Thursday, June 25, 2026, 10:15 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 1
Committee: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, chaired by Council Member Abreu, held a hearing on five bills: Intro 845 (lighting under elevated train lines, sponsored by Thomas-Henry), Intro 866 (advance notification signs for disruptive street work, sponsored by Epstein), Intro 894 (seasonal winter enclosures for sidewalk cafes, sponsored by Brewer), Intro 917 (cleanliness standards for roadway and sidewalk cafes, sponsored by Justin Sanchez), and Intro 900/918 (allowing revocable consent fees to be paid in quarterly installments, sponsored by Thomas-Henry). Sponsors presented their bills, and the Department of Transportation testified, expressing operational concerns about Intro 845 (distinctive lighting requirements could slow upgrades) and Intro 866 (existing notice practices may accomplish the bill's goals), general support for Intro 894 with suggested modifications, and concerns that quarterly payments (Intro 900/918) would strain collections and staffing. Council members questioned DOT on lighting practices, enforcement, fees, and notification procedures. Public testimony was given by the NYC Hospitality Alliance, a high school student, and a Brooklyn resident on bike-path signage. No votes were taken.
0:10 To begin
0:10 . Booze. Good morning. Welcome
0:12 to today's New York City
0:13 council hearing for the
0:15 committee on transportation
0:16 and infrastructure at this
0:17 time, please. Silent and
0:19 cellphones electronic devices.
0:22 If you wish to speak in
0:23 today's hearing. Please fill
0:24 out an a parent's card with
0:26 one of the sergeants moving
0:27 forward no one is to approach
0:29 the days chair. You begin.
0:34 Welcome to today's hearing of
0:34 the New York City Council's
0:36 committee on transportation
0:37 and infrastructure and council
0:38 member shawn brave majority
0:39 leader and chairman of this
0:42 committee today, the committee
0:42 will hear testimony on fiv
0:43 epieces of legislation
0:45 introduction number 8 45,
0:46 sponsored by Council Member
0:48 Thomas Henry in relation t
0:48 orequiring the department of
0:49 transportation to install
0:52 lighting under elevated train
0:54 lines introduction number 8 6
0:57 sponsored by counselor Epstein
0:58 in relation to requiring the
0:59 department of transportation
1:00 to post notification signs
1:03 regarding upcoming disruptive
1:06 work introduction number 8 9 4
1:07 , sponsored by counsel Brewer
1:10 in relation to seasonal
1:11 enclosures for sidewalk cafes
1:14 . Introduction number nine.
1:15 Sponsored by councilman
1:17 Justin Sanchez in relation t
1:19 osanitation and claiming this
1:22 requirements for roadway and
1:22 sidewalk cafes and
1:24 introduction number 900 and
1:26 . Also sponsored by council
1:27 member Thomas Henry.
1:28 In relation to allowin
1:29 gsidewalk and rolling cafe
1:31 revokable consent fees to be
1:32 paid and quarterly
1:35 installments because today's
1:36 hearing is focused solely on.
1:38 Legislation. We'll use it as
1:39 an opportunity to examine the
1:40 purpose of and potential
1:42 impact of these bills togethe
1:44 r, these bills raise important
1:45 questions about how New York
1:47 City manages its streets,
1:48 sidewalks in public.
1:50 Spaces. Whether we are
1:51 discussing lighting beneath
1:52 elevated train lines, public
1:53 notice requirements for work
1:56 on streets or the cleanliness,
1:58 affordability or seasonal
1:59 availability of outdoor dining
2:00 the issue at the heart of
2:02 these bills is how to make our
2:05 public spaces safer, more
2:06 accessible and better
2:08 maintained for everyone. I
2:09 look.
2:09 Forward to hearing from the
2:10 administration about their
2:11 views on these bills,
2:13 including any operational or
2:14 fiscal concerns as well as any
2:16 recommendations on how these
2:17 bills could be improved. I
2:20 also look forward to hearing
2:21 from restaurant owners,
2:22 community members, advocates
2:24 and other stakeholders about
2:25 how these proposals would
2:26 affect them in the
2:27 neighborhoods they served
2:30 before I hand it over to m
2:31 ycolleagues to speak on their
2:32 bills. I would like to thank
2:33 my staff and the committee
2:34 staff for their hard work and
2:35 preparing for today's hearing,
2:37 lisa quickly, my deputy chief
2:38 of staff theodore miller and
2:41 terror sierra townsend
2:42 councils to the committee
2:43 ,Kevin kostovski and john
2:44 brazil, senior policy analyst
2:46 with committee and sarah swain
2:49 and that natalie meltzer staff
2:50 to the committee on consumer
2:51 protection who have been in
2:53 developing the council's
2:54 outdoor dining legislation.
2:57 I'd also like to give a
2:58 special thanks to agent of paw
3:00 , who has been the principal
3:00 financial alice of the
3:03 committee for several years
3:05 for his commitment savvy and
3:06 unfailing good humor and
3:09 working to better this
3:09 committee, the council in our
3:11 City. Adrian, thank you for
3:12 your service and good luck in
3:13 your next endeavor, we miss
3:15 your bolt as I will now pass
3:18 it over to my colleagues to
3:20 speak on their bills, startin
3:21 gwith Council Member Gale
3:27 Brewer
3:27 . Thank you. Thank you ver
3:28 ymuch. I am here to talk about
3:29 as you heard from the chair
3:32 hundred hundred 94. It has t
3:33 odo with seasonal enclosures
3:35 for cafes that are outdoor and
3:37 this did come from the
3:40 suggestion made by the
3:41 hospitality alliance. I want
3:42 to thank them as I always do
3:45 for their incredible support
3:46 of these kinds of issues.
3:48 There's a time frame during
3:50 the.
3:51 A. When it's chilly as you
3:53 all know and the idea would be
3:55 because of that frigid and wet
3:58 weather across our City,
4:00 especially between October 1
4:03 March 31 during that time
4:06 period
4:06 . Intro 8 9 4 if enacted into
4:09 law.
4:09 Would allow restaurants t
4:11 oinstall high quality winter
4:13 vestibules and closing their
4:15 licensed sidewalk cafe area.
4:19 These are spaces which they
4:19 already pay the City for the
4:21 year actually, for the whole
4:23 year and so that notion would
4:24 be to have better access to
4:27 that space
4:28 . There are also businesses
4:29 that are unclear on what I
4:31 tto provide clear guidance t
4:37 ohelp businesses and owners
4:40 plan. I think we all see in
4:42 some cases, businesses have
4:44 these enclosures. Sometimes
4:44 they don't and they all differ
4:47 this bill would make it clear
4:48 I do.
4:48 Want to thank andrew ready
4:50 from the New York City
4:51 hospitality one for raising
4:54 this issue and for his
4:55 tireless advocacy for
4:55 restaurants and bars and cafes
4:57 and owners and people who are
4:58 crucial to our city's economy
5:01 and neighborhood life. I want
5:03 to thank ray who for including
5:03 this on the agenda and
5:07 legislative staff richard
5:08 federal sarah swain, natalie
5:09 mel serve as well as committee
5:11 stuff. Townsend, theo miller,
5:13 john back Kevin khodorkovsky.
5:15 Thank you very much and we
5:15 hope that it will pass. Thank
5:20 you,
5:21 thank you, councilman brewe
5:21 r. I will now turn it over t
5:22 ocouncil member Sanchez t
5:24 ospeak on, it showed nine. 17,
5:35 Um
5:35 , enter 9 17 1 person.
5:37 Foremost. I want to thank the
5:38 chair and all of the committee
5:41 . Staff for having this on the
5:41 agenda today. Um, we're really
5:44 excited to hear more about how
5:46 this bill can help actually
5:49 improve cleanliness standards
5:50 across the City as we roll out
5:52 outdoor dining, and we look
5:54 forward to, um hearing a
5:58 substantive, um, question and
5:59 answer period. Easy. Thank you
6:03 , councilmember. I'll now read
6:04 counsel, mr Epstein remarks on
6:06 introduction number 8 66.
6:10 Thank you to chair of radio
6:11 and all my colleagues for the
6:12 opportunity to hear my bill
6:12 into a 66 that today's hearing
6:14 my office has already had
6:15 discussions with it and we'll
6:17 be moving forward with
6:18 amending this bill to require
6:20 the entity obtaining the
6:21 permit, not a cult. The
6:24 signage
6:25 . We all know the feeling you
6:26 wake up to unexpected noise
6:27 coming from the sidewalk below
6:29 . You're walking your child t
6:30 oschool and suddenly the path
6:30 you take every day is taped
6:31 off for construction. You go
6:35 to open up your deli for the
6:35 day only to find someone jack
6:37 outside of your business. You
6:39 didn't know this was going t
6:40 ohappen and you're not sure how
6:41 long it will last.
6:42 This type of disruptive work
6:44 presents additional challenges
6:46 for individuals who use
6:48 assisted mobile mobility
6:49 devices who struggle to get
6:50 around if they're a typical
6:51 sidewalk route has changed
6:53 while the work being done t
6:54 oimprove our streets and
6:56 sidewalks is necessary. It can
6:57 be disruptive to our daily
7:00 life. It is critical that all
7:01 New yorkers have access to the
7:04 information necessary so they
7:05 can plan ahead for
7:07 construction projects arise
7:08 ,my bill intro 66 addresses
7:11 this all too common occurrence
7:12 for providing New yorkers with
7:13 posted signs within a 500 foot
7:16 radius of the location of plan
7:17 disruptive work, at least 48
7:19 hours before the work is
7:19 scheduled to begin
7:22 . It would also include
7:23 contact information and
7:24 ensuring the public knows who
7:25 to talk to about the work. If
7:26 there are questions o
7:28 rconcerns constructions can be
7:30 disruptive to surrounding
7:31 residents, schools and
7:32 businesses. It is important
7:33 that neighbors have advanced
7:34 notice of d construction, so
7:36 they can make necessary
7:37 . Plans this bill is about
7:39 increasing transparency
7:40 between City agencies and
7:42 residents and increasing
7:42 accessibility in our
7:45 government system. I look
7:46 forward to hearing feedback
7:46 about this bill about how we
7:47 can make our streets more
7:48 accessible for everyone.
7:49 Thank you. That was a
7:50 statement by my colleague,
7:55 uncil member, and I will. I
7:56 would like to recognize the
7:56 college who have joined us
7:57 today, council members Brewer
7:59 Wong christian on Justin
8:01 Sanchez, lewis and Thomas
8:02 Henry, I
8:03 . Will now pass it over to my
8:06 colleague counselor
8:07 retirements Henry to speak on
8:13 her bill.
8:13 Thank you. Chair just need
8:31 one second. Oh, so
8:32 . Good morning chair. Bray who
8:33 and thank you for convening
8:35 today hearing thank you to my
8:37 colleagues on the committee
8:40 .transportation is about more
8:42 than getting people from one
8:43 place to another. It is about
8:44 how people feel our
8:47 neighborhoods people
8:48 experience our neighborhoods
8:50 once they.
8:50 Arrive. It's about whether a
8:51 resident feels safe walking
8:53 home beneath an elevated train
8:56 . It's about whether a family
8:57 chooses to stop by at a
9:00 neighborhood cafe.
9:01 It's about whether our
9:01 streets invite people in or
9:03 push them away today as a
9:06 member of this committee as a
9:09 member of this committee and
9:09 the chair of small business
9:11 committee. I am proud to
9:12 present two pieces of
9:14 legislation that recognize a
9:17 simple troop, our
9:17 transportation system should
9:18 work for the people who use it
9:22 every day.
9:22 Introduction hundred 4
9:24 5would require the department
9:26 of transportation to assess
9:27 streets and sidewalks beneath
9:29 elevated train infrastructure
9:31 to determine where additional
9:32 lighting is needed and install
9:34 it within a defined timeframe
9:37 in my district, the seven
9:38 train runs through the heart
9:40 of our community for years,
9:41 residents have shared concerns
9:43 about darkness and dark under
9:46 the underpasses that feel
9:47 unsafe and overlooked.
9:48 No New yorker should have t
9:50 oquestion their safety simply
9:52 because they are walking home
9:53 beneath our transit
9:57 infrastructure
9:57 . This legislation creates
9:59 accountability by those
10:00 concerns are evaluated
10:01 ,addressed and reported on.
10:04 Introduction. 918, Focuse
10:06 son another important part of
10:09 our streetscape, the small
10:09 businesses that activate our
10:10 sidewalks and make our
10:12 commercial corridors vibrant
10:14 . By allowing roadway cafe
10:16 operators to pay revocable
10:18 consent fees in quarterly
10:21 installments rather than all
10:22 at once we can ease
10:24 unnecessary financial burdens
10:26 while continuing to support
10:27 the outdoor dining program
10:29 that ba has become such an
10:31 important part of our city's
10:33 fabric. These bills address
10:34 different issues, but they
10:36 advanced the same goa
10:37 lcreating streets that are safe
10:39 and more economically vibrant
10:42 .that is the kind of
10:43 transportation system. We
10:43 should continue building one
10:45 that moves people while also
10:47 strengthening the communities
10:48 they call home. Thank you. And
10:49 I look forward to today's
10:53 discussion
10:53 . Thank you. Councilmembe
10:54 rlikes to sit ad that we've
10:55 been joined by councilman mr
10:56 nifong, zoom and counsel over
11:00 what's thank you and all turn
11:00 over to testimony from the
11:11 administration
11:11 . Good morning. Please raise
11:12 your right hand, do you affirm
11:14 to tell the truth, the whole
11:14 truth and nothing but the
11:16 truth before this committee
11:17 and to respond honestly to
11:18 Council Member questions.
11:21 Thank you. You begin when
11:22 you're ready. And if you could
11:23 just state your name and
11:23 record for our name and title
11:24 for the record before you
11:25 begin that would be great.
11:27 Right. Oh! Oh! Good morning.
11:44 Good morning, cherry bariu
11:45 mmembers of the transportation
11:45 committee on it of the
11:46 committee on transportation
11:48 and infrastructure. My name is
11:49 monty that commissioner of
11:52 traffic operations. I I am
11:53 joined by michelle craven,
11:55 associate deputy commissioner
11:55 cityscape and franchises. Jeff
11:59 mala, me, director of st
12:00 improvement projects and rick
12:01 rodriguez, assistant
12:02 commissioner for inter
12:03 community affairs. Thank you
12:05 for the opportunity to testify
12:06 on behalf of Mayor, man die
12:08 and commissioner flynn about
12:09 intro 8 45 8 6694 9 17 and 1
12:20 918 first 245 sponsor council
12:20 member Thomas Henry this bill
12:22 required to install
12:23 distinctive lighting under
12:24 elevated train lines with
12:26 nearly 400000 streetlights
12:29 citywide under our
12:29 responsibility. We recognize
12:30 the importance of street
12:31 lighting and enhancing both
12:32 safety and quality of life. We
12:35 are committed to ensurin
12:36 gstreets are well lit from
12:37 vehicle traffic as well as
12:38 pedestrians in both the
12:39 roadway and the sidewalk as a
12:44 national leader and
12:44 sustainable street lighting
12:45 our lighting studies are based
12:47 on standards these standards
12:49 include recommended practices
12:50 and guidelines published by
12:51 the illuminating engineering
12:55 society, the internationally
12:55 recognized entity that sets
12:57 recommended practices for
12:58 lighting levels in various
12:59 applications to ensur
13:01 elighting standard. There's
13:03 sufficiently addressed
13:03 citywide. We are happy t
13:04 oprovide a quick breakdown of
13:06 how lighting is installed
13:06 ,provide more background.
13:09 Based on study evaluations
13:10 ,we routinely make upgrades in
13:12 any street reconstruction
13:14 project for installation
13:15 .there are three ways we can
13:17 add lighting depending on
13:17 where the lower lighting
13:18 levels are located, we can
13:21 reduce the distance between
13:23 streetlights. Add secondary
13:24 lighting on the back of
13:25 existing polls over the
13:26 sidewalk at a lower height or
13:28 install New stand polls mus
13:32 tconsider various factors when