Suppose Bloomberg leaves the city his fortune... (section 8, apartments)

[OyCrumbler]

what would you like done with the 20 billion?

In this hypothetical, all the money has to be spent on improving NYC--no personal enrichment.

[Jackson Pollock]

Subway expansion.

[K.O.N.Y]

start off with the BBQ(bronx,brooklyn,queens) transit. Wont even touch manhattan. We need a better way to get from the bronx to queens to bk

[Coolhand68]

Build more school versus closing existing ones down and overcrowding classrooms.

[gradstudent77]

Subway expansion.
Build dense, no-frills, quality housing in neighborhoods where the market rate for rent or purchase will be affordable.
Create or expand programs which get people out of the projects and off of any state support.
I'd connect Grand Central and Penn Station so NJT And LIRR could discharge and pick up passengers at both stations.
A new PATH tunnel with a new track for each direction.
Give more tax breaks to productions that want to film here.

[analyticalkeys]

Subway expansion.. need direct routes from Queens to the Bronx and more from Queens to Brooklyn... also maybe a cross-town train in Bronx & Brooklyn plus further subway support in eastern Queens?? I'm just a dreamer

[OyCrumbler]

Go ahead and dream, this topic was built for it.

As for my own wishlist:

Transportation

- Refurbishing current dilapidated or high maintenance stations and lines

- Finishing up the Q/T second avenue subway with extensions so that one spur (preferably the Q) goes into the Bronx and another going crosstown and linking up with the 1, 2/3, A/B/C/D lines along 125th street

- A look into the Triboro RX going from the Bronx into Queens and then Brooklyn with the really pipe dream-y possible extension into Staten Island via a tunnel, bridge, or retrofitting of the Verrazano-Narrows bridge and from there an extension up and along the north shore

- Completion of the other MTA capital projects (7 line extension, East Side Access, etc.)

- Support for faster/more frequent (and possibly smaller) ferry service between Staten Island and Manhattan

- Better G service, and perhaps along its full possible length from Forest Hills to Coney Island, and perhaps some kind of connection between the G and the many lines it intersects but does not connect to around downtown Brooklyn.

Development
- Public and private sector high-density commercial, retail, and residential development (via incentives and/or subsidies) in the Hub in the Bronx, around Broadway Junction in Brooklyn, and possibly Jackson Heights (though Jackson Heights is already doing great for itself). This would essentially be transit-oriented development along hubs that other cities are doing, but with the benefit of a great transportation network already in place. The advantage to building here as opposed to where development is currently (midtown, downtown, downtown/waterfront Brooklyn, LIC) is far cheaper land, comparatively low-density current development, far fewer historical districts and architecture that would need to be saved, and communities that are in far greater need of development dollars.

Development in these areas also makes greater use of the subways’ full capacity since much of it is underused as everyone is siphoned away towards the current developments in and around Manhattan in the morning and then away during the evening—which means that the lines going against peak direction are incredibly underused. Broadway Junction is particularly interesting since it is one of the most neglected areas in the city while playing host to the various spurs of the A/C, J/Z, and L lines, the LIRR, along with the hypothetical Triboro RX. The Hub (or perhaps some other part of the South Bronx) would serve in a similar capacity while revitalizing the neighborhoods host to thee gorgeous Art Deco apartments along the Grand Concourse.

- Similar investments in Coney Island and its surrounding areas except with a distinct slant towards recapturing the area’s halcyon years as an entertainment, recreation and amusement powerhouse. The area’s historical greatness should be counted on as a strength as well as its serving as a transportation hub. Coney Island should be made into something more than a daytrip curiosity for most people.

- Better access and development for Randall’s/Ward’s Island. It should serve as a premier park for the city given its size, location, and unique attributes. A stop on the Triboro RX here would also be great.

Social programs

- Greater investment in primary education with more incentives to get qualified people into teaching, smaller class sizes, longer classes, and more facilities and resources.

- Reforming of the welfare/workfare program through more funding towards workfare, far greater supervision, and targeted training programs. The NYC Civil Corps is perhaps a good jumping off point for workfare. As the city and its citizens subsidizes recipients, the city is entitled to knowing details about the recipients and to ask for services in exchange. There are always non-essential services that would benefit the city, but are not critical. There should be a change in the culture of welfare such that it is explicitly recognized as being in society’s debt and a result of charitable intentions. Recipients should be receiving financial, job training, and other practical education while showing application of this knowledge and/or providing services to the city. The city should act on this policy and publicize this so that it’s known that an out from destitution is available to those who work.

- A more adequate recycling program, and greater push for environmental programs in general such as improving insulation, energy and water conservation, white roofing, solar panels, etc.

Bloomberg probably doesn’t have enough for all this. Maybe I need to throw in the Koch brothers, too. Anyhow, most of these programs should in the long run pay for themselves. A better transportation system allows for a larger population and access to transportation raises property values (and therefore taxes). Investments in making sure that the young grow up able and productive and that those on the skids contribute to society are also sound investments. A multi-core city would raise the value of the areas around the new cores, help communities come to a critical point where they can slide out of poverty and public subsidy, and maximize the benefits from money already put into the mass transit system. Giving mass transit a good once-over with an eye towards easier maintenance means less of everyone’s valuable time and giving greater productivity. Of course, this is a pipe dream.

[Crotonapark]

Subway expansion in the outer boroughs and more funding for NYCHA, projects and Section 8...

[analyticalkeys]

It seems we all want subway expansion... maybe we should start a petition?? Haha... I wish something like that would actually work.