NYC Planning Department Presents Western Queens Transportation Study To Roosevelt Island Community Last Night - Recommends New Bus Routes, Ferry Service, Bike Lanes & Motorgate Improvements

Reported October 16 on the NYC Department of City Planning (DCP) Western Queens Transportation study

Image Of Western Queens Transportation Study Area Of Interest from NYC Planning Dept (Page 4)

and its recommendations for Roosevelt Island.

Among the DCP's Western Queens Transportation Study recommendations for Roosevelt Island are:

• Eliminating the Q 102 bus and extending the Q 19 and Q 39 to Roosevelt Island (Pages 20-21),
• Extend East River Ferry Service To Roosevelt Island and Hallet's Cove in Astoria (Page 22),
• Improve Bike Access To Roosevelt Island including a Roosevelt Island Bridge 2 way bike lane (Pages 44-47),
• Improvements to the Motorgate Garage, Atrium and surrounding areas including new dedicated entrances, a welcoming pedestrian plaza, way finding signage, new multi-purpose escalator, bike share station and attractive pedestrian plaza greenway. (Pages 48 -57)

Images From DCP Western Queens Transportation Study (Pages 44, 54, 57)

Last night, the DCP presented its full Western Queens Transportation Study to Community Board 8's Roosevelt Island/ Transportation joint committee and other members of the Roosevelt Island Community. Here's video of the presentation.



followed by comments, question and answers. During the comments period, I asked the DCP representatives to consider extending the Q104 and Q103 bus routes to Roosevelt Island instead of the Q19 and Q39 because the Q104 and Q103 offer better routes to Astoria and Long Island City. Also, Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Transportation Manager Cy Opperman noted how important the current Q102 service is for transporting residents to and from the subway/tram during rush hours.

I was surprised to learn that the ferry service contemplated for Roosevelt Island in the DCP study would use the Manhattan side of the East River. Previous studies recommended the Queens side.

Other comments included Frank Farance on driving patterns in Astoria/LIC, Sharon Pope on bicycle access to Queensboro bridge and Judy Berdy on the transportation needs of poor people in Astoria/LIC not being addressed until now when luxury housing is starting to be developed in the area.

Here's video of the Q and A.



The DCP Western Queens Transportation Study notes:

... The recommendations made in this PDF Document presentation are predicated upon further study and feasibility analyses prior to implementation...

 A summary of the Western Queens Transportation Study recommendations for Roosevelt Island is at this previous post

Changes To Roosevelt Island Transportation Options Proposed By NYC Planning Dep't Western Queens Transportation Study - Learn More At October 22 CB 8 Meeting And Update On Weekend Subway Diversions Too

Image Of Western Queens Transportation Study Area Of Interest from NYC Planning Dept (Page 4)

A joint Roosevelt Island/Transportation Committee meeting of Community Board 8 (CB 8) will host a very important  presentation and discussion concerning future possible transportation plans for Roosevelt Island. According to CB 8:

The City of New York Manhattan Community Board 8 Roosevelt Island Committee

Manhattan Park
Community Room
4 River Road
Roosevelt Island, NY
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
6:30PM

1 - Presentation by Department of City Planning of its recommendations for the Western Queens Transportation Study which includes the Roosevelt Island Bridge -- Joint issue with the Transportation Committee
2- Update on weekend subway diversions
3 - Old Business
4- New business

Jeffrey Escobar and Laurence Parnes, Co-Chairs

Among the recommendations of the Western Queens Transportation Study concerning Roosevelt Island are:

Changes to the bus network to improve access to Roosevelt Island, Hallets Point, and Hunter’s Point, among other areas;...

... Improved access to Roosevelt Island via a protected bike lane and redesigned circulation areas serving the island’s parking garage complex;...

... The recommendations made in this PDF Document presentation are predicated upon further study and feasibility analyses prior to implementation

The Western Queens Transportation Study recommends eliminating the existing Q102 bus that serves Roosevelt Island

and replacing it with an extension (Pages 21-22)

 Image of Proposed Bus Routes From Western Queens Transportation Study Page 21

  of the Q19 from Astoria (current route)

and Q39 from Long Island City (current route)

to Roosevelt Island as well as extending the Q103 bus route that passes Roosevelt Island on Vernon B'lvd but not stopping on Roosevelt Island.

There is no mention of extending the Q104 bus to Roosevelt Island which currently ends it route two blocks from the Roosevelt Island Bridge at Vernon B'lvd and 34th Avenue.

No mention of changes to current F train Roosevelt Island subway service either (Page 23).

The Western Queens Transportation Study (Page 22) recommends:

Extend East River Ferry service to Roosevelt Island and Hallett’s Point

Construct additional ferry landings at Hunter’s Point, Roosevelt Island, and Astoria Cove for new ferry

and (Pages 44-47):

BIKE NETWORK AND ACCESS TO ROOSEVELT ISLAND
GOAL:
Encourage bicycling as a viable mode of transportation in the study area by creating a safe and efficient network

RECOMMENDATIONS:
Construct two-way protected bicycle lane on 36th Avenue

Enhance the descent from the Roosevelt Island Bridge to the street network on Roosevelt Island

Improve connection between Roosevelt Island Bridge bike/pedestrian paths and East River Greenway...

... New east-west bike connection needed between future Cornell Technion campus and Western Queens destinations to meet anticipated demand from new students and employees...

The Western Queens Transportation Study also recommends improvement to the Motorgate Garage, Atrium and surrounding areas Pages (48 -57) including .

new dedicated entrances,

a welcoming pedestrian plaza,

improved way finding, new multi-purpose escalator, bike share station,

and attractive pedestrian plaza greenway.

So, if you want to learn more and add your input on the future of Roosevelt Island Transportation, including finding out what's going on with the weekend subway service disruptions, come to the October 22 CB 8 Roosevelt Island/Transportation committee meeting.

Here is video showing Roosevelt Island November 2013 meeting discussion of a preliminary version of the Western Queens Transportation Study and March 2014 meeting with MTA representatives concerning better bus service for Roosevelt Island.

UPDATE 10/31 - Here is video of the October 22 Western Queens Transportation Study presentation.

Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident Carl Weisbrod Named Chair Of NYC Planning Commission Today By Mayor DeBlasio - Can Mr. Weisbrod Help Get Our Wine Shop Opened Sooner?

Reported previously on long time Roosevelt Island resident Carl Weisbrod being named Mayor DeBlasio's Transition Team Co-Chair as well as Mr. Weisbrod's asking Hudson Related Main Street Retail Master Leaseholder David Kramer when Roosevelt Island's Wine store would finally open.

More news on Mr. Weisbrod. Today, Mayor Deblasio named Roosevelt Island resident Carl Weisbrod as Chair of the NYC Planning Commission.

Image Mayor DeBlasio (left) and Carl Weisbrod (right) From NYC Mayor's Office

According to this Press Release from Mayor DeBlasio's office:

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced Carl Weisbrod will serve as Chair of the City Planning Commission, pledging a new approach to development that aggressively confronts the city’s inequality crisis. From expanding affordable housing to growing local industry that provides good-paying jobs, Mayor de Blasio charged Weisbrod with using all the tools at the city’s disposal to lift up working New Yorkers, keep neighborhoods affordable, and create stronger, more resilient communities.

Weisbrod brings more than 35 years of public service to the City Planning Commission. From his time in the Lindsay administration as a young anti-poverty lawyer, to his service as president of New York State’s 42nd Street Development Project, to his tenure as the founding president of the nation’s largest Business Improvement District in Lower Manhattan, Weisbrod has a track-record of revitalizing neighborhoods across the city and creating opportunity for New Yorkers in the process.

In announcing Weisbrod, Mayor de Blasio emphasized the administration would increase the city’s capacity for bold, long-term and comprehensive planning. And to achieve that goal, the Mayor pledged to dedicate additional resources to the Department of City Planning that will expedite the evaluation and certification of land-use applications.

“Carl is a quintessential New Yorker. He brings a real passion for our neighborhoods and our diversity across the five boroughs. And he also understands exactly how the city can shape development to stoke the most growth, the strongest affordability, and the best jobs for New Yorkers. He is ready to take these challenges head-on,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“I love this city. I’ve spent my entire career revitalizing its neighborhoods and making sure New Yorkers were the ones who benefited from good growth in their communities. We have such an enormous opportunity to put people to work in good-paying jobs, build affordable homes, and create stronger, more resilient communities—but that demands an approach that doesn’t let a single tool sit idle. We are committed to striking tough bargains and making farsighted decisions that protect New Yorkers and help us build a stronger city,” said Chair of the City Planning Commission Carl Weisbrod.

About Carl Weisbrod

Carl Weisbrod has more than 35 years of experience serving the people of New York. He has left his mark on some of the city’s most dynamic and fastest-growing neighborhoods.

Weisbrod’s service in government extends back to the Lindsay administration, which he joined as a young anti-poverty lawyer at the Department of Relocation. He was appointed by Mayor Koch to spearhead the city’s efforts to transform Times Square, and he also served as the Executive Director of the New York City Department of City Planning, Executive Director of the National Service Program, and Chairman of the New York City Loft Board. As president of New York State’s 42nd Street Development Project, Weisbrod led the effort to revitalize Times Square, transforming it into a global hub for tourism and entertainment.

Under Mayor Dinkins, Weisbrod was the Founding President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, where he negotiated the United States Tennis Association’s 99-year lease in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park—regarded as one of the most beneficial municipal sports deals in the nation—as well as the transaction that brought Harlem its first major supermarket, the Pathmark on 125th Street.

Mayor Bloomberg appointed him as a Director of the Trust for Governors Island and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, where he helped lead the post-9/11 recovery of downtown neighborhoods. That tenure overlapped with his 10 years as the founding president of the Alliance for Downtown New York, the largest business improvement district in the nation, setting in motion the evolution of the financial district from an area dominated by daytime office workers into a thriving 24-7 neighborhood.

Weisbrod also served as the head of the real estate division of Trinity Church. He is a former Trustee of the Ford Foundation and the Urban Land Institute. He has been a partner at the firm HR&A since 2011, where he managed the successful rezoning of the Hudson Square area in Manhattan into a dynamic hub for creative industries and new housing, including up to 700 affordable units.

Weisbrod grew up in Parkchester and Fresh Meadows, and he is a graduate of Cornell University and New York University’s School of Law. He currently lives on Roosevelt Island with his wife, Jody Adams, a retired family court judge.

Congratulations to Mr. Weisbrod on being named to this very important position for the future of NYC.

No Roosevelt Island F Train Service To Manhattan This Weekend And Next - Resident Asks NYC Planning Representative Why Almost Every Weekend Subway Service Disruptions?

According to the MTA:

F Coney Island-bound trains run via the E from Roosevelt Av to 5 Av/53 St

Weekend, 11:15 PM Fri to 5 AM Mon, Nov 15 - 18

Trains resume regular service at 47-50 Sts.

No Coney Island-bound service at 21 St-Queensbridge, Roosevelt Island, Lexington Av/63 St and 57 St.

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) adds:

Please be advised there will be no Manhattan bound F train service from 11:15 P.M. Friday, November 15th through 5:00 A.M. Monday, November 18 and from 11:15 P.M. Friday, November 22nd through 5:00 A.M. Monday, November 25th.

Sincerely,

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Advisories Group

During NYC Planning Department Western Queens/Roosevelt Island Transportation Study presentation to Community Board 8 (CB8) Roosevelt Island committee last night, a Roosevelt Island resident asked about why the constant Roosevelt Island F Train weekend subway service disruptions.

The NYC Planning Department representative did not have an answer.

CB 8 member Larry Parnes indicated that he thought the Roosevelt Island weekend F Train subway disruptions are caused by work related to the construction of the Second Avenue tunnel and that this work is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013. Mr. Parnes added that he did not know if there is other work related to subway service maintenance and rehabilitation which might  require additional Roosevelt Island weekend subway service disruptions after completion of the Second Avenue tunnel work.

Here's video of that discussion as well as more Roosevelt Island Transportation Q and A including on bus service to Long Island City/Astoria, Ferry service, bike sharing and pedestrian access to the Queensboro Bridge.





Will have more on the Western Queens Roosevelt Island Transportation Study in later post.

UPDATE 11/16 - Here is the NYC Planning Department Western Queens/Roosevelt Island Transportation presentation to  CB 8 Roosevelt Island committee that took place prior to the question and answer period shown in the two videos above.



UPDATE 6:30 PM - Here's the NYC Department of Planning Western Queens/Roosevelt Island Transportation slide presentation to CB 8.

Cornell NYC Tech Presentation On Roosevelt Island Campus Open Space Plan And Co-Location Building At Community Board 8 Meeting Tomorrow - NYC Planning Commission On Roosevelt Island/Western Queens Transportation Study Too

The Community Board 8 (CB 8) Roosevelt Island Committee will meet tomorrow to hear presentations from the NYC Department Of City Planning on the Western Queens Transportation/Roosevelt Island Study

Image From NYC DCP via Tri State Transportation Campaign

and Cornell NYC Tech campus on Roosevelt Island.

Image From Construction Tech Cornell

According to the Community Board 8 Roosevelt Island Committee

Meeting Date:
Thursday, November 14, 2013 - 6:30pm
Meeting Location:
Manhattan Park Theater Club
8 River Road Roosevelt Island, NY
New York, NY

1. Introduction of new committee public members

2. Presentation by Department of City Planning of its Western Queens Transportation Study which includes the Roosevelt Island Bridge – joint issue with the Transportation Committee

3. Presentation by Cornell of:
a. The schematic design for the co-location building that they will be bringing to the Public Design Commission for preliminary review approval. This will include renderings, site plans, etc
b. The open space plan as part of the commitment to the BP’s office during the ULURP process.

4. Old business

5. New business

Jeffrey Escobar and Laurence Parnes, Co-Chairs

More information on construction of the new Cornell NYC Tech Roosevelt Island campus available here.

UPDATE 11/16 - Video of the NYC Planning Department Western Queens/Roosevelt Island Transportation Study presentation to CB 8 Roosevelt Island Committee here.

Transportation Access To Roosevelt Island Part Of NYC Dep't Of City Planning Western Queens Transportation Study - Improved Transit, Bike and Pedestrian Linkage Between Long Island City, Astoria and Roosevelt Island Sought

The NYC Department Of City Planning (DCP) is conducting a Western Queens Transportation study to improve transportation links between new and existing Long Island City and Astoria developments which will also include transportation links from these neighborhoods to Roosevelt Island.

Image From NYC DCP via Tri State Transportation Campaign

According to the Tri-State Transportation Campaign (TSTC):

The New York City Department of City Planning (DCP)’s Transportation Division and Queens Office recently held its kickoff meeting for the Western Queens Transportation Study, which sets out to link new and existing development by focusing on bike, pedestrian and transit improvements. Various city agencies, the MTA, local civic associations, members from Community Boards 1 and 2 and the Tri-State Transportation Campaign were invited to participate in the Technical Advisory Committee to help guide the federally-funded study....

... Transportation issues identified by the DCP include:

Access to residential uses
Access to Roosevelt Island...

and:

Filling in the last-mile gap between the waterfront and subway stations is key to the area’s success. Although western Queens is served by subway lines (G/7/E/M/R/N/Q) that connect to Manhattan, Brooklyn and eastern Queens, stations are located on the eastern and southern edges of the area, some of which are as far as 15 blocks from the waterfront. These connectivity issues can be addressed by the expansion of Citi Bike to serve Long Island City and Astoria. And while there are buses that serve the area, they don’t run very frequently.

DCP’s “Toolbox of Recommendations” include:

Bus frequency
Bus routes
Ferry service
Bicycle network improvements
Pedestrian improvements
Intersection improvements
Wayfinding signage
Lighting
Parking regulations
Signal timing improvements

Click here for the entire TSTC post.

It does not appear that anyone from the Roosevelt Island community including the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) or the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) participated in the kickoff meeting.

Upon learning of the DCP Western Queens Transportation Study, RIRA Planning Committee Chair Frank Farance commented on the TSTC post:

Thank you for the information. On Roosevelt Island we’ve been looking into a variety of transportation opinions, including anticipating the arrival of Cornell.

Purely from a Roosevelt Island perspective … :-)
- Some of the Queens bus routes end suddenly and could be extended (just a little bit) to Vernon Blvd, Roos Isl, and/or Queens West for better commuting connections
- The Q102 is underutilized
- On Roos Isl, you’re probably not aware that we have this Red Bus service (for a quarter) that runs around the Island every 15 minutes (7.5 in rush) and is a main form of intra-Island transportation, with connection to Motorgate, Subway, Tram, FDR Four Freedoms Park, etc.
- Subway planning can be done better, but there are complex constraints
- We have several ferry spots, RIOC (Roosevelt Island Operation Corporation, which administers the Island) has done a study on ferry service (and locations) for RI

I will invite you to our next RIRA (Roosevelt Island Residents Association) Planning Committee meeting. Send me E-mail with your contact info. Thanks.

Better transportation connections from Roosevelt Island to Long Island City and Astoria would be great. Any ideas?

Hope it happens in the not too distant future.

I contacted the DCP for more information. Will update when received.

UPDATE 7/30 - RIOC Transportation manager Cy Opperman attended the meeting.

Report From RIRA President Ellen Polivy - Roosevelt Island Cornell NYC Tech Update From RICC, Cherry Blossom Volunteers Sought, Earth Day Celebration, Public Safety March and Forum, Condolences & More

2/26 RIOC Operations Committee Meeting Discussion With RICC On Cornell NYC Tech Negotiations

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Ellen Polivy sends the following Report To The Community:

Condolences

We were saddened to hear that Public Safety Officer Frensheria D. Michael died this week. The RIRA Public Safety committee issued the following statement: “On behalf of the Residents Association Common Council and all residents of Roosevelt Island, the RIRA Public Safety Committee extends its condolences to the family of Officer Michael and to the Public Safety Department who have lost a colleague and friend. Her untimely death is a tragedy not just for her family but for all of us. She represented the friendly professionalism and integration into the community that we want to have in our Public Safety Department. She will be missed.”

Officer Michael’s death is a sad and grim reminder to make each day a little kinder and our world a little happier; ever keeping in mind that each day counts. The month of April is jammed with events. RIRA members have been dedicating hours to causes that are important to community betterment.

Cherry Blossom Festival needs volunteers

Saturday April 13 from 10am to 7:45 pm., The Festival will take place on the Cherry tree lined promenade in front of Goldwater Hospital and into Four Freedoms Park where we will have our performances. Vendors from Japan Block Fair will sell their products. You will have opportunities to support your Roosevelt Island charities.

We need volunteers to staff the check-in table at 7:45am to 11am at the Tram. More volunteers are needed for shifts helping the musicians navigate with their instruments around the Island, with setting up and breaking down the children’s interactive tents and the calligraphy and origami tents. We will also need help at the Charities tables. To volunteer, email Lynne sce-chair@riraonline.com

Love your block, Love your Earth event needs volunteers

Saturday, April 20. Love Your Block, Love Your Earth will introduce young people and their parents to the joys and beauty of landscaping. They will revitalize the sterile Gristedes plaza into Gorgeous Gristedes plaza. Christina Delfico an award winning television producer, and grant winner for this event sent me this invitation:

“Join this family friendly event as we use flower power to beautify the area outside of Motorgate and celebrate Earth Day. Activities include planting colorful flowers, uncovering the Earth's treasure with an archaeological dig activity, creating sculpture from nature and an art project to celebrate our Earth and more. This will be a fun day outdoors rain or shine and a great way to show some love to our Island, our little patch of Earth.”

Activities for K to third grade begin at 10am.

Activities for for fourth through sixth grade begin at 2pm”

Registration is two ways: find the iDig2Learn table at the Cherry Blossom Festival on April 13, 2013 or
email iDig2Learn@gmail.com directly.

Check in, day of will be on the ground floor of the Motorgate Gallery next to Gristedes beginning at 9:45 AM.

Public Safety invites participants to joint the march and attend the Forum

Sunday April 21, - The RIRA Public Safety Committee is planning a march and educational forum to inform the community about the progress they are making. Look for signs and posters.

The committee has reached out to and met with elected officials to present our concerns and to enlist their support.. RIOC is in the process of hiring an auditor to evaluate Public Safety Department. We are getting more details on individual incidents and formalizing our complaints to give to the auditor.

We have reached out to and met with elected officials for their support. The committee urges the community to think about the kind of public safety they would like to see on the Island. We will be reaching out in the near future to plan the elicit your thoughts on the kind of Public Safety that would enhance our lives rather than impede it.

Roosevelt Island Community Coalition - City Council hearing on Cornell NYCTech is on April 30 at 10 am at City Hall. For the last time, RICC will be testifying on the needs of the community. This is the last and most important step of the long haul that is a Uniform Land Use Review Process ( ULURP) process. City Council will determine what requirements are put into the final agreement with Cornell allowing them to build. It is also the most painful because it is the final sprint in a marathon of windsprints. Since last August, we had to run as fast as we could to organize the community, set up a not-for-profit corporation, and plan for each of 5 different all-out massive presentations of various types in front of different governing bodies present the community’s needs. We did this with a team of volunteers and community groups against Cornell, a giant who has large resources to hire the best experts and lobbyists. We volunteers have been keeping up. This is the final sprint. I have to admit that I am tired. We all are. But just like in a marathon, people, dredge up the energy for the final sprint, we need to do just that.

Community Board 8 - I have been reappointed to Community Board 8 for a second two year term. We have lost three Roosevelt Island long standing members on the CB8. Patrick Stewart and Deidre Breslin chose to retire this year and Sharon Pope retired last year. We therefore have lost three seats which are very hard to get back. Generally there is only one open seat each year. This disappointing news is what made me choose to remain on the Community Board for one more term despite my enormous volunteer commitment. There was no one else in the wings to take any of our places. I urge all islanders to consider stepping up to make a difference in the City. Young people are welcome and urged to participate. If you are thinking of a career in government or City Planning, the Community Board is an excellent introduction to City planning and politics. We make real decisions that change the landscape of the City. I will notify you when applications open again in the early winter. Meanwhile, anyone who is interested can join a committee by looking at the CB8m.com website and attending meetings that have interesting topics.

Easter Egg Hunt

The Easter Egg Hunt Committee produced a groundbreaking Easter Egg Hunt and fund raiser. Over 1000 children and parents participated at two age-separated sites. Attendance far exceeded our expectations. In the younger childrens event, we had more adults in the childrens’ area than children. It had become a full family event with parents and grandparents coming out to spend a special day with their children. This is likely to become a tradition.

Easter Egg Hunt Thank yous. A production the size and quality of the Easter Egg Hunt could not have been done without a huge number of person hours. Thanks Charlie Delfino and the Youth Center for all their help with this exciting youth event. A special shout-out goes to more than 50 volunteers for their hard work and combined thousands of hours needed to produce this event. Lynne Shinozaki, Lydia Tang, Eva Bosbach Nikki Leopold and Lynne’s assistant for the day Madison Rodriguez did a smashing job. Lynne wanted me to publicly thank the following people who made the event what it was: Our larger than life dynamic Easter Bunny, Dan Leinweber, The young adults, Janelle Hawkins, Esma Williams and the energetic young volunteers from Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Yun Woon, Jia Ying Mei, Carmen Tan, Angela Zheng, Kayla Tang. Two Middle School gentlemen Max Dorfmann, and Mark Shinozaki also spent the day helping. We had volunteers from the Roosevelt Island Youth Program and a huge group of community members who just showed up and helped. Many of the volunteers are a part of Eva Bosbach's Mothers network which also sold the most raffle tickets ; Nikki Leopold and Island Kids helped with expertise, people power and supplies. Our face painter Liyan Chen created hundreds of beautified happy bunny faces. Connie Tanner from RIVAA Gallery and her assistants Catherine Vithlani and Choe Mansour excelled at helping the children make gorgeous Easter bonnets. Between the bunny faces and the bonnets, the adorable children looked ecstatic. Early Moments Book Company heard of the event and donated 100 books. The under-three crowd who were too young to play with the plastic eggs was thrilled with their lavish illustrated gifts. Lt John Pappas and the Port Authority Canine unit did a show and demonstration and allowed petting of the dogs. For the older children’s event, the cotton candy was donated by the youth program and tee shirts for the older children were from Roosevelt Landing. Ben Kallos's Team stepped up to the plate that day when some volunteers didn't show up and did the registration for us. Starbucks provided the coffee and volunteers and Gristedes provided the food. We hope this exciting event will become an annual tradition.

Reach me for questions or suggestions at RIRAPRESIDEN@gmail.com

NYC Planning Commission Approves Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Applied Sciences Project Today - Concerns Expressed Over Barging and Traffic Mitigation During Construction - On To NY City Council For Further Review

Following conditional approvals by Manhattan Community Board 8 (December 19, 2012) and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer (January 24,2013), the New York City Planning Commission today approved the Cornell ULURP application for its proposed Roosevelt Island campus.

NYC Planning Commission Chair Amanda Burden announced during today's meeting:

... I enthusiastically vote yes on the proposal as modified....

and that the Cornell Technion project is:

... pivotal for furthering NY's growing technological sector by increasing interaction between the academic community and local businesses ... this project will create new publicly accessible open space and facilitate improvements on Roosevelt island...

Ms. Burden also noted modifications to Cornell's application that were suggested by Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) members including:

• insuring esplanade around the campus continues to be accessible 24 hours,
• insuring public accessible space open until 10 PM year round,
• cafes open to the public,
• insuring open space is being provided in sufficient amounts and configurations,
• modification of bulk regulation only by Special Permit and
• disposition of city owned property should be restricted to uses more closely associated with Cornell Technion proposal.

Several NYC Planning Commissioners expressed concern over the burdensome traffic impact the project will bring to Roosevelt Island's only street - and were particularly concerned that Cornell might not utilize barges during the construction process nor contribute to the added costs imposed on Roosevelt Island residents and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) by the increased services anticipated for the Cornell campus. According to Commissioner Michelle de la Luz who cast the lone no vote:

... a few details... remain to be finalized to insure the projects vast benefits don't come at the expense of the Island residents and can be more formally linked to work force development opportunities so that NYC residents with limited career prospects can also benefit from this transformative project...

Here's an excerpt from today's NYC Planning Commission meeting.



Following today's NYC Planning Commission meeting, I received the following statement from Cornell NYC Tech's Director of Capital Projects and Planning Andrew Winters reiterating Cornell's position on barging and temporary cement batch plant. According to Mr. Winters:

BARGING: Cornell is actively exploring the feasibility of utilizing barging techniques to help limit construction traffic on to the Island. We are considering two barging techniques: a floating harbor barge for bulk materials and a fixed platform for driving trucks directly from barges to the site. The use of barges in the construction process will require approvals and permits from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the US Army Corps of Engineers. As part of this investigation, we have been meeting with NYSDEC to discuss regulations regarding temporary installations and to determine pre-application procedures for expedited review. NYSDEC has requested a series of studies, including water depth, sea-wall conditions, and preliminary engineering, which we have initiated. In addition to working with the regulatory agencies, engineers, and others, in the Final Environmental Impact Statement we have included an assessment of the environmental consequences of barging as an alternative construction measure to make sure that all effects have been fully considered in the event that barging proves to be feasible.

CEMENT: We do not believe that hosting a batch plant on site is the most effective way to limit impacts of construction and have a number of specific concerns about the feasibility of a batch plant for this project. The volume of concrete that we're going to be using, particularly in the first phase, is very small. Two of the first four buildings will be steel frame buildings, limiting the total amount of concrete construction to 400,000 square feet at a maximum. We've researched other projects in the City and found that even on dramatically larger projects, including the World Trade Center and Hudson Yards, construction managers have found the challenges of using a batch plant overwhelming and have chosen not to use them. Finally, DEC has noted additional concerns, including the possibility of runoff due to the site's proximity to the edge of the island, which is only 800 feet wide at its widest. Though we are still looking at it, the feedback we've gotten is that the combination of the volume, the industrial issues and the cost, make it an extremely challenging route for this project.

Below is Cornell Press Release on today's NYC Planning Commission approval:

The City Planning Commission today approved Cornell Tech’s Roosevelt Island Campus plan as part of the City’s public land use review process. The plan now continues to the final stage in the process with review by the City Council.

The Roosevelt Island campus will sit on a 12-acre site, with groundbreaking planned for early 2014, campus opening expected in 2017 and full build out in 2037. In January, Cornell Tech welcomed its first “beta” class of Master of Engineering students in computer science. The program is being housed at Cornell Tech’s temporary campus location in Chelsea, in space donated by Google.

“We are grateful to Chair Burden and the City Planning Commission for engaging in such a thorough analysis of the campus plan and ultimately offering their full support,” said Cornell Tech Vice President Cathy Dove. “At each step in this review process we have gained valuable insight and been able to improve our plan, and we look forward to continuing that dialogue with the City Council.”

“With the first students and faculty on our current campus in Chelsea, we’re building the new academic model that the campus on Roosevelt Island will support and encourage,” said Cornell Tech Dean Dan Huttenlocher. “We are grateful for the support of the City and the entire tech community as we move forward with the goal of spurring innovation and supporting economic growth in New York and beyond.”

Approval by the City Planning Commission is another major milestone for the campus. Cornell Tech welcomed its first students in January and is rapidly rolling out new academic programs, recruiting star faculty, developing a distinctive new model of tech entrepreneurship, and designing its permanent campus on Roosevelt Island.

Cornell Tech is offering a distinctive model of graduate tech education that fuses educational excellence with real-world commercial applications and entrepreneurship, rooted in the latest academic research. Students, faculty and industry experts are learning and working together to launch ideas and create new ventures that have global impact. The campus is attracting the best and brightest in technology, immersing them in an entrepreneurial culture with deep ties to the local business community intended to spur the creation of new companies and new industries in New York City.

The Roosevelt Island plan reflects Cornell Tech’s commitment to innovation not only in the academic program for the campus but also in its physical development. The new campus will include up to 2.1 million square feet of development, housing approximately 2,000 full-time graduate students, by full build-out in 2037. The first phase will include up to 790,000 square feet of development, including the first academic building and reflecting all of the uses that will be in place at full build-out.

and video of full NYC Planning Commission meeting earlier today.



Next stop is NY City Council.

UPDATE 3/21 - According to a NYC Planning Commission Spokesperson:

The Commission heard testimony from RICC and from the Community Board about the applicants’ construction plan, and the project’s overall impact on Roosevelt Island’s
infrastructure costs and financial responsibilities.

With respect to construction, the Commission believes that the barging of materials to the construction site may be an effective way to alleviate the amount of truck trips that would otherwise be required to travel through the existing Roosevelt Island community and encourages the applicant to give careful consideration to this alternative as it further develops its construction plans. The Commission notes that the applicant agreed to further study this option in its letter to the Commission dated February 15, 2013.

Roosevelt Island resident Jonathan Kalkin adds:

As Co-Chair of RICC, I am very proud of what our board and the coalition has accomplished in a very short period of time. It has been a pleasure and an honor to work with this team and see so many people work into the night reviewing EIS documents and writing/testifying on behalf of this community. Throughout this process, CB8, our Borough President and now the City Planning Commission have echoed our thoughts and concerns. The Coalition has always been in favor of the Cornell NYC Tech project and we believe that the success of the University and the success of this community is dependent on the University's commitment to Roosevelt Island. We look forward to working with Cornell and testifying on behalf of the community to the New York City Council.

Cornell NYC Tech VP Cathy Dove Introduces Faculty Members Deborah Estrin, Rajit Manohar and Dan Huttenlocher - Video Presentation To NYC Planning Commission On Academic Goals And Everything Else

Cornell NYC Tech VP Cathy Dove Presentation To Feb 6 NYC Planning Commission Public Hearing

Cornell NYC Tech Vice President Cathy Dove sends this report to the Roosevelt Island community.

As winter slowly transitions to spring, the Cornell Tech team continues to work on both our campus development plans as well as our academic program. Regarding the formal land use review process (ULURP), in January Borough President Stringer echoed the Community Board in supporting the approval of the campus plan. The plans are currently under review by the City Planning Commission, which is expected to vote later this month. The next and final step in the City’s land use review process is consideration by the full City Council, and we look forward to working with Council Member Lappin and her colleagues to continue what has been an excellent and serious discussion that has included many members of the Roosevelt Island community. We remain on track for groundbreaking early next year.

Regarding our academic programs, at the last time of writing we had just welcomed our inaugural “beta” class of computer science master degree students to the temporary campus in Chelsea. It’s been an exciting and rewarding couple of months as both the students and faculty jumped right into exploring the new academic model that we’re introducing at Cornell Tech. The students have already established close contact with a number of industry partners, learning about various facets of entrepreneurial life at the practicum sessions held each Friday. Sessions have included presentations from a wide array of disciplines, including architects, tech entrepreneurs and even a group of attorneys who helped the class understand the intricacies of tech transfer and intellectual property. The students are also working in teams on semester-long projects in direct collaboration with private companies. It is terrific having active students, faculty and community partners interacting at our site.

In the long term, as in any organization, the success of our campus is dependent on the people we attract – faculty, students and staff. Today I want to highlight our early faculty hires. We have been gratified to see the amazing level of faculty talent that has been attracted to Cornell Tech. Currently we are interviewing faculty in six fields that span areas as diverse as computer science to operations research to marketing. We are looking for a very special kind of faculty member – someone with established academic credentials in an area that is compatible with our campus, together with entrepreneurial/commercialization interests, and a demonstrated commitment to societal good. We want faculty that want to make an impact. Our first two full-time,tenured faculty members,Rajit Manohar and Deborah Estrin, are great examples, as is Dan Huttenlocher, founding Dean of Cornell Tech.

Dean Huttenlocher has been on the faculty at Cornell since 1988, most recently serving as Cornell’s Computing and Information Science (CIS) Dean, but it is his mix of academic and industry experience that makes him the perfect fit for Cornell Tech. He has worked at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and served as CTO of Intelligent Markets, and serves as a Trustee of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. He has taught in both the Department of Computer Science and the MBA program at Cornell, and has won recognition as the New York State Professor of the year, a National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator and a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery.

While Dean Huttenlocher is an outstanding academic and entrepreneur in his own right, it is unlikely he will be able to spend much time teaching and conducting research, as he is quite busy serving as the chief academic officer of the campus. Thus, our first full-time “true” faculty member is Professor Estrin, a pioneer in networked sensing, which uses mobile and wireless systems to collect and analyze real time data about the physical world. Deborah joins Cornell Tech from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), where she was a professor of computer science and the Founding Director of the Center for Embedded Networked Sensing (CENS). Her work has shown how the data streaming from networks of devices such as smartphones and cameras can enrich our understanding and management of complex problems – from personal and public health, to traffic patterns and civic engagement.

Professor Estrin brings an award-winning pedigree to Cornell Tech, as the winner of the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame Award, a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and one of CNN’s “10 Most Powerful Women in Tech”, among many honors. She is also a co-founder of Open mHealth, a non-profit organization working to create an open-source infrastructure for the growing field of mobile health, which uses the wealth of live data made possible by mobile technology to revolutionize patient care. Professor Estrin is already lending her expertise not only to our students but to clinicians from Weill Cornell Medical Center, as we all work together in an effort to use technology to improve healthcare. She has also shown a commitment to K-12 education, spearheading a groundbreaking internship program for Los Angeles high school students in mobile technologies and data.

Professor Manohar is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs on the campus, and he joins us from the main Cornell campus in Ithaca, where he served as the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in Engineering. Professor Manohar is the recipient of the prestigious National Science Foundation Career award, five best paper awards, seven teaching awards, and was named to MIT technology review's top 35 young innovators under 35 for contributions to low power microprocessor design.

In addition to being an outstanding teacher, Professor Manohar is a great fit at Cornell Tech due to his experience partnering with private industry and building companies. He is currently part of a team with engineers from IBM that has worked to create microchips that help computers think more like the human brain. He has also created his own start-up firm: Achronix Semiconductor.

These amazing faculty are among the team that is shaping the academic program for the campus. Many of us will be on Roosevelt Island this year for some special programming, and we all look forward to joining you at our permanent campus in 2017, but in the meantime I hope you enjoyed “meeting” a few of the key members of our team. I’ll be back next month to provide another update on the review process and everything that’s happening with Cornell Tech.

Below is Academic presentation by Dean Dan Huttenlocher to the February 6 NYC Planning Commission Pubic Hearing.

NYC Planning Commission Public Hearing On Roosevelt Island Cornell NYC Tech Project Scheduled For Tomorrow February 6

The NYC Planning Commission Public Hearing on the Roosevelt Island Cornell NYC Tech project is being held tomorrow morning. Here's the Agenda for tomorrow's Public Hearing.

The Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) sends the following message:

Dear RICC participating members and concerned residents,

Numbers count, please attend the City Planning Commission hearing to show your support for Roosevelt Island.

Bring Photo ID
Wednesday, February 6th,
10 AM start
Department of City Planning
22 Reade Street, ground floor
Spector Hall
Travel via Tram & Subway
Easiest way to get there is Tram then 4,5,6 trains to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall stop.
If you don't want to use the stairs take 6 to 42nd then 4/5 on the same platform.
Exit Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall Subway station on the North side exit, cross the street.
Walk 1 block north to Chambers Street (cut North through on Elk St) and 22 Reade Street is directly across the street between Broadway corner of Elk Street (west of Lafayette).

Thanks again for your vital participation.

Roosevelt Island resident and Community Board 8 member Larry Parnes explained the ULURP review process and Planning Commission Public Hearing during January 21 RICC meeting. Here's what Mr. Parnes had to say.



Latest information on Cornell NYC Tech project including Borough President Stringer's recommendations and full video of January 21 RICC briefing of the Roosevelt Island community available at this previous post.