The local paper for Downtown wn OUR NEW REAL ESTATE LISTINGS < P.17
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER
24-30 2015
MANHATTAN’S LOOMING TRAFFIC PROBLEM Traffic congestion set to worsen as, among other issues, MTA delays and funding gaps persist BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
Traffic in Times Square. Average speeds in Manhattan decreased by 9 percent during a recent five-year period and are projected to slow even more. Photo: joiseyshowaa, via Flickr
With private and for-hire vehicles, yellow cabs, trucks, buses, bicyclists and pedestrians all vying for room in which to travel, the city’s roads, particularly in Manhattan, have never been more crowded. Between 2010 and 2014, average travel speeds within Manhattan slowed by 9 percent, according to figures from the borough president’s office. Some of that slowdown is attributable to the 25,000 forhire vehicles, many of which operate in Manhattan’s cen-
transit delays – and even more commuters turning to car services. Brewer convened eight panels representing various stakeholders in Manhattan’s traffic landscape, from alternative transportation advocates and bus operators to the American Automobile Association and the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission. Also included in the mix was Uber, which recently beat back a proposal by Mayor Bill de Blasio to impose a cap on the number of vehicles it can operate, and is poised to scrap with City Hall again over dueling congestion studies set to be released by the company and the de Blasio administration.
tral business district below 59th Street, that have hit the streets since 2011. Add to that 2,000 new forhire vehicle registrations received each month by the Taxi and Limousine Commission, and what gets conjured is a permanent, citywide bottleneck. So far, traffic congestion adds up to $16 billion in lost economic activity each year, according to Manhattan borough President Gale Brewer’s office. At a meeting last week to address the issue, Brewer warned that the MTA’s seemingly intractable budget gap of at least $11.5 billion would likely result in increased mass
A major theme of the hearing was identifying small ways traffic congestion could be alleviated, ideas that were repeatedly referred to as “lowhanging fruit.” Each group had different - and occasionally opposing — ideas on the causes and remedies of traffic congestion. For residents, the ubiquity of construction contributes mightily to congestion. Christine Berthet, chair of Community Board 4 in Chelsea, reported that there are 20 stretches of roadway between Eighth Avenue and 11th Avenue that are partially or completely blocked by traffic. Ryan Russo, a deputy commissioner with the Department of Transportation, said his agency is focused on improving and expanding Select Bus Service, which has produced promising results in areas of Manhattan where it is already implemented. SBS’ current eight routes handle 200,000 riders a day, and Rus-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
OFFICIALS: TURN STONEWALL INTO A NATIONAL PARK NEWS Momentum is building to name the Stonewall Inn a national park. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, the National Parks Conservation Association, and a spectrum of state and local elected officials held a news conference on Sunday to build support for national park designation at Stonewall in the Village, where the modern LGBT movement began in the summer of 1969. “The Stonewall Rebellion is a rarity – a tipping point in history where
s
’
Art
of Food
we know, with absolute clarity, that everything changed,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. “This site has a unique place in American history and the struggle for dignity and equal rights in our society, and would be a fitting site for the country’s first National Monument dedicated to the LGBT community.” As part of the leadup to the national launch, elected officials have sent the first letters to President Obama requesting the designation of a Stonewall National Monument. Organized by Nadler, the list of officials announcing their support includes
BUY TICKETS NOW!
A One Of A Kind Ar tistic Feast at
ARTOFFOODNY.COM
U.S. Senators Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, 11 members of Congress, 13 New York State Senators, 37 New York State Assembly Members, five New York City Council Members, as well as the New York City Comptroller, Public Advocate, and Manhattan Borough President. “It’s time for a national monument honoring the legacy of people and events that took place here,” Gillibrand said. “Victories like the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the passage of marriage equality in New York
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
hosted by Michael White & Nicole Miller
TUESDAY OCTOBER 13
Downtowner WEEK OF APRIL
SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12
FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
9-16
MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
n OurTownDowntow
COM
Newscheck Crime Watch Voices
for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
2 City Arts 3 Top 5 8 Real Estate 10 15 Minutes
12 13 14 18
CONTINUED ON PAGE
25
H Home delivery of Our Town Downtowner $49 per year. Go to OTDowntown.com or call 212-868-0190