Posts about Mike Bloomberg

Parking

(Some) DC teachers want to vote; (some) NY teachers want to park

by David Alpert   •   October 13, 2008 11:26 am

Teachers displeased with their union's decision not to even hold a vote on Michelle Rhee's proposed two-track contract have launched a petition. It criticizes the WTU's decision as driven by the loudest voices in the room, and calls for a secret ballot vote. Via DC Teacher Chic.

It's the season for undemocratic behavior, as Mayor Bloomberg's plan to extend his own term limits (and the City Council's) without a referendum gains a key political supporter; the Examiner's education columnist lambastes Rhee's sudden firing of a principal, Bloomberg's decision on term limits, and New York teachers union president Randi Weingarten's endorsement of Bloomberg's action.

Term limits aren't the only hot topic in New York education; things are also heating up over the Mayor's decision to drastically cut free parking permits given out to, and frequently misused by, public employees. A teacher wrote to NYC's Gridlock Sam, dismayed that his or her school's permits were dropping from 120 to 52. Sam replied:

Frankly, I don't know why the mayor allows any parking permits for teachers. We have a great transit system, and, somehow, private-sector workers, including local merchants, get to work in even the remotest locations without permits.

(Some) teachers bombarded Sam with angry emails, like this one he published this morning:

I teach in a school with 100 staff members near the George Washington Bridge. About a third of our staff commutes from New Jersey and 10% commute from Connecticut, Westchester, or Long Island. We went from 50 to just 13 permits. Using public transit is extremely difficult for those having to travel long distances at a very early hour. The reduced number of permits has created a real problem.

Sam responded:

Boy, did I anger a lot of teachers with my lack of sympathy for their parking permit reduction. My answer to you, Jeff, is the same I'd give to any teacher. I don't see any compelling reason to give a teacher a permit when bodega employees and office workers somehow manage to get to work all over the city with no permits. Many use transit. And in your case, several Metropolitan Transportation Authority and NJTransit buses and the A train serve the area, along with multiple opportunities for connections from other parts of the city.

If only Sam were so staunchly pro-transit when it comes to Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Transit

Breakfast links: streets for people edition

by David Alpert   •   June 18, 2008 8:42 am

Outdoor seating causes rapes? Cleveland Park ANC Commissioner Frank Winstead was in top form Monday night to oppose late-night outdoor seating at Comet Ping Pong, arguing that it would "turn [the neigborhood] into Adams Morgan, with the murders [and] the rapes." From Marc Fisher's summary, it sounds like Winstead's crusade and the resulting publicity may have actually helped Comet by building sympathy.

This is what visionary transportation leadership looks like: NYC DOT's Jeannette Sadik-Khan has convinced Mayor Bloomberg to try a car-free boulevard on three Saturdays in August, modeled on Bogotá's extremely successful Ciclovía. Streetsblog has video of the announcement. Too bad our Mayor still wants more street space for cars and DDOT lacks coherent policy leadership. Could DC do something on Car-Free Day?

Fairfax subsidizes employees living far from Fairfax: Some Fairfax police officers get county cars to drive home, even when they live far outside the county, reports the Post. This forces the county to spend huge sums on gas, tolls and maintenance. And the cars mostly go to detectives and commanders, not patrol officers. "Once members of the department are given a take-home car, they then move far away from the county," said one officer. Democratic candidate Gerry Connolly is quoted opposing the wasteful practice.

Obama hasn't stopped talking about rail or bikes: On Monday, the candidate said, "We can invest in rail, so that cities like Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Louis are connected by high-speed trains, and folks have alternatives to air travel." Via Matthew Yglesias. He also told bicycle advocates he would support bicycle and pedestrian funding, reports Streetsblog.

Parking

Can NYC build me a personal garage too?

by David Alpert   •   January 2, 2008 10:42 pm

As even more lurid details emerge of New York's $340 million giveaway for Yankees parking—that's right, entirely for parking—we learn that 70 million will go entirely to build a free garage reserved for Yankees and their guests, with no revenue ever being collected to pay back the city; that the total amount the team is paying the city for rent will decrease; and the company building the garages has defaulted on other municipally granted bonds in the past.

Next week: responding to news reports that George Steinbrenner sneezed while looking generally in the direction of New Jersey, Mayor Bloomberg announces that New York will be shutting down the #4 train, which will henceforth only run on-demand private service between Yankee Stadium and anywhere that the Yankees want to go. To offset the loss of this subway line, the city will put pictures of trains on the tops of the new garages.

Roads

Good ideas almost everyone wants

by David Alpert   •   March 27, 2006 1:22 am

The New York Times came out in favor of congestion pricing. Local business leaders want it, activist groups want it... but Bloomberg still doesn't.

Closing the Central Park loop drive to traffic: another great idea. Area residents want it, local politicians want it... but DOT commissioner Iris Weinshall insists it's impractical.

These are two good ideas whose times have come. Too bad neither one involves building a new sports stadium.