The Hunts Point Cooperative Market is desired by New York City not just for the food that enters and exits its terminal, but also for the jobs it provides. The Hunts Point Cooperative Market contributes to the congestion that snarls up the South Bronx, and to the diesel fumes that the neighborhood’s astronomical child asthma rate. But, it is also an actual job creator – a fact that even the FIRE obsessed Bloomberg administration can pay attention to.
Highways around the Hunts Point Cooperative Market courtesy NYCDOT
But, even 17.5 million in city subsidies cannot be enough to entice the market to sign a long term lease. Why? Because, Charles V. Bagli of the New York Times explains, trucks that deliver the produce are often ticketed, policed and harangued by the Business Integrity Commission, “a city agency created to root out organized crime in the carting industry.” I imagine that a lot of tickets are given if trucks have to contend with tucking themselves into that tiny off-shoot of land.
What if New York City focused on a transportation network that wasn’t just for the pleasure of the average car commuter driving from Greenwich to Wall Street? When New York City started to abandon its manufacturing, it stopped planning for diverse transportation modes that involved rail and ships. Now the infrastructure, and thus the economy of 21st Century NYC is suffering.
© The American Arts
Could a city of trucks also co-exist with a city of people? What would happen if people were not afraid to interact with their own streets? Ulrich Franzen illustrated these revolutionary notions in his 1969 film “STREET.” The Urban Omnibus wrote a loving little article about the short and is also hosting the video. I recommend watching this for the funky music alone.
