Today’s Big New York Stories

Public space: There's room to do better
Op-ed By Harvey Robins, former aide to Mayors Koch and Dinkins, NewYork Newsday
“It would take an addition of $40 million ... to begin to reclaim all our parks to the standard of Chicago's. … That may sound like a lot of money, but the mayor could assign $40 million in annual revenue from park concessions, funds that now are now allocated to the city's general reserve, to be used for park maintenance.” Via Bird to the North

M.T.A. Is Expected to Postpone Vote on Railyard Bid
By Michelle O’Donnell and Charlie Bagli
"The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is expected to postpone a vote today to select a winning bid to develop the Atlantic railyard near Downtown Brooklyn, two people connected with the authority said yesterday.”

Damaged Cars Hinder New York's Order for New Subways
By Sewell Chan, New York Times
“A $1.1 billion contract to build 660 subway cars for New York City has run into significant problems…” It’s all the French’s fault. Uh-huh.

Agency Adopts Park Plan for Brooklyn Waterfront
By Robert F. Worth, New York Times
“The proposed plan for a 1.3-mile shoreline park stretching from the Manhattan Bridge to Cobble Hill is an important step forward in a contentious effort over nearly 20 years to develop the largely neglected waterfront area.”