Zohran Statements, Queens Flooding Eviction, 116th St Bus Lanes

Politics & Policy

• In Her Own Words: ‘Nobody Is Envying Us Today, Zohran’ · Mary Beth Kelly, founder of Families for Safe Streets and victim of road violence, shares her experiences highlighting the urgency for safer streets in NYC. Her story underscores continued challenges in traffic safety advocacy. (Streetsblog NYC)
• Judge rules Adams, Mamdani broke law by failing to release racial equity plans according to charter-mandated timelines · A Manhattan Supreme Court judge ruled that former Mayor Eric Adams and current Mayor Zohran Mamdani violated city law by not releasing racial equity plans on time, contradicting city charter requirements. The ruling may force accelerated public release and compliance. (PoliticsNY)
• City rescinds hundreds of pied-à-terre tax letters · NYC sent letters exempting hundreds of homeowners from the new luxury pied-à-terre tax following a court filing, avoiding tax enforcement on these properties for now. The decision came amid ongoing legal disputes over the tax’s scope. (Dan Rivoli)
• Record Amount of Outside Money Flooded NYC Elections Last Year · Outside donors poured a record sum into the 2025 NYC elections, but heavy spending failed to sway many races. Mayor Zohran Mamdani won two tough contests despite adversaries spending tens of millions against him. (Katie Honan)
• Three Queens medians to become green ‘sponges’ to help curb flooding · Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an $8.4 million project converting street medians in Whitestone, Forest Hills, and Queens Village into landscaped green infrastructure to reduce flooding by capturing stormwater. (6sqft)

Housing, Transportation & Infrastructure

• ‘Where are we going to go?’: Flooding forces Queens family out of home of 34 years · Persistent flooding forced Anita Hack and her family to leave their Hollis, Queens home after 34 years, spotlighting the growing climate crisis displacing longtime NYC residents. The neighborhood faces intensifying flood risks and infrastructure challenges. (Gothamist)
• Nine People Have Been Killed By Hit-And-Run Drivers This Month Alone · Hit-and-run drivers killed nine New Yorkers in August, including a nurse in Sunset Park, highlighting urgent safety failures on city streets and ongoing challenges in traffic law enforcement. (Streetsblog NYC)
• Opinion: New York Can Build More Housing Without Shutting Community Out · Advocates argue that NYC can expand housing through inclusive planning that consults local residents rather than imposing decisions from central offices, aiming to balance growth with community voices. (City Limits)
• Mayor launches new ‘fast-track’ for Housing Court cases · NYC launched a new fast-track Housing Court initiative to expedite urgent cases involving dilapidated apartments, enabling tenants and landlords to get quicker judicial resolutions. (Queens Daily Eagle)
• Then & Now: The Northwest Bronx’s Evolving Development Landscape – Kingsbridge Armory · The Kingsbridge Armory project highlights decades-long developments in Northwest Bronx, illustrating protracted timelines that often outlast multiple administrations and complicate urban growth. (Norwood News)

Culture & Lifestyle

• NYC artist creates device that slows Citi Bikes passing through rent-burdened areas · Artist Justin designed a device that physically slows Citi Bikes in neighborhoods hit hardest by rent burdens, using transportation to make NYC’s affordability crisis tangible to riders. (Gothamist)
• Where Did the Italians of Carroll Gardens Go? · Carroll Gardens’ once-thriving Italian community has largely dispersed, reshaping the neighborhood’s cultural identity as longtime families move away amid changing demographics. (Rachel Corbett)
• Over 100 New Yorkers are coming together to create a live album in Central Park · Public Works’ Public Record will perform a free live album recording this Labor Day Weekend at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, featuring over 100 local musicians. (Raven Snook)
• John Galliano’s 2027 Met exhibition is officially canceled after heavy backlash · The Met canceled John Galliano’s 2027 Costume Institute exhibition following public outcry over the designer’s past antisemitic and racist remarks. (Laura Ratliff)
• New Yorkers can snag $100 tickets to the U.S. Open thanks to Mayor Mamdani · Mayor Zohran Mamdani secured $100 tickets for New Yorkers to the U.S. Open, with sales starting at 10 a.m. tomorrow, making world-class tennis more accessible to the public. (Laura Ratliff)

Civic Services & Government

• Mamdani Rushes To Patch up NYC Childcare Payments After Providers Report Delays · Mayor Zohran Mamdani pledged to fix delayed payments jeopardizing his free childcare program for 2-year-olds, responding to providers warning closures ahead of the Sept. 10 school start. (Michael Elsen-Rooney, Chalkbeat)
• Remembering 9/11: How victims’ compensation attorneys are still fighting for their clients 25 years later · Attorneys continue to advocate for 9/11 victims 25 years on, highlighting ongoing legal and health battles tied to the attacks and compensation challenges. (AM New York)
• Health Check: Low Dose, Big Benefits: Helping Bronx Families Prevent Preeclampsia · Bronx families are benefiting from low-dose treatments to prevent preeclampsia, a dangerous pregnancy complication, improving maternal and infant health outcomes. (Norwood News)
• NYPD arrests Bronx man in connection with 2 fatal NYC shootings · NYPD arrested Jesus Acosta, 31, in connection with two shootings that killed two men and injured another earlier this week, escalating efforts to curb gun violence. (Gothamist)
• Lawsuit claims Rikers staff shackled pregnant woman, violating state and federal law · A lawsuit alleges Department of Correction staff shackled a pregnant woman on Rikers Island, violating state and federal laws protecting pregnant detainees. (Gothamist)

DEEP DIVE

NYC begins construction on Manhattan’s 116th Street bus lanes aiming to speed up commutes for 65,000 daily riders

The city Department of Transportation began construction on 116th Street this week to install 2.5 miles of new bus lanes, aiming to accelerate commutes for 65,000 daily riders on 10 bus routes. This corridor, spanning from Morningside Park to the East River, currently has bus speeds below 4 mph—slower than half the citywide average—and the project will add curbside and offset bus lanes, bus-priority traffic signals, protected bike lanes, and expanded pedestrian space to fix that. Mayor Zohran Mamdani framed the slow pace as unacceptable, promising a redesign that balances bus speed, cyclist safety, and pedestrian improvements.

This effort is part of a broader “Next Stop” citywide plan developed by Mayor Mamdani’s office, Governor Hochul, and the MTA to prioritize bus speed and reliability on 50 key corridors throughout the city. The 116th Street project integrates multi-modal improvements in one of Manhattan’s crucial east-west transit routes, linking riders to at least five subway lines and addressing long-standing congestion and safety issues in a historically underserved transit corridor. The project represents a strategic shift toward more equitable transit investments targeting the daily experience of tens of thousands of bus riders.

With the launch of construction, the stakes involve dramatically improving travel times on one of the slowest bus routes in the city, giving commuters more time for work and family, and reducing traffic hazards. The installation of bus queue jumps—signals that prioritize buses at intersections—along with street redesigns, could serve as a national model for urban transit reform. New Yorkers relying on the 116th Street buses will weigh the benefits against construction disruptions in the coming months. The project also tests whether integrated infrastructure upgrades can boost both transit efficiency and neighborhood safety simultaneously in a dense urban environment. (AM New York)