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PlaNYC

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PlaNYCwas astrategic planreleased byNew York CityMayorMichael Bloombergin 2007 to prepare the city for one million more residents, strengthen the economy,combat climate change,and enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers. The plan brought together over 25 City agencies to work toward the vision of a greener, greater New York and significant progress was made towards the long-term goals over the following years.

PlaNYC specifically targeted ten areas of interest:Housingand Neighborhoods;Parksand Public Spaces;Brownfields;Waterways;Water Supply;Transportation;Energy;Air Quality;Solid Waste;andClimate Change.

Over 97% of the 127 initiatives in PlaNYC were launched within one-year of its release and almost two-thirds of its 2009 milestones were achieved or mostly achieved. The plan was updated in 2011 and was expanded to 132 initiatives and more than 400 specific milestones for December 31, 2013.

Daniel L. Doctoroff,thedeputy mayorfor economic development and rebuilding, led the team of experts that developed the plan, whichThe New York Timescalled the Bloomberg administration's "most far-reaching" — "its fate could determine whether his administration will be remembered as truly transformative."[1]

In April 2015, an updated strategic document outlining city policies forinclusive growth,sustainability, andresilience to climate changewas released asOne New York: The Plan for a Strong and Just CityorOneNYC.[2]

Components

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The plan had three major components:

  • OpeNYC: Preparation for a sharp rise inNew York City's population,expected to increase by more than one million over two decades.
  • MaintaiNYC: Repairing aging infrastructure, including city bridges, water mains,mass transit,building codes and power plants.
  • GreeNYC: Conserving New York City resources, with a goal of reducing New York City'scarbon emissionsby 30%.[3]

Congestion pricing

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Main article:Congestion pricing in New York City

One of the most controversial aspects of the plan was the mayor's call forcongestion pricing,specifically a bid to levy a fee of $8.00 on all cars entering midtownManhattanduring peak hours on weekdays, with a few exemptions for through traffic.[4]The proposal was canceled in 2008 despite support from environmental groups and the governor's office because of great opposition from residents inBrooklynandQueens(onLong Island), who would have had to pay a toll to enter and exit the island.[5][6]

A major criticism stemmed from the plan's assumption that more riders could use mass transit. New York City Transit, after doing an analysis of each subway route, revealed that many subway routes were already used to capacity, and that the tracks allowed no room to add more trains.[7]Promoters of this mechanism argued that the system could generate much needed funds forMTA Capital Constructionprojects such as theSecond Avenue Subway,7 Subway Extension,andEast Side Access.[8]

Climate change mitigation

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In 2007, the city aimed to reducegreenhouse gas emissionsby 30 percent of the 2005 levels by 2030. Emissions were reduced by 13 percent between 2007 and 2011. This was attributed to a 26 percent decrease in carbon intensity present in the city's electrical supply during this period as a result of more efficient power plants and increased use of renewable energy.Con Edisonalso stepped in to curb the threat of fugitivesulfur hexafluorideleakage in its electricity transmission and distribution system, which further lowered emissions by 3 percent.[9]

Mitigation efforts included switching fuel sources to cleaner energy. A decrease in demand for energy consumption, new solid waste management strategies, and more sustainable transportation systems were projected to result in a 30 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions for the city.[9]

In 2011, theDepartment of Environmental Protection(DEP) enforced its Climate Change Program Assessment and Action Plan by researching the potential effects of climate change on the city's water supply. Areas projected to be affected were determined by the DEP's climate change impact scenarios. Funded projects included theCroton Walter Filtration Plant,which opened in 2015 to filter sediments entering the water supply after storms, and the renovation of theDelaware Aqueduct.The DEP took action on its own projects such as improving the sewage system by developing a new stormwater drainage strategy focused on areas threatened by flooding and sewer backups and overflows. There was an overall emphasis on maximizing synergy and minimizing tradeoffs among energy, air, water, land, and climate policies.[9]

Support

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PlaNYC was supported byCampaign for New York's Future,a coalition of civic, business, environmental, labor, community and public health organizations.

Sustainable Energy Property Tracking System

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According to a study by the mayor's office, the city's municipal buildings accounted for nearly 3.8 million metric tons ofgreenhouse gas emissionseach year[10]and utilized 6.5 percent of the city's energy.[11]The city's rate of energy consumption in NYC municipal buildings totaled nearly $1 billion each year,[11]and accounted for about 64 percent of the city's greenhouse gas emissions.[12]One of the main goals of Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2017.[10]

In order to meet this goal, thegovernment of New York Citysigned an agreement worth more than ten million dollars with TRIRIGA,[13]anintegrated workplace management systemand environmental sustainability software provider[14]that was later acquired byIBM,through which the city would deploy TRIRIGA's environmental and energy management software across more than 4,000 government buildings throughout the city.[13]

New York City used performance data from IBM TRIRIGA system to provide the city with the critical analysis required to implement carbon reduction strategies and to inform the project selection process for PlaNYC funded retrofit projects.[13] Energy and water usage were measured and entered into the Sustainable Energy Property Tracking System (SEPTS) to help identify resource-intensive facilities and prioritizeenergy efficiencyinvestment decisions.[13]

References

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  1. ^Cardwell, Diane; Bagli, Charles V. (April 20, 2007)."Mayor To Unveil 25-Year Outline For Greener City".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 22,2010.
  2. ^Werner, Wolfgang (April 29, 2015)."PlaNYC Expands to OneNYC – How Did We Get Here and What's New?".RetrievedJanuary 1,2019.
  3. ^"PlaNYC; A Greener, Greater New York"(PDF).The City of New York. 2007.Retrieved2019-03-03.
  4. ^"Interim Report for Public Comment"(Press release).NYSDOT.January 10, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon December 14, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 2,2008.
  5. ^Confessore, Nicholas (April 8, 2008)."$8 Traffic Fee for Manhattan Gets Nowhere".The New York Times.RetrievedApril 8,2008.
  6. ^Confessore, Nicholas (April 7, 2008)."Congestion Pricing Plan Is Dead, Assembly Speaker Says".The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon April 11, 2008.RetrievedApril 7,2008.
  7. ^Neuman, William (June 26, 2007)."Some Subways Found Packed Past Capacity".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 22,2010.
  8. ^"A Deal, of Sorts, on Congestion Pricing".The New York Times.July 19, 2007.RetrievedAugust 28,2017.
  9. ^abc"PlaNYC Update 2011"(PDF).The City of New York.2011.Retrieved2019-03-03.
  10. ^abThe City of New York."PLANYC 2030 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory".Archived fromthe originalon June 16, 2010.RetrievedJune 3,2010.
  11. ^abLong-Term Plan to Reduce Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Municipal Buildings and Operations(PDF),Energy Conservation Steering Committee, July 2008, archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2010-08-16
  12. ^The City of New York."PLANYC 2030 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory: 2007 Emissions Data".Archived fromthe originalon March 26, 2011.RetrievedJune 3,2010.
  13. ^abcd"New York City Implements TRIRIGA TREES to Reduce Energy and Carbon Footprint"(PDF)(Press release). TRIRIGA INC. April 13, 2010.RetrievedJune 1,2010.
  14. ^"P&G, Dell, HP, Better Place/Tririga, Harris Corporation, and Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance Win Awards"(Press release). AMR Research. May 28, 2009.RetrievedJune 1,2010.
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