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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Benjy Ross from the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA on transit-oriented development
2:59:51
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3 min
Benjy Ross testifies on behalf of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC), emphasizing the link between transit and housing.
PCAC recommends expanding zoning for accessibility incentives around transit hubs, creating a comprehensive plan incorporating transit, streamlining projects (reforming ULURP/SEQR, curtailing deference), and eliminating parking minimums citywide.
He argues these steps are crucial for solving the housing crisis, boosting transit ridership/revenue, and building sustainably.
Benjy Ross
2:59:51
Alright.
2:59:52
Good evening, members of the Charter Revision Commission.
2:59:54
My name is Benjie Ross.
2:59:55
I'm a research and advocacy intern with the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC.
3:00:02
Created by the legislator in 1981, PCAC is the official voice of MTA riders.
3:00:07
PCAC exists to fight for better service for every rider across the system.
3:00:11
So why am I here today talking about housing?
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Excellent transit is the key to plentiful housing, and plentiful housing is the key to excellent transit.
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People want to live where there is good trans excuse me, transit.
3:00:25
Unfortunately, there is they are too often priced out.
3:00:29
Car centric requirements for new housing dramatically increase costs, reduce the amount of housing that can be built, and disincentivizes residents to use our city's greatest asset, our robust transit system.
3:00:41
New York City's housing crisis results from an incredible deficit of homes, 473,000 according to the Regional Plan Association.
3:00:48
To realistically build the homes needed to resolve this crisis, we need to plan around transit.
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We have four recommendations for the Charter Revision Commission.
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One, expand zoning for accessibility to apply to developments within a larger radius of all subway and rail stations and extend it to include bus stops, Allowing more developers than just those within a close distance of stations to pitch in on accessibility projects and other station improvements is a great way to solve two problems at once.
3:01:16
Two, create a comprehensive citywide plan incorporating transit.
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New York City is defined by two things, our housing density and our transit system.
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Creating a citywide plan that addresses our dire need for more housing excuse me, housing while encouraging residents to utilize transit is critical to solving our housing crisis and cementing a stable future for mass transit.
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For example, our analysis showed that City of Yes will, eventually bring ride increase daily ridership by up to 97,000 daily riders, bringing in an additional $304,000,000 annually, in the next fifteen years in subway and bus operating funds just from the new housing.
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Three, streamline projects that achieve citywide goals.
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Streamlining developments that eases our housing shortfall and addresses community needs will save time and money.
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With a 46,000 New York City public school students experiencing homelessness last year, we do not have the time to wait.
3:02:13
Curtailing, council member deference for forming the EULAR process and rationalizing environmental review will go a long way towards letting New York City meet New Yorkers' needs.
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Four, eliminate parking minimums citywide.
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Car centric cities like Minneapolis and Austin have already eliminated parking minimums.
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In the most transit rich city in the Western Hemisphere, with an acute housing shortage, there should be no reason for developers to be legally required to replace housing with off street parking.
3:02:42
Continuing to build car centric infrastructure makes transit and our housing cost crisis worst.
3:02:48
The housing crisis is the defining crisis of New York City today, but we have the tools to fight it.
3:02:54
Even after city of yes, our zoning to tax today looks more like Houston than it does like Houston.
3:03:00
This is the greatest city on Earth, and New York City needs to start planning like it's New
Gale A. Brewer
3:03:04
York City.
Benjy Ross
3:03:04
Thank you.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
3:03:04
Thank you.