Coney Island, along with the City’s other public beaches, opens for Memorial Day weekend. Image Credit: NYC Parks/ Malcolm Pinckney

The full opening of beaches follows last year’s limited and restricted summer season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 28, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that eight public beaches across the city will be open for swimming starting Saturday, May 29 and will be open through Sunday, September 12, 2021. Swimming will be permitted when lifeguards are on duty between 10 AM to 6 PM and is prohibited when lifeguards are off duty.

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CityLand tracks these applications through the review process to a final decision. The majority of these decisions are available on the Center for New York City Law’s CityAdmin database (found at http://www.cityadmin.org/).

Image from the stormwater flood map depicting effects in an extreme flooding scenario of combined rising sea levels and severe rainfall. Image Credit: NYC Mayor’s Office of Resiliency

Climate change is projected to have a dramatic effect on rainfall in New York City through 2100; the new plan provides projections for being prepared for these changes. On May 14, 2021, Mayor de Blasio released New York City’s Stormwater Resiliency Plan. The plan provides the City’s first city-wide flood analysis caused by rain which can cause flooding in any part of the city.

Image Credit: Department of Environmental Protection

This Administration has retained over $1 billion in the water system to keep rates affordable while ensuring funding for drinking water and wastewater projects. On May 10, 2021, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection proposed a 2.76 percent increase to the water rate in 2022 to the City’s Water Board. Funding has helped to create critical programs while keeping rates low for property owners and businesses. New York City water rates are approximately 20 percent below the average for the 30 largest cities in the United States.

Image Credit: New York City Department of Transportation

The Department of Transportation plans to create a record-breaking series of bus priority projects and plans to install 30 miles of protected bike lanes in all 5 boroughs. On May 11, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Department of Transportation announced plans to increase last year’s protected bike lane installations and nearly double last year’s bus project totals.

Mayor Bill de Blasio. Image credit: CityLand

The executive order provides relief through a tax pause. On May 19, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed an executive order to provide temporary tax relief for the hotel industry as the industry continues to recover from the loss of tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic.