New streetcar at heart of de Blasio’s State of City speech
Mayor Bill de Blasio, beginning his third year in office with middling poll numbers and stubborn political problems, delivered his annual State of the City address Thursday night, highlighting the steps his administration has taken to make the city safer and more equitable.
De Blasio, a Democrat, also outlined a series of ambitious policy proposals for the year ahead, including the creation of a retirement fund for private-sector employees, a renewed commitment to solar energy and new cultural and commercial development for a landmarked island in New York Harbor. But the centerpiece was something de Blasio had previously largely eschewed: a big public works infrastructure project that will live on long after he leaves office.
He unveiled plans to build a 16-mile streetcar line that will connect the waterfronts of Brooklyn and Queens, formerly gritty industrial areas that have been transformed into bustling residential neighborhoods.