Van Bramer Outlines Ideas For Participatory Budget
From greener streets to new community spaces, residents across City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer’s district offered many ideas on how to spend $1 million in city funding during recent participatory budgeting events.
Van Bramer held nine public assemblies and hearings across Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside and Woodside gathering input from the public in the district’s first participatory budget campaign.
“Throughout this process, the community has taken on the responsibility of allocating $1 million of projects that they are developing,” Van Bramer said in a press release last Tuesday, Nov. 25. “Over the past several months, it has been exciting to watch residents and stakeholders from all around the 26th District come together to participate, discuss and debate which projects are needed in their very own neighborhoods.”
Approximately 140 residents signed up as budget delegates and, working in collaboration with Van Bramer’s staff and city representatives, will aim to ensure the top projects receive city funds in 2015.
Among the ideas submitted at the listening sessions include the following:
– a community boat launch and waterfront pocket park in Long Island City;
– a rooftop farm and community garden at the Queensbridge Houses; district-wide beautification projects including street tree plantings, pothole repairs and repaving;
– installing traffic calming measures on local streets;
– renovating the tennis courts at I.S. 204 in Dutch Kills;
– constructing a pedestrian footbridge above the intersection of Queens Boulevard and Thomson Avenue in Long Island City;
– a new dog run in the area of Sunnyside south of Queens Boulevard;
– a new ferry serving the East River waterfront covering Astoria, Ravenswood, Queensbridge and Long Island City;
– a new rooftop playground for Astoria’s P.S. 166; and
– handicap accessible ramps at the Queensbridge houses.
Various district-wide improvements were also suggested, including street tree plantings, pothole repairs, street repaving, new solar-powered charging stations, expanded bike lanes and mobile libraries and veterinary clinics.
Having completed the first two phases of the process, the next stage comes in March, when the delegates publicly present their proposals for items to be funded. The presentations offer residents an opportunity to provide feedback and the delegates may, if necessary, use the input received to alter their plans.
District residents will vote in April on what projects to be funded, with the top vote-getters receiving priority.
