Dear John,

We are not at all out of the woods yet, but the spread of the virus is slowing and we are beginning to talk about how to reopen our city safely and thoughtfully. We will need to think carefully about schools and businesses, but we will also need to start planning seriously for how to manage transit and transportation in the very challenging months again. A just recovery for our city and our region will depend on it.

On that front, we have good news today that the Mayor announced a plan to open 40 miles of streets to pedestrians and cyclists, with the ultimate goal of opening 100 miles total, after pressure from the City Council and many of you. As the weather gets warmer and the weeks of physical distancing stretch on, families need the space to get out for fresh air, exercise and play. More details about the streets that will be pedestrianized will be coming soon, but the plan is to focus on streets near existing parks with an emphasis on hardest-hit communities. Thanks to so many of you who spoke out loudly to help us win the Mayor’s support for this common sense plan already implemented in cities around the world.

But a workable plan for how our city transitions into the next phase of managing (and eventually recovering from) this pandemic and the economic crisis with a focus on equity will require some more creative thinking about transit and transportation. Many people understandably will be nervous about mass transit for a while, but the future of our city depends on it. We need a wide range of options for the short term, and must act now to save public transit for the long-term.

One thing all New Yorkers can agree on: We must have more federal emergency funding for the MTA. MTA is 39% of US transit ridership, but only 14% of CARES transit funding. Our Congressional delegation is pushing hard for more support in the next stimulus package, but we need a stronger mass outcry.

As we start thinking about sending more people back to work and getting them back on mass transit, we will need to manage crowding with well coordinated plans for continuing to have many people work from home if possible, and schedule shifting others to limit the impact of rush hour. We will need to massively ramp up visible cleaning and sanitizing (and hire more cleaners and pay them better) to control the spread and make people feel safe. And we should put an emphasis on improving bus system reliability, as many people will feel safer above ground with more air.

Speaking of air, studies have found that air pollution levels have dropped with less cars out and about. Now that we know that air pollution, which already had bad health impacts on lower income communities of color, is correlated to higher death rates from COVID-19, don’t we have an obligation to keep it that way?

In both the short and long term, we need to expand opportunities for safer pedestrian, bike, and bus travel on our streets, and while continuing to find funding to repair and clean our subway system. It is reasonable that people may not want to carpool or get in the subway for a little while, but we can’t afford to have the pandemic increase car ridership and pollution in the long-term.

The city of Paris is setting an example we should follow: They are rapidly implementing emergency bus & bike lanes, known as “coronapistes,” to give people more commuting options and reduce car congestion for the next phase of the crisis. And Sam Schwartz has some good ideas here for how to do short term occupancy requirements and medium term congestion pricing to reduce car ridership and fund the MTA. We can do this. But it is going to take building a stronger coalition of both livable streets advocates and essential workers who depend on mass transit.

Right now, as many people are out of work or working from home, almost all transit riders are essential workers. A profile of essential workers from Comptroller Stringer’s office last month showed us that the majority of these workers, cleaners, home health aides, grocery store workers and transit staff are reliant on public transit to get to their jobs. During the pandemic, with fewer cars on the streets clogging bus routes, buses are actually running on time. Let’s ensure that among the thanks we give these essential workers after this crisis is over is a functioning, timely, affordable mass transit system.

Brad

In this email:
City Updates
State Updates

City Updates

New York has reported a total of over 17,000 deaths since the beginning of this pandemic. The hospitalization rate has slowed, but 337 New Yorkers died in the last 24 hours.
The Mayor announced a series of advisory groups of political, business and nonprofit leaders intended to help the city envision reopening in fairer and more equitable ways.
The City announced today that they are hiring 1000 people with healthcare backgrounds to help with contract tracing. More information about how to apply is here.
The City is still distributing remote learning devices. If you or families you know need technology, fill out the request form by 4/30 to be part of the next batch. Families who want to request a device should call DOE at 718-935-5100 and choose Option 5 on the menu or submit the request form online.
The Department of Education announced new grading policies with an emphasis on not failing students. K-8 students will receive one of two grades: ‘satisfactory’ or ‘needs improvement.’ High schools will keep their current grading systems, but instead of “F”’s students will get incompletes and have a chance to make up the work.

We have heard from many parents with varied concerns about grading. Remote learning has been a difficult challenge for us all-- teachers, principals, parents, students (join our parent support call tonight at 7PM to discuss it and get peer support). It has also shed a glaring light on the inequities already present in our schools. Children (and all of us for that matter) should be encouraged to do their best under the current circumstances, but not penalized for obstacles beyond their control. Feedback from teachers is a critical source of information but no measure of accomplishment and engagement will be perfect for all 1 million students in NYC. We will continue to work with DOE, parents, and schools to ensure that the best interests of students are being met during this crisis, and that specific programs are put in place to ensure that concerns such as advancement, application to high school, and academic remediation are addressed.

State Updates

Reopening: Governor Cuomo began outlining plans to reopen businesses in parts of the state on a regional basis in slow waves that allow time to test and see if the spread of the virus is contained. Phase one will be to reopen low-risk construction and manufacturing businesses in upstate areas that have experienced a 14-day decline in the hospitalization rate. Phase two will open certain industries based on priority and risk level.
Budget cuts: Late on Saturday night, Governor Cuomo announced $10.1 BILLION in cuts to localities, largely to health care, K-12 schools and higher education. The Governor so far has refused to consider any revenue raising as part of his efforts to address the state’s budget shortfall, instead choosing to deploy unilateral cuts as his main economic tool. It does not have to be this way. I’ve proposed taking the Governor’s own regional approach to closing the carried-interest tax loophole, to tax investment income as income, a progressive approach to raising revenue.
Elections: The Board of Elections cancelled the June presidential primary in New York, sparking outrage and disappointment by many progressives. This will help the state save money by not needing to open polling locations in counties where the now one candidate race was the only thing on the ballot, but it will likely hurt voter turnout for important down ballot races elsewhere in the state. The BOE also cancelled special elections that had been moved to June 23rd, leaving primaries for those positions on the ballots in June, but the seats empty until after the general election this fall. All voters will have absentee ballot request forms mailed to them (be sure to fill yours out and return it asap to be able to vote by mail) and polls will be open.