Gonna need a bigger boat...

 

Roosevelt Islander

 Earlier this month, a Roosevelt Island resident asked on Twitter:

"why is it impossible to get on a ferry at Roosevelt Island?! They are coming full from East 90th. This is a constant issue on weekends"

This Memorial Day Weekend Sunday afternoon was a perfect example of a full NYC Ferry Boat coming from East 90th Street with little room for passengers waiting to board at Roosevelt Island. After a few people boarded at Roosevelt Island, a NYC Ferry Crew member announced only "one more" spot on the boat was available even though there were at least 25 other people in line to board.

Upon hearing this, a frustrated man waiting with his family to board walked to the front of the line and told the NYC Ferry Crew member that the people already allowed on the boat cut ahead of those waiting in line and that NYC Ferry needs to do a better job organizing the line at the Roosevelt Island dock.

This is not a new problem. Larger capacity boats are needed during the summer.

Update

A proposal by mass transit guru Larry Penner:

 

 I enjoyed reading "Gonna need a bigger boat" concerning Roosevelt Island customers left at the dock unable to board.

My old friends at NYC EDC (who directly manage their Private Ferry Operator program) for some reason I can't understand continue year after year to ignore Federal Transit Administration funding that could be used to purchase larger size ferry boats. Perhaps you might consider the following...

Why Not Apply For Federal Funding Available To Purchase Larger Ferry Boats for Roosevelt Island Service by Larry Penner

Here is one way City Hall can find additional funding to pay for larger ferry boats to support greater passenger capacity benefiting Roosevelt Island and other destinations served by the NYC Economic Development Corporation Private Ferry Operator program. The United States Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration will announce a NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) in coming months. This is an opportunity to apply for a portion of the $30 million in Fiscal Year 2022 competitive grant funding for passenger ferry projects nationwide. FTA’s Passenger Ferry Grant Program, funds capital projects to improve existing passenger ferry service, establish new ferry service including the purchase of ferry boars along with repair and modernize ferry boats, terminals, and related facilities and equipment. Under this program, a portion of these funds are usually set aside for low or zero-emission ferries or ferries using electric battery or fuel cell components and the infrastructure to support such ferries.

FTA recipients such as NYCDOT can also choose to spend whatever they receive under their share of 2022 Fiscal Year Section 5307 Urbanized Area; $6.4 billion, 5307 Passenger Ferry $36.5 million or Section 71102 Electric or Low Emmiting $49 million for ferry projects. The Federal Highway Administration has funding under several programs including Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ), Surface Transportation Program (STP) and others which can be flexed or transferred to FTA can also finance capital ferry projects.

New ferry services can be implemented more quickly than construction of new subway, commuter rail or highways. These can take years or even decades until completion of environmental reviews, planning, design, engineering, real estate acquisition, permits, procurements and construction before reaching beneficial use. Completing all of the above, along with finding funding for ferry boats, docks and parking with costs in the millions is easier than finding the billions of dollars for construction of new or extended subway, commuter rail or highways. Utilization of ferry boats equipped with fuel efficient engines can make a positive contribution to air quality

Consider past history for federal support of the NYC DOT Staten Island Ferry. The nation's largest municipal ferry system moving 66,000 pre COVID-19 daily riders has benefited by over $1 billion in grants from the FTA (previously known as the Urban Mass Transportation Administration), going back to the 1970's. A majority of the Staten Island Ferry system capital program, including the purchase of ferries, Staten Island Pier 7 ferry maintenance facility, both renovated St. George, Staten Island and Whitehall Street, Manhattan ferry terminals, midtown Pier 79 West 39th Street ferry terminal, St. George, Staten Island ferry terminal replacement bus ramps and other support equipment necessary to run the system were all paid for primarily with federal funding. Additional funding was provided to purchase and preserve the old abandoned North Shore Staten Island Rail Road right-of-way for future restoration of transit service. The original service was terminated in 1953. This would reestablish a direct connection with the St. George, Staten Island Ferry Terminal. A past $450 million Federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Improvement Act (TIFIA) loan paid for rehabilitation of the St. George, Staten Island Ferry terminal bus ramps.

Mayor Erik Adams, Queens Boro President Donovan Richards, Manhattan Boro President Mark Levine and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation should ask NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez to apply for these funds which could help finance new capital improvements for initiation of ferry service to Coney Island. NYC Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Andrew Kimball can do the same on behalf of the Private Ferry Operators Program. This is another great example of Washington providing financial assistance to promote public transportation.

NYC can also apply for capital grants from the New York State Department of Transportation to assist in funding. Albany also provides State Transportation Operating Assistance (STOA). Ridership on any transit service generates yearly federal transportation capital assistance via the annual FTA Section 15 annual reporting process. Numerous past private ferry operators have come and gone. They could not financially survive without government subsidy. MTA bus, subway, Staten Island Railway, Long Island and Metro North Rail Road along with NYC DOT Staten Island Ferry is subsidized by a combination of City, State and Federal assistance for both capital and operating costs. All new ferry services will require similar subsidies to survive.

Who wouldn't want to enjoy the fresh air and breeze that only waterborne transportation can provide. Riding a ferry can be less stressful than being on a crowded subway car.

(Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office. This included the development, review, approval and oversight for billions in capital projects and programs for the MTA, NYC Transit, Long Island Rail Road, Metro North Rail Road MTA Bus, NYC DOT Staten Island Ferry along with 30 other transit agencies in NY and NJ.)

Anyone see a common thread here?

From the NY Times:

The chockablock density that defines this part of Queens may have also have been its undoing. Doctors and community leaders say poverty, notoriously overcrowded homes and government inaction left residents especially vulnerable to the virus.

From Huffington Post:

You call your district the “epicenter of the epicenter.” What makes your district specifically so vulnerable to all this?

"Well, we have a lot of service workers that live here, undocumented folks that live here, immigrants who are here, and oftentimes, we see that those folks are of lower income, and in order to survive, they have to live in overcrowded, illegally converted homes, which only makes the spread of COVID worse. So there’s really no place for many people who live in my community to self-isolate because sometimes they live 20 to 25 people in a house. We’ve seen this on numerous occasions here in the district." - King Tweeder Council Member Danny Dromm

But remember, folks, if you want to downzone your neighborhood or prevent out of character development, you're racist and should move to the suburbs.

Crowds are still gathering at bars despite rise of COVID-19 cases

Eater

After a Saturday night with many restaurants and bars filled with people, more government officials are calling for a shutdown of public spaces to help curb the spread of COVID-19 — including closing restaurants and bars.

On Sunday afternoon, City Council speaker Corey Johnson joined in on the cacophony of voices calling for a shutdown of “non-essential” businesses, including restaurants and bars, though he added that delivery services should stay open.

Brad Ladner, the city councilman for Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Park Slope and Carroll Gardens, and Comptroller Scott Stringer, “out of an abundance of caution,” called for closures earlier in the weekend. And Councilman Mark Levine, who chairs the Council Committee on Health, said that many venues were violating the new state order requiring businesses to reduce capacity in half. He too called for a shutdown, under the hashtag #shutdownNYC, pointing to the health of staff, who have no choice but to show up.

Meanwhile, on Saturday night in nearby Hoboken, Mayor Ravinder Bhalla banned all restaurants from having dine-in customers and closed bars without food all together, also implementing a 10 p.m. curfew for residents. The development came about after a person who got into a bar fight in Hoboken waited more than 30 minutes for an ambulance due to a strained health system, Bhalla wrote in a press release.

“This is not OK. This is not a drill. This is dangerous,” Levine tweeted.

School bus driver physically ejects an unusual passenger from his bus on Jamaica Avenue

Twitter

 Twitter

The ending is utterly amazing.

 Tell the kids to be very aware of their surroundings

Too much activity in the park?

From the Daily News:

One Queens lawmaker said Wednesday the promoters of the recently announced Kanye West headlining concert at Citi Field need to examine the traffic, safety and economic impact of the show if they want support from the surrounding community.

Founders Entertainment, the organizers of the Governor's Ball, on Tuesday said the first-ever Meadows Music and Arts Festival will take place in the Citi Field parking lot on Oct. 1 and 2.

City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras, whose district includes Flushing Meadows Corona Park, said Wednesday she is worried about conflicts with the busy Makers Faire taking place the same weekend at the New York Hall of Science across the park.

But Ferreras stopped short of calling for Meadows to be canceled or rescheduled.

“I believe in bringing cultural events that can spur economic growth to benefit our community,” said Ferreras, the chair of the Council’s Finance Committee. “There are serious concerns about the impact of a music festival on our community, including how this would impact Makers Faire, an existing and popular event in the same park on the same day.”

Founders officials, who have met with Ferreras, said they are not making any parking available to attendees of the Meadows in order to accommodate other events.

FMCP the victim of piss poor event planning

From the Daily News:

Organizers of the Governors Ball are planning a two-day concert outside Citi Field in October, the Daily News has learned.

But the inaugural Meadows Music Festival could cause major headaches in Flushing Meadows Corona Park with the popular World Maker Faire taking place nearby at the New York Hall of Science at the same time.

Both events are scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 1-2. The festival, which would feature an eclectic mix of music and food, would take place in the parking lot of Citi Field.

The annual Maker Faire, which drew more than 85,000 people two years ago, takes place in the Hall of Science parking lot. But drivers are usually shuttled over from the Citi Field lot.

Kicking out the kidults

From DNA Info:

A new manager is taking over the restaurant inside the Playland Motel and he has promised to turn the late-night hangout into a family-friendly spot.

Dan Cipriani, who operated a Southern-style food truck at Rockaway Beach Surf Club last summer, will manage the kitchen at the Playland Tavern on Beach 98th Street and is creating a new menu in time for summer, he announced at a community meeting Thursday.

The news was welcomed by members of the Rockaway Beach Civic Association who say the popular hangout has disturbed neighbors with loud parties and rowdy crowds.

Cipriani, a father of six who also opened Lodge in Williamsburg, vowed to put an end to the Tavern's raucous reputation and said he was interested in running a wholesome restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"I don't plan on staying open until 4 a.m.," he said. "My vision for Playland is the exact opposite of what it was."

Something really needs to be done about Main Street

Photos courtesy of the Flushing Phantom

Fake crowds following Weiner

From the NY Post:

Anthony Weiner is having such a hard time generating support for his limp campaign that he has resorted to paying a rent-a-crowd firm to provide “supporters” for his events, The Post has learned.

Some of the gung-ho Weiner crowds, including at the Aug. 11 Dominican Day Parade in Manhattan, were really actors who were paid $15 an hour by the California firm Crowds on Demand, according to a source with direct knowledge of the deal.

The source said surrogates for Weiner approached the Santa Monica-based company days after Indiana-native Sydney Leathers came forward to say that Weiner had continued his digital dalliances after resigning from Congress.

The campaign asked the company to have actors seem “like either supporters or people who met him and became supporters as a result of that encounter,” the source said.

“The people would initially be skeptical and then they ask him various questions but would appear then to be convinced by his spiel,” according to the source, who said the campaign used Crowds on Demand “several times.”

Initially, Weiner’s associates asked the company to try and confront hecklers, but the company — fearing liability if there was violence — refused, the source said.

Crowds on Demand had no comment.

Weiner’s camp denied employing the company.

Council member suggests house party legislation

From CBS New York:

It’s a proposal that could make Brooklyn a bit more mellow, a push to prevent large and unruly gatherings by forcing people to get permission to party.

Recently, a massive house party, hosting more than 200 people, took place in the borough and some residents told CBS 2’s Derricke Dennis they’re sick of it.

Parties like that one two Sundays ago are the focus of a new proposal from City Councilman Jumaane Williams, cracking down on what he calls advertised “house clubs,” where there’s a cover charge, drinks are being sold, and huge crowds are in attendance.

“We think when there’s 200-300 people in a backyard and this happens on a routine basis, you’re really inviting trouble,” Williams said.

The proposal would mean anyone hosting a party with 40 or more people invited would have to register the event with the police.

“All we said is we have to inform the precinct and inform the community aboard. You wouldn’t have to ask for approval. You wouldn’t have to ask for permission,” Williams said.

So is this added protection, or an infringement of rights? The answer remains to be seen.

Councilman Williams also wants to create fines for people who advertise their party on social media and charge for admission and drinks, Dennis reported.

Parties the size of what the council member is targeting belong at a place of assembly, which is inspected by FDNY and assigned an occupancy limit. From FDNY:

As a matter of public safety, New York City requires a Place of Assembly (PA) Certificate of Operation for all premises where the Certificate of Occupancy indicates that 75 or more members of the public may gather indoors or 200 or more may gather outdoors for religious, recreational, educational, political or social purposes, to consume food or drink, await transportation, or any similar group activities. When such groups gather, it is necessary to ensure that the space is safe and issues, such as proper egress and emergency lighting, are appropriately addressed.

The certificate of occupancy for a private house generally does not allow 40 or more people to be on premises at once. I would think that parties of the volume that the council member is trying to regulate are already technically illegal and there are agencies responsible for monitoring the issue other than NYPD, like FDNY and/or DOB. In addition, those advertising their parties on social media and charging for admission and drinks have now turned their residence into a business. That's already illegal and subject to DOB fines. Good luck getting any enforcement.

Downtown Flushing free-for-all

Flushing is such a booming success that people have to be told to do their holiday gift buying out of town.


They've even got hawkers out on Main St. Pushing the bus service.


All encouraging you to shop elsewhere.


Then theres the obstacle course of junk stands and signs to bump into.


Is that good business... Encouraging people to shop elsewhere?


I guess nobody wants to shop in Flushing...I wonder if the BID knows about these jitneys going to Long Island and upstate.


Blocking sidewalks again on a busy street.


You can barely pass through.


39 Av off Main St. The sign reads...no standing except trucks unloading and in the other direction is metered parking. It doesn't say anything about a shuttle bus stop.





Where's the improvement that the BID promised and do they know about all this crap going on? - The Flushing Phantom

Gridlock gold

"Walking south along the east side of Main Street, I had to wait, wait and then wait some more....until the pathway was finally clear enough for me proceed along without risking bodily harm. Notice the two cars trying to simultaneously exit the underground garages (on the left) at "New World Mall" onto Main Street. At the same time a northbound bus was attempting to negotiate (in heavy traffic) so it might reach its assigned stop near Duane Reade.

Of course....we always have Flushing's bustling humanity overcrowding its far too narrow sidewalks to up our game as you can see. Now I ask: can this be a pleasant shopping experience?

Downtown "Flush" is not my destination of choice for anything anymore if I can help it! Where is all of that BID money going to? Apparently not to improving the business district from the looks of things!

And where is DOT, NYPD and the FDNY? You can't rush to a fire in this tangled mess!

And it isn't any better looking in the direction of the #7 subway entrance either."

THE FLUSHING PHANTOM