City Announces $40 Million Investment for Public Spaces and Street Safety in Downtown Brooklyn

On July 20, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams, Department of Parks & Recreation (Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue, and Department of Transportation (Transportation) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced a $40 million investment to improve public spaces and street safety along Fulton Street and across Downtown Brooklyn—the borough’s largest economic hub. The project, which is part of Mayor Adams’ $375 million investment in improving public spaces citywide, aims to support Brooklyn’s economy by delivering streetscape improvements, transportation and public … <Read More>


City Council Votes to Approve Outdoor Dining Plan

After a year and a half since the bill was introduced, the Council finally votes to create a permanent outdoor dining program. On August 3, 2023, the City Council voted to approve Int 31-C, which establishes a permanent outdoor dining program. The program will allow sidewalk cafes to operate annually and roadway cafes to operate seasonally, with removable furniture and decor replacing solid dining shed structures. The program follows the temporary outdoor dining program that <Read More>


Changes to Trash Set-Out Times Show Early Positive Impact on Rat Activity

On July 25, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams, Sanitation Department (DSNY) Commissioner Jessica Tisch, and Director of Citywide Rodent Mitigation Kathleen Corradi announced that changing to later trash set-out times have had a positive impact on reducing rat activity citywide. Compared to the same period in 2022, the number of 311 calls made about rat activity citywide decreased by 20 percent from May to mid-July 2023, and the City’s four rat mitigation zones—Bronx Grand Concourse, Harlem, … <Read More>