NYC’s congestion pricing is working really well, and now we need to go further. Ways to double-down on congestion pricing: 💲 Raising the toll 🚕 Charging taxis more 🗽 New zones for Upper Manhattan & Brooklyn My latest post: www.sidewalkchorus.com/p/doubling-d...

So great to see @nyc-dot.bsky.social’s proposal to extend the Third Avenue bus lane into Midtown Manhattan. I regularly take the bus up Third Avenue, and this will help me + thousands of riders each day get to our destinations more quickly.

Great to see @keithpowersnyc.bsky.social leaning so heaving into building more homes in this mailer we received today. This is the leadership and ambition Manhattan needs for NYC to thrive. Very easy to see why I’m recommending Manhattanites rank Keith Powers #1 for Borough President.

In June, New Yorkers have the chance to elect pro-abundance government officials to build a more affordable and thriving city. There’s a lot of names floating around out there. Ranked choice voting makes it even more complex. Here’s my recommendations for who to vote for:

We’re just 5 weeks from election day, but almost two-thirds of District 4 likely voters have no idea who they’re planning to vote for. Time for the campaigns to kick into high-gear, and endorsements to make their mark. New blog post from me: www.sidewalkchorus.com/p/d4-2025

Fascinating to see how few voters have made up their minds in the upcoming race for Manhattan’s District 4 council seat. Candidates have hundreds of thousands of dollars still to spend between now and June 24th — expect a flood of comms and ground game.

I spoke up in a contentious neighborhood debate and told a packed room that I disagreed with many of them. At this week’s Manhattan Community Board 8 meeting, I spoke in support of Lenox Hill Hospital’s proposal to renovate and enlarge their building at 77th St between Park and Lex.

Great to see so many candidates I believe in on @abundanceny.bsky.social’s list of recommendations for the upcoming NYC primary elections. We need to get these abundance leaders elected! I’ve been donating and petitioning this week. Read the full list here: abundanceny.substack.com/p/announcing...

Last year, my wife and I hosted a houseparty to fundraise for Keith Powers’ campaign to be Manhattan’s next Borough President. Despite never having done something like this before, it went really well! We raised $8k, and introduced a bunch of friends to NYC politics. I wrote about our experience:

“Yale’s Budget Lab estimates that the new tariffs will cost the average household anywhere from $1,600 to $2,000 a year.” www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

As a New Yorker with family in Canada, I am alarmed by Trump's plan to apply large tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico from tonight. This will hurt NY, Canada, and the US – both economically and in terms of our relationships – for no good reason. 🫤🗽🇨🇦

Music to my ears from the man who I hope will be Manhattan’s next Borough President: @keithpowersnyc.bsky.social

I found this piece by Michael Lange to be an excellent summary of what could lie ahead for New York: all the options for removing a mayor, and how the timing could work out

I too have found that the NYC Department of Transportation is very quick to respond to my requests to replace destroyed flexposts. I wish we had more robust bollards, but I do at least appreciate that the flimsy posts we do have are quickly replaced when DOT gets notified.

Great to see the strong majority of Manhattanites and transit riders support congestion pricing. Despite all the turmoil, this is a great baseline for the toll’s popularity to grow from.

There’s been a flood of alarming political news this week. It’s easy to feel helpless and even easier to doomscroll. Two things I find positive and empowering are: 💰 Donating to organizations that are working on issues I care about 🤝 Being involved in my local community on those issues

Great to see these billboard along the border of the NYC congestion relief zone reminding drivers to not break the law. Ensuring all vehicles have authentic and visible license plates helps keep everyone safe and paying tolls properly.

Last night I was sworn in as an officer of Manhattan Community Board 8. I have been elected as one of the Board’s secretaries. I’m looking forward to supporting the smooth and efficient operation of the board’s meetings in 2025!

Governor Hochul has made some perplexing moves in the past related to the subway, but I’m actually pretty please with her proposals announced yesterday: 👮‍♀️ More police on subway trains, especially overnight 🛤️ Adding protective barriers at the platform edge at 100 stations 💰Modernizing fare gates

Great to see such positive data from congestion pricing. It’s still early days, but all signs are pointing to solid reductions in congestion and vehicles in Manhattan — which means faster buses, cleaner air, and a Manhattan focused on people, not cars.

These are such important reforms to make it possible to build more homes and reduce housing costs in NY. I’m especially focused on the environmental review process, which I’ve blogged about last year.

ICYMI: Midtown is begging Mayor Adams for a busway + wider sidewalks on the Deuce nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/01/10/m...

norovirus is surging in NYC, and after years of COVID-prevention autopilot, it's time to learn a new set of rules if you're hoping to avoid that virus that's always wreaking havoc on cruise ships nygroove.nyc/how-to-preve...

Great to see this enforcement to ensure cars are correctly displaying their license plates www.nydailynews.com/2025/01/08/n...

This evening Manhattan Community Board 8 will be considering a cool proposal to legalize building housing on 13 blocks of the Upper East Side which are currently zoned only for manufacturing and commercial uses. www.cb8m.com/wp-content/u...

This is correct, and a point that is often misunderstood, especially by permitting reform types. NEPA is *very specifically and deliberately* designed to *not* give *anyone* a veto over any action on environmental grounds.

65% of New Yorkers say that the cost of living or housing affordability are the top issue they want NY’s government to focus on fixing, according to a Siena College poll released this morning. It’s time to build! (And make more homes legal!) Full details: scri.siena.edu/wp-content/u...

Great to hear about what’s next in our quest to reduce the cost of living and improve quality of life at @abundanceny.bsky.social’s panel this afternoon. Thanks @marklevinenyc.bsky.social, @benmax.bsky.social, and @amandalitman.bsky.social for inspiring us to keep working towards this vision.

NYC just passed City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, our most significant pro-housing reform in decades!!!! Combining the largest zoning overhaul in 50 years with a $5B housing investment, this marks a sea change in how NYC builds homes.

I’m looking forward to this event about the future of the Abundance Agenda in NY. Come join!

Good morning NYC! It's a great day to say YES to #CityOfYes for Housing Opportunity! We're expecting NYC council to vote on #CityOfYes today, paving the way for thousands of more homes in the city — as well as more jobs and economic stimulus.

I enjoyed this quick interview of NYC mayoral candidate @zellnor.bsky.social by @errollouis.bsky.social this morning. Great intro to Zellnor and covered a variety of important issues: housing, safety, and staffing the administration. Worth your time: overcast.fm/+AAQI_NoyqG4

Very pleased to see @zellnor.bsky.social placing building more homes at the center of his campaign to be NYC’s mayor. The housing shortage is at the core of so many of NYC’s problems, and the solution is clear: build more homes.

Yesterday, I visited Woodbury Commons, a massive outlet mall about an hour north of NYC. It struck me as a lesson cities need to re-learn: pedestrianized spaces aren’t just good for people—they’re amazing for business. 🧵

Yesterday I visited the town of Hudson, NY. Population 5k, at the center of Columbia County’s 60k population. Cute town with nice restaurants, cafes, and craft shops. But even the main tourist area, Warren Street, has so much space devoted to cars, despite there being few cars actually moving.

this weekend, I am thankful for congestion pricing which will reduce traffic and pollution while funding the MTA’s modernization and expansion better late than never!

Happy Thanksgiving from snowy Canaan, New York — about 30 miles south-east of Albany. My first time seeing snow this winter!

Some gorgeous Central Park views from last weekend. We’re so fortunate to have this haven on our doorstep here in Manhattan.

This year, I joined Manhattan Community Board 8. My top reflections: ➡️ CB members care deeply about NYC ➡️ We spend a lot of time on hyperlocal issues ➡️ CB8 struggles to reach consensus on complex, divisive topics ➡️ The board seems to be out-of-step with public opinion on some important issues

With the City Council on the cusp of passing the City of Yes housing reforms, now’s a great time to learn more about NYC’s system of housing subsidies. Our city spends almost $4B per year on funding homes for ~6% of the city’s population. https://buff.ly/4eSPLHq

NYC’s average hotel room price reached $417/night in September. In large part, this is because NYC makes it basically illegal to build new hotels. I wish it were legal to build more hotels, so that it would be cheaper for friends, family, and coworkers to visit NYC.

Hello, Bluesky! Time to give this a try. I’m Sebastian. 🗺️ I work as a product manager on Google Maps, helping people to more easily navigate around the world and find new places to visit. 🗽 Urbanism, housing, transportation, and New York politics are big interest for me.