Image credit: Jeff Hopkins.
Peaceful protests, protected by the First Amendment, are fundamental to our constitutional system and to democracy. Peaceful protest marches and rallies have been instrumental in bringing about significant change in racial, gender, LGBTQ and economic equality; reproductive rights; climate policy; capital punishment; housing; criminal justice, and voting rights. Yet in recent years appropriate venues have been unavailable for large peaceful protests, raising the question of whether City practices inappropriately limit the exercise of First Amendment rights. The City needs to review its policies regarding the use of Central Park’s Great Lawn and Times Square for large First Amendment protest marches/rallies. If the City does not re-assess the appropriateness of the Great Lawn and Times Square the issue should be litigated. (more…)
Taxi and Limousine Commission Chair Meera Joshi
At this morning’s 151st CityLaw Breakfast, Taxi and Limousine Commission Chair Meera Joshi spoke on what’s changed and what hasn’t in for-hire vehicles. She acknowledged the biggest change in the industry to be size. The volume of taxis and for-hire vehicles has increased over the years, also increasing the number of daily trips taken in the City. Manhattan sees the largest number of trips.
Commissioner Joshi reflected on TLC’s increasing efforts for taxi safety, accessibility, and regulation of minimum driver earnings. Commissioner Joshi spoke about TLC’s collaboration with Families for Safe Streets, Transportation Alternatives, and the New York City Department of Transportation to produce a video that tell the stories of five families whose lives have been devastated by traffic crashes. The video is being used by driver training programs for taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers.
Commissioner Joshi also announces that the Taxi and Limousine Commission has recently authorized a pilot program that will allow the usage of apps by taxi medallions, which customers will use to hail cabs and receive upfront pricing for their rides.
To watch the complete video, click here.
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Prospect Park. Image Credit: Joe Buglewicz courtesy of nycgo.com.
Prospect Park’s entire loop drive will be permanently car-free as of January 2, 2018. On October 23, 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans for the closure of Prospect Park’s East Drive to vehicles. The announcement follows the success of the Park’s car-free summer when East Drive was closed from July 17 to September 11. After Labor Day weekend, a petition with over 1,100 signatures to continue the car-free program was received. The Park’s West Drive has been permanently car-free since 2015. The Park’s East Drive will be closed to vehicles on January 2, 2018.
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Councilmember David Greenfield, chair of the Committee on Land Use. Image credit: William Alatriste/New York City Council
City officials questioned on policy to protect New York’s industrial sector. On May 6, 2015 the City Council Committee on Land Use held an oversight hearing on industrial land use policy in New York City with a focus on protecting and encouraging the City’s industrial sector from encroaching alternative uses. In his opening remarks, Councilmember and Land Use Chair David Greenfield emphasized as ineffective the City’s policy of designating Industrial Business Zones without changing the underlying zoning to protect industry from competing commercial uses and pointed out the importance of protecting the City’s industrial sector, comprising 10 percent of the local private sector workforce, frequently made of small businesses employing forty people or less, and paying significantly higher wages than the service sector.
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