Street design advocate Zohran Mamdani pledges to intervene amid allegations that a advisor to Mayor Adams accepted bribes, as asserted by the District Attorney.
In the upcoming November general election, Democratic nominee for mayor, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, has pledged to restore and implement street redesigns that have been delayed by the current administration. One such project is the overhaul of McGuiness Boulevard in Greenpoint, which has been at the center of an alleged bribery scandal.
If elected, Mamdani aims to bring the McGuiness Boulevard redesign back to its original plan, which includes the addition of a bike lane and the removal of a traffic lane on each side of the busy street. The proposed redesign, approved by the city transportation department and local community board over two years ago, was intended to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians.
However, the redesign has been marred by controversy. Prosecutors allege that the former senior adviser to the mayor, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, took bribes to reduce the scope of the Greenpoint street redesign. Broadway Stages, a Greenpoint-based production company, is reportedly involved in the scandal.
The alleged bribery scandal has raised questions about the safety of New Yorkers, according to Mamdani. He states that the current state of the McGuiness Boulevard redesign is a cause for concern.
In addition to the McGuiness Boulevard redesign, Mamdani plans to move forward with the Fordham Road and Tremont Avenue bus lane projects if he wins the general election. These projects were slated to receive similar treatments before they were walked back by the current administration. The Tremont Avenue project was first reported by Streetsblog to be receiving a similar treatment last week.
The Fordham Road project was nixed in 2023 following protests from local businesses and institutions. The New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo were among the groups that protested the project.
The transportation department continues to consider changes to Tremont Avenue, but the construction activities at both McGuiness Boulevard and Tremont Avenue in the Bronx were recently canceled for economic reasons by the developer or construction company involved.
Despite these setbacks, Mamdani remains committed to improving New York City's transportation infrastructure. If elected, he plans to implement new bus lane projects on Fordham Road and Tremont Avenue in the Bronx, as well as restore the original plan for the McGuiness Boulevard redesign.
The McGuinness Boulevard redesign, as it currently stands, has seen the department add bike lanes to the street in 2023, but has not eliminated any traffic lanes along the northern section of the street that approaches the Pulaski Bridge. The redesign is still being monitored by the transportation department.
As the election approaches, Mamdani's transportation plans for New York City will continue to be a topic of discussion. His commitment to improving safety and infrastructure for all New Yorkers is clear, and his plans to restore and implement delayed projects could signal a new direction for the city's transportation future.
