Mayor Bill de Blasio released the city’s $98.6 billion executive budget Monday (Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)
April 27, 2021 By Allie Griffin
Mayor Bill de Blasio released the city’s executive budget for Fiscal Year 2022 Monday and included millions of dollars in funding for speed cameras, open streets and bike lanes among other items.
The $98.6 billion “Recovery Budget” has been padded with federal stimulus money to help New York City come back from the pandemic and resulting financial crisis.
De Blasio has allocated millions to transform city streets as part of the recovery budget through programs like Open Streets as well as the creation of bike lanes.
He has earmarked $4 million to support community partners within the Open Streets program and $8.5 million to streamline the process for Open Restaurants outdoor dining applicants.
“Here, we put the resources in place to keep those programs moving forward, to allow that beautiful re-imagining of our streets and to make sure that all communities can participate,” de Blasio said during a press briefing Monday.
The budget also includes $46 million in funds for the operation and maintenance of speed cameras across the city.
The cameras capture photos of drivers going more than 10 miles per hour above the speed limit. The city then mails $50 tickets to the registered owner of the car caught speeding.
By Fiscal Year 22, there will be 2,220 cameras citywide — up from nearly 1,000 that are placed throughout the five boroughs now.
De Blasio also said that $5 million in capital will be set aside to fund the creation of a separate pedestrian lane on the Queensboro Bridge.
Pedestrians and cyclists currently share one narrow lane on its northern outer roadway.
The city will used the funds to convert the southern outer roadway — currently used by cars — into a pedestrian pathway. The existing shared pathway on the northern outer roadway will become a two-way bike lane.
De Blasio has earmarked $2 million for the creation of a bike lane of the Brooklyn Bridge as well.
The pandemic-era budget also includes investments to expand early childhood education, create city cleaning jobs, fund community-based anti-gun violence programs, increase mental health support and more.
“With the Recovery Budget, New York City will emerge from this challenge stronger, fairer, cleaner, greener and safer than ever,” de Blasio said.
The shared bicycle and pedestrian pathway on the north side of the Queensboro Bridge. This narrow strip will be dedicated for bicyclists– while a vehicle lane on the south side of the bridge will be converted for pedestrian use. (Photo: Queens Post)
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6 Comments
Pride parades are FABULOUS!!!!
I notice no mention about the tons of bikes, e-bikes and motorcycles that speed, disregard the traffic lights, safety rules and pedestrians. I would love to see all of the above to have to take safety courses and mount license plates on their bikes so they are forced to obey the same rules as cars.
donuts (aka drifting) at Home Depot, bub
donuts on Skillman at Honeywell
donuts on Northern at Woodside Ave
donuts on Queens Blvd
Countless window illegal tinting, illegal cut & delete mufflers, idling and emitting toxic particle pollution in front of children at school pick-ups, parking on sidewalks, crossing in front of pedestrians with walk light, double parking, illegally parking during ASP, or only moving when sweeper come, illegal NYPD and city agency placard abuse, and obviously routine speeding
I notice no mention about the tons of cars, trucks, and motorcycles that speed, disregard the traffic lights, safety rules and pedestrians. I would love to see all of the above to have to take safety courses and mount speed control devices on their vehicles so they are forced to obey the same rules as bikes.
And how to we get drivers to obey those same rules? You know, those vehicles which killed about 38,800 people in America in 2019?
Bicycles and e-bikes are safe, environmentally friendly, and good exercise. We need to do much more as a city to expand infrastructure for these modes of transportation. Enough subsidies for drivers.
I hope street festivals and parades come back soon. I miss the Queens Gay Pride parade.