NYC’s Blackout Plans

New York City’s Office of Emergency Management has apparently decided that a blackout might be a bad thing. So the City is paying the Army Corps of Engineers to study places that might be vulnerable to a power outage and suggest ways to respond. Like, you know, bringing in generators.

The Daily News takes a look at contingency plans for the new Fulton Fish Market:

The Hunts Point market handles all the fresh seafood in the New York region. A 10-day blackout there – like the one that crippled Long Island City and Astoria in Queens in 2006 – would leave thousands of city restaurants in the lurch.

That’s right: no increased oversight for Con Ed,  but we’ll pay the Army to make sure the City’s restaurants get their fish.

Residential Parking for LIC

Earlier today, Mayor Bloomberg announced the Residential Parking Permit Program that will be included in the congestion pricing legislation. Long Island City is one of four neighborhoods mentioned in the City’s RPP proposal. It’s not clear why Astoria isn’t one of the trial neighborhoods, but local community boards will have the opportunity to opt in later on.

The program will work a little bit like alternate side of the street parking. Area residents will get permits for cars registered to addresses in the neighborhood.   Some—but not all—spots in the neighborhood will be designated as RPP spaces. Each neighborhood then gets to pick a specific 90 minute period during which the RPP spaces will be off limits to anyone without a permit. 

Um, okay. Will the plan really cut down on all day park-and-ride commuters or will it just send them around the block a few more times while they look for a non-restricted spot? It probably will make it harder for anyone who wants to shop, eat or work in the RPP zones to find parking.

Meanwhile, a Washington state scientist  who helped popularize the idea of congestion pricing now says that he wishes he could take the idea back.