Chair: Joan Freilich
Vice Chair: Marjorie Kelleher Shea
The INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE addresses the challenges posed by New York City’s continued growth to the fundamental systems that serve its residents and businesses. Projections are that by the year 2030, the City’s population will have grown by as many as one million people, its infrastructure will be considerably older - more than a century old in some cases - and its environment, including air, water and land, will be at risk.
To deal with the full range of these challenges in a way that will secure a sustainable future for New York City, in April 2007 Mayor Bloomberg issued PlaNYC: A Greener, Greater New York, setting forth 127 recommended initiatives. The Infrastructure Committee is monitoring and analyzing these initiatives and related issues; selecting priority areas of focus; evaluating and supporting plans of action; working in collaboration with other organizations; and organizing public programs to inform the WCC membership and general public of current and emerging issues.
The committee’s priorities include elements of the city’s infrastructure in the following areas:
TRANSPORTATION, ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY, CLEAN WATER AND WATERFRONT UTILIZATION
In 2007, at the recommendation of the Infrastructure Committee, the WCC joined the Campaign for New York’s Future, a coalition of civic, business, environmental, labor and community organizations that was formed to respond to PlanYC, and held public programs on: The Plan to Meet New York City Customers’ Energy Needs; Global Warming and Climate Change; and Meeting New York City’s Long-Term Transportation Needs. In addition, the WCC has adopted the following policy positions:
CLIMATE CHANGE: Resolved that the WCC acknowledges the impact of climate change on New York, and therefore will take an active role in monitoring, analyzing and supporting proposals to address the threat of climate change to our City and State.
CONGESTION PRICING: Resolved that the WCC supports the development and implementation of a pilot congestion pricing program for New York City, along with the expansion and improvement of mass transit facilities, with the funds created by the congestion pricing program to be reinvested in additional public transportation improvements.
2007-2008 PRIORITIES
TRANSPORTATION
• Support programs to improve the safety and reliability of existing mass transit systems and expand mass transit citywide.
• Work with the Campaign for New York’s Future and others to implement a program to reduce traffic congestion in the central business district.
ENVIRONMENT
• Help raise awareness of the environmental impacts of growth in the City’s population and expansion of its economy.
• Review and, as appropriate, support initiatives to address the threat of climate change to our City and Metropolitan region.
Activities in support of these priorities will include:
• Monitoring and analyzing related City- and State-level legislative proposals.
• Providing forums to educate WCC members and others on the issues and on initiatives that have been proposed to address them. In addition to the public programs listed above, the Committee has:
• Organized a tour of the Solaire, a “green” high-rise residential building.
• Scheduled a public meeting on New York City’s new Building Code for January 2008.
• Heard from speakers at Committee meetings on congestion pricing, green roofs, stormwater management and public recycling programs.
• Recommending possible positions on related issues and initiatives to the WCC Board.
• Advocating for implementation of positions that are adopted by the Board.
The Infrastructure Committee meets at 3 p.m. on the third Monday of the month (second Monday in January and February 2008). All interested WCC members are welcome to attend.
