On March 13, 2024, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the City’s acceptance of two federal grants worth a total of $123.6 million. The grants, “Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program” and “Neighborhood Access and Equity Program” were issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation and will be used on the Queensway project and for the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE).
Around $117 million of the federal grants will go towards developing further the Queensway, a … <Read More>
On October 10, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced that the ‘Open Streets’ holiday initiative along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan last holiday season was an economic success. During the initiative, the Department of Transportation and the Fifth Avenue Association created pedestrianized stretches of Fifth Avenue, Sixth Avenue, West 49th Street, and West 50th Street between 12:00 pm and 6:00 pm on select Sundays in December.
Sidewalk sheds stay up for an average of over 500 days, but some stay up for several years. On July 24, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo announced “Get Sheds Down,” an overhaul of the rules relating to sidewalk construction sheds (scaffolding). While the sheds are required for construction, facade inspections, and repairs, existing laws often enable property owners to leave up the construction sheds for a long time, and … <Read More>
On March 22, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced a plan to expand the Harlem River Greenway to the Bronx. Greenways are linear open spaces on public land available for pedestrian and cycling use and provide communities access to greenery. The expanded route will provide communities in the west Bronx with access to the waterfront via off-street paths and on-street bike facilities. The route will expand to seven miles, connecting Randall’s Island to Van Cortlandt Park.
On December 19, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced the launch of a community-driven study to improve the Cross-Bronx Expressway. The Cross-Bronx Expressway, which was constructed in the 1950s and 60s, cut through communities across the borough, disrupting neighborhoods and local economies, and bringing noise and air pollution.
For the first time in nearly 30 years, the city is developing a plan to expand and fill gaps in greenways across all five boroughs. On August 22, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced that New York City has received a $7.5 million grant from the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program that will be dedicated to plan for a major expansion of the greenway network citywide.