🍎 citymeetings.nyc #26
DOT Capital Planning, Worker Protection, Snow Preparedness, Veterans Advisory Board
Hi!
Two updates before the highlights --
Podcast interview
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Thanks!
Vikram
This week's highlights are from hearings on:
- DOT's capital planning and street repairs
- Worker protection bills
- DSNY's snow preparedness
- The Veterans Advisory Board
For a complete listing of published meetings, visit https://citymeetings.nyc.
Hearing on DOT capital planning and street repairs
Philip Miatkowski, Interim Director at Transportation Alternatives, gives testimony.
- NYC DOT manages $33.5B in capital planning, overseeing 63,100 miles of streets, 800+ bridges, and nearly 400,000 street lights Link
- The city has secured over $2.3B in federal infrastructure funding, with DOT receiving over $300M for bridges, street reconstruction, and traffic projects. Link
- About 80% of roads are resurfaced within three weeks of milling, with utility companies using this period to detect and address underground issues. Link
- DOT has installed approximately 92 linear miles of porous pavement, managing about 450M gallons of stormwater annually. Link
- Recent bridge condition reports show 0.87% of bridges rated poor, 63.81% fair, 27.81% good, and 7.46% very good. Link
- DOT exceeded its goal for accessible pedestrian signals, installing 866 signals in 2023 compared to the mandated 500. Link
- The Manhattan Greenway project received $96M in federal grants, with new greenways planned for Harlem River, Queens Waterfront, and Jamaica Bay. Link
- WE ACT for Environmental Justice testified that 83% of NYC's population experiences urban heat island effects, with Black New Yorkers twice as likely to die from heat-related illness compared to white residents. Link
- Council Member Sandy Nurse visited San Antonio's cool pavement pilot, where a $1M investment reduced surface temperatures by 10 degrees and ambient temperatures by 3 degrees. Link
- Only 20% of NYC's 15,000 bus stops have shelters and 17% have benches, with advocates highlighting disproportionate impacts on poor neighborhoods and seniors. Link
- Green Asphalt testified that their 100% recycled asphalt product could increase lane mileage output by 25-30% while meeting all DOT performance standards. Link
- The NYC Hospitality Alliance recommends extending street resurfacing notice from 2 weeks to 1 month to help businesses with outdoor dining prepare. Link
Hearing on worker protection bills
Kathleen Irwin from New York Restaurant Association gives testimony.
- DCWP's 15 new staff lines in the January budget plan are specifically allocated for implementing the hotel licensing bill, broker bill, and youth financial empowerment initiative—not for Fair Workweek or Paid Safe and Sick Leave enforcement. Link
- The Fair Workweek law has resulted in over $29MM in fines and restitution since 2017, with DCWP receiving more than 800 complaints and opening over 400 investigations. Link
- Fair Workweek complaints increased from 159 in 2023 to 206 in 2024. Link
- DCWP's average complaint resolution time improved from 156 days in 2023 to 87 days in 2024. Link
- The Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law covers nearly 4MM workers across NYC, allowing them to take time off for personal illness, preventive care, or issues related to domestic violence. Link
- In 2022, DCWP reached a $20MM settlement with Chipotle, marking the largest worker protection settlement in NYC history. Link
- DCWP conducted 259 worker-focused outreach events last year, serving 34K constituents through presentations, informational gatherings, and high-visibility events. Link
- Introduction 780 would add 16 hours of unpaid safe and sick time on top of existing paid leave, estimated to benefit 1MM NYC households with children and 1.3MM caregivers. Link
- Commissioner Mayuga expresses concern that Introduction 1081's 90-day employer notification requirement could potentially harm employees by revealing their identity or negatively impact investigations. Link
- The NY State Restaurant Association criticizes DCWP's current Fair Workweek enforcement practices as "irresponsible and harmful" and advocates for a 30-day notification requirement for both workers and employers. Link
Hearing on DSNY's snow preparedness
DSNY answers questions at last week's transportation hearing.
- The department maintains an infrastructure of 42 salt storage locations across NYC with a total capacity of 350,000 tons, ensuring citywide coverage for snow events. Link
- During an average snow event, DSNY deploys about 20MM pounds (10K tons) of salt in a single pass, representing less than 5% of their total storage capacity. Link
- The department's Blade Runner 2.0 system provides real-time tracking of all salting and plowing operations across the city, enabling more efficient resource deployment. Link
- Alternative de-icing materials remain cost-prohibitive, with sodium acetate costing $3,300 per ton compared to traditional rock salt at $76-86 per ton. Link
- Special de-icing procedures are implemented for the Brooklyn Promenade section of the BQE, where DOT uses de-icing machines instead of salt due to structural concerns. Link
- DSNY has not needed to activate emergency equipment contracts since March 2017, when a 7.5-inch snowfall coincided with St. Patrick's Day parade operations. Link
- Of 9,495 snow removal violations issued in the 2023-2024 season, 9,399 went to residential properties while only 75 were issued to commercial properties. Link
- The department operates with 425 field supervisors, 68 sanitation police officers, and 38 enforcement agents during a 24-hour period for snow removal enforcement. Link
- DSNY maintains a fleet of 47 specialized ATVs specifically for clearing protected bike lanes, evolving from a pilot program to permanent service. Link
- DSNY has moved away from prioritizing certain streets, implementing a new "snow equity" initiative that ensures all streets receive equal service during snow operations. Link
Hearing on the Veterans Advisory Board
Timothy Pena from the Veterans Justice Project gives testimony.
- NYC's veteran self-identification rate (24.1%) lags significantly behind the national average (34.3%), impacting access to services and benefits. Link
- The Department of Veterans Services (DVS) has grown its contact database from 3,000 to 140,000 veterans, while the estimated total veteran population in NYC ranges from 230,000-250,000. Link
- The Veterans Advisory Board (VAB) operates without any budget for basic necessities, despite being responsible for advising on veteran services citywide. Link
- Borough representation on the VAB is notably uneven, with Queens having 4 seats while the Bronx has only 1 seat. Link
- The VA's Asset Infrastructure Review Commission may recommend closing VA hospitals in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and a major VA clinic in Staten Island in spring 2026. Link
- Veterans in CUNY schools face financial barriers due to lack of reduced-cost housing options, unlike their counterparts at private universities. Link
- DVS has successfully housed 1,417 homeless veterans through its housing support services team since its establishment in 2015. Link
- The Veterans Advocacy Project reports elderly veterans facing eviction after three decades of residency due to landlord harassment. Link
- Starting in 2025, the VAB will double as a Community Veterans Engagement Board to strengthen ties with federal programs and increase meeting attendance. Link
- DVS gained enhanced contracting capacity in 2023, allowing discretionary awards up to $20,000 for veteran initiatives. Link
- The VAB typically attracts fewer than 20 non-board members to its meetings, with attendance only spiking during major crises. Link
- Commissioner Hendon reports a 90-95% overlap in objectives between DVS and VAB, with primary challenges being structural rather than interpersonal. Link
Thanks for reading!
Comments, questions, or feedback? Reply to this email or shoot me a note at vikram@citymeetings.nyc
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