ASC's Intersections Newsletter — May 8, 2026
Nora's Note
A Seat at the Table. 10,000 Small Business Voices was in Albany and New York City for Small Business Week to meet with city and state representatives, advocating for issues critical to small business and pressing for policy that works for us. We called for support in offering competitive benefits, increased access to affordable capital, reductions in overly burdensome regulations, fair contracting, and education on AI and digital tools. In New York alone, we represent 98.9% of all businesses, employ 3.7 million people, and generate nearly $1 trillion in sales, shipments and revenue. And yet, big business continues to be favored, and we face significant barriers in hiring and retaining skilled workers, securing the funds we need to grow, keeping pace with new technologies, and navigating changing regulations. Representative Ritchie Torres, New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, Assistant Commissioner New York City Small Business Services Sherri Lane, and NYS Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon were among the leaders who shared their views and heard ours in fireside chats at Goldman Sachs headquarters in New York. Many of us called for leveraging the power of collective buying to lower insurance costs for small businesses, and for low-cost lending that considers the needs of small businesses. My plea was for the public sector to enable and encourage use of talented workers who did not attend college by reexamining its procurement requirements. If New York is to solve the high-risk challenges it faces in economic instability, small business should have a seat at every policy decision-making table in the state. I am grateful to Goldman Sachs for creating the opportunity to listen, learn, and advocate alongside other small business owners who are committed to making New York a stronger place to build, work, and grow.
Transportation
Mayor Mamdani's administration has proposed plans to redesign a stretch of Park Avenue from the MetLife Building to East 57th Street, widening the pedestrian medians by removing a lane of traffic in each direction. This plan would create a safer, more pedestrian friendly parkway, and would restore the avenue closer to its original early 20th-century design. The project is timed to coincide with the MTA's $1.7 billion rehabilitation of the Grand Central Terminal train shed beneath Park Avenue, giving the city a rare opportunity to rebuild from scratch. Read more about the proposed redesign, here. (Source: Gothamist)
AMNY: Work on Flatbush Avenue redesign in Brooklyn gets underway as Mamdani admin looks to make buses faster on five different lines
Streetsblog: MTA prepares to fund IBX light rail without feds after Trump meddling
Mass Transit Magazine: LA Metro cuts ribbon on new Santa Monica TOD project
Climate
Used electric vehicles are surging. Even as new‑EV sales dipped after federal incentives ended, used EV sales jumped 34% in 2025, driven by a growing supplyas more models enter the market and 300,000 EVs come off lease this year, more than double last year and headed toward 600,000 in 2027. With prices now matching used gas cars and fuel costs rising, more drivers are turning to EVs, making it firmly a buyer’s market. Read more about the surge here. (Source: Canary Media)
Inside Climate News: With fertilizer pollution on the rise, Iowa will invest $100M in water treatment
Grist: The SEC tried to silence activist investors. Now they’re fighting back
Happy Eco News: Transparent window insulation could dramatically reduce building energy loss
Economic Development
A new $4B Housing Investing Initiative in New York launched last week, seeking to expand production and preservation by expanding access to funding. The housing affordability crisis has been a top priority in New York for over a decade, from former Mayor de Blasio to current Mayor Mamdani. Over the next four years, the City will dedicate about $1 billion per year to fund the creation of new mixed-income and affordable housing, preservation of existing affordable housing, and support office-to-residential conversions. Read more to learn how this aligns with other cities’ plans to address ongoing challenges for affordable housing. (Source: Smart Cities Dive)
Planetizen: Philadelphia gained 4,000 new housing permits per year after upzoning
Waste Dive: TerraCycle launches $75M funding round to fuel expansions
Hoodline: Brooklyn Park rethinks $4.5M small business incubator
Digital
Michigan lawmakers have advanced a new bill aimed at reducing the harms of social media for children. The bill focuses on regulating Big Tech, holding them accountable for practices such as targeted ads, notifications, and data collection. The measure, known as “Kids Over Clicks,” also seeks to curb addictive platform features and strengthen protections for minors online. Read more to see what the proposal would change, who supports it, and why some industry groups are pushing back. (Source: Route Fifty)
About Arch Street Communications
At ASC, we help government agencies, corporations and nonprofit organizations across the globe communicate issues that affect people’s lives. We’re the bold, nimble, women-owned small business (WBE) that has supported strategic communications programs to build stronger communities for 30 years.
Ready to find the “simple truth” solutions to build a better future? We want to hear from you! Get in touch to learn how our signature approach can work for you.
Subscribe to Arch Street Communications' Newsletter Intersections
