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Eric McClure
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Eric McClure published It's Primary Day! Vote the StreetsPAC Slate for New York State Senate and Assembly! in News 2024-06-25 05:56:34 -0400
It's Primary Day! Vote the StreetsPAC Slate for New York State Senate and Assembly!
Today is Primary Day, and polls will be open in New York 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. Outside New York City, visit voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.
We're excited to have endorsed 16 excellent candidates for New York State Senate and Assembly, including nine who have contested primary races. The nine candidates we've endorsed who appear on the ballot today are running in races in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and in a first for us, upstate New York. You can read more about each of them, including important aspects of their records and platforms on street safety and transportation, below. Candidates are listed by legislative body, and in ascending order by district number. You can find information on all 16 of our endorsees here, and we do anticipate making a number of additional endorsements in advance of November's general election. Stay tuned for that.
Turnout in the absence of a contested Presidential or statewide primary is expected to be low, so your vote for a candidate committed to making streets safer and calmer and public transit more reliable and efficient can truly make a difference. Please make a plan to get to the polls, and don't forget that as long as you're in the queue to vote by 9 p.m., you can't be turned away.
Lastly, there were two races in which we interviewed multiple candidates but were unable to come to consensus around an endorsement, which was due to their across-the-board good positions on the issues on which StreetsPAC is focused. We offer a bit more detail about those races at the end.
If you live in one of the nine districts in which we have made an endorsement, we urge you to vote for the StreetsPAC slate!
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2024 NYS Primary Election
2024 State Senate Endorsees
Andrew Gounardes, 26th State Senate District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Andrew Gounardes earned our endorsement when he won his seat in 2018, and again in 2020 and 2022, and this year is no different. He led the effort in Albany to expand New York City's speed-camera program, and sponsored the legislation that allows cameras to operate around the clock. His bill authorizing the renewal and four-fold expansion of New York City's red-light camera program is set to become law. His priorities for the next legislative session are the passage of his bill that would require installation of speed-limiting technology in the vehicles of drivers with significant numbers of dangerous driving violations, and another that would require the state to establish a goal of reducing driving by 20% by 2050. In addition, Senator Gounardes has been a staunch advocate for improved transit service and subway accessibility. He does not face a challenge in the June primary.
Brad Hoylman-Sigal, 47th State Senate District, Manhattan (Incumbent) – Senator Hoylman-Sigal, who represents the west side of Manhattan, has long advocated for safer streets and better public transportation, including legislative initiatives to mandate safety technology in newly registered cars in New York State and to eliminate parking minimums in cities, and pushing to integrate Citi Bike with the MTA's OMNY fare-payment system. He was the lead Senate sponsor of a number of bills on our priority list this year, including Sammy's Law, which passed as part of the budget this spring and will allow New York City to further lower speed limits, and a bill requiring the point-of-sale registration of mopeds that recently passed the Senate and will soon become law. He's also carrying a bill that would allow the use of automated cameras to enforce against obstruction of bike lanes. Senator Hoylman-Sigal does not have a challenger in this month's primary.
Kristen Gonzalez, 59th State Senate District, Brooklyn, Manhattan & Queens (Incumbent) – Kristen Gonzalez handily won her Senate seat in 2022 with StreetsPAC's endorsement, which she earned by expressing a strong commitment to public transit and street safety, causes on which she's delivered during her first term in office. She has been a staunch supporter of the campaign to redesign McGuinness Boulevard, a position that has earned her a primary challenger backed by opponents of the proposed road diet. Last year, she collaborated with colleagues in the Assembly and City Council, and advocates, to develop the Western Queens Street Safety Plan. Senator Gonzalez continues to be a proponent of the MTA's free-bus pilot, while remaining committed to advocating for expansion of bus and subway service across the city. And along with her fellow State Senate endorsees, she has stood strong in opposition to Governor Hochul's attempts to sideline congestion pricing. You can volunteer to help get out the vote for Kristen Gonzalez here.2024 State Assembly Endorsees: Queens | Brooklyn | Manhattan | Bronx | Upstate New York
Jessica González-Rojas, 34th Assembly District, Queens (Incumbent) – Assemblymember González-Rojas won her seat in 2020 with StreetsPAC's support. During her initial term, she introduced and led the passage in the Assembly of the MTA Bike Access bill, which became law in 2021 and mandates the creation of a strategic plan to facilitate access to the MTA's bridges and stations. She has continued to advocate for the redesign of dangerous Northern Boulevard with dedicated, separated spaces for buses and bikes, and was a vociferous proponent of the passage of Sammy's Law, working her Assembly colleagues hard to include it in this year's budget. Assemblymember González-Rojas has also been one of the major champions of the 34th Avenue Open Street, a position that has landed her a challenger in the Democratic primary. Like a number of our endorsees, she has stood resolutely in support of the timely implementation of congestion pricing. You can sign up to volunteer with her campaign here.
Claire Valdez, 37th Assembly District, Queens (Challenger) – Claire Valdez, a union organizer and Democratic Socialist, is challenging incumbent Juan Ardila for this western Queens Assembly seat. Valdez is running on a broadly progressive agenda that includes a detailed transportation and street-safety platform, and if elected, would join several DSA-backed legislators in Albany who have emerged as champions of public transit and calmer, more accessible streets. She rides the bus almost every day, and supports the long-term vision of the QueensLink campaign to restore passenger service on the Long Island Railroad's Lower Montauk branch. Valdez has been a ubiquitous presence at safe-streets rallies and protests from the first days of her campaign, and is committed to pushing for comprehensive infrastructure improvements, including protected bike lanes and daylighting. Assemblymember Ardila, whom we endorsed in 2022, did not return a questionnaire response; to his credit, he has been outspokenly opposed to the Governor's congestion pricing flip-flop. Johanna Carmona, who's also running for the seat with significant institutional support, did submit thoughtful questionnaire responses, but too far past our deadline for interviews. All that said, we believe strongly that Claire Valdez is the best choice for voters in the 37th Assembly District. You can enlist to help her get out the vote here.
Catalina Cruz, 39th Assembly District, Queens (Incumbent) – Assemblymember Cruz has been a reliable vote and committed partner on issues affecting street safety and public transit since first winning office, with StreetsPAC's endorsement, in 2018. She's been one of the leading proponents of the 34th Avenue Open Street, which forms her district's northwestern border, and in 2020, she led a broad coalition of elected officials seeking safer Open Street designs. She's been focused on the MTA's efforts to redesign the Queens Bus Network, advocating for deeper public engagement while supporting the necessary goals of improving service, and remains interested in efforts to improve the Department of Motor Vehicles, including potentially requiring periodic retesting of drivers. Assemblymember Cruz does not have a challenger in the Democratic primary.
Robert Carroll, 44th Assembly District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Assemblymember Robert Carroll has been among Albany's most reliable voices for safer streets and better public transit since he first won office in 2016. A StreetsPAC endorsee several times over, he has been one of the legislature's most prominent supporters of congestion pricing, and was quick to denounce Governor Hochul's 11th-hour reversal. He's been a strong proponent of automated camera enforcement, including the use of cameras to keep bus lanes and bus stops clear of parked cars, and has called for the Brooklyn Bus Network redesign to include many more dedicated bus lanes. He introduced a bill this session that would require delivery-app companies to carry liability insurance for workers delivering on their behalf, and reintroduced his bill that would fund transit improvements by levying a small tax on package deliveries. Assemblymember Carroll does not face a primary challenge.
Emily Gallagher, 50th Assembly District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Emily Gallagher, who first won her seat in the Assembly in 2020, has more than delivered on the promises that secured our endorsement as an outsider candidate taking on a 48-year incumbent. A member of the Assembly's Transportation Committee, she has championed street-safety projects that include the redesign of dangerous McGuinness Boulevard, which has earned her the ire of road-diet opponents who recruited and fund her primary challenger. She's been a strong advocate for Open Streets, and organized a rapid-response rally among her Assembly colleagues in the wake of the Governor's congestion pricing announcement. Assemblymember Gallagher has also teamed with Senator Gounardes to introduce a bill requiring the installation of speed-limiting technology in the vehicles of drivers with significant numbers of dangerous driving violations, which they hope to pass in 2025. She's been beating the drum for robust transportation accommodations during this summer's planned G train shutdown, and is supportive of significant reform of the Department of Motor Vehicles. You can volunteer to help her get out the vote here.
Jo Anne Simon, 52nd Assembly District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Jo Anne Simon is running for her sixth term in the Assembly, and has won StreetsPAC's backing several times during her tenure in Albany. She's a member of the Assembly's Transportation Committee, and her name regularly appears as a sponsor on legislation crucial to improving both the safety of streets and the efficacy of public transit. Assemblymember Simon just introduced a bill that would prohibit New York City from opting out of the state's daylighting law, carries legislation that would reduce the legal blood-alcohol level for DUI infractions, and continues to lobby the MTA for restoration of the discontinued B71 bus route as well as the creation of a bus route connecting Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood with Lower Manhattan. The Assemblymember's primary opponent, Scott Budow, impressed us with his interest in transportation issues, but Jo Anne Simon has earned the support of voters with her strong track record. You can sign up to help her campaign here.
Eon Tyrell Huntley, 56th Assembly District, Brooklyn (Challenger) – Eon Tyrell Huntley, a retail worker, union organizer, PTA president, and Democratic Socialist, is challenging incumbent Stefani Zinerman in the primary for this central Brooklyn Assembly District. A regular subway commuter who doesn't have a driver's license, Huntley is deeply committed to advocating for straphangers by pushing for better buses, including dedicated busways and expanded free routes, and more reliable subway service. As the father of two young daughters, he's acutely aware of the importance of safe streets, and supports getting there through better street design, including intersection improvements and implementation of protected bike lanes. You can volunteer to help him get out the vote here.
Maria Ordoñez, 70th Assembly District, Manhattan (Open Seat) – Maria Ordoñez first came to our attention in 2021, when she ran a highly competitive race for City Council while still an undergraduate at Columbia University, finishing second in a crowded field. A tenant organizer and Democratic State Committee member, she's running on a broadly progressive platform that embraces the importance of better transportation policies. For public transit, that means a commitment to fare-free and more reliable buses, improved station accessibility, and clean and accessible bathrooms. Where street design is concerned, Ordoñez supports expanding the bike network, getting trash off the sidewalks and into curbside containers, and more Open Streets. You can volunteer to help Maria win her primary here.
Harvey Epstein, 74th Assembly District, Manhattan (Incumbent) – Assemblymember Epstein, whom we first endorsed when he won election in 2018, has continued to be a reliable ally in Albany on matters of street safety and public transit. Despite continuing to harbor some reservations about the income level for the residential exemption, he was still quick to condemn the Governor's last-minute reversal on congestion pricing. He's been a firm supporter of expanding the city's automated camera enforcement programs, and is lead sponsor of a bill that would authorize the lowering of the speed limit on Open Streets to five miles per hour. As a regular cyclist – he was recently sent over his handlebars by a driver who cut into a bike lane in Brooklyn in which he was riding – Assemblymember Epstein supports expanding the city's network of protected bike lanes. He does not face a primary challenge.
Jeffrey Dinowitz, 81st Assembly District, Bronx (Incumbent) – Assemblymember Dinowitz has long been one of Albany's staunchest advocates for the public-transit system, authoring the MTA "lock-box" bill that became law in 2019. He continues to support additional investment in, and further improvements to, Bronx bus service, including more frequency and better enforcement against motorists parking in bus lanes and bus stops, and would like to see more fare-free routes. He is the lead sponsor of an Assembly bill that would add four rider representatives with voting rights to the MTA board. On the street-safety front, his bill to renew and expand the city's red-light camera program recently passed the Assembly and awaits the Governor's signature, and he is lead sponsor of a bill that would allow the Department of Motor Vehicles to suspend the registration of any vehicle caught with an obscured or defaced license plate. Assemblymember Dinowitz does not have a primary opponent.
Jonathan Soto, 82nd Assembly District, Bronx (Challenger) – Jonathan Soto, a former staffer for Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with a background in law and urban planning whom we endorsed in 2022, is mounting a repeat challenge against incumbent Assemblymember Michael Benedetto, who's represented this East Bronx district for two decades. Soto remains concerned with the area's too-often "dangerous" car culture, which he says has only gotten worse, and wants to make it much easier, and safer, for residents to get around without driving. He's supportive of the nascent movement to improve cycling conditions in the district with better infrastructure, and says there's a clear need to improve bus service, which is too infrequent and slow. You can enlist to help his campaign here.
Chloe Pierce, 107th Assembly District, Rensselaer, Washington & Columbia Counties (Challenger) – Chloe Pierce, a lifelong resident of the state's Capital Region, is running in the Democratic primary for the 107th Assembly District. A lobbyist who has represented the New York State Nurses Association and companies in the clean-energy sector, she's been involved in public service since she was a child. Though much of Rensselaer County is rural, there's growing advocacy in towns like Bethlehem for better bike infrastructure, which Pierce supports. While there are local concerns around traffic safety, especially speeding, she believes the primary transportation issue in the district is the need for better public transit, especially to connect residents with health care facilities. She's also expressed interest in working to improve the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. You can find information about getting involved with her campaign here.
Anna Kelles, 125th Assembly District, Tompkins & Cortland Counties (Incumbent) – Dr. Anna Kelles was first elected to represent the 125th District in the Assembly in 2020. An epidemiologist by training, Kelles has quickly become one of the Assembly's leaders on environmental policy, which she sees as intertwined with transportation. Her bike was her main mode of transportation for a decade before a recent move (she's twice been struck by drivers), and she believes in investing in public transit, like Ithaca's fairly extensive bus system. She's a strong supporter of Sammy's Law, and thinks that allowing other municipalities to set their own speed limits is vitally important. She also supported the expansion of New York City's red-light camera program, and would like to see it piloted in other places. In response to a query in our questionnaire, Dr. Kelles recently introduced an Assembly companion to State Senator Rachel May's bill requiring regular updates to the state's bicycle and pedestrian plan. Assemblymember Kelles does not face a primary challenge.A Note on Two Additional Races
4th Assembly District, Suffolk County – Both candidates running in the Democratic primary in Long Island's 4th Assembly District, covering Port Jefferson, Stony Brook and Brookhaven, completed our questionnaire and participated in interviews – and both impressed us.
Skyler Johnson is an advocate for overdose prevention and women's health issues who ran for State Senate in 2022, and Rebecca Kassay is an elected Trustee and Deputy Mayor of Port Jefferson Village.
We were ultimately unable to choose between the two, and believe 4th District primary voters will have a difficult choice to make, as well. We anticipate supporting the winner of the primary in November's general election.
69th Assembly District, Manhattan – Three well qualified candidates vying to succeed the retiring Danny O'Donnell completed our questionnaire and met with us for interviews, but after much deliberation, we were unable to come to consensus on an endorsement.
Those candidates are Micah Lasher, who has many years of experience in government, most recently as Policy Director for Governor Hochul, and whom we endorsed when he ran for State Senate in 2016; Eli Northrup, a public defender and criminal-justice reform advocate; and Melissa Rosenberg, a member of Community Board 7 and housing advocate.
Any of the three would be a strong ally on transportation and street-safety issues, and the voters of the 69th District are fortunate to have a cadre of attractive candidates from whom to choose. We anticipate supporting the primary winner in November's general election.
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Eric McClure published StreetsPAC Endorses 16 Candidates for State Senate and Assembly in News 2024-06-14 11:42:05 -0400
StreetsPAC Endorses 16 Candidates for State Senate and Assembly
We're proud today to announce our endorsement of 16 candidates for New York State's Legislature, three for State Senate and 13 for Assembly.
Our 2024 endorsees include 11 incumbents, four candidates running against, or for the right to face, a sitting incumbent, and one candidate vying for an open seat. Seven of our incumbent endorsees do not face primary races, while four do have opponents, which we've noted below. We've endorsed candidates running in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens, and for the first time, upstate New York. We do anticipate making a number of additional endorsements in advance of November's general election, and will continue to seek responses to our questionnaire, and interview candidates, in the coming months.
In-person early voting for the primary begins this Saturday, June 15, which is also the deadline to register if you are not already a registered voter. You can check your registration status, confirm your early-voting and election-day polling locations, and find other important election-related information at vote.nyc. We've included links to district maps for each of the candidates with the individual endorsement statements below.
Early voting will continue daily through Sunday, June 23, with varying hours, in advance of Primary Day, which is Tuesday, June 25, 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're excited about this year's crop of candidates, and invite you to join us in supporting them. Read on to learn more about each of our endorsees, including important aspects of their records on street safety and transportation. Candidates are listed below by legislative body, and in ascending order by district number. For each of our endorsees running in a contested primary, we've included a link that will take you directly to information about volunteering to help their campaigns get out the vote, especially critical in today's low-turnout environment.
Lastly, there were two races in which we interviewed multiple candidates but were unable to come to consensus around an endorsement, which was due to their across-the-board good positions on the issues on which StreetsPAC is focused. We offer a bit more detail about those races at the end.
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Eric McClure published StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on DOT Transparency and Notice Requirements in News 2023-12-05 15:54:02 -0500
StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on DOT Transparency and Notice Requirements
Yesterday, we testified at the New York City Council Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's oversight hearing on DOT transparency and notice requirements, presenting our opposition to three proposed bills that, ironically, are transparent in their intent to preserve street parking over other curbside uses, gum up bike lane and Open Streets approvals, and undermine the city's speed-camera program. We also voiced qualified support for legislation that would make it harder to remove Open Streets, establish better standards for siting news racks, and make it easier to track requests for traffic-control devices and speed reducers.
Our full testimony follows below.
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Eric McClure published StreetsPAC Endorsees Win 12 of 13 Council Races; Opposing E-Bike Registration in News 2023-11-10 16:29:50 -0500
StreetsPAC Endorsees Win 12 of 13 Council Races; Opposing E-Bike Registration
City Council Election Results
We're happy to report that 12 of the 13 candidates whom we endorsed in Tuesday's election won their races for City Council.
All 12 winners were incumbents who will return to the Council for a two-year term following citywide redistricting, and we look forward to working with them to advance policies to make streets safer and public transit more reliable. We also want to express our gratitude to Amber Adler, who came up short in challenging an incumbent Council Member in Brooklyn's 48th District, for making street safety a focus of her campaign.
Congratulations to all!
Opposing E-Bike Registration
Yesterday, we joined Transportation Alternatives, Los Deliveristas Unidos, and Open Plans in leading a coalition of more than 30 organizations in appealing to the City Council to oppose the registration of e-bikes.
We wrote to Council Members to express our collective opposition to a bill that would require the blanket registration of all powered micromobility devices, a misguided and draconian step that would have disastrous consequences for the adoption of e-bikes.
At the same time, we outlined our support for a number of constructive measures that would improve safety and address many of the conditions that have left pedestrians feeling unsafe, including bills that would require registration and proof of a license at point of sale for mopeds, safety training and certification for delivery workers, and provision of safe, legal e-bikes to workers delivering on behalf of app companies.
And of course, there are other steps the city can take to address safety, such as enforcing laws that already exist, like prohibitions against riding on sidewalks or operating a moped in a bike lane, and building and improving safety infrastructure.
You can read the letter here.
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Eric McClure published It's Election Day! Vote the StreetsPAC Slate for City Council! in News 2023-11-07 05:51:47 -0500
It's Election Day! Vote the StreetsPAC Slate for New York City Council!
Today is Election Day, and polls will be open in New York 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're excited to have endorsed 13 candidates for New York City Council, and you can read more about each of them, and important aspects of their street-safety and transportation records, below. Endorsed candidates are listed in ascending order by district number, and we've included links to each candidate's campaign website and a district map.
Turnout in this unusual post-redistricting election is likely to be low, so your vote for a candidate committed to making streets safer and public transit more reliable can truly make a difference. Even if there's no StreetsPAC-endorsed candidate in your City Council district, we encourage you to get out and vote, as every Council seat is on the ballot. Please make a plan to get to the polls, and don't forget that as long as you're in the queue to vote by 9 p.m., you can't be turned away.
If you do live in one of the 13 districts in which we have made an endorsement, we urge you to vote for the StreetsPAC slate!
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2023 NYC General Election
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. Council Member Marte does face a challenger in the general election.
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 nearly six 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 is running unopposed in the 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 recently passed a bill that will create a free or low-cost lithium-ion battery swap program for delivery workers. Majority Leader Powers does have a challenger in the 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. 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. Council Member Krishnan faces two challengers in the general election. 
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. Council Member Won does face a challenge in the general election.
Lincoln Restler, Council District 33, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Lincoln Restler has emerged 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, is committed to tackling safety issues on Atlantic Avenue, and continues to call for the full suite of pedestrian and cycling upgrades to McGuinness Boulevard that had been promised by the Adams administration. Council Member Restler does have an opponent in the 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 rallied her City Council colleagues in the spring around the "Sammy's Law" home-rule resolution for which she was lead sponsor, and 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 does face an opponent in the general election.
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. The Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, which she has championed, calls for the comprehensive, safety-first redesign of Atlantic Avenue. Council Member Hudson is running unopposed in the general election.
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 earlier this year. Council Member Nurse does face an opponent in the 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, an especially acute problem in the 38th District, as well as the traffic issues around the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook. She's managed to move some long-delayed local traffic-calming projects forward, continues to push to improve street safety around schools in Sunset Park, and supports closing the local gaps in the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. Council Member Avilés does face a general-election challenge. 
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 fatalities earlier this year. She's been a strong supporter of public-plaza projects in Kensington and along Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, and has been outspoken about the need to make the city's transit network more accessible, from better Access-A-Ride service to faster installation of subway elevators throughout the system. Council Member Hanif does have 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 that she introduced earlier this year. 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 pedal-assist e-bikes in Prospect Park, which helped bring about a pilot effort that began this summer. Council Member Joseph does have an opponent in the general election.
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. Ms. Adler faces incumbent Council Member Inna Vernikov and a third-party candidate in the general election. -
Eric McClure published StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on Powered Mobility Device and Battery Safety in News 2023-11-02 16:56:31 -0400
StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on Powered Mobility Device and Battery Safety
Last week, we testified at the New York City Council Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection's oversight hearing on lithium-ion battery, powered-bicycle, and powered-mobility device safety, outlining our support for several bills aimed at improving the safety of batteries and battery-powered vehicles and the way they're operated. We also renewed our call for creation of a fund that would provide safe, legal e-bikes to delivery workers.
Our full testimony follows below.
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Eric McClure published StreetsPAC's 2023 City Council General Election Voter Guide in News 2023-10-27 15:20:16 -0400
StreetsPAC's 2023 City Council General Election Voter Guide
Early voting for the November 7 general election gets underway on October 28, and we're proud to re-up our June endorsements 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 as a result of the city's decennial redistricting process. Unlike the 2021 election, in which roughly two-thirds of the Council races were for open seats, nearly all of the races feature sitting Council Members running for re-election.
As a result, our 2023 endorsees include a dozen incumbents and just one candidate challenging a sitting Council Member, and four of those incumbents are running unopposed in the general election.
In-person early voting begins this Saturday, 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, November 5, with varying hours, in advance of Election Day, which is Tuesday, November 7, when polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can confirm your early-voting and Election 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 our endorsees for the New York City Council. Read on to learn more about each of them and important aspects of their records on street safety and transportation. Candidates are listed below in ascending order by district number.
2023 Endorsees: Manhattan | Queens | Brooklyn
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Eric McClure published Ride and Rally to Demand Action on Cyclist Deaths in News 2023-10-06 14:53:50 -0400
Ride and Rally to Demand Action on Cyclist Deaths
Please join us and our fellow advocates for safe biking on Wednesday, October 11, to demand action to end cyclist deaths.
2023 is on pace to be the second most deadly year for people on bikes in New York City's recorded history. But it doesn't have to be this way. We know how to make streets safer for biking, but in order to achieve Vision Zero, city leaders need the political backbone to put plans into action.
The Adams administration cannot ignore the NYC Streets Plan's legal mandates to build safe streets, including the addition of 50 miles of protected bike lanes this year.
Details for the ride and rally are below. Please RSVP to let us know you're coming.
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Eric McClure published StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on Hard Infrastructure in News 2023-09-28 15:00:52 -0400
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.
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Eric McClure published StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on the NYC Streets Plan in News 2023-09-14 16:55:41 -0400
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.
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Eric McClure published StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on Congestion Pricing in News 2023-08-18 13:50:00 -0400
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.
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Eric McClure published StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on Ghost Cars in News 2023-06-26 22:33:01 -0400
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.
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Eric McClure published It's Primary Day! Here's our City Council Voting Guide. in News 2023-06-27 05:59:54 -0400
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.
2023 Endorsees: Manhattan | Queens | Brooklyn
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Eric McClure published StreetsPAC's Testimony to City Council on Electric Vehicle Infrastructure in News 2023-06-26 09:09:20 -0400
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.
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Eric McClure published Primary Election Tuesday – Help StreetsPAC Endorsees Get Out The Vote in News 2023-06-24 09:51:52 -0400
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 Endorsees: Manhattan | Queens | Brooklyn
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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. -
Eric McClure published StreetsPAC's 2023 City Council Primary Election Voter Guide! in News 2023-06-16 10:01:44 -0400
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.
2023 Endorsees: Manhattan | Queens | Brooklyn
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Eric McClure published Join Us Thursday Morning to Bike to City Hall! in News 2023-05-23 17:43:41 -0400
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.
Eric McClure 2384pc
Eric McClure is StreetsPAC's Executive Director and Treasurer. He currently serves as the chairperson of Brooklyn Community Board 6, and is a co-founder of Park Slope Neighbors, a grassroots community-advocacy organization.
