News

RYE, NY—In the aftermath of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s failed “New York Housing Compact” bold initiative that called for the development of 800,000 new housing units statewide to address what she termed as a housing crisis in New York State, real estate executives and government officials at a recent real estate conference agreed that the severe housing shortage in Westchester County and New York State is real.

New York is poised to be the first city in the United States to implement a tolling program to combat traffic congestion and incentivize the use of public transportation. This approach has successfully reduced traffic and improved air quality in London, Stockholm and Singapore and raised significant funding for public transit. While each city faces unique challenges, evidence from around the world shows that these programs reduce traffic, improve air quality and raise revenue to modernize public transportation.

NEW YORK—A triumvirate of government bodies released on May 12 the long-debated report that supports congestion pricing in Manhattan. The Final Environmental Assessment for the Central Business District Tolling Program and a draft “Finding of No Significant Impact,” prepared by the Federal Highway Administration, is now available for public review online thru June 11.

As anyone who has had the displeasure of being on the defending end of a personal injury action knows, cross claims between various defendants (seeking to shift blame) can be litigated with greater fervor than the claim of the injured plaintiff.

TARRYTOWN, NY—Highway safety advocates are urging drivers to pay attention and slow down as part of the National Work Zone Awareness campaign this month. Construction workers in traffic work zones are at high risk, and the state is doing more to protect them. The NYSDOT recently reported there were more than 200 crashes in work zones on state roadways and bridges in 2021, resulting in nearly 50 injuries.

LOS ANGELES—New York’s highway system ranks 49th in the nation in overall cost-effectiveness and condition, according to the Annual Highway Report by the Reason Foundation released on April 20. This year’s ranking is a three-spot decline from the previous report when New York ranked 46th.

ALBANY—The Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors approved $51 million in funding that includes low-cost financing and previously announced grants that authorizes municipal access to the capital necessary to move critical water and sewer infrastructure projects forward. These include replacement of lead service connections, treatment processes to remove emerging contaminants from drinking water and modernizing aging systems.

ALBANY—The Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council announced on May 17 the opening of the $150-million Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund grant application for mixed-use housing and infrastructure projects throughout the seven-county region of the Mid-Hudson Valley. The state said the initiative will help communities meet growing infrastructure needs in light of the recent, region-wide population shifts brought on by the pandemic.

To ensure the safety of workers, an engineering survey is required to be performed by a competent person prior to the start of a demolition operation. The survey should cover the work to be performed, identify the hazards at the site, address measures to prevent hazards and contemplate the danger of unplanned collapse.

As the pandemic ushered in disruption in a number of areas such as supply chain procurement and the bidding process, the inability to find skilled labor also became problematic. In response, the construction industry worked through the disruption to make progress in the hiring process. New ways of working, new technologies, and new ways of recruiting and retaining employees have now become one of the main features throughout construction firms and in contractor hiring practices.