After Compromise, 'Streets Master Plan' Headed for Approval in New York City

"Mayor Bill de Blasio says he now supports a City Council proposal to drastically reshape streets in favor of cyclists, bus riders, and pedestrians—provided, that is, the project's ambitious benchmarks don't kick in until after he leaves office," reports Jake Offenhartz.

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson first proposed the "Streets Master Plan" shortly after taking the leading role in council, and proposed official legislation for the plan in May. The Streets Master Plan, "would require the city to build 250 miles of protected bike lanes and 150 miles of dedicated bus lanes over a five-year period, among a slew of other street-level commitments," according to Offenhartz, and is expected to be approved by the City Council this week.

"The mayor had previously declined to support the legislation, expressing reservations about balancing the needs of communities, while touting his own Vision Zero plan as sufficient," according to Offenhartz.

Emma G. Fitzsimmons first reported the news of the compromise between the mayor and the council that cleared the way for the legislation to pass in the New York Times.

Add this $1.7 billion plan to the recent effort to block cars from 14th Avenue to make room for buses, a forthcoming congestion pricing scheme, and the mayor's own "Green Wave" plan, and New York City is heading toward some very tangible changes in how it manages its traffic flows.

Yet another article published today by the New York Times, written by Corey Kilgannon, explains more about the tragic history motivating the politics of the traffic safety push in New York City.