East River Ferry. Image credit: NYCEDC.
NYCEDC seeks less cumbersome process to meet the needs of increasing ridership on the East River Ferry. On March 4, 2014, the City Council’s Land Use Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises voted 7-0 to approve an application submitted by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) to amend portions of the Zoning Resolution regulating ferry and water taxi facilities along the Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn. The proposed zoning text amendment makes way for increased East River Ferry service, which was established as a three-year pilot program in 2011 by the NYCEDC. The East River Ferry offers daily Brooklyn-Queens inter-borough transportation and Manhattan connections for commuters and recreational users. On December 13, 2013, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the East River Ferry, which was scheduled to terminate in June of 2014, will continue providing services until at least 2019 pursuant to a contract for a five-year extension. (more…)
Judge Judith S. Kaye delivering her speech at the 111th City Law Breakfast. Photo Credit: Meghan Lalonde.
Judge Judith S. Kaye delivered these remarks at the CityLaw Breakfast on October 18, 2013.
A little more than three years ago—on August 27, 2010, to be precise—I had the privilege of standing before you as part of the CityLaw Breakfast Series. I began by complimenting all of you, as I do today, for arriving at the crack of dawn to chew on the subject of justice for breakfast.
On that beautiful summer day, I was at the time a not-long-retired Chief Judge of the State of New York, a position I call Lawyer Heaven, having moved into a pretty terrific “After-Life” as Of Counsel at Skadden Arps. Skadden not only invited but also encouraged the pursuit of my passion for juvenile justice. (more…)
Ross Sandler
The Bloomberg administration successfully defended the 2013 state law authorizing outer borough street hail taxi service and the sale of additional yellow cab medallions for wheel chair accessible vehicles. The battles over the state law and other taxi policies have left the industry and its TLC regulators deeply divided and distrustful of each other. Divorce is not possible, so the industry and the regulators still have to find ways to achieve the goals they share: a viable, safe and fair yellow cab and car service industry.
The TLC and the industry’s unsuccessful attempts to find a middle ground on key issues led to litigation and delays. The street hail law is a prime example. There are areas outside of Manhattan where street hails make complete economic sense, but there are much larger areas where only base-managed liveries can economically operate. The state law opens all areas for street hails by up to 18,000 cars. Approaches other than the state law would not have been as challenging to the taxi and livery industry. Neither the industry nor the City was well served by the resulting battle.
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Community groups opposed fence on the City’s oldest bridge. On April 5, 2011, Landmarks approved the City’s proposal to build an eight-foot fence and undertake other alterations to the High Bridge footpath spanning the Harlem River between Washington Heights in Manhattan and the Highbridge section of the Bronx. The High Bridge was built in 1848 as part of the Old Croton Aqueduct to bring fresh water into Manhattan. It is the City’s oldest bridge.
The City in 1917 ceased using the bridge as an aqueduct. In 1927, the City replaced five of the bridge’s original fifteen masonry arches with a central steel span to allow large ships to pass underneath. The bridge gained notoriety in the late 1950s after children threw rocks at a passing Circle Line tour boat. After the High Bridge was closed to the public in 1970, Landmarks designated the bridge as an individual City landmark. The City in 2009 announced plans to restore and reopen the High Bridge to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. (more…)
