Liu wants progress sooner than 2030

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is looking ahead more than 20 years with his announced vision for New York City in 2030, but City Councilmember John Liu has some reservations.
&#8220It's commendable that Mayor Bloomberg is looking ahead to the future,” Liu said. &#8220It'll be more credible if they set some milestone goals three years out.”
Recently, Bloomberg held a panel discussion at the Queens Museum of Art, where he delivered a major speech talking about the sustainability challenges and goals for the City of New York through the year 2030.
&#8220Because it's here in Flushing Meadows, in the heart of Helen Marshall's borough, that more than once, New Yorkers have looked beyond the present, to see the promise of the future,” Bloomberg said.
During his speech, Bloomberg identified three major issues the city will need to plan for - nearly 1 million additional people, infrastructure that will be nearly 100-years-old in some locations and environmental ramifications that will arise factoring in the increased population and stress on infrastructure.
Liu said there needs to be an increased emphasis on more mass transit options, including additional express and city buses.
&#8220There needs to be an immediate recognition that not all traffic is good traffic,” Liu said. &#8220This administration has held the view that traffic is a sign of activity. Hopefully, they have abandoned that attitude.”
The Queens population alone will increase 15.1 percent by 2030 bringing the population to 2.57 compared to 2.26 million in 2005, according to a population analysis conducted by the Department of City Planning.
However, the agency said it has been preparing, and will continue to prepare for the changes to the city's neighborhoods.
&#8220Through an unprecedented number of rezonings we have sought to channel new housing and economic development opportunities near the City's extensive transit system while limiting growth in auto-dependent neighborhoods,” said City Planning Director Amanda Burden.
During the presentation, Bloomberg spoke about 10 goals for 2030 including having all New Yorkers living within a 10-minute walk from a park, reaching a state of good repair on the city's subways and roads for the first time in history as well as achieving the cleanest air of any big city in America.
&#8220Three months from now we'll present New Yorkers with specific proposals for reaching each of our goals, explaining in full the regulation, legislation, financing mechanisms, or other measures they will require,” Bloomberg said.
For more information about the plan for 2030 or to make your own suggestions or goals for the city log onto www.nyc.gov/planyc2030