By Gus Saltonstall
Tis’ the season and we don’t mean the holidays. The Participatory Budget process has reopened again in the neighborhood, and you can currently submit ideas for projects to get funded on the Upper West Side and in Morningside Heights.
Recycling bins at the entrance to Riverside Park at West 72nd Street, a playground specifically for senior citizens at West 85th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, more street lighting throughout the UWS District 6, and an elevator at the West 110th Street 1 train station are some of the suggestions already submitted in the Participatory Budgeting process for the next fiscal year.
Councilmembers Gale Brewer and Shaun Abreu are both spearheading the process for their respective districts.
Residents have until November 10 to submit ideas for projects at ideas.pbnyc.org. Submitted projects must cost at least $50,000 and have a lifespan of at least five years. Once the ideas are submitted, the list is then whittled down to a set of finalists, which is subsequently voted on by the community.
Past projects to receive funding through Participatory Budgeting on the Upper West Side in recent years include: security cameras on four avenues in the neighborhood, school infrastructure improvements at P.S. 199, and new tree guards on Broadway above West 72nd Street.
Both Brewer and Abreu are looking for locals to be budget delegates, who help decide which idea submission make it to the final ballot, which will be voted on between April 6 and April 14, 2024. Interested volunteers in District 6 can email chornig@council.nyc.gov and those in District 7 can email district7@council.nyc.gov.
Abreu is also hosting information sessions on the process on November 2 and November 8, which you can register for HERE and HERE.
Here are more examples of ideas already submitted on the Upper West Side and in Morningside Heights.
- Install substantive barriers between bike lanes and cars along Amsterdam Avenue starting at West 70th Street.
- Create a public art walk along West 72nd Street between Riverside Park and Central Park.
- Compost bins at Amsterdam Avenue and West 83rd Street.
- Fix the 96th Street on-ramp to the West Side Highway.
- Playground fence replacement at P.S. 165 at 109 West 109th Street.
- Build a grief garden in Riverside Park near West 116th Street dedicated to the memory of all those who died in the COVID-19 epidemic.
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Come on, we don’t need more stuff. Put all of this money towards providing the homeless of the UWS shelter and treatment.
I thought the new 83/Col shelter was supposed to take care of all 100 UWS street homeless. We sorted all that and now we’re at capacity? Blimey.
Absent increasing the housing supply this is just a demand subsidy that will enrich landlords.
Obviously, it should go toward school repairs. I cannot believe this city would even think of putting 2M toward bike lanes over repairs at a school.
Schools already have their own budgets. This is for community funds that the greater population can use.
Anything that improves Safety. Lighting is probably the best suggestion here unless hiring armed security guards to patrol our streets is an option?!
More trees, lighting, benches, cameras, things that everyone can use.
Yes to more benches up and down Broadway!
Cameras and only cameras.
Riverside Drive needs a distinction between the two-lane boulevard and the one-way lane next to the apartment buildings: at present both use the same name. The two-way blvd needs white-painted designated parking spots, all along from 86th St up to 135 St. Either cars get locked in because of care-less drivers, or too much extra space is wasted in a city that needs every bit of space for LOCAL RESIDENTS.
I want to know more about the playground for senior citizens. Cuz what I’m picturing is really cute
I agree with you. Something to live for, in these trying times.
Pickleball courts please. And cameras that actually take clear pictures. Although catching criminals doesn’t really matter since they are simply let go.
I put an idea in for pickleball courts under the WSH at Hudson River Park in the 60’s. Please go to the site and “like” it.
Given your own conclusion that your suggestion “doesn’t really matter,” we can now cancel it from consideration. Thanks, Wanda.
The Public Art Walk proposal, from Central Park to Riverside Park, on 72nd St, sounds very intriguing. What is contemplated?
The closure of 2 traffic lanes to accommodate something awesomely modernistic that absolutely slays, like a light and air sculptural exhibit along the entire 72nd str.
Interspersed with horses (and their riders) doing aerial silk dancing.
Sidewalks already taken by sheds, scaffolds, bike racks, etc – no room there. Time to squeeze traffic out too.
On slow traffic days, they’ll be bringing in Big Apple Circus as well.
Exactly. I’m assuming something between priceless Renaissance paintings & graffiti, but what would that be?
Block guards and /or increased in the West 80s and 90s between Broadway and Riverside Drives. We used to have them and they were a deterrent to street crime as well as a welcoming presence.
I think the neighborhood could use more speed humps. So many drivers race between avenue to avenue on our streets. I belive it would also slow down delivee mopeds and scooters. Make them pay attention to pedestrians.
These “participatory budgeting” drives are becoming like bread and circuses. A lot of time and effort to fight over some crumbs of funding for a bike lane barrier in a $100+ BILLION dollar budget.
While neighborhood’s choosing how to spend money is interesting in theory, over the years this just reminds me that we spend vast sums of money for mediocre services because our city tries to do too many things.
Let’s use the money to build an October 7th Memorial. Right on the edge of Columbia University would seem the most appropriate (and necessary) spot.
Spend all of it on getting the bikes, motor bikes etc. OFF our streets
Too many accidents and deaths!!
And everyone thinks the same
Bring the east 86th street method of getting rid of rats. We are overun and have no pied piper to help. 1010wins reports that a new method has eradicated rats from E. 86th and it wasn’t fat cats.
Bus-subway fares went up and bus service keeps getting reduced…
Near daily hits by bicyclists – especially Citibike – who routinely go through red lights, go the wrong way, ignore bicycle lanes…
No more funding for bicycling….
PB funds can go to NYCHA as there is plenty of need there….
Better yet, Let’s VOTE correctly and relegate & recycle a few choice NYCCouncil memebers & scavaging marxist pols to the well deserved compost heap they want to dump NYC into. -I am Mike-UWS & approve of this timely message. Peace.