ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of January 10, 2022
Nora's Note
A Fresh Vision for New York. Kicking off the New Year in a big way, Gov. Kathy Hochul made her first State of the State address last week. During her speech, Governor Hochul reiterated the State’s support for its small businesses with new tax relief and funding programs to help them recover from the ongoing effects of the pandemic. Governor Hochul also announced that New York has surpassed its goal of 30% utilization rate for MWBEs—the highest in the country—and will be advancing innovative programs to further increase the rate and streamline the MWBE certification process. ASC applauds the State’s continued efforts to support its MWBEs and stands with the Governor in working to build upon New York’s nation-leading MWBE utilization efforts.
Transportation
Ambitious urban rail trail project is coming to Poughkeepsie. Adding to New York’s 122 current rail trail projects, Poughkeepsie will soon begin construction on the new Urban Trail project. The trail will use inactive rail pathways to connect different areas of Poughkeepsie, providing new opportunities for non-motorized transportation and recreational uses. Once complete, the 2.7-mile trail will improve safety conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists and increase accessible connections for those who do not have a vehicle. Read more about the connections to local landmarks the completed trail will feature.
CNBC: Airlines cancel another 1,400 flights as omicron, severe weather continue to snarl travel
Transport Topics: The Electrification Journey
Fleet Owner: New York City makes largest EV purchase ever
Roads & Bridges: Connecticut Announces $839 Million to Upgrade State Transportation System
Freight Waves: 6 lessons learned about cybersecurity and freight in 2021
Wired: Public Transit Systems Refocus on Their Core Riders
Route Fifty: Infrastructure Update—Adding E-bikes to Municipal Fleets
NBC New York: COVID Surge Impacts MTA Subway Staffing, Train Schedules
Energy/Environment
Get ready for heat pumps—New York's Climate Action Council releases blueprint. New York set its sights on eliminating fossil fuels from new construction with a pair of recent announcements, opening the door for a significant rise in heat pump use by 2025. First, the State’s Climate Action Council released its blueprint to reach the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s (CLCPA) goal of using 70% renewable energy by 2030. Then, Gov. Kathy Hochul echoed the call in her first State of the State address. Read more to learn about the plan's proposed actions to meet CLCPA goals.
E&E News: Price hike marks new era for California cap and trade
The Hill: Climate change could lead to more hurricanes hitting Northeastern cities
Utility Dive: US East Coast begins 2022 with winter storm, almost 1M outages
Interesting Engineering: Researchers Found a Way To Remove Carbon Dioxide from Factory Emissions
News 10 ABC: Over $5M awarded to environmental projects in the Capital Region
Bloomberg Green: 2021 Ranks as Fifth Hottest Year, With More Data Coming Soon
Wired: Gravity Could Solve Clean Energy’s One Major Drawback
Denver Channel: Mapping tools help people understand pollution in their neighborhood
Economic Development
The Great Resignation is here to stay. The Great Resignation continues with a record 4.5 million people quitting their jobs in November 2021. Over the past eight months, employers have also been hiring at higher rates, indicating that many employees are leaving their positions for jobs that prioritize better working conditions and higher pay. With the economic impacts of the recent omicron variant, ongoing childcare needs and health concerns over returning to offices, experts suggest these resignation trends may continue throughout 2022. Read more to learn how employers are reacting to the Great Resignation.
Grist: In Michigan, a new housing project shows that sustainable development isn’t only for the rich
Pew: More Americans Can Use Food Stamps for Restaurants, Prepared Meals
Route Fifty: Why More Public Pension Funds Are Investing in Cryptocurrencies
NY Times: New York said it needed $1 billion more for pandemic rent relief. It is getting far less.
AmNY: Back to business: Adams signs executive order to protect small businesses from needless fines and penalties
Gothamist: Tenants Look to Albany as Eviction Moratorium is Set to Expire
CityLab: Buildings Don't Have To Be Bird-Killers
Philadelphia Inquirer: Philly planning officials expect more big real estate projects in 2022 despite property-tax break’s partial lapse
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COVID-19 Recovery Resources
NY Forward: NY State Reopening Updates
NYC Health: NYC Reopening Updates
Empire State Development: NY State Business Pandemic Recovery Initiative
CDC: Official Updates for Coronavirus Disease
SBA: COVID-19 Resources for Small Businesses
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