We testified today during the New York City Council Committee on Transportation's remote oversight hearing on illegal parking and bike lanes, in support of legislation introduced by Council Member Stephen Levin and Speaker Corey Johnson that seeks to address the city's epidemic of dangerous illegal parking. Our testimony follows below.

StreetsPAC strongly supports Intro 2159, which would create a new violation and civil penalty for hazardous obstruction by a vehicle of a bike lane, bus lane (when bus-only restrictions are in effect), sidewalk, crosswalk, or fire hydrant, when the violation occurs with one quarter mile of a school building, entrance, or exit, imposing a fine of $175 for each such violation, judicable by the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH).

Intro 2159 would also require the Department of Transportation to create a civilian-reporting mechanism by which members of the public could report alleged violations and submit supporting evidence. If such violations were substantiated and DOT were to bring a case, the civilian complainant would be entitled to 25% of the penalty collected as a reward.

The reporting mechanism is modeled on the Department of Environmental Protection’s Citizens Air Complaint Program, which works the same way for idling violations, and a bit like the Taxi and Limousine Commission’s complaint system, which does not pay a reward. Both existing programs are considered successful, and allow the city to increase enforcement of harmful behavior without burdening law-enforcement personnel.

We were sorry to learn today that New York City Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg will be leaving her post before the end of 2020. We’re grateful to her for her leadership and partnership in working to make New York City’s streets safer and our public transit system better.

The New York City Department of Transportation notched many important achievements under Commissioner Trottenberg’s leadership, including the lowering of the city’s speed limit to 25 mph, the vast expansion of the city’s speed-camera program, implementation of Manhattan’s 14th Street busway, significant growth of the city’s bike-lane network, and progress toward reducing deaths and injuries. And in just the past few months, her department has orchestrated the rollout of the city’s Open Restaurants and Open Streets efforts, while dealing with the devastating effects of COVID-19 within its own ranks.

As advocates, our mantra is always “do more,” and there is of course much more we need to accomplish as a city, whether it’s revitalizing Vision Zero or building more dedicated bus lanes or completing a citywide network of truly protected bike paths. But whenever we’ve pushed Commissioner Trottenberg to do more, it’s with the knowledge that she cares deeply about New York City and the safety and health of its denizens. We know that she takes personally every death or serious injury on the city’s streets, and shares our goals for a better future.

Thank you, Polly, for your dedication as NYC DOT Commissioner, and good luck in your next endeavor. We’re confident that your role on President-elect Biden’s Transition Team will ensure that walking, biking and transit will be central to his administration’s transportation agenda.

When Andrew Gounardes completed his comeback yesterday from a 6,000-vote Election Day deficit, it closed the door on a perfect 21-for-21 performance by StreetsPAC-endorsed candidates for State Senate and Assembly in the November 3rd general election.

When counting of absentee and mail-in ballots began Monday, Gounardes trailed by more than 5,200 votes. When counting was halted for the day on Wednesday, that deficit had become a lead of about 2,500 votes, with some 1,800 ballots still to be tallied.

Gounardes was one of eight State Senate candidates endorsed by StreetsPAC, a group that included newly elected Brooklyn Senator Jabari Brisport. We also endorsed 13 candidates for Assembly, with Khaleel Anderson, Jessica González-Rojas, Emily Gallagher, Chantel Jackson and Amanda Septimo all winning seats for the first time.

We're extremely proud of this slate and their collective commitment to safer streets and better public transit, and look forward to the work they'll be doing in Albany. Read on for a brief look at all 21 winning candidates, and some of the issues on which they'll focus in the next legislative term.

Senate Deputy Majority Leader Orchestrated 2018 Ouster of IDC

StreetsPAC today endorsed Mike Gianaris for re-election in Queens's 12th State Senate District.

Gianaris, who serves as Deputy Majority Leader in the State Senate, was born and raised in the Queens district he now represents. He's established himself as a prominent member of the progressive wing of the State Legislature, and played a pivotal role in helping to vanquish the IDC and give Democrats control of the Senate in 2018, which paved the way for the passage of congestion pricing, expansion of speed cameras, and the legalization of e-bikes, all of which he supported.

Gianaris has been a strong advocate for mass transit, and pledges to continue to push his millionaire's-tax bill, which would dedicate revenues to the MTA. He's also interested in reforming the State Department of Motor Vehicles, including potential expansion of the DMV's Fatality Hearing program to incorporate serious-injury cases as well. In addition, he's committed to pursuing expansion of pedestrian and cycling access to MTA-controlled bridges, including the RFK Triboro Bridge, which connects his district to Manhattan and the Bronx.

You can help support Mike's relection effort here.

Queens Senator Led Push for e-Bike Legalization

StreetsPAC today endorsed Jessica Ramos for re-election in Queens's 13th State Senate District.

Ramos, who was elected in 2018, has quickly established herself as one of the Legislature's leading voices for safer streets and better public transit. She sponsored the bill that led to the eventual legalization of e-bikes in April, has called for the reopening of the Queensboro Bridge's south outer roadway to pedestrians and cyclists, and just introduced a bill that would increase the allowable width of an e-bike, paving the way for rapid growth in the use of bikes for freight delivery.

Ramos, who won her primary in June with 86% of the vote, faces a Republican challenger in the November 3rd general election. She has pledged to continue to advocate for the complete-streets redesign of dangerous Northern Boulevard, with Select Bus Service and protected bike lanes; to keep pushing to make the immensely popular 34th Avenue Open Street permanent; and to pursue legislation that would increase New York State's gas tax, with revenues dedicated to public transit.

You can help support Jessica's relection effort here.

Today's the Deadline to Register to Vote

If you are not already a registered voter in New York State, today is the deadline for eligibility to vote in the November 3rd general election.

You can find all the information you need to register here: www.elections.ny.gov/votingregister.html.

If you believe you're already registered, you can confirm your status here: voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.

Safe-Streets Champ Faces Tough Re-Election Race in Trump-Leaning District