City streets are increasingly being chopped up by utility firms to make repairs without permission — despite the de Blasio administration’s vow to boost road safety.
The city issued 3,909 summonses in 2014 to Con Ed, KeySpan Energy, Verizon and other smaller firms for illegally tearing up streets, according to data obtained via a Freedom of Information Law request.
By contrast, the city issued an estimated 4,800 tickets in 2013, 1,692 in 2012, 1,758 in 2011 and 1,027 in 2010, records show.
The roadwork can be dangerous.
“Without a doubt, whenever a crew has a road opened up and partially blocked, it’s a danger,” said AAA spokesman Robert Sinclair.
The unwarranted street work comes after the city has tried to crack down on utility companies that don’t follow the rules.
In 2010, the city increased fines, to $1,500 from $800, for shredding streets without permission.
But the city’s main utility companies have not been deterred.
Con Ed, the city’s largest utility, was hit with a whopping $14 million in fines in 2014, records show.
14 comments:
Tearing up our streets and doing a half-ass job at cleaning up.
Keep giving Con Ed tickets. They will just pass the it on as a raise increase!
Which do I want more? No one blocking traffic or light? What a hard choice!
"Con Ed, the city’s largest utility, was hit with a whopping $14 million in fines in 2014..."
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Wow, that's really going to make a dent on their finances! According to their online financial report, Con Ed had operating revenues in 2014 of $12.9 billion, and net income of over $1 billion.
Which do I want more? No one blocking traffic or light? What a hard choice!
It's not only blocking traffic. Some of these utility workers and contractors who are doing work don't even have someone directing traffic, which is very dangerous on narrow streets, or if there are pedestrians or children on their way to school, etc.
that is so dumb they need permission to tear up streets they can't do it on their own -
I don't know who to root against here...
Put the proper fill back so we can stop having dips and depressions on our roads !
What ever happen to the road maintenance crews ? I never see the roads maintained only repaved by "Big Time" contractors who strip and repave too often if you ask me !
They are not only tearing up the streets but tearing up the sidewalks on 201 street in Bayside starting at 47th Avenue and going up to 53rd Avenue. Supposedly repairing gas mains. The street is a wreck and the sidewalks have been torn up. The portion of sidewalk with the gas main in front of every house has been removed and replaced with uneven mounds of black asphalt. It is a tripping hazard, they didn't even try to be neat. I hope the city is planning to replace the sidewalks on every block because this should not be the homeowner's responsibility. I wouldn't be surprised if someone breaks their leg or worse.
Let's all take a deep breath here. I'm no fan of Con Ed, I think they are a bunch of lying scum bags. However, remember they are a public service regulated utility so some of this work is mandated by the state which means whatever their costs are they will be allowed to pass it on to you rate payers. Also I know from first hand experience that in NYC when contractors secure all,required permits from city agencies to perform mandated work such as water main and sewer repairs those same city agencies and other agencies will issue very expensive violations for technical infractions not covered by the mandated work permits. So when City statistics state that they have issued so many violations to these utility companies it sounds very bad, but it may be very meaningless and misleading statistics. Just remember the tax payer and the consumer ALWAYS pays for this government abuse. Remember Businesses never absorb the cost, they have to pass it on to the customer or else they become a charity or non profit.
The city can use this as a money source and Con Ed can pass it along. And so the actual source of the money is.............
Never mind BS fines which get passed on to ratepayers. Instead toss the scumbag Con Ed executives in jail , the abuses will quickly end after a few of these Con Ed mobsters spend some time at Rikers.
If their do not fix the problem and something happen you still be complaining.
Share holders and rate increases
@Camel
Spot on. Same applies to Fedex, UPS trucks, constantly getting ticketed.
Now who pays for all the tickets?
The customers.
Kind a soft extortion.
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