REST Act Momentum, Parking-to-Trash Conversion, Congestion Pricing…

Politics & Policy

• With progressive momentum on their side, tenant advocates see hope for the REST Act next session · Tenant rights groups expect the statewide rent control REST Act to pass next year after their progressive-backed candidates won key primaries. The victory shifts legislative power in their favor heading into the 2027 session. (Kate Lisa)
• Mamdani, Menin shake on $126B NYC budget · Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin agreed on a $125.8 billion budget for fiscal year 2027. The deal outlines city spending priorities across agencies and services starting July 1. (Annie McDonough and Sahalie Donaldson)
• Brooklyn appellate court finds city ambulance liable for 2016 hit-and-run of trans cyclist · The Brooklyn appellate court ruled the City and FDNY liable for a 2016 ambulance hit-and-run injuring a trans cyclist. The decision overturns a 2024 dismissal and exposes the city to damages. (AM New York)
• Horse carriage ban legislation gains steam as Council Majority Leader Abreu jumps on board · City Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu endorsed Intro 943, legislation to ban NYC horse carriages following Romanchuk’s death. The bill now gains momentum for a citywide phase-out. (AM New York)
• Opinion: Why I voted no on the $126 billion budget · Councilmember Althea Stevens explains her “no” vote on the $126 billion budget, citing the government’s obligation to serve marginalized communities more effectively. She urges deeper investment in under-resourced New Yorkers. (Althea Stevens)

Housing, Transportation & Infrastructure

• You won’t believe how many parking spaces in NYC will be converted into trash bin sites by 2031 · NYC plans to convert nearly 30,000 curbside parking spots into Empire Bin trash collection sites by 2031, eliminating sidewalk trash bags citywide. This will reduce parking availability across boroughs. (Laura Ratliff)
• EXCLUSIVE: NYC completes work on Madison Avenue double bus lane, Lexington Avenue offset bus lane conversion · DOT finished installing double bus lanes on Madison Avenue and offset lanes on Lexington Avenue, part of Mayor Mamdani’s early 2026 transit improvements. The upgrades aim to speed bus traffic and reduce congestion. (AM New York)
• One of the Bronx’s oldest subway stations gets a $123M makeover after years of delays · The MTA is completing a $123 million renovation of a 120-year-old Bronx subway station after nearly three years of delays. The upgrade includes new elevators and historic restorations. (Gothamist)
• Can ‘Train Daddy’ fix America’s busiest train station? · A weekly newsletter explores leadership changes aimed at improving NYC’s busiest transit hub amid rising commuter complaints and infrastructure strain. The feature discusses potential fixes and challenges. (Gothamist)
• Tuesday’s Headlines: Parking is Never Easy Edition · Mayor Mamdani and advocates debate residential parking permit pricing to manage NYC’s parking scarcity. The proposal would charge for curb space to ease demand and raise revenue. (Streetsblog NYC)

Culture & Lifestyle

• NYC’s Singaporean Food Hall Conceived by Bourdain Will Close This Month · Urban Hawker, the Singaporean food hall created with Anthony Bourdain’s influence, will close July 17 after the Midtown building was sold for redevelopment. The closure ends a seven-year run. (Eater NY)
• Art and Resistance on the Nation’s 250th · This week’s art stories celebrate creative resistance and community power as America marks its 250th anniversary. Highlights include projects showcasing cultural resilience in NYC. (Hyperallergic)
• A Little Piece of Burning Man Arrives in Gowanus · A 30-foot glowing polar bear and 13-foot mirrored cub sculptures inspired by Burning Man will be installed near the Gowanus Canal, adding a whimsical public art landmark. (Adriane Quinlan)
• Flatiron’s Irreverent Pizza Spot Falls Flat · A Flatiron pizza restaurant known for its irreverent vibe closed this month, joining a growing list of NYC eateries shutting down amid changing dining trends. (Eater NY)
• Beloved Brooklyn metal bar Saint Vitus to reopen in Bushwick · Saint Vitus, the iconic Greenpoint metal bar closed in early 2024, will reopen in a new Bushwick location this summer, preserving its performance space and community. (Gothamist)

Business & Economy

• Black Unemployment in NYC Still Trails Nation Amid Competition, DEI Retreat · Black unemployment in NYC remains higher than the national rate following Paramount’s 2024 layoffs of 200 Noggin animators, illustrating ongoing job competition and a rollback in diversity hiring. (Nancy Jiang)
• Adam Driver’s Brooklyn Heights Apartment Is on the Market for $5 Million · Actor Adam Driver listed his 2,681-square-foot Brooklyn Heights apartment for $5 million. The three-bedroom unit combines two properties he bought between 2014 and 2017. (Brooklyn Magazine)

Civic Services & Government

• The Long Battle to Keep the NYPD Out of Mental Health Emergencies · Advocates push to limit NYPD involvement in mental health crises after repeated police responses caused community outrage. Efforts continue to expand non-police crisis intervention teams. (Abigail Kramer)
• Fear, Hate and Few Consequences for N.Y. Prison Officers, State’s Review Finds · A 277-page state review exposes unsafe conditions and poor oversight in NY prisons, highlighting widespread fear among inmates and correction officers with insufficient disciplinary action. (Reuven Blau)
• Chemical fumes still detected at Gowanus school after installation of filter system · Chemical fumes persist in the basement of a Brooklyn elementary school near the Gowanus Canal despite a newly installed filtration system, endangering student health. (Gothamist)
• NYC, NJ report death toll from historic heat wave · Three New Yorkers died at home from heat-related causes during a historic heat wave that lasted six days, city officials confirmed, underlining climate risks amid rising temperatures. (Gothamist)
• Eight wounded, including four children, in Coney Island shooting, NYPD says · A Fourth of July family barbecue in Coney Island erupted in gunfire, leaving eight wounded, including four children. Police continue to investigate the mass shooting. (Olivia Leach)

DEEP DIVE

‘Every second counts’: Congestion pricing speeds up ambulances in Manhattan, study finds

A National Bureau of Economic Research paper released Monday found that congestion pricing implemented in January 2025 significantly reduced ambulance travel time in Manhattan below 60th Street by more than a minute. This decrease in travel time directly contributes to saving lives and reducing medical costs, as ambulance response intervals had previously been increasing for a decade. The study traces this improvement to lower vehicle traffic from drivers avoiding toll zones or switching to bicycles, which increased by 20 percent in the area.

Congestion pricing, designed to manage traffic and improve air quality, unexpectedly delivered a boost to emergency services by clearing the streets. Researchers underscore that every minute gained in cardiac arrest response increases survival chances by 7 to 10 percent. The report arrives after a period of worsening emergency travel times attributed to the proliferation of ride-hailing vehicles, which clogged city streets. While FDNY paramedics dispute seeing such improvements in real time, the data reflects a clear trend improving emergency outcomes.

This study reshapes how policymakers and New Yorkers assess congestion pricing’s broader benefits beyond traffic reduction and pollution control. Faster ambulance transport can save dozens, if not hundreds, of lives annually in Manhattan’s dense core. The city must decide whether to expand or adjust the program to deepen these gains, even as frontline responders continue to debate the practical day-to-day impact.