Participatory Budgeting Is Here - Vote!

Councilmember Brad Lander has sent out a reminder that this year's Participatory Budgeting voting round is upon us.  We'll be voting at the library on Saturday, and I hope you'll join us this weekend.  Take a look at the items on the ballot this year at Brad's website - there are brief video clips for each of the proposals.

Vote Dates

Saturday, April 6, 10 AM - 7 PM

Carroll Gardens Library
396 Clinton St (at Union St)

PS 230 Lower School
425 McDonald Ave
(between Church Ave & Albemarle Rd)

Old Stone House
336 3rd St (Washington Park)

Sunday, April 7, 10 AM - 5 PM

Beth Jacob Day Care 
1363 46th St (at 14th Ave)

Kings Bay Y at Windsor Terrace1224 Prospect Ave
(at Vanderbilt St)

Park Slope Armory YMCA
361 15th Street
(between 7th and 8th Ave)

Carroll Park House
Carroll St and Smith St

We've got a million bucks to allocate.  Here are some of the proposed uses:

• Repair and repave the cracked and unusable basketball court at Ennis Playground as a first step toward a renovated park - $250,000
• Repair and resurface pathways that flood and are covered in mud: Endale Arch, East side of Lake, and Villa parking lot - $215,000
• Install security cameras in each of the District's four police precincts, especially near Prospect Park - $200,000
• Pedestrian Safety on McDonald Ave at Ft Hamilton; Expanded sidewalks will shorten crossing distances, reduce speeding, and improve safety for pedestrians - $300,000
• Improve safety, reduce speeds, and green 4th Ave between 8-18th Streets with raised medians, plantings, benches and more - $300,000
• Install 12 electronic signs at busy B67/69 stops that tell riders the location and arrival time of their bus - $240,000
• A media van so Rooftop Films can strengthen community and school partnerships and show over 50 public screenings per year - $45,000
• Beautify John Jay Educational Campus building's exterior with benches and plantings, making sidewalk more welcoming for the whole community - $150,000
• Enable tech access across diverse communities: laptop carts for 3rd-5th graders at PS 130, 321 & PS 230's ELL adult program - $195,000
• 24 smartboards for PS29 and 131 will improve tech access and move classrooms into the 21st century - $140,000
• Industrial shredder and shed to enhance Gowanus composting center; will process food scraps, leaves, trees, lunch trays - $105,000
• A green roof for Windsor Terrace Library that will reduce energy use, limit stormwater run-off, improve air quality, add wildlife habitat & beautify - $250,000
• Solar panels on firehouse to capture clean solar energy to meet hot water needs of firefighters and make firehouse more resilient to extreme weather - $140,000

Sadly my CitiBike station for Smith Street suggestion didn't make the cut for PB, but there's more than one way to skin a cat.