New York City’s construction season has started and Mayor Mamdani’s DOT is taking advantage of the warmer months to launch a growing and increasingly ambitious slate of street redesigns.
On Tuesday night, department staffers informed Manhattan’s Community Board 7 that it will revamp 72nd Street – on both sides of Central Park – with bus boarding islands and a two-way bike lane. The redesign will eliminate two travel lanes on the major east-west arterial. The proposal was well-received by local media including ABC7, the Daily News, Our Town, Patch, among others, who offered either neutral or positive assessments of the plan.
The CB7 meeting represented a shift in DOT policy. In the past, the department often abandoned street redesigns due to concerns from locals. However, during the recent meeting, DOT declared its intention to move forward with the redesign while accepting local feedback to perfect the plan.
Furthermore, DOT is restarting the effort to install parking-protected bike lanes on 31st Street in Astoria with a new twist. The department now plans to redesign the entirety of 31st Street, from the ConEd Plant on the East River to Northern Boulevard in Long Island City. This redesign will connect to existing bike lanes on other streets in the area.
In other news:
– Governor Hochul’s auto insurance plan is causing controversy in Albany. – New Yorkers are unhappy with NJ Transit’s alleged plan to charge $100 for return trips from the World Cup at MetLife Stadium. – The ongoing lawsuit between New Jersey and New York over congestion pricing is likely heading towards closed-door mediation. – DOT repaved 13 blocks of Riverside Drive after Council Member Shaun Abreu raised concerns about the street’s pavement. – Abreu introduced a bill to make it easier to find and use public restrooms during the World Cup. – The MTA will begin fining drivers who block bus lanes on specific routes in eastern Queens. – DOT’s presentation to Brooklyn Community Board 1 about the redesign of McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint did not face any protests. – Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General has concerns about the management of its infrastructure. – A detailed study discusses the implications of introducing an income-based congestion pricing scheme in San Francisco. – Yale professor Gautam Mukunda expressed disappointment over the end of Waymo testing in Manhattan. – Progressives are pleased with the installation of the delivery worker hub near City Hall. – Daniel Trubman has doubts about Mamdani’s proposal for free buses during the World Cup. – An unregistered Cozy Coupe was spotted illegally parked in the crosswalk on Astoria Boulevard. – The MTA put some trains on a boat.
