City and Federal Policy Roundup

City Council Building Efficiency Legislation Coverage has been slim on 4-bill energy efficient building package before the city council last week, and it takes around a month for the Council to transcribe the hearings.  While this reporter was unable to attend the committee meeting, we will let you know as soon as the transcripts are available, when more news is reported, and when the bills are acted upon. Bicycle Parking Transportation access is not as much of an issue facing green buildings in New York as it is in other locations.  Still, bicycle parking and the use of alternate forms of transportation go hand in hand with energy efficient structures; both from building standards such as LEED and NYC’s zoning law that requires bicycle parking (you can also read their report on bicycle parking). The City Council is also discussing to bills related to bicycle parking and access requirements:

• Int 780-2008 – A bill to provide bicycle parking in garages and parking lots
• Int 871–2008 – A bill to require access for bicycle users within their office buildings –

You can read the legislation and committee reports at the above links. The New York Observer and the New York Future Initiative have covered the bills well. What do you all think?  The Times pointed out that “if the Empire State Building had been built under the new rules, it would have around 350 bike spaces.”  We will keep you posted as the legislation is considered further. Federal Energy Legislation Passes – On June 26, the House passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act. While this isn’t the most objective analysis, Speaker Pelosi’s office does provide a good collection of analyses – many aspects of the bill are directly or indirectly related to buildings.