Outdoor Dining, Open Streets, & Trash Containerization: Where Democratic Mayoral Candidates Stand on Public Space Issues

By Mark Chiusano

With the 2025 New York City mayoral race in full swing, CityLand sent a brief, initial list of questions to major contenders for the Democratic nomination to get an idea of where the candidates stand on several key public space issues that have been the source of policy shifts and public debate over the last several years: outdoor dining, Open Streets, and trash containerization. The next mayor’s stance on these — and <Read More>


DOT Celebrates Sixth Avenue Redesign With Wider, Safer Bike Lanes

On March 5, 2025, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez and officials in Greenwich Village celebrated the redesign along the Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan at Sixth Avenue with a ribbon cutting. The project is one of several across Manhattan avenues designed to improve street safety by providing wider protected bike lanes to accommodate the record growth in cycling across the City. The City Department of Transportation has completed redesign projects … <Read More>



DOT Opens E-Bike Trade-In Program Applications for Food Delivery Workers

On January 27, 2025, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced applications New York City’s e-bike trade-in program are now open. The program allows eligible food delivery workers to trade in an uncertified electric bicycle (e-bike) or non-street legal moped for a safer UL-certified e-bike and UL-certified spare battery for free.


‘If You Build It, They Will Come’: City’s Chief Public Realm Officer Outlines Progress, Priorities

By Mark Chiusano

Ya-Ting Liu was appointed New York City’s inaugural chief public realm officer two years ago this month. How has the realm changed so far during her tenure? 

That was the subject of Liu’s talk at New York Law School’s 196th CityLaw Breakfast on Wednesday, during which she described well-used public space as “the secret sauce of cities” and how she thinks pedestrians should be “the main character” in New York City design. <Read More>


DOT Speed Camera Program Report Shows Great Drops in Speeding at Camera Locations

 

On January 23, 2025, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez released a comprehensive report showing the results of the agency’s speed camera program. The report highlighted that speed camera locations yielded a 94 percent reduction in speeding, and in 2022 there were 14 percent fewer injuries and traffic related fatalities compared to locations without cameras. The speed camera program began in 2022 and is set to expire this year unless it … <Read More>