High Line Spending Exposed

Sky High Costs, NY Post, 8/3/09

Another hard-hitting expose of Parks by the Post's Rich Calder; this time the High Line is in the spotlight. The article looks into the cost per acre to maintain the brand new $172 million promenade complete with extremely high compensated salaries of employees. The piece also publishes an amount of Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) at the High Line and for the first time accurately compares it to the number of PEP available in the Bronx and Queens. The disparity is enormous. No wonder why Bloomberg supports this. Friends of the High Line (a private management group) is also pursuing three dedicated sources of funding: A park tax - (High Line Improvement District), revenue from concessions, and an endowment. This while 99% of the city's other parks must rely on municipal funding. One City, One Standard?