Rollercoaster, zipline and other delightfully creative NYC budget ideas

NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – This week, many New York City residents will weigh in on how $1 million is spent in their neighborhoods – and some reached way outside the box to find improved quality of life. 

Every year, New Yorkers pitch and select local projects to share a $1 million chunk of city funding in a process called Participatory Budgeting. Voting for this year’s cycle begins Saturday on a huge range of community-driven projects ranging from public school gym upgrades to tree planting. 

But the few projects that actually make it to a district’s Participatory Budgeting ballot are only the tip of the iceberg. 

New Yorkers submitted over 2,400 proposals for the funding, which are then narrowed down by city representatives. Some – like having seniors read to children in exchange for ballet classes and rent relief for small businesses – are a reminder of how hopeful many New Yorkers remain in the face of strained city services and looming budget cuts. 

Other ideas were more outlandish. Here’s a look at the most delightfully creative New York City budget ideas:

1. “Mannequin Square Garden”: Don’t overthink it. It’s mannequins on top of Madison Square Garden. Why? You’d have to ask Stevarini, who suggested the budget allocation for Manhattan’s District 3.
2. A zipline in Morningside Heights: The longest zipline in the country just opened, going from New York to Massachusetts, but you shouldn’t have to leave New York City to be brave. 
3. V-Bucks for all: Fortnite money would be a huge help to the children of Queens, says Matthew of Julie Won’s District 26. And Matthew’s willing to be reasonable - just $10 a piece. 
4. Anti-honking campaign: Honking in New York City is only allowed to alert danger. It’s time drivers are reminded via signs on New York City streets, suggests one Manhattan resident. The suggestion is centered near York Avenue and East 65th Street. A similar suggestion sits on Eighth Avenue and West 30th Street. 
5. A roller coaster at a Queens middle school: Catherine & Count Basie Middle School, M.S. 72, is in desperate need of something fun, this idea-man says.