Five articles curated by the Wagner Planner staff: Here’s what the Wagner Planner staff is reading. This week: Nostrand Junction, the State of the State, and gains of NYC’s delivery minimum wage law.
In Central Brooklyn, a dreaded subway bottleneck grinds trains to a halt (Gothamist) – “This is the Nostrand Junction. A delicate dance happens there hundreds of times per day – and it’s an inconvenience familiar to all who pass through.”
A Moonshot Plan to Fill a Cavernous, Dilapidated Armory in the Bronx (New York Times) – “The estimated $1 billion redevelopment of the armory, a 1917 Romanesque arsenal on about five acres in Kingsbridge Heights that was once home to the National Guard, would be one of the city’s most ambitious projects. The biggest component of the coalition’s proposal is an up to 90,000-square-foot manufacturing space for light industry, such as 3-D printing, coffee roasting or carpentry.”
Takeaways from Hochul’s 2024 State of the State agenda (City & State New York) – “Although she did not offer specifics, Hochul said that she will “propose to enact legislation” that would serve as a replacement to the expired 421-a developer tax break meant to incentivize the construction of affordable housing. In 2022, she laid out specifics on what that replacement would look like, but after lawmakers rejected it, Hochul last year did not offer her own version and instead said she would work with the Legislature to find a compromise they would support.”
Labor Gains: Delivery Workers Say New Minimum Wage Lets Them Ride Safely (Streetsblog NYC) – “You don’t have to risk your life to try to save two minutes anymore. You can take your time and ride safely and have a better chance of making it home at the end of the shift”
Death spiral or new dawn: How did WMATA get here? (Greater Greater Washington) – “The absence of dedicated operating funds form the crux of WMATA’s current financial viability challenge. Without a funding mechanism like a regional sales tax, or road pricing as applied in other regional transit systems like London’s and soon New York’s, Metro has to scramble every year to ensure it’s got the dollars to fund salaries and other non-capital costs.”