The votes have been tallied for this year’s Participatory Budget – with over 4,000 cast, representing more votes than any other participating council district – to decide how to spend $1 million in capital funding.
Here are the four projects the money will be allocated towards:
$150,000 will be spent expanding the number of trees throughout District 6, all of which will be protected by tree guards. The trees will be planted “by experienced tree growers who select specific approved species for each site— considering many factors such as tree bed type, sidewalk width, and soil,” the announcement from Council Member Gale Brewer’s office states.
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$250,000 will be spent on upgrading the electrical system at P.S. 87 at 160 West 78th Street. This will allow the school to install air conditioning and “keep up with the technology requirements from the Dept. of Education.”
$200,000 will fund a Department of Transportation study assessing a potential redesign along Broadway between 70th and 72nd streets, including the creation of a pedestrian plaza. “Community input will be front and center.” ALSO READ: Local Group Launches New Campaign to Pedestrianize West 72nd Street
$375,000 will fund the installation of five new hydration stations throughout Riverside Park (between West 54th and 96th streets). These stations will come equipped with “water fountain and bottle refilling features—expanding fresh water access and reducing the use of single-use plastic bottles.”
“The projects which did not garner enough votes will be part of my agenda going forward,” said Council Member Gale Brewer. Some of these included bathroom upgrades at the Delacorte Theater, P.S. 84 and P.S. 166; technology upgrades at The Mickey Mantle School (P811M); and an upgraded gym with cooling system at William O’Shea School Complex (MS247, MS245 and MS44).
We don’t need pedestrian malls – this is NYC, we need vehicles for services and commercial enterprises. The DOT thinks that citizens have so much leisure time to stroll around and sit in the middle of the street? Get real! The DOT redesigned 103rd street and now it is a single lane of traffice, blocked most of the time, gigantic bolders to usurp parking places and ridiculous unmaintainable planters on pink and blue asphalt to further coral citizens. What they create is a three-ring circus – with my tax money.
$75,000/water fountain?