REMARKS
Council member's concerns about policy impact on transit-poor communities
4:55:26
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79 sec
Council Member Brooks-Powers concludes with remarks emphasizing the need for nuanced policy-making that considers the unique challenges of transit-poor and historically underresourced communities.
- She provides real-life examples of development near transit hubs in Far Rockaway where residents still rely on cars
- The council member criticizes policies that aim to reduce car usage in areas with limited public transit options
- She stresses the importance of avoiding policies that further disenfranchise certain communities, referencing the historical impact of Robert Moses' planning
- Brooks-Powers expresses her commitment to achieving housing goals while ensuring that the unique needs of her district are taken into account
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
4:55:26
And we're a real life example, right, because there's been significant development near the Madam Avenue A train station with Far Rockaway Village in Beach 21st housing that came up.
4:55:37
It has people there now, and they still have cars.
4:55:41
Right?
4:55:41
I think the the policy of trying to wheel away cars from communities.
4:55:45
When you look on a subway map at the parses in archer, when you look East.
4:55:50
There's there's no subway.
4:55:52
Right?
4:55:52
So this is just a reality that should not be overlooked.
4:55:56
So as, like, Lynn, I think who counsel I'm showing as mentioned earlier, when we look at New York City policy, we don't wanna continue to push forward policy that's gonna further disenfranchise communities.
4:56:09
Robert Moses did enough of that.
4:56:11
We wanna make sure that the policy is meeting the need of housing, which we recognize and agree.
4:56:18
But we also need to make sure that we're taking into account these historically overlooked under resource communities and and looking through that lens so that we are doing sound policy yet still achieving the goal because I am committed to wanting to achieve that goal.
4:56:34
I think my district has done a lot though, but I'm trying to get there.
4:56:38
But we can't, like, ignore those challenges and I just wanna thank the chair for the time.
