What is the Role of Government?

Since 1981, I have taught a graduate course called Public Management at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. I care a lot about what government does and how it does it, and I know that government has a reputation for mismanagement – some of it deserved and some not.

At the heart Read More

The DOT’s $4 Million Update

Here’s a statement from the city’s Transportation Department explaining why that $4 million traffic-easing plan that was supposed to be completed in downtown Brooklyn is not finished yet.

“Capital work was delayed because the construction was more complicated than initially anticipated. Preliminary plans for all 250 recommended neckdowns were completed by DOT in March Read More

DOT Commissioner Weinshall Resigns

She weathered the Staten Island Ferry storm, only to resign to…. work for CUNY.

The Mayor’s statement after the jump.

- Matthew Schuerman

STATEMENT BY MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ON THE RESIGNATION OF DOT COMMISSIONER IRIS WEINSHALL

“When I became Mayor, the people of New York were already very fortunate to Read More

Traffic-Study Update

Yesterday we ran an item about the mysterious appearance of traffic-strips–the devices that count vehicular traffic–on Van Brunt Street in Red Hook, the neighborhood where residents have been agitating for traffic-calming measures from the Department of Transportation, to no avail. Careful readers will remember that a woman was killed last month by a wayward Read More

Ameruso Dies at 68

A reader writes in to note today’s obituary for Anthony Ameruso, transportation commissioner under Ed Koch. Ameruso passed away in April, although his death was not announced at that time.

The Times writes:

In January 1986, Mr. Ameruso was forced from his job at the Department of Transportation after the authorities uncovered an extortion Read More

Petrocelli and Chuck

Here’s an interesting little sidelight to the DOT bid-rigging story:

Santo Petrocelli and Santo Petrocelli Jr., both listed as employees of Petrocelli Electric (the company accused of defraudnig the Department of Transportation) contributed a total of $4000 to Chuck Schumer, the husband of the commissioner of that department, in December, 2002.

He returned the Read More

Blaming the Victim?

I wrote yesterday that the bid-rigging scandal is a “huge black eye” for the Department of Transportation, which was perhaps premature. The details of the case will bear on that.

Yesterday, the Bloomberg administration managed to get into Channel 4′s second story that this was a joint investigation with the FBI and the Department of Read More

To ‘B’ or Not to ‘B’ a One-Way

Last night at Community Board 3′s traffic and transportation committee meeting, the issue on everybody’s mind was whether to convert Avenue B into a one-way street. As it stands now, residents and business owners (with the possible exception of nightclub owners; nary a one showed up at the meeting) are fed up with traffic and Read More