Paul Newell was born and raised in this communityn, and he loves our neighborhoods more than anything. He knows how important it is that we make our streets – and our homes – safe and livable. In Albany, and in our neighborhood, Newell will work to make our communities healthy and vibrant. To get us there, he will:
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Fight the Over-Density of Bars: Nightlife has an important role in our neighborhoods, and always will. But the massive overproliferation of liquor licenses in our community - from the Lower East Side's "Hell Square" to SoHo and beyond - is out of control. Thriving neighborhoods require retail diversity. Newell will work with the SLA to deny new licenses to overburdened neighborhoods, and withdraw them from problem operators.
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Stop the Chop: The Federal Government and the City and State of New York have invested billions of dollars in the past decades building a residential community in Lower Manhattan. Allowing wealthy tourists to joyride in helicopters represents economic and planning malpractice – and threatens the livability of our neighborhoods. Newell will sponsor legislation to ban all tourist helicopter rides from New York Harbor.
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Traffic Calming: These neighborhoods are the crossroads of the world. But we don’t need to be everyone’s highway. Newell has been a longtime advocate for congestion pricing, and will work to reverse tolls on the Verrazano Bridge – ending the perverse incentives that send tens of thousands of diesel trucks rattling past our homes and schools. He’ll also fight for lower speed limits and pedestrian-friendly streetscapes that make our neighborhoods livable and safe for seniors and families.