Friday Headlines: Dutch Discourse Edition – Streetsblog Empire State

Ah, so that’s what she was talking about.

The Village of Cold Spring’s board voted to stop the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail over a faulty environmental review, just as Gov. Hochul pushes a state budget proposal that would streamline the State Environmental Quality Review Act process to prevent project delays and lawsuits.

Village board members approved a legal suit on Wednesday on the grounds that trail developers and the state didn’t properly consider the area’s environment, with hopes that neighboring Phillipstown could join the suit. (Highlands Current)

The Hudson Highland Fjord Trail is a planned $7.5 million pedestrian and bike trail between Beacon and Cold Spring. Hochul’s plan to reform the state’s environmental review process has largely been construed through a housing lens, but she made a point of including bike and pedestrian paths within her proposal.

The idea of the State Environmental Quality Review Act being a lawsuit magnet is usually tied to mixed-use residential buildings, but safe places to travel along the Hudson River are getting the same treatment.

More news:

• Nassau County Republicans will need to find a new pick to challenge Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Nassau County) for her seat in Congress. (Newsday)
• Babylon on Long Island will see more stringent enforcement of e-bike rules on its parks and beaches. (Newsday)
• Sometimes you just have to beat the shit out of your political opponents. (News 12 Long Island)
• Riders are worried about service disruptions at Penn Station during the World Cup. (The New York Times)
• New York Working Families Party Chair Jasmine Gripper says Hochul is up to her old budget tricks. (City & State)
• A federal review of the funding to improve Rhinceliff’s Amtrak station could stall any progress on the project. (The Red Hook Daily Catch)
• State election officials launched nearly 300 lawsuits against dodgy campaigns. (The Times Union)
• Putnam County is looking for a grant to maintain and extend sidewalks in advance of a new trail. (Mid Hudson News)
• Some worry that outgoing Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes’s replacement was chosen in spite of democracy. (BTPM)
• The ranks of New York City green taxis have withered since Uber and Lyft came to town. (The City)
• Transportation advocates want more, but New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is a breath of fresh air. (amNY)
• Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo is finally getting funding for a streetscape redesign. (The Buffalo News)