Yesterday, we testified at the New York City Council Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's marathon oversight hearing on e-bikes, billed as "Planning Our Shared Streets in New York City: Integrating Micromobility Options." The hearing was focused on Intro 606, legislation sponsored by Queens Council Member Robert Holden that would require that all e-bikes and e-scooters be registered with the New York City Department of Transportation. We expressed our strong opposition to the bill, which we believe would do little to actually improve safety while creating new problems.

At the same time, we offered our support for Intro 1131, Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Selvena Brooks-Powers's bill that would create a task force to study options for making street design and infrastructure safer in consideration of increased use of electric bicycles and other powered micro-mobility devices.

Our full testimony follows below.

Please join us in Park Slope, Brooklyn on Monday, December 9, at 5:30 p.m., for a fundraiser for Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.

First as a City Council Member, and since 2022 as Manhattan BP, Levine has been a champion for safer streets and improved public transportation. He's called for expanding the Hudson River Greenway by taking a lane from West Street, led an effort to increase access to public restrooms, advocated for ending parking minimums and cracking down harder on fake license plates, and pushed for adapting parking garages to serve as package-distribution hubs to free up sidewalk space. He was also one of the leading supporters of a project that transformed three Upper West Side parking garages into several hundred units of deeply affordable housing.

Your ticket to the event will entitle you to complimentary beer, wine, and soft drinks, along with some free nibbles, and most importantly, your chance to hear directly from Mark about his accomplishments and plans for the future.

See below for details, and please follow this link to RSVP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/levinestreetspac120924. We'll provide the precise location with your confirmation. Hope to see you there!

Final StreetsPAC Election Results

With the news out of Suffolk County last week that Rebecca Kassay has defeated incumbent Ed Flood to win the race for Long Island's 4th Assembly District seat, the book is now closed on StreetsPAC's 2024 state legislative endorsements – a book that turned out to be a runaway best-seller.

While the outcome is yet to be certified by the New York State Board of Elections, Kassay's lead has grown from 211 votes on election night to more than 800 with the counting of mail and provisional ballots. Her victory means that a full 90% of the candidates we endorsed for State Senate and Assembly – 18 of 20 – won their elections, proving yet again that support for safer streets and better public transit continues to play well with voters.

Kassay will join Claire Valdez and Micah Lasher as freshman members of the Assembly who won their seats with our endorsement, while the 15 incumbents who earned our backing all won re-election. Minita Sanghvi and Chloe Pierce, who challenged State Senate and Assembly incumbents, respectively, in upstate districts, both ran spirited races but came up a little short.

This election marked the first time that we've made a concerted effort to expand our efforts beyond New York City, and we are quite pleased with the results. Given the influence that state government has over local transportation issues, including things like automated-enforcement programs and congestion pricing, it makes sense for us to establish more of a presence on Long Island and upstate. But at the same time, complete-streets treatments and improved bus service can make people's lives better all across the state, and we want to help elect and support candidates who share our commitment.

We're grateful to you for supporting these newly elected and re-elected leaders, and for helping to make our work possible. We're immensely proud of all our endorsees, and look forward to working with them in the coming legislative session to make further advances in street-safety and transit policies.

Mark Levine Fundraiser in Brooklyn, Monday, December 9, 5:30 p.m.

Please join us in Park Slope, Brooklyn on Monday, December 9, at 5:30 p.m., for a fundraiser for Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.

First as a City Council Member, and since 2022 as Manhattan BP, Levine has been a champion for safer streets and improved public transportation. He's called for expanding the Hudson River Greenway by taking a lane from West Street, led an effort to increase access to public restrooms, advocated for ending parking minimums and cracking down harder on fake license plates, and pushed for adapting parking garages to serve as package-distribution hubs to free up sidewalk space. He was also one of the key supporters of a project that transformed three Upper West Side parking garages into several hundred units of deeply affordable housing.

Your ticket to the event will entitle you to complimentary beer, wine, and soft drinks, along with some free nibbles, and most importantly, your chance to hear directly from Mark Levine about his accomplishments and plans for the future.

See below for details, and please click on the image to RSVP, or follow this link: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/levinestreetspac120924. We'll provide the precise location with your confirmation. Hope to see you there!

It's Election Day! Polling sites are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. across the state. You can confirm your voting site, review a sample ballot, double-check your registration status, and see other election-related information at vote.nyc. If you vote outside New York City, you can find this same information at elections.ny.gov. Don't forget that as long as you're in line to vote by 9 p.m., you can't be turned away.

We're thrilled to endorse 20 outstanding candidates for the New York State Senate and Assembly, 15 of whom are running for re-election and five who are seeking state office for the first time. Fourteen of our endorsees are running in New York City, and for the first time ever, we've endorsed candidates across the state, six in total, in districts ranging from Rochester to Suffolk County. You can read all about our endorsed candidates, along with notable aspects of their street-safety and transportation platforms, below. Candidates are grouped by office, Senate first and then Assembly, and listed in ascending order by district number. Click the region or borough links to jump directly to candidates in that particular area.

State government exerts enormous influence over local streets and transit systems, and your vote for StreetsPAC-endorsed candidates can help to ensure that the legislature will promote policies that make our streets safer and our buses and subways more efficient and reliable.

Early voting for the November 5 general election gets underway this Saturday, October 26, and continues through Sunday, November 3. Early-voting sites in New York City will open at 8 a.m. every day, and will remain open until 5 p.m. on weekends and 8 p.m. on weekdays. 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.

If you vote elsewhere in New York State, you can find this same information at elections.ny.gov. On Election Day, polling sites statewide will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and you cannot be turned away as long as you're in line at your polling place by closing time.

If you are not yet registered to vote, you can find information on how to register at elections.ny.gov/register-vote; please note that time is of the essence, as your form must be received by the Board of Elections by October 26.

We're very excited about the 20 outstanding candidates we've endorsed for the New York State Senate and Assembly, 15 of them running for re-election and five seeking state office for the first time. Fourteen of our endorsees are running in New York City, and for the first time ever, we've endorsed candidates across the state, six in total, in districts from the shores of Long Island Sound to the shores of Lake Ontario. You can read all about the candidates whom we've endorsed, and notable aspects of their street-safety and transportation platforms, below. Candidates are grouped by office, Senate first and then Assembly, and listed in ascending order by district number. Click the region or borough links to jump directly to candidates in that area.

State government exerts enormous influence over local streets and transit systems, 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.

We're thrilled today to announce seven new endorsements of candidates running for the state legislature, two for the State Senate and five for the Assembly.

New 2024 State Senate Endorsees

Minita Sanghvi, 44th State Senate District, Saratoga & Schenectady Counties (Challenger) – Minita Sanghvi, Finance Commissioner of the City of Saratoga Springs and a professor at Skidmore College, is challenging incumbent Jim Tedisco for this upstate Senate seat. Since joining the Saratoga Springs City Council, she's focused on sustainability and the built environment; during her tenure, the city has built more sidewalks and bike lanes than any previous administration, and she's working now to lower the local speed limit. Sanghvi's vision for an "innovation corridor" connecting Albany, Troy, Schenectady and Saratoga Springs would include more robust bus service linking businesses and college campuses, and her proposed community preservation fund would help create and maintain greenway trails. You can get involved with Minita Sanghvi's campaign here.

Samra Brouk, 55th State Senate District, Monroe County & Greater Rochester (Incumbent) – Samra Brouk is running for her third term in this upstate Senate district that includes the eastern half of the City of Rochester. She has advocated repeatedly for increased investment in RTS, the public transit system that serves Monroe County, calling "a well-funded and fully operational public transportation system... an absolute necessity for economic and educational opportunity" and a fundamental issue of equity. Senator Brouk has championed Rochester's Inner Loop North project, which will continue the filling-in of a 1950's-era urban highway, while remaining adamant that the process meaningfully involve the local community at every step. She's worked closely with, and devoted funding to, the local advocacy group Reconnect Rochester, would like to see the city's nascent bike-share system expand, and has co-sponsored a number of street-safety bills, including "Idaho Stop" and complete-streets legislation. You can contribute to Samra Brouk's re-election effort here.

New 2024 State Assembly Endorsees

Rebecca Kassay, 4th Assembly District, Suffolk County (Challenger) – Democrat Rebecca Kassay, who was until recently an elected Trustee and Deputy Mayor of Port Jefferson Village, is challenging Republican incumbent Ed Flood in Long Island's 4th Assembly District, which covers Port Jefferson, Stony Brook, and Brookhaven. Kassay is an advocate for better public transit and walkability who commissioned Port Jefferson Village's first complete-streets study. She'll fight for electrification of the Long Island Rail Road's Port Jefferson branch, which will speed up commutes for people working in the city, and wants the LIRR to add a frequent shuttle train between Port Jefferson and Stony Brook. She's committed to pushing for improved cycling infrastructure across the 4th District, and has worked with Walk Safe Long Island to advocate for building more sidewalks. With a background in environmental stewardship, she understands the importance of offering people, even in car-centric Suffolk County, reliable and accessible alternatives to driving everywhere. You can get involved with Rebecca Kassay's campaign here.

Marcela Mitaynes, 51st Assembly District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Marcela Mitaynes is running for her third term in the Assembly representing the Brooklyn communities of Sunset Park and Red Hook. Elected with several other DSA-backed candidates in 2020, Mitaynes has joined those colleagues in becoming increasingly focused on transportation and street-safety issues. She opposes Governor Hochul's congestion pricing pause, and signed on to the "Get Congestion Pricing Right Act," which would have expanded the MTA's fare-free bus pilot – something she and her co-sponsors hope to revive in 2025. She's also hopeful about passing her indirect-source rule legislation, which would be crucial to stemming the spread of last-mile warehouse facilities in environmental-justice communities. Assemblymember Mitaynes has also joined colleagues in calling for universal daylighting, and safety upgrades to treacherous Hamilton Avenue, and she remains committed to advocating for design improvements to Brooklyn's Third Avenue and the BQE. You can help Marcela Mitaynes's re-election effort here.

Micah Lasher, 69th Assembly District, Manhattan (Open Seat) – Micah Lasher, whom we endorsed in 2016 when he ran for the State Senate, is running for the open Upper West Side Assembly seat being vacated by the retiring Danny O'Donnell. Lasher was Policy Director for Governor Hochul before resigning to enter a hotly contested five-way Democratic Primary, in which he won a majority of the votes cast. Unlike his former boss, he's a supporter of congestion pricing, and has termed the Governor's pause "a mistake." He's called publicly for a Paris-style transformation of New York City's streets, and for modernizing subway signal technology, which he's noted is dependent on the funding stream that congestion pricing will provide. He told us that crosstown dedicated bus lanes on the Upper West Side would be "a great thing," and he's supportive of eliminating parking mandates to help spur housing growth. Lasher does not have an opponent in the general election.

Alex Bores, 73rd Assembly District, Manhattan (Incumbent) – Alex Bores was elected to represent Manhattan's 73rd Assembly District in November 2022 with StreetsPAC's endorsement. Since taking office, he's been active on the legislative front, passing a bill that will require more detailed crash reporting, and notably teaming with fellow StreetsPAC endorsee Brad Hoylman-Sigal on a new law that requires the point-of-sale registration of all limited-use motorcycles, which should help to significantly curtail the proliferation of illegal mopeds. He's also planning on introducing several new bills next session that would increase the accountability of delivery-app platforms. Assemblymember Bores would like to see the Department of Motor Vehicles take a more active role in regulating safety, and he supports re-testing drivers who've had significant numbers of violations. You can get involved with Alex Bores's re-election campaign here.

Dana Levenberg, 95th Assembly District, Putnam & Westchester Counties (Incumbent) – Dana Levenberg is running for re-election in this district covering portions of Putnam and Westchester Counties, and which includes the Town of Ossining, where she served as Town Supervisor before winning her Assembly seat in 2022. She's been a vocal supporter of congestion pricing, and issued a statement calling for its implementation following the Governor's ill-advised pause, underscoring the importance of Metro-North rail service to her constituents. As Ossining Supervisor, Levenberg championed the planning of the MOGO Trail, a proposed greenway path that would connect the Empire State Trail to Ossining's train station and bus routes in between. Assemblymember Levenberg has also partnered with Andrew Gounardes to introduce a complete-streets bill that would prioritize the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit riders in state and local transportation projects. You can contribute to Dana Levenberg's re-election effort here.

These seven outstanding candidates join our 13 prior endorsees for State Senate and Assembly who won their primaries or didn't face challengers in June. You can read about those earlier endorsements after the jump. Early voting for the November 5th general election begins October 26th.

Earlier this week, we testified at the City Planning Commission's marathon hearing on the proposed City of Yes for Housing Opportunity zoning reform proposal, which should help alleviate New York City's housing shortage while also putting in place policies that could help reduce driving while promoting the use of public transit and encouraging walking and biking.

Our full testimony follows below, and you can also view StreetsPAC Executive Director Eric McClure's delivery of our remarks on YouTube, beginning roughly at the 11-hour, 37-minute, and 30-second mark (yes, it was a very long hearing!).

On Tuesday, July 9, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., we're hosting a fundraiser for Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and we hope you'll join us!

As Brooklyn Borough President, and before that, in his eight years in the New York City Council, no one has spoken more clearly than Antonio Reynoso on the need to improve street safety and public transportation.

His Brooklyn Comprehensive Plan prioritizes transit-oriented development, and calls for strengthening the borough's pedestrian, cycling, and bus infrastructure, fostering healthy and active public spaces, better managing curb space, and building a safer and more sustainable freight network.

As Chair of the Council's Sanitation Committee, Antonio led the effort to pass the city's Commercial Waste Zone program, which once fully implemented, will eliminate millions of miles of dangerous truck trips every year.

Antonio was among the first candidates we ever endorsed following our launch in 2013, and from day one, he's been outspoken on the need to reduce the city's reliance on cars, both as a necessary step in making streets safer and a critical piece in the effort to combat climate change.

At the event, we'll have plenty of appetizers to nosh on, and complimentary beer, wine, and soft drinks.

See below for details, and please click on the image to RSVP, or follow this link: https://antonioreynoso.link/streetspac. Hope to see you there!

It was a busy week for StreetsPAC, with Tuesday's state primary election, two relevant City Council committee hearings, and a meeting of the MTA's board at which congestion pricing was in focus.

StreetsPAC's Endorsees Win Six of Nine State Primary Races

Congratulations to Kristen Gonzalez, Jessica González-Rojas, Emily Gallagher, Jo Anne Simon, Claire Valdez, and Chloe Pierce, all of whom won their primary races on Tuesday after earning our endorsement.

They'll be among 13 StreetsPAC-endorsed candidates on the ballot for November's general election, a list that we expect to grow in the coming months as we continue to collect questionnaire responses and interview candidates. Stay tuned!

We also want to thank Eon Tyrell Huntley, Maria Ordoñez, and Jonathan Soto, who all ran competitive primary races against uphill odds while advocating for issues that earned them our endorsement.

Senator Gonzalez and Assemblymembers González-Rojas and Gallagher all won handily against opponents who had campaigned on opposition to programs like Open Streets and safety-focused street redesigns, demonstrating once again that support for making streets safer for walking and biking and improving public transit is both good policy and good politics.

On Tuesday this week, we testified at the New York City Council Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's oversight hearing on intersections, sidewalks and pedestrian safety. We voiced our support for a bill that would mandate that the city improve paved medians with plantings or other stormwater-retaining infrastructure, and another that would require that the city's news racks be better managed. We offered qualified support for several pieces of legislation, including bills that would decriminalize "jaywalking," improve sidewalk lighting, and require study of a number of types of physical safety treatments in or around intersections.

We also expressed opposition to two proposed bills that appear intended to hamstring certain types of street-safety projects and changes to curbside uses. 

Our full testimony follows below.