Motorcycle mayhem terrorizes residents at the 34th ave open streets in Jackson Heights

Not much has been written about what a disaster these open streets have turned into and it's easy to see why. Council member Shekar Krishnan held a sham town hall about this and it mostly was about preserving the open streets than stopping the "traffic violence" that goes on there every day and night.

The Department of Transportation Alternatives is holding a survey for these dangerous open streets tonight in the hopes they will get 88 million dollars to turn those 25 blocks into an official fake park.

Hey Queens! Take our survey to help inform the future capital project vision of the 34th Ave Open Street: https://t.co/syQg96QBGu (closes Friday 6/21) and join us for a design workshop:

When: Tomorrow June 18, 5-7PM
Where: 34th Ave between 79th St and 80th St pic.twitter.com/QOqlZIV1lH

— NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) June 17, 2024

Tell The Blaz what you really think about the job he did in his two terms as Mayor of New York City

 

Bill de Blasio

When I launched my campaign for Mayor outside my home in Brooklyn in January 2013, I promised that we would take dead aim at the Tale of Two Cities.

Today, I am writing to ask for your feedback. I’d love to know what you think we did well during my time as mayor, and where you feel we came up short.

Please take 2 minutes to complete a short survey sharing your thoughts about my time as mayor.

 

After winning the primary and through my inauguration, we heard over and over that our vision for One New York was not possible.

 

When I said that we would not wait to offer free, full-day pre-K to all of New York City’s children, the New York Times said it was a noble idea that would never happen and that we were wasting our time.

 

Today, 70,000 children are enrolled in pre-K and we’ve launched 3-K for All. When I said that we would not wait to reform a broken stop-and-frisk policy in New York City, the editorials and statements from officials of that time basically said the city would fall apart the moment we got rid of the program.

 

The opposite happened. We started showing respect to our young people and we got safer. Before COVID, New York City was the safest big city in America with the lowest number of major crimes in the modern era.

When I said that we would not wait to require developers to build more affordable housing, people said they were too powerful.

 

Eight years later, we have delivered affordable housing to 275,000+ New Yorkers through the most ambitious affordable housing plan in our city’s history.

 

When Donald Trump dropped out of the Paris Agreement and his administration rolled back climate protection after climate protection, there was a lot of disappointment, but little hope about what could be done in response.

We doubled down, cutting greenhouse emissions by 17% below 2005 levels despite significant growth as a city, and committed to divesting $5 billion of NYC’s pension funds from fossil fuels.

 

When COVID hit, we were the epicenter of the crisis with an incompetent president who denied science and didn’t want to test simply because he didn’t want to see the numebrs. We didn’t have what we needed — the ventilators, the PPE, the testing labs. It was one of the most difficult moments in our city’s history.

 

But New Yorkers stepped up to protect each other, as we do. We created our own supplies to save lives. And we went from worst to first — from the epicenter to one of the safest places in America. And when the naysayers said it couldn’t be done, when cities all over dared not try, we re-opened our schools.

But we have done more:

 

We reduced pedestrian fatalities by 45% making our streets the safest since the dawn of the automobile. We achieved the city’s highest ever graduation rate and lowest dropout rate, and we launched ThriveNYC to ensure New Yorkers who need mental health support have access to it where and when they need it.

 

There is a lot to be proud of during our time, and I hope many of you are. I also understand if you believe there are places we fall short. But either way, I really want to hear from you.

We’ll be gathering replies at this link:

 

Please take 2 minutes to share your thoughts on the last eight years in New York City. We will be reviewing these results at the end of the week.

 

We still have a few weeks to go before the end of my term, and I will be working hard through the last hour. I am also very excited about what Eric Adams is going to do for our city moving forward. I’ve known Eric for a long time, and he’ll be an exceptional mayor who will take us to the next level.

But today, I look forward to hearing from you.

 

In solidarity,

Bill de Blasio

Here is a sample response, feel free to copy, paste and post too...

"NO...rather than 2 mins., I'm waiting for years to learn why you haven't done anything about collecting the near $1billion in unpaid DOB/ECB fines AND the "write off" clause in City Charter...clearly, you sold out to REBNY!"

MTA survey confirms commuters fears of daily subway crime and violence, de Blasio calls it fear mongering lies

 

 

NY Daily News

Fear of crime and harassment in New York City subways is keeping many New Yorkers out of the system even as COVID-19 restrictions start to loosen, according to a survey released Monday by the MTA.

Roughly 36% of straphangers who relied on the subway before the pandemic said they “are not using transit because of crime and harassment,” said the survey, which drew on answers from roughly 33,000 riders between March 15 to March 28.

Subway turnstiles clocked 2 million trips on Thursday for the first time since March 16, 2020, when schools, restaurants and other entertainment venues across the five boroughs began to close as the city became the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.

Ridership remains about 65% lower than the 5.6 million subway trips recorded each day before the pandemic as unemployment in the city remains high and most offices remain closed.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s new survey says 73% of riders who haven’t returned are “very concerned about crime and harassment” on transit, while 76% also cited “health safety” on the subway as a major fear.

“We know that if our riders feel safe from crime and safe from COVID, they will come back to transit and back to the city,” said MTA spokeswoman Abbey Collins. “We are throwing every resource at continually tackling these issues to keep breaking ridership milestones day after day as New York reopens.”

NY Post

Mayor Bill de Blasio took a shot at the MTA Tuesday, claiming the agency is “discouraging” ridership after its release of a survey highlighting commuter safety concerns.

Hizzoner vented his frustration with the agency during a subway ride with reporters in Upper Manhattan, insisting the mode of transportation is safe, citing the recent addition of 644 cops to its patrols.

“Look, the MTA should be telling people it’s right to come back, not discouraging them. Because regular everyday New Yorkers know that the subways are safe,” de Blasio said.

“I’d urge the MTA to work with us — not put down their own subways, but actually promote their own subways,” he railed.

According to a March survey from the transit agency, 72 percent of over 25,000 active subway and bus riders said they were “very concerned” over crime and harassment during the commute.

The survey showed just 26 percent were “satisfied” with “safety from crime and harassment on trains” — a 15.1 percent dip from September.

Interim Transit President Sarah Feinberg used survey’s findings to reiterate her call for a beefed up NYPD presence in the transit system.

But de Blasio on Tuesday argued there are already enough cops patrolling the subways.

“There’s no question,” the mayor responded when asked if 644 additional officers is enough. “It’s a huge show of force.”

Rather than expose its perceived shortfalls, de Blasio said the MTA should celebrate its successes.

“They need to talk about what’s working — because the subways are cleaner than they’ve ever been. That’s great! That’s a good thing,” he said.

Impunity City 

Sage advice from The Blaz again, it’s better to reinforce optics than to acknowledge problems and try to fix them. Just like with his continuing demented response to the pandemic, he has no concern for the safety of his constituents.

King of the hill, top of the heap!

From Metro:

New Yorkers may feel like this is one of the best cities in America, but a new report has named New York City one of the worst-run cities in the United States.

New York City ranked as the third-worst-run city in the country according to a WalletHub study published on Monday.

This is the second year in a row New York landed near the bottom on WalletHub’s ranking of the best-run cities. Out of 150 cities measured on a variety of “quality of services,” New York came in at number 148, above only Detroit and Washington, D.C. Gulfport, Mississippi and San Fransisco came in above New York, rounding out the top five worst-run cities.

WalletHub's list looks at how effective the local leadership is, but how can that be measured?

"One way is by determining a city’s operating efficiency," per the report. "In other words, we can learn how well city officials manage and spend public funds by comparing the quality of services residents receive against the city’s total budget."

The study’s “quality of services” score looked at different details across several categories: financial stability, education, health, safety, economy and infrastructure and pollution.

New York fared well in the safety area, but its finances and economic issues dragged down its overall score. According to the report, New York has some of the highest long-term outstanding debt.

The report also dinged New York City when it came to education. The high school graduation rate here is 74.3 percent, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in February.

Residents wary of street trees

From NBC:

A survey in Queens drew 1,250 responses from residents voicing safety concerns about tree conditions. Roseanne Colletti reports.

Hipster feedback sought at Fort Tilden

From DNA Info:

The government has been looking for input on rehabbing popular hipster summer hangout Fort Tilden, but hearing from locals isn't enough, so it wants feedback from summer visitors as well.

The National Parks Service is only in the initial stages of the process of changing access points and replenishing the beach inside the Gateway National Recreation Area, which was badly damaged during Hurricane Sandy, officials said.

The NPS sought public input before construction begins, but have only heard from area residents and local fishermen, according to a Parks spokeswoman, Daphne Yun.

Yun said she hopes to get the input of other groups that use the beach like day visitors from around the city who tend to flock during the summer months.

Lots of trips could be made on a new subway line

From AM-NY:

Half a million trips a day could be made on a piece of abandoned railroad track in Queens if the MTA decides to ever reactivate it, according to a new study form Queens College released Monday.

The report's analysis of the 3.5-mile stretch of rail, known as the Rockaway Beach Branch, said residents would make trips between the Rockaways and southern Queens neighborhoods and transit hubs to the north and west part of the borough and midtown and upper Manhattan.
Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder, a supporter of reactivating the rail, said the study bolsters transit advocates' arguments against a rival proposal for turning it into a park.

"Rail would bring more people on that line in three days than any other idea would in a year," Goldfeder said. "It shows that there's a need for increased transit access. It would give a historic connection to northern and southern Queens that we currently don't have."

The community is also split on the options before them, according to the study's survey of 363 residents and 44 businesses. With a 5.2% margin of error, 33.9% respondents preferred reactivating the rail line and 28.1% backed the QueensWay park.

And the rest of the respondents don't know or don't care since neither of these projects will ever come to pass.

Parks wants you to waste time calling 311

From CBS New York:

A Queens woman says she is stumped by the city Parks Department.

Janice Derr made a detailed list of tree troubles in her neighborhood, but when she sent it to the department they said ‘no thanks.’

“I try to make it pretty because this is a corner house,” she told CBS 2′s Tony Aiello, “I paint the mailboxes when there’s graffiti on them, I pick up garbage, I try to be a good citizen to keep my community alive and healthy and attractive.”

A few weeks ago Derr took a drive through her Queens Village neighborhood and noted a number of tree stumps on city property that were waiting to be removed by the Parks Department.

Derr made a detailed survey that listed the specific tree troubles at 69 different addresses. She sent the list to the Parks Department and asked State Senator Tony Avella to follow-up.

“She did all the work. How dare a city agency tell her and me, ‘we’re not accepting this,’” Avella said.

In a letter, the department said that she would have to address each and very issue with a 311 call.

Due to budget cuts the backlog of stumps to be removed is estimated at more than 10,000.

LIRR considering re-opening Elmhurst Station

From CBS New York:

The Long Island Rail Road’s Elmhurst station closed in 1985, when ridership was measured in the dozens, but the railroad thinks there might be a reason to reopen it.

LIRR President Helena Williams said there’s been early enthusiasm for the project, which would cost an estimated $30 million, but they want that yearning down in black and white.

So surveys will arrive in the neighborhood mailboxes in early July. It will be in English, Spanish, and Mandarin.

“We need evidence that there’s true ridership,” Williams said

Williams said adding a new station to the Port Washington Line would not slow service, especially with improvements being made already.

Rep. Grace Meng said it’s a good fit for a vibrant neighborhood.

Rep. Joe Crowley joined Meng, saying it could be a boost to quality of life.

Not only that, think of the scads more development we can encourage!

Driving is faster than mass transit

From the NY Times:

Most New York City residents do not lack for access to some form of public transit. And advocates are always extolling the virtues of subway, bus, rail or ferry over sitting — and stewing — in gridlock inside a car.

But while public transit might be preferable when it comes to controlling stress, driving is still the fastest way to get to and from work. At least that’s what a recent Census Bureau survey found.

The mean travel time for public transportation riders was more than 47 minutes, compared with under 32 minutes for people who drove themselves and 37 minutes for people who car-pooled. One-third of mass transit riders spent an hour or more commuting, according to the 2011 American Community Survey released by the census this month.

Driving has been a quicker way to get to work for New Yorkers than public transit for several years.

Hospital stats may reveal more cooked books

From the NY Times:

Felony assaults, along with all other major crimes in the city, have sharply decreased over the last decade, according to the New York Police Department.

But during much of that period, the number of assault victims taken to emergency rooms nearly doubled, according to the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Comparing the figures is difficult. It is unknown, for example, how many of the hospital assault reports were felonies and how many were misdemeanors, which the Police Department does not regularly report to the public.

But two criminologists say the difference provides more evidence of a Police Department culture that puts so much emphasis on annual crime reductions that some police supervisors and precinct commanders may be manipulating crime statistics.

“Emergency room visits are not going to happen just because somebody needs a Band-Aid,” said John A. Eterno, one of the researchers and a retired police captain. “Somebody is going to go there because they’ve been seriously assaulted.”

Mr. Eterno and his fellow researcher, Eli B. Silverman, presented their latest findings on Friday at a crime data conference at John Jay College.

The news media were not allowed to attend the conference, but the researchers provided reporters with a copy of the presentation.

Much of the presentation focused on a survey of retired captains and higher-ranking officers that The New York Times reported on in February. In the survey, many retired officers said pressure to reduce crime led some managers to alter crime data to show annual decreases in the seven major felony categories measured in the department’s CompStat program.

Police officials questioned the methodology of the survey at the time and pointed to other reviews of CompStat that supported its accuracy.

Police officials said Friday they could not comment specifically on the assault data until they examined the numbers.

Hospitals reported 47,779 assault victims in 2006, the latest figures available, a 90 percent increase from 1999. By comparison, the Police Department reported 19,173 felony assaults in 2006, a 33 percent decrease from 1998. (Numbers from 1999 were not immediately available.) The hospital numbers also show that assaults in which a firearm or cutting instrument was used, almost always constituting a felony offense, also grew, to 5,502 from 3,468, Mr. Eterno said.

Health officials said the disparity was not new and should be interpreted with caution. Part of the rise in hospital assault reports may stem from improved reporting and outreach, they said.