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Vision Long Island Announces 2009 Smart Growth Summit
$28.1 Billion MTA Capital Plan Approved
LEED-ND Overwhelmingly Approved by CNU Board
Historic Mott House Demolished: Who's to blame and What's next?
Gordon Heights Visioning Wrap-Up
Nassau County Proposes 25% Cut to Long Island Bus
If you support the Lighthouse Project, we need your help!
See what's going on on Long Island and stay active. This week's highlights include the RELI Solar Tour, Trees For Life, the Revitalizing New York Summit, and the Huntington Fall Festival. Read more... Ronkonkoma has sent out an RFP for the Hub and Vision is seeking fall interns. Read more... Check out this weekend's events like the Long Island Fair in Bethpage and the Merrick Fall Festival. Read more... "I'm not against cars. But your city doesn't have to be oriented toward them. A car is like your mother-in-law. You want to have a good relationship with her, but you can't let her conduct your life. When a city has good public transportation, it becomes for people and for cars. Imagine a city with 30 percent fewer cars on the streets." -- Jaime Lerner, former Mayor of Curitaba, Brazil (pop. 1.7 million); Lerner was instrumental in Curitaba making a major investment in "bus rapid transit" systems. From "Imagine a City With 30 Percent Fewer Cars" (interview inSierra Magazine, Jan/Feb. 2006). |
The Long Island Smart Growth Working Group met this morning to discuss the elusive topic of transportation financing. Attendees included officials from the Town's of Islip, Riverhead, Hempstead, Oyster Bay as well as civic, chamber leaders and other stakeholders. The topic was timely, due to the continued misinformation as to the status of transportation projects throughout the region. Read more... 
Last week, the MTA Board approved its 2010-2014 Capital Plan worth $28.1 billion. There are some great promised investments on the table, including $1.179 billion for LIRR track, rolling stock, and signals/communications. $5.7 billion will go into system expansion, including $2.9 billion for East Side Access. The problem with the plan is that the MTA currently cannot afford it, by almost $10 billion. The next step will be pressure on Albany to fund the shortfall. Read more...
The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) has voted in the 2009 version of LEED-ND (Neighborhood Design). The online ballot was open for one month and, of the 10 percent of CNU Board Members who voted, 94 percent approved the new version. The launch of this program depends on the polling results of two other partners: the U.S. Green Building Council and the National Resources Defense Council, the latter of which represents the Smart Growth movement. Both are expected to pass through. Read more...
Last week, the Town of Brookhaven suffered a terrible loss: the historic Mott House fell to the ground. The building, which had been standing since the early 1800's, was going to become the new home of the Gordon Heights Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association. Residents felt that the Mott House was a key landmark that had been neglected to long and would be better served as a community center. Residents from the surrounding community were also pleased as the property would no longer be blighted, but revitalized. Read more...
Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi is trying to balance Nassau County’s budget on the backs of Long Island Bus riders. His proposed 2010 budget, released this week, reduces the County’s contribution to Long Island Bus by a quarter, from $10.5 million to $7.7 million. Given that Suozzi’s vision for a New Suburbia depends on a robust transit network, Vision is surprised by this action. Read more...
This past Tuesday, the Town of Hempstead scheduled a 12-hour public zoning hearing for the Lighthouse project; the hours of questioning left the Town and the audience with a much more thorough understanding of the project's components. At the end of the night, of the remaining 100 or so attendees, a poll was taken that determined up to a 90% support level for the Lighthouse--not unlike the level of support earlier in the day. The community clearly came out to support the project and hope to see it move forward. SMART GROWTH NEWS Newsletter Editor: Michelle Dutchen, Director of Communications We strive to provide continued quality publications such as this each week. If you are interested in becoming a newsletter or news blast sponsor, please call the office at 631-261-0242 for rates and opportunities. If you have any news or events that you would like to add to our newsletter, submit them to info@visionlongisland.org for consideration.
For more information about Vision Long Island, visit http://www.visionlongisland.org or contact us at: |
