Pete Buttigeig to New York City drivers: Drop dead

 

AMNY

 

The Biden administration has rejected the city’s applications for $800 million in infrastructure grants to redesign and reconstruct the crumbling triple cantilever section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, amNewYork Metro has learned.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) rebuffed the city Department of Transportation’s (DOT) applications for grants under the Biden administration’s Infra and Mega programs last month, potentially imperiling the Adams administration’s hopes to redesign and rebuild the widely-maligned triple cantilever section of highway in Brooklyn Heights over the next few years.

The 1940s-era highway constructed by “master builder” Robert Moses has been deteriorating for decades, and in 2020, an “expert panel” convened by former Mayor Bill de Blasio warned the cantilever could be unsafe for travel as early as 2026.

After numerous false starts, in 2022 the Adams administration unveiled a series of “reimagining” proposals for the 1.5-mile “BQE Central” section between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street, which includes the 0.4-mile cantilever and is the only part of the highway directly owned by the city.

The plans — which would cost around $5.5 billion, and would rely significantly on federal money authorized by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — called for either a partial or total reconstruction of the cantilever and to cover it up with greenspace, reconnecting Brooklyn Heights to the East River waterfront.

 

Andy should have checked with the Feds first

From the Daily News:

The Cuomo administration yielded to the federal government Friday and announced plans to replace the controversial “I Love NY” road signs that threatened to cost taxpayers a $14 million penalty.

Administration officials said the sign campaign had run “its useful course” and will be replaced by new tourism initiative in time for the summer season.

“Existing materials will be reused but, as the signs will be redesigned for the new campaign, we will consult with (federal highway officials) during this process,” Acting Transportation Commissioner Paul Karas and Thruway Authority Director Matthew Driscoll said in a joint statement.

The statement came a day after the Federal Highway Administration notified the Cuomo administration that it was withholding $14 million in funding because of the more than 500 signs, which federal officials claimed were an unnecessary distraction to drivers and created safety hazards.

Federal officials gave the state until Sept. 30 to remove the signs or forfeit the money.

Karas and Driscoll said the signs would be replaced by the federal deadline.

Joe Crowley pushed for ramp approval despite pleas from constituents

From Willets Point United:

In this morning's Crain's we get a further report on the FHWA's boneheaded and indefensible decision to approve the Van Wyck ramps-against the wishes of every single Queens civic group that we have spoken to. What struck us the most was just how clueless Congressman Virginia Joe Crowley is about all this:

"The state Department of Transportation will need to approve design and construction of the ramps, but the federal approval was seen as the much bigger hurdle. Rep. Joseph Crowley played a key role in keeping the ramp issue high on the agenda of the Highway Administration and state Department of Transportation, a spokeswoman for the congressman said. Mr. Crowley stressed to them the job creating impact the project would have for Queens."

We understand why someone who lives in Virginia but who gorges at New York City feasts would be interested in all of those jobs-ca ching! We can hear all of the change being counted down at the headquarters of the Queens Democratic Party. Contractors, real estate developers, construction unions-everyone but the residents of the borough who will suffer through the gridlock that this project will create if it ever goes through. But Virginia roads will still be quite passable, thank you Joe.

But what the Crowley comment underscores is how ass backwards the regulators are. The Congressman understands that the development is contingent on the ramp approval-and by doing so dramatizes just how badly wrong the FHWA is when it accepts as its baseline the building of the development and its ridiculous assertion that the 62 acre project won't have any significant impact "on the human environment." Maybe not in Virginia.

EDC, FHWA & NYSDOT acting in collusion to hide info

From Neighborhood Retail Alliance:

Crain's Insider is reporting that EDC has completed the revised ramp report-contradicting the post we did yesterday: "Lobbyist Richard Lipsky, battling the Willets Point redevelopment, blogs that it has been nearly a year since the city promised to submit within “weeks” a revised analysis of the impact of two highway ramps on Queens traffic—the centerpiece of opponents' legal case. In fact, the revision was completed long ago and is being reviewed by the Federal Highway Administration and the understaffed state Department of Transportation. A public comment period and hearing will follow, perhaps by the end of the year."

So, EDC is claiming that they have a completed ramp report-and it's in the hands of NYSDOT-yet both agencies have illegally been denying WPU's FOIL requests; while simultaneously claiming that these report materials are not available. It now appears, then, that the city and state are in collusion to avoid legally required disclosure in order to foist a poorly vetted report on the communities of Queens-particularly Corona and Flushing.

And there are consequences for this kind of behavior: "If NYCEDC has had the revised AMR, and has known that it must be disclosed in whole or in part, but has withheld it from WPU anyway, that would appear to be a violation that can subject the perpetrator to penalties:

"Any person who, with intent to prevent public inspection of a record pursuant to FOIL, willfully conceals or destroys any such record shall be guilty of a violation of §240.65 of the New York State Penal Law, and may serve up to fifteen days in jail and/or be fined up to $250.00 per such violation."

Let the investigations begin!

Indeed.

Street signs getting an expensive facelift

From the NY Post:

The city will change the lettering on every single street sign - at an estimated cost of about $27.5 million - because the feds don't like the font.

Street names will change from all capital letters to a combination of upper and lower case on roads across the country thanks to the pricey federal regulation, officials said Wednesday.

By 2018, MADISON AVE. will become Madison Ave. and will be printed in a font called Clearview, the city Department of Transportation says.

The Federal Highway Administration says the switch will improve safety because drivers identify the words more quickly when they're displayed that way - and can sooner return their eyes to the road.

For some reason, Bloomberg threw a hissy fit when asked about it.