PlaNYC includes a number of transportation intiatives: expanding transportation to more neighborhoods, more bus systems, increasing access to subways and buses, among others. But due to a budget deficit of about $750 million, the MTA is instead making the following cuts in service, effective June 27, 2010:
- removal of the W line, which goes from Broadway at Whitehall Street in Manhattan, to Astoria, Queens. The Q will extend to Astoria.
- no more V service, which extends from Second Avenue, Manhattan, to Forest Hills in Queens. The M will replace it between Broadway-Lafayette and Forest Hills.
- the G train, which runs from Church Avenue in Brooklyn through 71st Ave in Forest Hills, Queens, will stop at at Court Square in Queens
Express bus routes will be discontinued between Manhattan and Queens, Grand Central and Lower Manhattan, Staten Island and Manhattan, and more. Hundreds of local bus routes are being cut or restructured as well. Waiting times on numerous subway lines will increase midday and on weekends.
In the 2010 PlaNYC Progress Report, the Bloomberg administration blamed the recession, saying “maintaining and improving the current transit network as well as expanding the system to accommodate future demand – have been subject to dynamics largely out of City control.”
New York City is known for many things, but arguably nothing more important than its pizza. Now, in the wake of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and the 3rd anniversary of PlaNYC, the city has opened its first “green” pizzeria.
Pizza by Cer Te opened its doors on Earth Day to satisfy New Yorkers and the eco-conscious as the first of its kind to hit Gotham City. The space is LEED-certified and makes its pies from locally grown ingredients served in recyclable boxes with biodegradable utensils. And get this…all food will be delivered by foot or hybrid truck!
Among the other initiatives, rainwater will be collected in special gutters to be reused and the heat from the ovens will be recycled.
Owner and chef, Edward Sylvia, told Crain’s New York Business that though a lot of money is put out to create the space, he expects to save money on energy and expenses.
Pizza by Cer Te is located on E. 56th St. between Park and Lexington Avenues.
If you stop to try a slice, leave a comment to let us know if the pizza is as delicious as it is eco-friendly.
We’ve covered the controversial U.S. Concrete plant opening along Red Hook, Brooklyn’s scenic waterfront a couple of times before, but it’s better described with photos. For some background, click here. Click the photo to your left or here to see the photo slideshow.
The 40th Anniversary of Earth Day brought many people to Times Square to learn what’s new in sustainable merchandise and living. Amongst the line of vendors was Spica Wobbe from the New Victory Theater in Manhattan, who had a constant stream of kids at her table.
How was she contributing to Earth Day?
She uses newspaper amongst other materials to make puppets for different performances. I caught up with her while she showed me how to make an elephant out of a periodical in this slideshow.
A 12.9 percent increase in the water rate for the average household in Queens: $83.
One billion gallons of water through the New York City sewer system every day: priceless.
The presentation from the Department of Environmental Protection about a proposed increase on water bills was less of a sales pitch and more of an itemized receipt for Queens residents. Those who came to a community meeting in Jamaica on Tuesday night ready to oppose the citywide hike were met by itemized details of where billions of dollars in funding have been going.
“Your water rates have funded $13 billion in capital construction,” said DEP Commissioner Cas Holloway. “New York City’s water quality is fantastic, and we want it to stay that way.”
From nearly $5 billion for federally-mandated filtration plants to $5 billion for the ongoing efforts to build City Water Tunnel No. 3, projects to update the city’s sewer system have been on a debt system. Rate increases will help shoulder the burden of interest rates for past and future projects.Around $571 million alone was spent on infrastructure in Queens, Holloway added. “That is more than any other borough, and it’s still not going to get the job done,” he said.
In Jamaica, where flooding has been a chronic problem for decades, Holloway’s message about investments was particularly welcome. The DEP is conducting a new water flow study in the neighborhood in the hopes that a year of data will help the agency make changes to the system.
A video (shown below) of flooding after an August 2007 rainstorm highlights what residents say is a catastrophic problem in their neighborhood.
City Councilman James Gennaro fielded concerns about property flooding.
A resident at Hollis Courts pleaded for help for the rent-stabilized buildings. Her landlord has failed to pay bills for five years, she said, and the DEP refuses to fix sewage backups without a request from the owner.
“Water is coming into my building but nobody is paying for it,” Mays said, urging Gennaro and Holloway to find a solution for delinquent landlords who drive up costs. Holloway, who took the reigns of the DEP in January, has been making these town hall-style meetings something of a trademark. Despite arriving nearly two hours late, the commissioner had some in the audience gushing after his presentation.
“People don’t realize how lucky we are, this is the greatest system on earth,” said Sam Rodriguez, of Queens. “I don’t mind the increase – and don’t get me wrong, I’m on fixed income.”
The proposal will be reviewed by the Water Board after hearings in the coming months. The DEP’s next stop is in Staten Island on May 6 at Wagner High School at 8 p.m.. Hearings on the water rate increase will be help at the Thomas Edison High School in Jamaica on May 11 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 22 marked the third anniversary of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC 2030 initiative to make New York City greener. On the anniversary, which coincides with Earth Day, the mayor announced a new approach to solid waste. In a recent article by NBC New York, the plan came under criticism for some of its not-so-green initiatives.
PlaNYC is required, by law, to be updated every four years. The first update will be implemented on Earth Day 2011. According to Edward Skyler, Deputy Mayor for Operations, the city asked New Yorkers to take part in a city-wide conversation about what should be implemented in the initial PlaNYC. He said he hopes the conversations will continue as the plan is prepared to be updated.
Explaintheplan.com was live on the scene at the Earth Day celebration. We engaged New Yorkers in a conversation about what they want the city to focus on in the future. Here is what they said:
This week marked the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. It also corresponds with Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s 3rd anniversary of PlaNYC. The mayor wants to green underutilized sidewalks and other spaces around the city. But what about the city’s current green spaces? Prospect Park is Brooklyn’s only forest. The man-made park is thriving, but it is under constant stress from pedestrian traffic. The natural habitat is home to over 200 species of birds, over 30,000 trees and other woodland mammals, which necessitates its perseverance. Besides its environmental features, the park is also aesthetically pleasing and provides fresh air and shade.
On Saturday, April 24 the Audubon Center at Prospect Park will celebrate Earth Day. The event will educate visitors on the origin of Earth Days and offer workshops on how to preserve the environment.
Below is a slide show, offering a visual perspective of the park and man’s toll on it. Be sure to take a look!
What would Earth Day be like without recycling? Well, it’d still be Earth Day, at least in Times Square. Companies such as Pepsi, Home Depot and the New York Post set up booths that offered passersby, free drinks, t-shirts, and keychains. But when recycling bins are scarce, and all you can find are trash cans, plastic is sure to fill up.
Not enough recycling on Earth Day
The clean up wasn’t very green either. I spoke with one of the Times Square cleaners waiting for the festivities to end and asked how they would separate the trash from the recycling. He just pointed to some green cans down the road. Then he said he couldn’t talk to the press. But I asked again if they were separating trash from recycling, he shook his head no.
Trash from Earth day not recycled, according to worker.
Today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and the third birthday of PlaNYC. To celebrate, the city and organizations across the five boroughs have planned a weekend full of fun-filled eco-friendly events.
Today
Earth Day at Times Square — As part of Earth Day New York, the Times Square pedestrian plazas will host informational booths, musical guests, and speakers. Mayor Bloomberg will address the public on the progress of PlaNYC, and environmental activists will speak on a variety of issues. Exhibitors will include Bicycle for a Day, Environmental Defense Fund, Greenopolis, and Riverkeeper, as well as companies that sell environmentally friendly products, like Origins and Burt’s Bees. The public event goes from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The speeches and musical performance will take place in the plaza between 45th and 46th Streets, and the exhibitor booths will be between 42nd and 43rd Streets.
As we mentioned last week, today New York City celebrated the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and the 3rd anniversary of PlaNYC 2030 with a slew of speakers and musical performances in Times Square. The event drew only a small crowd, mainly school children, tourists, and corporate sponsors, but the speakers were enthusiastic in promoting greener habits and congratulating Mayor Bloomberg for being a leader in green cities.
Dennis Hayes, the national coordinator of the first Earth Day in 1970, kicked off the event. “New York has become one of the greenest cities in the planet and is continuing to march forward really aggressively under a pretty green mayor,” he said. Ironically, the New York Times quoted Hayes in a story Wednesday about how Earth Day celebrations have become a commercialized marketing platform for many companies. “This ridiculous perverted marketing has cheapened the concept of what is really green. It is tragic,” Hayes told the Times. Continue Reading
PlaNYC includes a number of transportation intiatives: expanding transportation to more neighborhoods, more bus systems, increasing access to subways and buses, among others. But due to a budget deficit of about $750 million, the MTA is instead making the following cuts in service, effective June 27, 2010:
