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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 145-08
April 22, 2008

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES UPDATE ON PLANYC INITIATIVES AND ISSUES THE 2008 PLANYC PROGRESS REPORT

Detailed Information on 127 Initiatives on the Status of Each Initiative

Ninety-Three Percent of the Initiatives Have Been Launched

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today unveiled the PlaNYC Progress Report 2008, detailing the significant advances made in the year since the City launched its long-term plan for a greener, greater New York. Since the introduction of PlaNYC, on Earth Day 2007, the City has launched more than 90 percent of the 127 initiatives laid out in the plan. The 117 initiatives of the 127 are launched and in progress thus far are designed to address the challenges of a city whose population is expected to grow by a million people by 2030 - a city with an aging infrastructure, and an urban environment that remains at risk from pollution and the growing threat of global climate change.  Approximately 70 percent of PlaNYC initiatives can be accomplished by actions taken solely by the Bloomberg Administration. The remaining 30 percent require cooperation with our partners in different levels of government.  The updated companion website has further details on each initiative and is available at www.nyc.gov by following the links to PlaNYC

"When we announced our comprehensive PlaNYC agenda of 127 initiatives a year ago, we committed to holding ourselves accountable for making real progress.  From turning our yellow and black cabs to green, beginning to plan the 8 regional parks that were never finished from the Robert Moses era, and planting more than 50,000 trees as part of our MillionTreesNYC effort, New York City is making big strides in becoming one of the greenest cities in the World," said Mayor Bloomberg.  "We are making important progress and we are committed to continuing to pursue our PlaNYC objectives, and to making a greener greater New York even as the national economy turns downward."

"Today's report shows that we are making significant progress with our PlaNYC agenda," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Edward Skyler.  "Whether through legislation, rules changes or executive orders, we're going to pursue avenues to turn good ideas into public policy that will make our city a greener place to live, work and visit."

The highlights include:

Open Space

  • Opened 69 schoolyards as playgrounds and over 50 will begin construction this year
  • Constructed 52 Greenstreets, and currently conducting site surveys for 50 more this year
  • Started planning for seven of eight large regional parks
  • Planted over 50,000 trees as part of MillionTreesNYC campaign

Brownfields

  • Achieved release of past years' Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) grant funding and in eliminating requirement for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for future rounds

Water Quality

  • Passed new landscaping requirement for commercial parking lots
  • Began work on storm-water management plan
  • Committed $23 billion water and wastewater infrastructure

Water Network

  • Received new Filtration Avoidance Determination from EPA
  • Purchased more than 5,000 acres to protect NYC watersheds putting total acreage at over 130,000
  • Began construction on Croton Filtration Plant and Ultraviolet Disinfection Facility

Transportation

  • Integrated transit expansion into MTA Capital Plan
  • Installed 60 miles of bicycle lanes and roughly 800 new bicycle parking racks
  • Installed nearly 550 new Muni Meters
  • Broke ground on No. 7 Hudson Yards subway line
  • Completed redesign of 3 bus stops under elevated subways to improve connections
  • Initiated Bus Hot Spots program to move buses more quickly through intersections

Energy

  • Signed an Executive Order codifying the Bloomberg Administrations goal to reduce its energy consumption by 30 percent by 2017 and established committee to develop, a plan to achieve this goal
  • Allocated $80million or 10 percent of our energy budget to launch 132 City government energy efficiency projects
  • Issued new rules that made on-site micro-turbines available to building owners
  • Sought funding through State regulatory processes
  • Completed first round of building code revisions that included green design fee rebates, requirements for State
  • Energy Code compliance, and requirements for reflective roofs
  • Released a Request for Proposals for the installation of 2 megawatts of solar capacity on City-owned buildings
  • Incorporated green building concepts, such as reflective roofs, into the new Construction Code
  • Began working with New York Power Authority to try to bring clean new electricity supply to New York City

Air Quality

  • Imposed higher fuel efficiency standards on 13,000 taxis, 10,000 black cars and ferries
  • Taxi fleet to be fully hybrid by 2012
  • Began conversion of school boilers to cleaner fuels
  • Committed to purchase bio-diesel for city-owned buildings burning No. 2 oil

Climate Change

  • Launched neighborhood outreach workshops
  • Started work on climate change adaptation planning
  • Released plan to cut City's current uses of tropical hardwoods by 20 percent in the near term and to study alternative materials
  • Hosted C40 Large Cities Climate Summit

Housing

  • Approved three transit-oriented re-zonings including Jamaica (Queens) paving the way for 5,200 housing units\
  • Began construction on more than 13,000 affordable housing units
  • Started construction on almost 1,700 units of affordable housing on public land
  • Partnered with nonprofit and private donors to open Center for NYC Neighborhoods to provide assistance related to mortgage foreclosure crisis.






MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser / John Gallagher   (212) 788-2958




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