QUESTION
Council Member Brooks Powers Discusses NYC Street Plan Goals and Project Coordination
2:22:47
·
8 min
A discourse on the coordination between the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) regarding the NYC Street Plan, focusing on project delivery timelines, bike lane installations, and safety improvements. Council Member Brooks Powers probes into the agencies' efforts to meet legal requirements for infrastructure projects, emphasizing additional safety work beyond bike lanes, including pedestrian enhancements. The conversation seeks clarification on project statuses, pipeline transparency, and the equitable distribution of resources across boroughs.
Speaker 1
2:22:47
In this committee, I have asked DOT for updates on whether the agency is meeting the legal requirements at north in the city streets plan law.
2:22:57
Given the important partnership between DDC, and DOT on capital projects.
2:23:04
How can DDC be a part of the solution and ensure that DOT can meet its legal responsibility?
Speaker 13
2:23:13
I can start and then turn it over.
2:23:15
So the the way we are the way we're counting bike lanes, bus lanes, and and sort of the other metrics in our street plan goals.
2:23:25
It's a combination of street improvement projects.
2:23:27
Those are done in house by our crews and capital projects.
2:23:32
The capital projects, as as you know, and as you'll know, do take longer and do require more engagement.
2:23:40
There are full reconstruction.
2:23:42
So there are going to be years where we have more capital projects being delivered.
2:23:47
Than others.
2:23:48
That's just the way their capital pipeline is working.
2:23:52
I would say the partnership between our both agencies is great, but I think DDC.
2:23:58
And as I said, there's just gonna be fluctuations between some years.
2:24:01
We'll have a bit more capital let's call them like protected bike lanes coming online versus others where we will have more street improvement projects which are done in house.
Speaker 12
2:24:16
I would just add to that that once it comes to the construction side at DDC, we we can well, we can't just install the bike lane.
2:24:29
It would be it would be imprudent to do that without confirming the sewers and the water mains and the subsurface roadway.
2:24:35
And to make sure that none of that needs to be replaced, because it it won't serve any purpose to install the bike lane and then not fix the subsurface work.
2:24:42
So when it comes to us, there's often additional scope that we need to manage, which is why the projects take longer, which is yet another reason we've been pushing for alternate delivery in order to kind of speed things up and to have a much broader band of of opportunities to bring in contractors and designers early and or connect them and figure out ways to build things fast.
Speaker 1
2:25:03
Are there any in the pipeline right now as it pertains to the streets plan?
Speaker 12
2:25:07
As far as the design build work goes.
Speaker 13
2:25:10
In terms of Oh, in general, Yeah.
Speaker 6
2:25:11
They're In
Speaker 12
2:25:12
general, they're yeah.
2:25:12
We have contracts that we are currently designing that will include bike lanes.
2:25:16
And there's a I I can get back to whether or not we have any active construction.
Speaker 1
2:25:21
Is the only aspect of the streets plan that DDC has in terms of the contractual work?
2:25:26
Is it only cyclanes or is it other safety improvements?
Speaker 12
2:25:29
No.
2:25:29
We we also do pet safety work for DOT.
2:25:33
Again, they'll they'll scope out for us their needs and then we will procure contracts.
2:25:38
We'll do the design, and then we'll procure contracts
Speaker 1
2:25:40
to build.
2:25:40
In the pipeline right now.
Speaker 12
2:25:43
Well, if if you're including pedestrian ramps Right.
2:25:46
Then then there's, you know, we we put out, I think, 15 this year.
2:25:49
So we're we're we're doing pet safety each and every year if you're including the pet safety the pedestrian ramp program.
2:25:57
But then there are all further pet safety and includes bike and corner bumpouts and and things of that nature.
2:26:05
Those projects, they're they're not as as they're not as vol voluminous as the FedRAMP projects, but we do probably several of those every year.
Speaker 13
2:26:14
Yeah.
2:26:14
And and council member.
2:26:15
So Queens Boulevard is a is a project that DDCs is managing for us.
2:26:20
Although, I do have to check if if if it was already counted towards a protect protected bike lane, if it's reconstructed, we don't recount it.
2:26:28
It's only new and this is this is why we always talk about Street planners having a few holes because protecting bike lanes that were at like, hard bike hardening is not counting those streets plan.
2:26:42
So those are things that we weren't doing in 2019 that we are doing now, but we're not double counting them as sort of new construct construction.
2:26:50
And I I just wanted to clarify that the the if it's a new project that he sees carrying it, we don't count it until it's completed.
2:26:58
So we are not counting them before
Speaker 1
2:27:01
Right.
2:27:02
You're not counting it, but, like, the number 15 you gave is what's in process.
2:27:05
It's not completed.
2:27:06
So DDC has a number in terms of what is even in process right now because DMT has
Speaker 13
2:27:12
And we we we would have that number I mean, it's the same.
2:27:15
We would have the number of the pipeline projects that are in DDC's court that will come with the streets land goal.
2:27:22
I think that's the that's the universe of
Speaker 1
2:27:24
Well, it's interesting to hear you say that because in our last street's plan hearing, DOT could not tell me any numbers at all, really.
2:27:31
And so you're now saying that you have an idea of what's in the pipeline and what's complete, but that was not made clear.
2:27:39
So can you let me know right now where you guys are with the goal?
Speaker 13
2:27:43
Sure.
2:27:43
And I think the the answer is the same.
2:27:45
The we we know what's in the pipeline.
2:27:47
We just don't know what's gonna be delivered that year for the street So that's kind of this in
Speaker 1
2:27:51
the pipeline.
Speaker 13
2:27:52
So there's a I I don't have I don't have it in front of me, but there's a construction pipeline that we can I have no issue sharing that, and then there's a street improvement pipeline?
Speaker 1
2:28:02
Let's share what you had, you know, issue sharing.
Speaker 5
2:28:04
Sure.
2:28:05
I
Speaker 13
2:28:05
just don't have it in front of me.
2:28:07
We we can take out all the so Queen's Boulevard is one that I know for sure is is in DDC's court.
2:28:14
Think there's a couple of projects in Corona that have been that we're gonna be doing race crosswalks.
2:28:19
I can we can share the list of capital projects that include some by component if you wish that's not a problem.
Speaker 1
2:28:25
And DOT commits and DDC jointly commit to providing this information to my committee staff by the end of this week.
Speaker 13
2:28:34
Sure.
2:28:34
We can send you the I just don't know exactly when they will be delivered, but we can send you the price.
Speaker 1
2:28:39
You can you can Sure.
2:28:41
Categorize arise it like that.
2:28:42
What we expect to be delivered, what's in the pipeline.
2:28:45
We just had no idea.
Speaker 13
2:28:46
That's that's totally fair.
2:28:47
And, yes, we
Speaker 1
2:28:48
Because in a sense, it could be that the Street's plan timeline may not be something that is technically feasible based on the processes, but we don't have any line of site on it because you're not sharing any numbers with us.
Speaker 13
2:29:04
Yep.
2:29:04
Yep.
2:29:04
Yes.
2:29:05
We can absolutely share the capital project in the pipeline that DDC has.
2:29:10
That's not a problem.
2:29:11
I think the the one where we struggle more is on the street reconstruction side because those, as you know, would require a lot of engagement with community, and I can't commit to a number that same year.
2:29:20
And maybe so let me give you an example.
2:29:22
I think Castle Member Banks was here.
2:29:25
Cozine and Wortman was a a incredible protected byte link project that took 2 years of engagement.
2:29:31
So the way we see it as a as something in the pipeline just doesn't mean that's gonna be delivered that year.
2:29:37
So that's the that's sort of the disconnect of why we are hesitant in sharing the numbers in it for, like, in that year, we like to and we're gonna be releasing the new streets plan plan
Speaker 1
2:29:50
This one.
Speaker 13
2:29:51
In the streets plan plan.
2:29:53
In the next few weeks that looks at the projects that we completed last year.
2:29:58
And that number will be
Speaker 1
2:30:00
And I'd like to have it broken down by barrels to just this tea, which burrow is getting most of the dollars and cents because communities like mine, we really need the impish structured projects to happen to make our streets safer, and we don't really see as much of that going from, like, a late perspective when you walk on the street and you see how you're crossing the street and what that dynamic is like.
2:30:23
I'm thankful DOT installed really quickly a traffic light and crosswalk in my district.
2:30:30
Unfortunately, it was due to a crash.
2:30:32
So I I like to know how this money is being prioritized.
2:30:35
Ties and spend across the city.
2:30:38
And with that, before I pivot to Comptroller, there are 4 outstanding questions from DDC.
2:30:43
Do you have your answers now?
Speaker 4
2:30:50
I do.