by: Jessica Sheridan Assoc. AIA LEED AP
During this year’s Earth Day, PlaNYC issued a Progress Report with an update on how the city has fared since the initiative’s launch in 2007. In general, NYC is doing pretty well at achieving, or staying on track, with the 127 proposals. The city has planted almost 200,000 trees, increased the number of hybrid vehicles on the streets, issued a Sustainable Stormwater Management Plan, and opened the NYC Office of Environmental Remediation, among other programs.
Each of the nine sections of PlaNYC — housing, open spaces, brownfields, water quality, water network, transportation, energy, air quality, climate change — is showing that 2009 milestones have been met on time, completed, or are in progress. Relatively few initiatives have been delayed, except for transportation. Yes, new bicycle lanes have been constructed, regulation of parking placards has been instituted, and a pilot Bus Rapid Transit route was piloted. However, as we all recall, the failed congestion pricing plan did damage to the transportation goals. As I wrote in my last Editor’s Soapbox (See NYC Transportation Funding Doesn’t Add Up, 04.07.09), the stimulus plan is not doing much to help our mass transportation issues.
As someone who was skeptical about the survival of green initiatives as soon as the economy took a turn for the worse, the overall progress of PlaNYC is encouraging. Hopefully the payback will soon be more evident, and we will have more substantial numbers backing the proposals.