CNU New York

In response to soaring fuel costs and the increasing lack of affordable housing in proximity to jobs, schools, shops and open spaces, Transportation for America formed earlier this year. A broad coalition of local, regional, state and national partners, T4American seeks to align our country’s transportation policies with an array of issues like economic opportunity, climate change, energy security, health, housing and community development.

CNU New York is proud to have become a sponsor of this organization. Other coalition partners includes housing, environmental, public health, urban planning and transportation organizations.

Justifiably concerned that our national transportation program does not look to the future, but rather to yesterday’s problems, T4America advocates for the improvement of transit, whether it be inter-city or urban rail, clean buses, streets for safe walking and biking or well-maintained bridges and highways.

On October 15, 2008, outside Grand Central Station, T4America gathered NYC DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, MTA CEO and Executive Director Lee Sander and other transportation officials, Congressman Jerrald Nadler and several coalition partners to call on the next President and Congress to strengthen our economy by building a 21st Century transportation system.

To take action, ask our President-Elect Obama to take the lead by visiting BuildforAmerica.org.

BROOKLYNSPEAKS is a network of civic and community groups formed in response to the large Atlantic Yards project at the intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues. The group’s purpose is to inform New Yorkers about the controversial project, so that they can ask the decision-makers to move forward only with a plan that works for Brooklyn.

Atlantic Yards is a proposal by the developer Forest City Ratner to build 16 towers and an arena on a 22 acre site in Prospect Heights. Unfortunately, the plan has been created with no significant input from New Yorkers, and while development of the site could be beneficial, it is the opinion of BrooklynSpeaks that the plan voted on by state officials in December won’t work for Brooklyn.

On June 16, 2008, a coalition of Brooklyn coalition elected officials and civic groups including BrooklynSpeaks gathered on the steps of City Hall in Manhattan to launch the Campaign to Reform Atlantic Yards, an initiative to pass new legislation that would reform the governance of the Atlantic Yards project.

[ youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/5P4Nw96OX0k&hl=en]