Assemblywoman Fernandez unveils 7-point plan for a greener Bronx

Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernández, candidate for Borough President, announced a 7-point plan Thursday that will make the Bronx the greenest borough in New York City.

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Click here to read the Assemblywoman’s plan for a sustainable Bronx.

“The Bronx is home to several major highways and waste transfer stations – two leading causes of our borough’s sky-high asthma rate,” Fernandez said. “Our Black and Brown communities have long been targeted by environmental racism. We cannot wait any longer to implement life-saving measures that empower all Bronxites. As borough president, I will invest in renewable energies, upgrade our infrastructure, create good-paying green jobs, and improve the quality of both our air and water.”

Her plan for a greener Bronx includes:

The Environmental Bond Act
1. Fernandez will advocate for the “Restore Mother Nature” Environmental Bond Act in the Assembly to be on the ballot this fall. The $3 billion plan will increase resiliency, protect wildlife habitats and create 65,000 jobs throughout New York. If elected, she will work with the other borough presidents and the next mayor to establish a five-borough resiliency plan to enforce environmental protection on a city-wide level.

Reducing the Bronx’s Carbon Footprint
1. Fernandez co-sponsored the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in the Assembly. As borough president, Fernandez will ensure that New York meets its climate goals by advocating for the necessary funding needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create alternative, renewable energies throughout New York.

Creating Sustainable Transportation
1. Fernandez stresses the need to develop and encourage alternative, sustainable transportation methods. As borough president, she will work to:
  1. Expand bus service and build miles of bus and bike lanes,
  2. Expand bike sharing throughout the borough,
  3. Complete construction of the four proposed Metro North stations in Co-op City, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park and Hunts Point,
  4. Install publicly accessible and affordable EV charging stations across the Bronx,
  5. Support the creation of tax incentives for individuals who purchase used electric vehicles,
  6. Encourage transition of the city fleet to zero-transmission vehicles and advocate for a city bus pilot program in the west Bronx, an area that suffers from the worst air pollution in the Northeast and
  7. Partner with academic institutions to educate and train Bronxites in electric vehicle servicing, giving them the opportunity to operate their own electric vehicle service shops.

Investing in Green Infrastructure, Creating Green Jobs
1. Fernandez knows that by investing in green infrastructure, the borough can build a sustainable Bronx that provides jobs, improves our air quality and upgrades the existing, deteriorating infrastructure. To accomplish this she will:
  1. Weatherize buildings to make them more energy-efficient and implementing corresponding job training programs to ensure that Bronxites take advantage of this burgeoning industry,
  2. Install solar panels on NYCHA complexes, schools, libraries and other city-owned buildings, and building solar farms on undeveloped city-owned parcels,
  3. Develop urban farms to allow Bronxites to grow produce,
  4. Support and funding the development of union-friendly job training programs for the green energy sector,
  5. Require flat-roofed residential buildings with six or more apartments to have green roofs,
  6. Support the construction of offshore wind farms,
  7. Replace standard street lights with LED lights and
  8. Create “smart sewers” by installing sensors that detect rising waters and redirect water flow to stop combined sewage overflow from entering the Bronx River and Harlem River.

Curbing Our Heat Island Effect
1. To minimize the consequences of the “urban heat island” effect, the assemblywoman will:
  1. Champion the construction of green roofs and expand the DEP’s curbside rain garden program to reduce stormwater runoff,
  2. Allocate the necessary capital funding to paint at least 100 miles of Bronx roads with white paint and
  3. Prioritize planting more trees to reduce temperatures throughout the borough.

A Green NYC
1. To create a greener Bronx, Fernandez supports investing in projects that positively impact vulnerable communities city-wide, including:
  1. Implement The Renewable Rikers Act study to build a center for renewable energies, such as solar and battery, and create jobs for hundreds, if not thousands, of New Yorkers and
  2. A partnership between SUNY and CUNY institutions to ensure that Rikers Island also serves as state-of-the-art green energy research, educational and workforce development center.

Modernizing Waste Removal
1. As Borough President, she will attempt to revolutionize the Bronx’s waste management system and provide both jobs and environmental equity to traditionally disenfranchised communities, including:
  1. Zero emissions garbage trucks and
  2. Marine transfer stations that encourage the use of barges and remove the need for trucks altogether.