Help Jumpstart StreetsPAC's 2017 Election Effort – Donate Today!
No beating around the bush – we need your financial support right now.
We're beginning to gear up for New York City's 2017 elections. Every citywide officeholder is up for re-election – the Mayor, Public Advocate and Comptroller – as is every member of the City Council, all five Borough Presidents, and the Brooklyn and Manhattan District Attorneys. 61 races in total. We aim to be a player in all of them.
But we can only do it with your help. In 2013, your contributions made it possible for StreetsPAC to back winning candidates in 13 of 18 Council races on primary night. Not to mention the eventual Mayor, Public Advocate and Manhattan Borough President. The message was crystal clear – support for safe and livable streets, and robust public transit, had arrived as a political force.
Our endorsees went on to fill a majority of seats on the City Council's Transportation Committee, which has been a force for progressive initiatives these past three years – and a far cry from its predecessor. Vision Zero became official city policy. Traffic deaths are at an all-time low.
But as we saw in the starkest possible terms on November 8th, life as we know it can change in an instant. You can bet that the same people who voted for Donald Trump last November would love nothing more than to tear out protected bike lanes, rip up public plazas, and restore New York City's speed limit to 30 mph. Or higher.
We can't let that happen. Which is why your financial support, today, is so critical. Money talks in elections. It allows us to hire field staff to register voters, to fund candidates in every key race, and to produce campaign literature supporting true champions for safe and complete streets. Together, we can make an enormous, and life-saving, difference.
Please give generously. Help us make our streets safe for every New Yorker.
Tackling New York City Congestion Without Albany's Help (or Hindrance)
StreetsblogNYC's David Meyer had a very smart take last week on steps that Mayor de Blasio can take right now to reduce congestion on New York City streets that don't require any action on Albany's part (you will recall, of course, that implementation of a tolling plan would require action by state legislators and support from the Governor, who seem to act only to block progressive city policies).
In a piece entitled "4 Ways the Mayor Can Reduce Congestion Without Congestion Pricing," Meyer outlines commonsense ways to tackle the bane of congested streets. De Blasio has been hinting at a city plan for relieving gridlock, and he would do well to adopt these four strategies:
- Charge more for curbside parking
- Reform placard parking
- Implement HOV restrictions on the East River bridges
- Give buses priority on city streets
Read about these ideas in greater detail here. (Especially you, Mr. Mayor!)
NYC DOT Continues Citywide Transit Plan Workshops
The New York City Department of Transportation continues its Citywide Transit Plan workshops this week, which are intended to give the public a voice in shaping improvements in, and expansion of, public transit in NYC.
The goals of the workshops are to help guide the future of transit planning in New York City, and to understand where people want and need to go, how well they're being served currently, and where new transit options are needed.
Queens residents, or anyone who wants to make the trip to Elmhurst, can weigh in tonight between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Elmhurst Hospital Center. Additional workshops will be held on Staten Island on February 27th, and in Manhattan on March 7th. Details are available at transitplannyc.org/events/.
You can also contribute your ideas by taking the Citywide Transit Plan online survey today at transitplannyc.org.
Your Latest Reminder That Street Safety is a Social Justice Issue
National Public Radio's Morning Edition reported last week on a study by the University of Nevada in Las Vegas on racial disparity in pedestrian deaths and injuries. It should probably come as a surprise to no one that drivers are "less likely to stop when people of color step into intersections," according to the study.
It's fair to say that the study does show that there is a driver bias. We don't know whether that bias is conscious or unconscious. It seems like this might be one of the factors that could be driving the disparity in pedestrian fatalities across the United States.
The story is well worth a listen. And oh yeah: drivers in richer neighborhoods were less likely to stop than those in poorer areas.
