Building Workers Strike, Mamdani Curb Management Office, Waymo Testing Halted

Politics & Policy

• Strike Looms as NYC Residential Building Workers Demand Legal Aid for Immigrants · New York’s 34,000 residential building workers, represented by 32BJ SEIU, will vote on April 15 to authorize a strike if contract talks don’t include legal aid for immigrant members. A strike would disrupt thousands of residential buildings citywide. (Documented NY)
• Mamdani heads to the zoo to announce the latest DCWP settlement · Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced HungryPanda will pay over $875,000 in fines and restitution to restaurants and the city after DCWP probes over deceptive delivery fees. This may improve fairness for restaurants relying on delivery platforms. (City & State)
• Nonprofit at the center of federal corruption probe still has a $94M city contract · Despite indictments on federal bribery and embezzlement charges, a Brooklyn nonprofit maintains a $94 million city contract starting this summer with no stated review or suspension. This raises concerns about city oversight amid corruption investigations. (Gothamist)
• Mayor, City Council clash over competing plans to close budget gap · Mayor Mamdani and the City Council disagree on how to close a multibillion-dollar budget deficit ahead of the June deadline, with Mamdani proposing cuts and the council urging revenue-raising measures. This fight sets the tone for fiscal priorities over the next year. (NY1)
• Mayor Mamdani signals openness to NYPD gang database, citing reforms · After previously opposing it, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday he is more receptive to the NYPD’s gang database because of recent departmental reforms, signaling possible policy shifts for policing. This could affect law enforcement practices around gang surveillance. (Gothamist)

Housing & Transit

• EXCLUSIVE: Mamdani Creates ‘Curb Management’ Office at DOT, Seeking Order From Chaos · The Mamdani administration established a new Curb Management Office at NYC DOT to oversee control of 6,300 miles of curb lanes, aiming to reduce congestion and better organize parking and commercial loading zones. This could improve flow on city streets. (Streetsblog NYC)
• The Daily Dirt: Meet the new head of City Planning · Sideya Sherman, the new City Planning chair raised on Staten Island, outlined plans focused on equitable development and tackling displacement, highlighting how place shapes opportunity across NYC’s neighborhoods. (The Real Deal)
• ‘The Housing Czar!’ · Cea Weaver leads the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants and is advancing new tenant protections during Mamdani’s first 100 days, pushing back on rental ripoffs and advocating for affordable housing enforcement. (Curbed)
• DOT Launches Delivery Worker Training And Puts Apps On Notice · NYC DOT launched a required e-bike safety training for delivery workers as part of efforts to improve worker safety and warned apps they won’t tolerate dangerous delivery practices, aiming to reduce crashes. (Streetsblog NYC)
• Latinos abandonan NYC en busca de mejores oportunidades y alquileres más baratos · Many Latino residents are leaving NYC for suburbs and other regions due to unstable construction jobs and rising living costs, reflecting economic pressures on immigrant families. (Documented NY)

Culture & Lifestyle

• Josh Kline Misses the Mark · A new critique evaluates Josh Kline’s recent art, questioning its approach while also highlighting retrospectives by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha and emerging voices reclaiming spirituality in art. (Hyperallergic)
• Unlike Josh Kline, I Choose New York · Responding to Kline’s views on affordability frustrations, a New Yorker affirms commitment to staying and fighting for transformative change rather than leaving the city. (Hyperallergic)
• March (Parking) Madness Finals: Who Will Roll The Rock? · The final round of NYC’s annual “March Parking Madness” was set for April 6, pitting finalists UConn and Michigan-themed parking spots in a playful competition spotlighting street space use debates. (Streetsblog NYC)
• Car-Free Earth Day returns with free events across NYC · On April 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., NYC will host Car-Free Earth Day with car-free zones and free climate-themed events in all boroughs, encouraging sustainable urban recreation and awareness. (6sqft)
• In bloom: NY and NJ cherry blossoms are objectively the best in the nation · Cherry blossoms are peaking across NYC and northern New Jersey parks and streets, marking spring’s arrival with widespread natural beauty delighting residents. (Gothamist)

Business & Economy

• Editorial | NYC ‘true cost of living’ report exposes a town without equity · A report unveiled by Mayor Mamdani reveals 62% of NYC’s 5.2 million residents earn below the local true cost of living threshold, spotlighting widespread economic inequities. (AM New York)
• Rising storefront vacancies in Parkchester raise concerns for local economy · Local business owners report increasing storefront vacancies in Parkchester, signaling economic instability in the neighborhood’s retail sector. (NY1)
• Partnership for New York City CEO Fulop reacts to Mamdani’s policies · Some business leaders express skepticism toward Mayor Mamdani’s early policies as his 100th day approaches, amid ongoing debates about NYC’s economic direction. (NY1)

Civic Services

• Closing the Rikers Island 311 ‘Black Hole’ · Councilmember Gale Brewer is drafting legislation requiring public tracking of 311 complaints related to Rikers Island to increase transparency over the 100,000 annual calls currently unaccounted for. (THE CITY)
• MAMDANI’S FIRST 100 DAYS: Mayor opens Bellevue medical outpost for Rikers detainees, saying it’s a step toward closing the jail · On his 97th day in office, Mayor Mamdani inaugurated a Bellevue medical unit for Rikers detainees, framing it as progress toward the jail’s closure and improved detainee care. (PoliticsNY)
• Opinion: Fulfilling New York’s Legal and Moral Obligation to Support Children’s Behavioral Health · An opinion piece calls for urgent investment in children’s behavioral health services, citing long waitlists in NYC’s poorest neighborhoods that jeopardize kids’ wellbeing. (City Limits)
• New York Unveils Nation’s First Delivery Worker Hub · NYC opened the nation’s first dedicated delivery worker hub outside City Hall, providing shelter and charging stations for thousands of delivery workers who face harsh conditions year-round. (Documented NY)
• Parents say abuses at shuttered Brooklyn day care highlight oversight gaps · Parents revealed how a Brooklyn day care closed for license revocation was allowed to open a second facility which also shut amid abuse allegations, exposing regulatory weaknesses Statewide. (Gothamist)

Civic Engagement

• Public School Strong Organizing Meeting: Building Toward May Day, A Nationwide Day of Collective Action · Join Public School Strong’s national organizing meeting on April 14 to strategize for May Day actions supporting fully funded public education and ICE-free schools. RSVP online to participate. (Chalkbeat NY)
• Sen. Addabbo to partner with DEA, Juniper Park Civic Association for Prescription Drug Take Back Event in Middle Village · State Senator Addabbo will host a Prescription Drug Take Back Event on April 16, 8–9 p.m., at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Academy in Middle Village for residents to safely dispose of unused medications. (PoliticsNY)

Events

• Advocacy Alert: Take Action on 3 Key State Budget Priorities · Dance workers can urge lawmakers this month to support increased funding for arts and culture, equitable education funding, and the New York for All Act protecting immigrants. Sign-on letters and public comments can be submitted now as state budget negotiations continue. (Dance.NYC)

DEEP DIVE

With Waymo Testing Halted, We Have A Rare Chance To Get Ahead of the ‘Driverless Revolution’

On March 31, New York City and State permits allowing Waymo to test its autonomous taxis expired, and the city declined to renew them. At the same time, Governor Hochul paused legislation that would expand driverless vehicle services statewide, creating a pause in rapidly advancing technology on NYC streets. With no clear guidance yet on what happens next, this pause gives the city a critical opportunity to shape how driverless cars will integrate into one of the nation’s busiest urban environments.

This moment is pivotal because autonomous vehicles are poised to reshape urban mobility but come with major risks. Historical parallels show new transportation technologies can overwhelm cities that lack strong regulation—the example of Uber and Lyft introducing 100,000 new vehicles to worsen congestion looms large. Moreover, industry safety claims that human error causes nearly all crashes have been debunked by federal safety officials, raising concerns about the reliability of driverless technology. Waymo and others have spent millions lobbying but have yet to provide trustworthy crash data to regulators.

For New Yorkers, the stakes are concrete. Millions rely on safe and efficient streets, and how driverless cars operate will affect congestion, safety, and public transit viability. The city faces a choice: craft strong, transparent regulations now or risk ceding control to private tech companies expanding driverless fleets without adequate oversight. With Waymo testing halted and legislation on hold, the coming months will decide if NYC sets the rules or simply reacts to the driverless revolution when it inevitably arrives. (Streetsblog NYC)