Majora Carter on Mayor Bloomberg and the Environment

Description: The Bloomberg administration gave it a good shot, Carter says.

Question:  How would you rate the Bloomberg administration on environmental issues?

Transcript:  I think they gave it a good shot.  I definitely have my concerns about Plan NYC.  Specifically, because it doesn’t really, really, you know, support the development of green jobs.  It, sort of, pays lip service to it.  But, you know, the fact that they’re-- seems more interested to build-- and especially, in affected areas, disadvantaged areas-- that they’re much more interested in building jails there, rather than the development of green jobs.  Yeah, I’m a little concerned about it.  And I think some of the things in it are just not going to happen, to be honest.

Question: Would you like to see the congestion tax come back?

Transcript:  I think, congestion pricing, you know, as a model, is incredibly important, and we do need to see it happen.  But our concern is that we want to make sure that the benefits really go to mass transit.  Because that really is going to be the most important thing.  I mean, most people, you know, in the city, actually, are subway users.  And so we want to make sure that the benefits are going to increasing mass transit use and not anywhere else.

Question: Would you like to see more bike lanes?

Transcript:  Yeah, I mean, that-- bike lanes are part-- but again, it’s a part of, like, looking at the whole transportation system.  If we’re not enforcing, you know, the fact that bike lanes are a really important part, then, bike riders will continue to be killed on our streets.  Which is exactly what’s happening right now, and it’s incredibly unfortunate.  But I think that’s where we need, like, more support from the city to recognize that, you know, biking is a form of transportation.  And we need to be really cementing that, you know, in the mind of everybody in New York City.  Like, right now, it’s, kind of, like, we’re not that important as bikers.  And you see it in the way that unfortunately bikers are treated.

Recorded on: 4/28/08