safety, increase visibility, and reduce vehicle miles traveled. She's been a vocal critic of the city's lack of a plan to deal with the proliferation of last-mile delivery facilities, which is an especially acute problem in the 38th District, along with traffic issues around the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook. She's managed to move some long-delayed local traffic-calming projects forward, and has been trying to get DOT and the Department of Education to improve safety around schools in Sunset Park. Council Member Avilés is advocating for the MTA's free bus pilot to include Red Hook, and she supports closing local gaps in the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. She does not face a primary challenge, but will likely have a general-election opponent.
Shahana Hanif, Council District 39, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Another past StreetsPAC endorsee, Shahana Hanif emerged from a highly competitive 2021 Democratic Primary to succeed Brad Lander in the City Council. She has said repeatedly that her top concern is street safety, and she's been vocal about the need to address the issue holistically. She pushed the Department of Transportation to act quickly to extend the protected bike lane on 9th Street and to make safety improvements on Atlantic Avenue following recent fatalities; upgrades on 9th Street should commence this summer. She's been a strong supporter of public-plaza projects in Kensington and along Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, and she is a proponent of a year-round option for the city's Open Restaurants program. Council Member Hanif also told us she's committed to working to improve implementation of the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program. She does not have a challenger in the Democratic primary, but anticipates having an opponent in the general election.
Rita Joseph, Council District 40, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Rita Joseph was elected to the City Council in 2021 after winning a very competitive Democratic primary with our backing. She's championed the creation of a dedicated bus lane for Flatbush Avenue's B41, which she rides regularly enough that she's on a first-name basis with the route's drivers. The first bill she passed into law requires the city to identify feasible locations for public bathrooms, an issue she's continued to prioritize with two additional bills introduced just last week. She also co-sponsored a resolution with Council Member Erik Bottcher requiring the Department of Education to ensure that all city schools instruct students in bike safety, which is mandated by state law but rarely adhered to. And in concert with colleagues Crystal Hudson and Shahana Hanif, she has advocated with the Parks Department to allow e-bikes in Prospect Park, for which a pilot effort will commence next week. Council Member Joseph does not face a primary challenge.
Amber Adler, Council District 48, Brooklyn (Challenger) – Amber Adler, an activist and non-profit founder, is running for the southern Brooklyn Council seat held currently by Inna Vernikov. Ms. Adler, who became a member of Families for Safe Streets after getting t-boned by another driver several years ago, was unable to work for an extended period due to her injuries, and recovered only a fraction of her lost wages because the driver who struck her was underinsured. If elected, she'll advocate for traffic-calming redesigns on dangerous roads like Ocean Avenue, which is plagued by speeding and illegal u-turns, and for more protected bike lanes, so her two young sons can safely learn to ride. Overall, we found Ms. Adler very open to new ideas about street safety and transportation, and believe she could help sell residents of the car-centric 48th Council District on their benefits. She has secured the Democratic nomination and will face the winner of a Republican primary in November.
StreetsPAC Endorses 13 Candidates for New York City Council
We are proud today to announce our endorsement of 13 candidates for New York City Council.
The 2023 election cycle is an unusual one, dividing the typical four-year City Council term into two two-year terms due to the city's decennial redistricting process. Given that all 51 current Council Members are incumbents, the field of candidates is less than half of what it was in 2021, when roughly two-thirds of the Council races were for open seats.
As a result, our 2023 endorsees include twelve incumbents and just one candidate challenging a sitting Council Member, and only five of them have primary opponents. We do anticipate making a number of additional endorsements in advance of November's general election, when it appears that all but a handful of races will be contested.
In-person early voting for the primary begins this Saturday, June 17, which is also the deadline to register if you are not already a registered voter. You can check your registration status, find your early-voting and election-day polling locations, and see other important election-related information at vote.nyc. We've included links to district maps for each of the candidates we're endorsing.
Early voting will continue daily through Sunday, June 25, with varying hours, in advance of Primary Day, which is Tuesday, June 27, when polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can confirm your early-voting and Primary Day voting sites, which may be different, and check early-voting hours using the polling site locator: findmypollsite.vote.nyc.
We urge you to join us in supporting these excellent candidates for the New York City Council. Read on to learn more about our endorsees and important aspects of their records on street safety and transportation. Candidates are listed below in ascending order by district number.
Join Us Thursday Morning to Bike to City Hall!
Bike to Work with StreetsPAC and the City Council's Progressive Caucus
Please join us this Thursday, May 25th, for our annual Bike to Work event with the City Council's Progressive Caucus, along with our great partners Transportation Alternatives, Bike New York, Get Women Cycling, and Citi Bike, and an exciting new addition this year, the City Council's Black, Latino and Asian Caucus!
We'll be congregating at the south end of Foley Square [Map], near the fountain, for a rally at 10:00 a.m., with feeder rides rolling out from Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. Here are the feeder ride details.
Brooklyn Ride
Brooklyn Borough Hall, facing Columbus Park [Map]
Meet: 9:00 a.m.
Ride: 9:30 a.m.Manhattan Ride
Union Square Park, north side, facing 17th Street Citi Bike station [Map]
Meet: 9:00 a.m.
Ride: 9:30 a.m.Queens Ride
Queens Boulevard and 46th Street, Sunnyside, plaza beneath the 46th Street–Bliss Street subway station [Map]
Meet: 8:15 a.m.
Ride: 8:45 a.m.Citi Bike has generously offered to supply a limited number of bikes at each of these locations for those folks won't be riding their own, so please let us know when you RSVP here if you would like to reserve a Citi Bike. Please RSVP by noon on Wednesday.
Thursday's weather forecast looks glorious, so please come on out and celebrate the continued growth of cycling in New York City, and lend your voice to the important call for further expansion of the city's safe, connected bike infrastructure.
StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on FY2024 Transportation Budget
We testified yesterday at the New York City Council's Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure preliminary hearing on the city's Fiscal Year 2024 transportation budget. With the budget covering such a wide scope, we chose to focus on a few areas of pressing need. Our full testimony follows below.
StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on Commercial Waste Zone Implementation
We testified today at the New York City Council's Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management and Committee on Small Business joint oversight hearing on preparing for the implementation of Commercial Waste Zones, and in support of two related bills that would create a Commercial Waste Zones working group and require the Department of Sanitation to develop a plan for accepting commercial waste at city-operated marine-transfer stations, respectively. The creation of a Commercial Waste Zone system has significant implications for making streets safer. Our full testimony follows below.
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StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on Street Safety Infrastructure and Vision Zero
We testified at yesterday's New York City Council Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure oversight hearing on street safety infrastructure and Vision Zero, and in support of two bills that would require daylighting and installation of bollards at intersections, respectively, as well as a resolution calling on Albany to enact legislation that would allow the city to set a five mile-per-hour speed limit on Open Streets. We also joined Families for Safe Streets, City Council Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Selvena Brooks-Powers, and other electeds for a press conference ahead of the hearing. Our full testimony follows below.
It's Election Day! Vote the StreetsPAC Slate for Safer Streets and Better Transit!
There's an important general election today in New York, and polls will be open until 9 p.m. You can find your polling site, review a sample ballot, confirm your registration status, and see other election-related information at vote.nyc.
StreetsPAC's Board of Directors has spent the better part of the past year evaluating responses to our in-depth candidate questionnaire, analyzing policy platforms, and conducting personal interviews with dozens of candidates. We've endorsed 16 candidates for the New York State Senate and Assembly, and you can read more about them, and crucial aspects of their street-safety and transportation platforms, below. Endorsed candidates are listed in ascending order by district number. We've said this often, but it bears repeating that state government exerts enormous influence over New York City's streets and transit system, and your vote for a StreetsPAC-endorsed candidate can help to ensure that the legislature will pursue policies that make our streets safer and our buses and subways more efficient and reliable.
There's a great deal at stake in today's election beyond transportation issues. We want you to have your say, so please make a plan to vote, and remember that as long as you're in line at your polling place by 9 p.m., you can't be turned away.
Thank you for your support, and happy voting!
General Election Tomorrow – Here's Our Voter Guide!
Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 8th, is Election Day, and polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can find your polling site, review a sample ballot, confirm your registration status, and see other election-related information at vote.nyc.
We've endorsed 16 candidates for the New York State Senate and Assembly, and you can read more about them, and important aspects of their street-safety and transportation platforms, below. Endorsed candidates are listed in ascending order by district number. State government exerts enormous influence over New York City's streets and transit system, and your vote for a StreetsPAC-endorsed candidate can help to ensure that the legislature pursues policies that make our streets safer and our buses and subways more efficient and reliable.
There's a great deal at stake in tomorrow's election beyond transportation issues. Turnout is critical, so please make a plan to vote, and remember that as long as you're in the queue to vote by 9 p.m., you can't be turned away.
2022 NYS General Election
2022 State Senate Endorsees
Jabari Brisport, 25th State Senate District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Senator Brisport, who won his seat in 2020 with StreetsPAC's endorsement, is running unopposed for re-election after besting two challengers in August's Democratic primary. He supports eliminating parking minimums across the city, connecting the 25th District's disjointed bike network, with an emphasis on protected lanes, and increasing access to secure bike parking, especially for NYCHA residents. He's committed to improving transit service, and supports traffic-calming redesigns of streets to slow down vehicles and improve safety.
Andrew Gounardes, 26th State Senate District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Senator Gounardes, who earned our endorsement when he won his seat in 2018 and was re-elected in 2020, has proved to be a transformative figure in the State Senate. He's led the fight in Albany to expand New York City's speed-camera program, and authored the legislation that now allows cameras to operate around the clock, which should have a huge effect on reducing speeding. His bill requiring that the written portion of New York State's drivers' test include instruction in pedestrian and bicycle safety became law in July, and he also introduced a bill that would require pedestrian-safety ratings for motor vehicles. He's called for revoking the license of anyone who racks up three or more dangerous-driving violations within a one-year period, and he's been a staunch advocate for improved transit service and subway accessibility.
Kristen Gonzalez, 59th State Senate District, Brooklyn, Manhattan & Queens (Open Seat) – Kristen Gonzalez, a tech worker with a strong organizing background, won the August primary for this newly created seat spanning parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan while running a broadly progressive campaign. Deeply dedicated to public transit, she'll fight for improvements in service, especially for buses, and wants to see the entire bus fleet electrified. She supports making a number of streets within the 59th District car-free, in order to improve safety and prioritize walking and biking. She's also committed to improving conditions for the city's Deliveristas, and to making the bike-share system affordable and available to all New Yorkers.
2022 State Assembly Endorsees: Queens | Brooklyn | Manhattan | Bronx
Khaleel Anderson, 31st Assembly District, Queens (Incumbent) – Assemblymember Anderson won his seat in 2020 with StreetsPAC's endorsement, becoming the youngest African American to ever serve in the Assembly. He's been a vocal supporter of improved public-transit service since his days as a youth activist, especially better and more reliable buses. He's co-sponsored a number of bills aimed at improving safety and access for cyclists and pedestrians, and frequently bikes to meetings within his district. Assemblymember Anderson is also lead sponsor of a bill that would tax air travel to create an environmental justice fund. He's advocated for creating more open space within his district, including an effort to de-map several blocks beneath the elevated A train line to create a network of public plazas. Anderson does not face a general election challenge, a testament to his work in his first term.
Jessica González-Rojas, 34th Assembly District, Queens (Incumbent) – Assemblymember González-Rojas won her seat in 2020 with StreetsPAC's support. She was the lead sponsor in the Assembly of, and worked tirelessly to pass, the MTA Bike Access bill, which was signed into law late last year and mandates the creation of a strategic plan to facilitate access to the MTA's bridges and stations. She's proudly championed the 34th Avenue Open Street, and wants to see it turned into a linear park. Assemblymember González-Rojas has continued to advocated for the redesign of dangerous Northern Boulevard, pushing for dedicated bus lanes and protected bike lanes. She's certainly earned another term in Albany.
Juan Ardila, 37th Assembly District, Queens (Open Seat) – Ardila, whom StreetsPAC endorsed when he ran for City Council in 2021, is running to succeed Cathy Nolan, who is retiring from the Assembly. He wants to reduce the car culture in the eastern part of the district by improving transit access and making it easier and safer to bike, and supports the expansion of Citi Bike and the bike-lane network. He's excited about the prospects for the Interborough Express, and was supportive of the successful effort to allow speed cameras to operate around the clock. He's also committed to pursuing reform of the Department of Motor Vehicles, including the periodic retesting or recertification of drivers, and ongoing education efforts.
Catalina Cruz, 39th Assembly District, Queens (Incumbent) – Assemblymember Cruz, the first DREAMer to win elected office in New York State, earned StreetsPAC's endorsement in both 2018 and 2020. She's been a vocal proponent of the 34th Avenue Open Street, which borders the northern end of her district, and led a coalition of elected officials seeking safer Open Street designs in 2020. Cruz supports implementation of the city's congestion pricing program without further delay, and she's interested in efforts to improve the Department of Motor Vehicles, including potentially requiring periodic retesting of drivers. She's also determined to ensure that the renewed effort to redesign the Queens Bus Network makes meaningful improvements to service for her constituents, many of whom rely on the bus.
Brian Cunningham, 43rd Assembly District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Assemblymember Cunningham, who won a special election to succeed Diana Richardson in March, is running for re-election to a full term. A member of the Assembly's Transportation Committee, he co-sponsored the speed-camera reauthorization bill, and supports creation of a dedicated bus lane on Flatbush Avenue, something he looks forward to working toward with a fellow StreetsPAC endorsee, Council Member Rita Joseph. He's an advocate for Citi Bike expansion, in conjunction with a safer, more robust network of bike lanes.
Robert Carroll, 44th Assembly District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Assemblymember Carroll, whom we've endorsed multiple times since 2016, has been a consistent champion for safer streets and better public transit. He continues to advocate for implementing congestion pricing as soon as possible, with no additional exemptions, and for improved bus service, especially a Brooklyn bus network redesign with more dedicated lanes. He's been a vocal supporter of expanding the city's allocation of speed and red-light cameras, and supports expanding the use of cameras to keep bus lanes and bus stops clear of parked cars.
Emily Gallagher, 50th Assembly District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Emily Gallagher pulled off perhaps the biggest upset of the 2020 election cycle, winning her seat by defeating 24-term incumbent Joe Lentol with StreetsPAC's endorsement and a platform that centered progressive transportation policies. Since taking office, she's continued to champion safer streets, serving on the Assembly's Transportation Committee and successfully lobbying New York City to invest $39 million in improvements to McGuinness Boulevard. She's been a staunch advocate for Open Streets, and her bill with Senator Andrew Gounardes requiring that New Yorkers taking the driver's pre-licensing course be instructed in pedestrian and cyclist safety passed the legislature this past spring. Next on Assemblymember Gallagher's agenda: advocating for major design changes to her district's Manhattan Avenue.
Grace Lee, 65th Assembly District, Manhattan (Open Seat) – Lee, a neighborhood organizer and small-business owner, impressed us when she ran for this same seat in 2020 against Yuh-Line Niou, who is not seeking re-election. Lee will make upgrading public transit a priority, especially improving bus service and subway accessibility on the Lower East Side, and she's also interested in reforming the MTA board and making sure the agency is focused on enhancing service. A regular Citi Biker, she supports a safer and more robust bike network, speeding up desperately needed safety fixes to Canal Street, and cracking down on the placard abuse that plagues the district's streets and sidewalks.
Eddie Gibbs, 68th Assembly District, Manhattan (Incumbent) – Gibbs, the first formerly incarcerated person to serve in the State Legislature, was elected to succeed Robert Rodriguez in a special election in January. Assemblymember Gibbs supports implementing congestion pricing with no additional carveouts, and would like to see the MTA improve bus service with more Select Bus Service routes and crosstown busways. He backed the renewal and expansion of the city's speed-camera program and passage of the Crash Victims Rights & Safety Act, and would like to see more street space dedicated to cycling and pedestrian uses.
Alex Bores, 73rd Assembly District, Manhattan (Open Seat) – Alex Bores, who won a highly competitive Democratic primary in June, is running to succeed past StreetsPAC endorsee Dan Quart in this Upper East Side district. Bores has worked at the intersection of government and technology (he got the Roosevelt Island tram added to Google Maps), and became interested in street-safety efforts after both he and his father (twice) were struck by drivers while biking. He supports expanding the district's network of protected bike lanes, and redesigning Manhattan's bus routes to speed up service and reliability.
Harvey Epstein, 74th Assembly District, Manhattan (Incumbent) – Assemblymember Epstein, whom we endorsed in 2018 and 2020, and who's seeking his third term in the Assembly, has been a reliable vote for safer streets and better public transit. He's championed automated camera enforcement, and has expressed interest in authoring legislation that would increase the consequences for habitually dangerous drivers. He's an advocate for improving bus service, and as someone who often gets around by bike, he supports building more protected bike lanes across the city. He's also been a vocal supporter of Open Streets.
Tony Simone, 75th Assembly District, Manhattan (Open Seat) – Come January, the people of the 75th District will have a new Assemblymember for the first time in more than half a century, as Richard Gottfried is retiring. We believe Tony Simone is best qualified to succeed Gottfried. Simone, who's had extensive experience inside and outside government, believes fewer cars, better transit, and more people on bikes are key to a more livable city. He supports moving ahead quickly with congestion pricing, and taking steps to speed up buses. He also supports rethinking the way the city manages its curb space, and told us he thinks the Hudson River Greenway should be widened by taking a vehicular lane from West Street.
Jeffrey Dinowitz, 81st Assembly District, Bronx (Incumbent) – Assemblymember Dinowitz has long been a champion for public transit, authoring the MTA "lock-box" bill that became law in 2019. Though he came later than some of his colleagues to support for congestion pricing, he now backs its implementation without any exemptions not already in the law, citing the need for revenue to improve service and accessibility. He wants the Bronx Bus Network redesign to lead to more frequent buses, especially on east-west routes, and he's expressed interest in introducing a bill that would allow bus cameras to operate universally. He'd also like the city's Department of Transportation to restart the Neighborhood Slow Zone program, which he feels has improved safety in his district.
StreetsPAC's General Election Voter Guide!
Early voting for New York's November 8th general election begins Saturday, October 29th. Early-voting sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. over the weekend, and hours will then vary through the conclusion of early voting on Sunday, November 6th. You can find daily poll-site hours here, and you can confirm your early-voting and election-day polling locations, review a sample ballot, check your registration status, and see other election-related information at vote.nyc.
We've endorsed 16 candidates for the New York State Senate and Assembly, and you can read more about them, and important aspects of their street-safety and transportation platforms, below. Endorsed candidates are listed in ascending order by district number. State government exerts enormous influence over New York City's streets and transit system, and your vote for StreetsPAC-endorsed candidates can help to ensure that the legislature promotes policies that make our streets safer and our buses and subways more efficient and reliable.
December 8, 2022 Fundraiser
Please join Larry Greenfield and Liz Marcello for a fundraiser benefiting StreetsPAC, New York's only political action committee dedicated to improving safe streets and public transit.
Thursday, December 8, 2022
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
366 Broadway, 12B (Buzzer #133)
Manhattan
StreetsPAC's Primary Day Voter Guide!
Good morning! It's Primary Day in New York, and polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. If you're registered to vote with a political-party affiliation, you are eligible to vote today in your party's primary.
We've spent several months evaluating responses to our in-depth candidate questionnaire, analyzing policy platforms, and conducting personal interviews with dozens of candidates. We've endorsed seven candidates for the New York State Senate in today's primary. You can learn more about each of our endorsees below, as well as the street-safety and transportation issues they'll champion if elected.To find your polling location, see a sample ballot, and check your voter-registration status, please visit vote.nyc.
Today's primary will undoubtedly continue a trend of low-turnout elections. While we'd much prefer to see robust voter participation, the silver lining to lower turnout is that your vote for a candidate who supports safe, complete and livable streets, and reliable, efficient and affordable public transit, has the potential to make a real difference in a close race. Please vote!
