Big plans needed for fast growing megacity NY

The ‘Big Apple’ New York City, with a population of over 8.4 million people continues to grow expensive forcing people to move out and away from families.

And this is one of the areas for redressing which former councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley is targeting as her political goal.

A working mother of two sons, and daughter of Democratic Party District leader and Councilman Late Walter Crowley, Elizabeth Crowley intends to run for the next President of the Borough of Queens when the position falls vacant.

An ex-councilwoman herself from 2008 to 2017, Ms Crowley has a huge plan to make New York City affordable for the middle class.

“I believe transportation and housing are the major problems in my area ... And I have plans,” she said in an exclusive interview with Daily Finland in New York.

Her transport development plan starts with the re-use of 13.67 kilometers existing track spanning the length of Queens and connecting the fastest growing census tract in the U.S. to a new transit line, the QNS, estimated to cost about $2.2 billion.

The 39-year-old politician elaborated her dreams saying that the envisaged line can stimulate development without a major re-zoning as the line connects over 6 million square meters of land for residential development.

“There was plenty of space to attract investment in the plan and the economic development would definitely create more jobs,” said the former union painter and school teacher.

Showing a study by NYC Department of City Planning, she indicated that the new transit line can catalyze building for 72 thousand housing units and increase the area of Queens with subway access by 13 percent.

“The average monthly housing costs along the line would be less than 60 percent of the New York City average,” Ms Crowley indicated.

She said the QNS trains would run on the existing MTA-owned rights of way which would eventually bring in revenues. The existing tracks are now used for freight which can continue alongside passenger service.

“All these are achievable and it would make Queens affordable and keep families safe,” said Ms Crowley.

Asked about the sources of financing the mega project, she mentioned that “The sale of air rights, tax increment financing and transit oriented development and fare revenue were the potentials.”

All these will only come true if Elizabeth Crowley is elected as the president of the Borough of Queens.