The StreetsPAC 2013 Mayoral Questionnaire is an opportunity for those running for the Office of Mayor of New York to outline their vision for creating safe, complete, and livable streets to ensure the well-being of all New Yorkers and keep our city competitive in the 21st century. Candidates' answers will help inform StreetsPAC endorsement and donation policy in the 2013 election.

The overview is a must-read for anyone who wants to be well-informed about progressive, people-first, complete-streets urban policy.  Candidates will also have the chance to make specific policy proposals, respond to topical questions, and prioritize approaches to various transportation-related issues.  

The questionnaire is available for download at http://www.streetspac.org/questionnaire.  

Responses are due by August 5 at noon for consideration.

StreetsPAC supporters rode strong despite a high of 95 degrees with candidates Antonio Reynoso (District 34, Bushwick/Williamsburg) and Carlos Menchaca (District 38, Sunset Park/Red Hook). The StreetsPAC-organized ride started in East Williamsburg, passed through Bushwick, and traveled through several Brooklyn neighborhoods on the way toward Red Hook and Sunset Park. Selected stops along the way allowed for discussion of the existing streets and infrastructure, and changes that will improve safety and connectivity as well as incentivize people to get moving through their neighborhoods on foot and bike.

StreetsPAC Volunteers joined up with Margaret Chin's campaign Friday in Chinatown to canvass for the councilmember's re-election. The councilwoman chose the intersection of Bowery and Canal to highlight the dangers of vehicular traffic coming off and on the Manhattan Bridge. The councilmember knows the dangers of the intersection first-hand as she's lost one of her own supporters to traffic violence at this intersection. While Chin has been able to work with the community, its leaders, and the Department of Transportation to improve pedestrian safety through various traffic calming efforts (landscaped medians along Bowery, shortened crosswalks, and new street markings to direct on-ramp traffic), the councilwoman continues to fight for more pedestrian-focused improvements.

StreetsPAC today announced its second round of candidate endorsements for New York City’s September primary election, giving its enthusiastic backing to City Council incumbents Margaret Chin, Stephen Levin and Mark Weprin, as well State Assemblymember Vanessa Gibson, who’s running for an open Council seat in the Bronx.

“The four candidates we’re endorsing today have all made big strides in embracing safe- and complete-streets policies,” said Dave “Paco” Abraham, a co-founder of StreetsPAC.  “They share our belief that New York City’s public spaces should be safe and vibrant.  We look forward to working closely with them on their campaigns, and after they’re elected, to make our streets more livable.”

“As with our first endorsees, this is a diverse group of candidates who represent very different neighborhoods, from the skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan to the farthest reaches of Eastern Queens,” said StreetsPAC co-founder Doug Gordon.  “But they’re united by a common desire to pursue policies that will save their constituents’ lives, like the implementation of Neighborhood Slow Zones.” 

Here are more details on today’s StreetsPAC endorsees:

Margaret Chin, Council District 1, Manhattan (Incumbent) – Chin has been fighting for safe and livable streets in Lower Manhattan.  Chin wants to work closely with Sam Schwartz to advance his Move NY equitable transportation formula, which would implement fair pricing throughout the city and support better transportation infrastructure.  Chin submitted an application to implement a Neighborhood Slow Zone in Battery Park City, and will fight for similar improvements on the Lower East Side.

Vanessa Gibson, Council District 16, Bronx (Open Seat) – Gibson was elected to the NY State Assembly in 2009, and was a fierce proponent of the successful effort in Albany this year to bring speed cameras to NYC.  She also supports a host of district-wide safety measures, such as countdown clocks, speed bumps, and increased enforcement in both residential and commercial areas.  She sees Slow Zones as a way to reduce speeding and believes new public plazas will enhance neighborhood connectivity.  She'll also be working to make the new Webster Avenue Select Bus Service a success and is very excited about the re-opening of the High Bridge bike and pedestrian connection to Upper Manhattan. 

Stephen Levin, Council District 33, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Levin has established a reputation as one of the City Council's staunchest advocates for safe and livable streets.  He has introduced legislation to expand the size of the NYPD's Collision Investigation Squad, pushed for traffic calming on some of Brooklyn's most dangerous streets, and championed Brooklyn's first Neighborhood Slow Zone, in Boerum Hill.  One of the Council’s first Citi Bike annual members, he recently launched a petition calling on the city to expand the bike-sharing system to Greenpoint.  Levin is committed to leading the effort to transform Jay Street, a critical but dysfunctional pedestrian, transit and cycling corridor that runs through his district, into a model complete-street that safely serves the needs of all users.

Mark Weprin, Council District 23, Queens (Incumbent) – Weprin wants to see car-dependent Eastern Queens become much more accessible via transit.  He wants the neighborhoods in his district to flourish with livable streets for all, and as a father, he seeks the peace of mind that his teenage son will be able to safely ride his bicycle to the subway or Long Island Railroad.  To help achieve this vision, Weprin will champion legislation in the city council to ensure serious consequences for drivers who, through their own negligence, hop curbs and strike pedestrians on sidewalks.  He’ll also call for the expansion of bike share, and seeks to bring 20 MPH Neighborhood Slow Zones to his Council district.

For more information, and to sign up for volunteer opportunities this election season, click here to get involved with StreetsPAC.

StreetsPAC anunció hoy su segunda ronda de respaldo a candidatos en las elecciones primarias de la Ciudad de Nueva York, dando su apoyo entusiasta a los Concejales Margaret Chin, Stephen Levin y Mark Weprin que buscan la reelección, así como a la Miembro de la Asamblea del Estado Vanessa Gibson, que aspira a un puesto abierto de Concejal en el Bronx. 

“Los cuatro candidatos que estamos respaldando hoy han dado grandes pasos en adoptar políticas para calles seguras y completas,” dijo Dave “Paco” Abraham, uno de los cofundadores de StreetsPAC. “Comparten nuestra idea de que los espacios públicos de la Ciudad de Nueva York deben ser seguros y vibrantes. Esperamos trabajar con ellos, en sus campañas y después de que sean elegidos, para hacer nuestras calles más vivibles.”

“Al igual que nuestra primera ronda de respaldos, este es un grupo diverso de candidatos que representa variados vecindarios, desde los rascacielos del Bajo Manhattan hasta los confines del Este de Queens,” dijo otro cofundador de StreetsPAC, Doug Gordon. “Pero les une el deseo común de aplicar políticas que salvarán vidas de sus constituyentes, como la implementación de Zonas Lentas en Vecindarios.”

Algunos detalles adicionales sobre nuestros respaldados:

Meet StreetsPAC's newest endorsee, Councilwoman Margaret Chin, and help us with voter registration this Friday, July 19 from 5 - 7pm.  

Find us at the south east corner of Canal and Bowery where together with the community and its leaders, Councilmember Chin has worked to enhance pedestrian safety at the Manhattan Bridge vehicle entrance through improved street geometry and traffic calming.  Voter registration in this area will provide us the unique opportunity to meet pedestrians who live in Councilwoman Chin's District as well as bicyclists using the Manhattan Bridge to head back home to Brooklyn.

This is the second installment in our spotlight series on StreetsPAC endorsed candidates.

Constantinides, running to replace term-limited Councilmember Peter Vallone, Jr., is a Democratic District Leader and experienced City Council aide with a strong record of community organizing, who believes that “safe streets are the lifelines of every thriving neighborhood." He’d like to see traffic-calming measures implemented on main thoroughfares such as Astoria Boulevard and 21st Street, and wants to see the city’s nascent bike-share system expanded soon to western Queens.

Join StreetsPAC and our first round Brooklyn endorsees, Antonio Reynoso and Carlos Menchaca, for a ride between their two districts. We'll start at the dog run in Cooper Park in East Williamsburg, cycle through Bushwick, Prospect Heights, Park Slope, and Red Hook, and then finish at the top of the hill in Sunset Park. The 15 mile route runs the gamut of bicycle infrastructure from non-existent lanes we'd like to see created to hard-fought protected ones already installed like Prospect Park West. Several brief stops along the way will allow our candidates to speak directly about street safety issues they are championing in their district. A ride down Morgan Ave and into Bushwick will let Antonio speak on the need for improved truck route calming and enforcement, while the ride between Red Hook and Sunset Park allows Carlos to highlight the disconnected streetscape in his district as well as the underused public space below the BQE at Third Avenue. 

Please RSVP to [email protected] or on facebook to join us in bringing attention to the work that still needs to be done in improving Brooklyn's streets.  Refreshments will be provided at the Sunset Park finish. 

Scout the route here: StreetsPAC Brooklyn N-S Ride!

This is the first installment in our spotlight series on StreetsPAC endorsed candidates.

After a great night petitioning together in Harlem, read a writeup here, StreetsPAC spoke to Vince Morgan about the transportation issues facing the new 9th Council District and his vision for the city.

StreetsPAC started the week off with a bang greeting commuters on their way to work at the Marcy Ave subway with endorsed candidate Antonio Reynoso. We collected signatures and spoke to voters about the importance of expanding public transit.

To learn more about Antonio Reynoso's campaign, please visit: http://www.antonioreynoso2013.com/

To join StreetsPAC for future volunteer initiatives, sign up on our Get Involved page.