Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Juniper Park reimagined for gentrifiers
Looks like the end of softball, concerts and events on the blacktop at Juniper Valley Park and the introduction of adult fitness equipment and bike paths for kids, along with new basketball and pickleball courts. All for the low price of $6M+!
The Parks department is also making their own version of crunch fitness.
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
City of Lithium-Ion
The city is giving landlords the ability to generate some extra cash by installing outdoor battery charging stations in front of their buildings and charge a fee for bikers to access the amenity.
The Department of Transportation on Monday launched an application process for building owners to install e-bike battery charging and swapping cabinets on public sidewalks outside of their properties.
The idea is for landlords, or their ground-floor retailers, to offer tenants and the delivery workers most city eateries rely on, greater access to outdoor e-bike battery charging, instead of risking lithium-ion batteries sparking deadly fires inside businesses and apartments.
In 2024, lithium-ion batteries ignited 279 fires and killed six people, FDNY data shows. The fires are tied to the city’s delivery economy boom and its workers’ reliance on inexpensive, uncertified electric bikes and mopeds. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in a statement that the effort seeks to make safe charging infrastructure more accessible to curb fire safety concerns, while giving private property owners the perk of monetizing public space to better serve their tenants. “We need to do our part to ensure charging is safe and accessible,” said Rodriguez.
Building owners can charge bikers a fee to access the cabinets, but the Transportation Department hasn’t worked out potential restrictions for such fees, according to the agency. One e-bike cabinet company, the Berlin-based Swobbee, that the city is partnering with to add the infrastructure on sidewalks says it plans to charge a maximum of $2 a day for an unlimited number of battery swaps.
A landlord or ground-floor tenant in a building with an eatery, shop or community space, or with five or more apartments, can apply for permission to bolt the skinny, vending-machine size metal cabinets to the sidewalk, which are lined with lockers that store and juice up batteries. Building owners interested in applying can contact DOT to obtain a permit at revocableconsents@dot.nyc.gov.
Monday, April 7, 2025
Summer of Bus Hell
The Queens bus map will change this summer, MTA brass announced on Monday.
As previously reported by the Daily News, the massive overhaul of the largest borough’s bus network will give Queens 124 routes — 94 local and 30 express — with an emphasis on connecting bus riders to the rest of the city’s transit systems.
In a statement Monday, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said that “800,000 Queens residents depend on our buses every day, and we owe it to them to find new ways to speed service.”
The bus map will change in phases, transit officials said, with the bulk of the new routes coming online in June.
On Sunday, June 29, 16 new routes will launch, 67 routes will change, and five routes will be discontinued. Then on Sunday, Aug. 31, one new route will launch, 37 routes will change, and one route will be discontinued.
To help Queens riders parse the changes in service, the MTA has launched an interactive version of the new bus map.
“As implementation dates near, we’ll ramp up the outreach efforts to make sure everyone’s aware about the upcoming changes,” New York City Transit president Demetrius Crichlow said in a statement. “In the meantime, we strongly encourage bus riders to take advantage of the online tools which provide the best customized approach to learn more about how your trip can change.”
Sunday, April 6, 2025
Hell on wheels on Rockaway Blvd.
Police were mocked and their vehicles vandalized during another raucous illicit car meet in Ozone Park late Saturday into early Sunday morning. Cops are seeking multiple individuals wanted for reckless endangerment and criminal mischief in the matter.
The incident occurred within the confines of the 102nd Precinct, in the vicinity of Rockaway Boulevard and 97th Avenue, at around 12:50 a.m., police said.
A group of individuals recklessly operated multiple cars and vandalized three NYPD vehicles. Authorities said the suspects dented the sides of the police cars and broke multiple vehicle windows using traffic cones. The group fled the location in various directions in multiple vehicles. No injuries were reported. Several people have been charged.
Footage posted to the social media platform Instagram by someone at the meet shows the delinquents surrounding both marked and unmarked police vehicles, jeering and making vulgar gestures at the officers seated inside before throwing a traffic cone on top of one marked vehicle’s windshield. The cops seated inside stare straight ahead, unmoving.
The car meet situation is not unfamiliar for those living in the area, as that location, near Cherry Valley Marketplace, at 84-12 97th Ave., has seen its share of rogue gatherings over the years. The issue recurs every few months, residents say, with large groups gathering to do doughnuts, race and perform other dangerous activities in their vehicles.
But the attack on police is a new factor.
Videos from the incident, centered on Rockaway and 84th Street, were posted to neighborhood Facebook pages and received hundreds of comments, with the majority of respondents outraged at the exhibited behavior.
The Ozone Park Residents Block Association on Monday sent a letter to Mayor Adams, the city Department of Transportation and area elected officials about the matter.
“This past Saturday, March 29, 2025, from approximately 10:00 PM until 1:30 AM on Sunday, a large group of individuals unlawfully took over Rockaway Boulevard between 83rd and 84th Streets. This has been a worsening trend over the past five years, with each incident growing in scale and audacity,” the letter read. “We commend the officers of the 102nd Precinct for their diligent efforts in curbing these meets in private lots and parks. However, now that the problem has moved into our streets, they require reinforcements and a coordinated response plan.”
The block association called on city leadership to “take decisive action before this issue spirals further out of control.”
The Cityline Ozone Park Civilian Patrol in a statement thanked the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct for its quick response.
“After the last major incident at this intersection, we wrote to the NYC Department of Transportation calling for permanent traffic-calming infrastructure — including flex-post delineators,” the group wrote. “We renew that call today. This can’t keep happening. And it’s going to take more than just enforcement to stop it.”
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Dirty bomb lit-ion battery storage building coming to Middle Village gets resistance
Council Member Robert Holden spearheaded a rally on Wednesday, April 2, to oppose the proposed construction of a large-scale lithium-ion battery storage facility at 64-30 69th Place in Middle Village, directly across from PS/IS 128.
The rally, which brought together local residents, political leaders, and concerned parents, demonstrated the growing frustration and alarm surrounding the project.
Holden, joined by Council Member Joann Ariola, Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, and many local residents, condemned the facility’s location in a densely populated residential area, emphasizing the risks posed to public safety, particularly the safety of children and families living nearby.
“So many people will be affected. The children, the parents, the homeowners who live close to this facility,” Holden said, addressing the crowd with urgency.
“They should all be on this lawsuit. It has been filed. We will follow through and we have a good shot at winning. We’re not going to take this lying down. We have to fight back. They are always shoving these kinds of places at us. This is very, very dangerous.”
Holden’s concerns center on the proposed facility’s proximity to several important community spaces. The site is located near an animal hospital, a daycare center, and a children’s party and play space.
Additionally, it sits directly across from PS/IS 128, a school that serves hundreds of children. Local residents, many of whom have lived in the area for decades, are alarmed by the potential dangers posed by a lithium-ion battery storage facility, particularly considering the risks associated with battery fires.
The case against Yes
Residents, elected officials and community groups on Wednesday gathered outside City Hall to announce a lawsuit against the zoning changes under the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan, which passed in December.
The Article 78 complaint, filed on Tuesday night, argues that the plan violates the State Environmental Quality Review Act and the City Environmental Quality Review.
Quoted in a press release from the office of Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park), the suit alleges in part that the city failed to properly examine “significant areas of environmental concern.” According to the release, the City Planning Commission concluded that new development under the plan would have no significant negative impact on communities, even though many neighborhoods face issues such as flooding, pollution and overcrowded schools.
“How, with a straight face, can the city of New York say that what they’re doing is not going to have an effect on these things, which are already overburdened and overtaxed, at capacity or beyond capacity, today?” urban planning consultant Paul Graziano said at the press conference.
Liu caves to Cohen's Casino fake park lobby
A coalition of community groups in Elmhurst, Flushing, Jackson Heights and Corona has criticized State Sen. John Liu for announcing his plans to introduce a parkland alienation bill in the State Senate that brings the $8 billion Metropolitan Park casino project closer to reality.
Liu announced Sunday that he will introduce Senate legislation to reclassify the 50 acres of asphalt parking lot adjacent to Citi Field from public parkland to commercial property—a necessary step for the Metropolitan Park project.
Liu outlined his intention to introduce the parkland alienation legislation after securing commitments from Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International for Flushing Skypark, a pedestrian and cycling bridge that would span Flushing Creek and connect Downtown Flushing and Willets Point.
However, several community groups have criticized Liu for facilitating the Metropolitan Park development, describing the move as a “betrayal” of the local community.
The “FED-UP” coalition, which held a protest against the Metropolitan Park project two days before Liu’s announcement, opposes the development for several reasons. The coalition cites the need for “public parks, community spaces, and low-income housing.” The coalition also contends that the development will raise prices in the neighborhood, forcing long-term residents out of their homes.
The group accused Liu of aligning with lobby groups rather than representing his own constituents.
“Liu is aligning himself with Cohen’s 14 lobbying firms rather than with his constituents. Liu has invited in a billionaire to prey on his own constituents while displacing working people in Flushing and across Queens,” the group said in a release Monday.
The FED-UP coalition features various groups from Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Corona, and Flushing, including Guardians of Flushing Bay, the Western Queens Community Land Trust, Queens Neighbors United, and Jackson Heights Indivisible.
Guardians of Flushing Bay, for example, is calling on all local residents to lobby their state representatives not to support parkland alienation bills that would facilitate the project.
Meanwhile, the coalition has also criticized Liu for introducing the senate legislation despite State Sen. Jessica Ramos, who represents the district covering the 50-acre parking lot, refusing to do so.
Ramos has regularly refused to introduce a parkland alienation bill in the State Senate and outlined her intention to vote against Liu’s legislation.
“My position has not changed. I cannot support a casino in Corona and am a definitive no on any alienation bill that goes against my neighbors’ wishes,” Ramos said in a statement Monday.
Representatives for Liu said the decision to introduce a parkland alienation bill was based on feedback provided by the local community. They stated that far more local residents supported the project than opposed it. Representatives further noted that all relevant community boards passed supporting resolutions of the project during the ULURP process.
Dirty Pervy Dan
Former Queens Council Member Dan Halloran, who was convicted in 2014 for his role in two bribery and corruption schemes and served five years in federal prison, is in trouble with the law again.
Halloran was arrested at Miami International Airport on Saturday, March 29, and charged with possessing child pornography and transporting child pornography after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers inspected his Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max and an Apple iPad 6th Generation tablet and discovered several videos of suspected child pornography located in a hidden folder album on the phone’s photos application, according to the criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of Florida.
Halloran told officers he owned the devices and provided the passcode to unlock them. At least 35 videos showed young children performing various sex acts. One video showed a prepubescent girl disrobing and masturbating with exposed genitalia and another video showed a partially nude prepubescent girl performing oral sex on an adult man.
A CBP officer discovered on Halloran’s Apple iPhone a text conversation on Telegram, a messaging app, that indicated he had purchased child pornography after he had received different pricing packages. Halloran wrote back and asked, “What’s the delivery platform” and “What are the differences between reg. Premium, VIP?”
When asked by CBP officers how many of the videos in the hidden folder in his phone depicted child pornography, Halloran told the officers that approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of the videos depicted child pornography.
According to the criminal complaint, a total of 1,362 videos are stored in the hidden folder of a photo album on Halloran’s Apple iPhone.
The 54-year-old Halloran, who currently resides in Floral Park, was traveling home from Camaguey, Cuba, when he had a layover in Miami. He was taken into custody and booked at the Broward County Main Jail. His arraignment is scheduled for April 14.
Eric Adams Exonerated
A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed sweeping public corruption charges against Mayor Adams “with prejudice,” blasting the Trump administration’s bid to potentially revive them while leveraging the mayor’s help in hardline immigration enforcement as a “disturbing” bargain.
While the judgment caps a months long legal saga by letting Adams off the hook, Manhattan Federal Judge Dale Ho’s decision was not based on the merits of the case against him or a belief of whether he was innocent or guilty. It served as a searing condemnation of the Justice Department’s position that it could drop the case to secure the mayor’s cooperation on immigration matters, which he called “disturbing in its breadth.”
“DOJ’s immigration enforcement rationale is both unprecedented and breathtaking in its sweep. DOJ cites no examples, and the Court is unable to find any, of the government dismissing charges against an elected official because doing so would enable the official to facilitate federal policy goals,” Ho wrote in his 78-page decision.
“And DOJ’s assertion that it has ‘virtually unreviewable’ license to dismiss charges on this basis is disturbing in its breadth, implying that public officials may receive special dispensation if they are compliant with the incumbent administration’s policy priorities. That suggestion is fundamentally incompatible with the basic promise of equal justice under law.”
Less than a month after Trump took office, Emil Bove — Trump’s former criminal defense attorney turned top Justice Department official — on Feb. 14 asked Ho to dismiss the case without prejudice, which would have meant federal authorities could bring it again, a provision Adams agreed to.
Bove argued that the case had national security implications by restricting Adams’s ability to cooperate with the feds on immigration matters, interfered with the mayor’s ability to govern, and was improperly filed within nine months of the mayoral primary. Bove declined to comment on Ho’s decision when reached by the Daily News on Wednesday.
Ho rejected assertions that the timing of the case was improper as “not just thin, but pretextual,” finding it was entirely consistent with previous public corruption prosecutions.
His ruling was in line with the findings of an independent lawyer, Paul Clement, who he appointed to advise him on the matter. The former solicitor general under President George W. Bush recommended that the judge dismiss the case for good. Clement found that the possibility of the mayor feeling indebted to the president rather than New Yorkers out of fear that he could be reindicted was “deeply troubling.”
“In light of DOJ’s rationales, dismissing the case without prejudice would create the unavoidable perception that the Mayor’s freedom depends on his ability to carry out the immigration enforcement priorities of the administration, and that he might be more beholden to the demands of the federal government than to the wishes of his own constituents,” Ho wrote.
“[After] DOJ decided to seek dismissal of his case, the Mayor took at least one new immigration-related action consistent with the preferences of the new administration. Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the Indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions,” the judge later added, referencing Adams’s decision to let ICE operate on Rikers, which he said appeared “to be contrary to New York City law.”
In addition to the government’s motion, Ho had to consider a separate request from the embattled Democratic mayor to toss the charges permanently and arguments from former federal judges and prosecutors, which urged him to scrutinize the terms behind the dismissal deal closely and consider appointing a special prosecutor.
Ho found that even if he were to deny the bid to dismiss the case, it would almost “certainly” be futile, with prosecutors able to run out the clock by delaying the trial that was set to start this month by more than 70 days, which would lead to a dismissal.
“[A]bsent a sudden change of heart at DOJ, such a denial would produce only a staring contest,” Ho wrote.
In a brief appearance outside his Gracie Mansion residence after Ho’s order, Adams said he’s “happy that our city can finally close the book” on his indictment and railed against the press and his critics for spreading what he called “false” information about his criminal case.
Throughout his opinion on Wednesday, Ho, a Biden appointee, noted it was not based on the case’s merits. He entirely rejected parts of the DOJ and the mayor’s claims that the prosecutors who were trying the case before the Trump administration intervened had political motivations.
Both sides also lobbed accusations at former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, accusing him of bringing the prosecution that stemmed from an investigation that began before Adams won the 2021 mayoral election for personal gain. Williams declined to comment when reached by The News Wednesday.
“[The] Southern District of New York prosecutors who worked on this case followed all appropriate Justice Department guidelines. There is no evidence—zero—that they had any improper motives,” the judge wrote.
The mayor faced scathing criticism for agreeing to the terms laid out by the Trump administration and saw calls for his removal amid concerns he was sacrificing New York City’s immigrant communities to save his own skin.
Those criticisms reached a fever pitch when Adams appeared on “Fox & Friends” with Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, who said he’d be “up [the mayor’s] butt” if he didn’t play ball with the Trump administration as it sought to carry out deportations.
Bove filed the dismissal bid after the interim head of the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office, Danielle Sassoon — a veteran prosecutor and registered Republican whom Trump had installed in the senior role on his first full day in office — quit rather than obey the order to wind down the case, in which Adams faced up to 45 years in prison if convicted.
Sassoon wrote to Trump’s new Attorney General Pam Bondi before resigning, saying she had been preparing to sign off on more charges accusing the mayor of attempting to conceal his crimes from the FBI and ordering others to do the same. She said the proposed arrangement amounted to a “quid pro quo” between Adams and the Trump administration, “indicating that Adams would be in a position to assist with the Department’s enforcement priorities only if the indictment were d
“[The] Southern District of New York prosecutors who worked on this case followed all appropriate Justice Department guidelines. There is no evidence—zero—that they had any improper motives,” the judge wrote.
The mayor faced scathing criticism for agreeing to the terms laid out by the Trump administration and saw calls for his removal amid concerns he was sacrificing New York City’s immigrant communities to save his own skin.
Those criticisms reached a fever pitch when Adams appeared on “Fox & Friends” with Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, who said he’d be “up [the mayor’s] butt” if he didn’t play ball with the Trump administration as it sought to carry out deportations.
Bove filed the dismissal bid after the interim head of the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office, Danielle Sassoon — a veteran prosecutor and registered Republican whom Trump had installed in the senior role on his first full day in office — quit rather than obey the order to wind down the case, in which Adams faced up to 45 years in prison if convicted.
Sassoon wrote to Trump’s new Attorney General Pam Bondi before resigning, saying she had been preparing to sign off on more charges accusing the mayor of attempting to conceal his crimes from the FBI and ordering others to do the same. She said the proposed arrangement amounted to a “quid pro quo” between Adams and the Trump administration, “indicating that Adams would be in a position to assist with the Department’s enforcement priorities only if the indictment were dismissed
Thursday, March 6, 2025
NYC Planning ULURP dog and pony show tonight in Jamaica
Ahead of a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure anticipated for the spring, Councilwoman Nantasha Williams (D-St. Albans) is encouraging people to participate in a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to shape the future of Downtown Jamaica.
There will be two community meetings about the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan, a proposal to rezone 300 blocks downtown and in adjacent areas around several major corridors.
At a parks meeting held earlier this year, Borough President Donovan Richards said the proposal could create 12,000 housing units in the downtown area.
A virtual Zoom meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 26, starting at 7 p.m. To register, go to shorturl.at/isDVJ. An in-person forum will be held at York College, located at 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. in Jamaica, on Thursday, March 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. To sign up, go to shorturl.at/UNCAk. To learn more about the plan, visit jamaicaplan.nyc.
“These meetings are a chance for residents, business owners and stakeholders to provide input on how we can create a more vibrant, inclusive and sustainable Jamaica,” Williams said via email.
Corridors such as Jamaica Avenue, Merrick Boulevard, Hillside Avenue and Liberty Avenue, institutions including York College, Rufus King Park and the Jamaica Rail Hub, which provides transit access to the rest of New York City and east to Long Island via the subway, Long Island Rail Road and AirTrain, are all in the targeted area.
The purpose of the plan, other than creating more housing, is to improve the quality of life for current and future residents, maintain the cultural diversity in Jamaica, achieve equitable health and safety outcomes in the area, bolster Jamaica’s rich history and create a climate-resilient and environmentally friendly place, according to the Jamaica Plan website.
To achieve that, there would be a push to increase awareness of and access to local and citywide mental health resources; pathways to foster partnerships with local institutions; exhibits for local artists; support for diverse businesses to open up; promotion of Jamaica’s green spaces and festivals; strategies and enforcement to improve sanitation; management of flooding, air quality and climate change; and more.
Having a zoom hearing over a week before the actual neighborhood town hall for something as life changing as rezoning is quite sneaky and unethical and really shows the YIMBY lobbyist infiltrated NYC Planning office has already decided what they want to do with Jamaica. And it should be no surprise since past neighborhood plan "workshops" included children designing areas and fabricating residents to make it look like more community input was involved.
Oh, and don't call it a City Of Yes, they really hate that.
Adrienne Adams runs for mayor
New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams revealed Wednesday she’s tossing her hat in the race for mayor after weeks of speculation that she’d join the crowded field of Democrats looking to knock off Mayor Eric Adams.
“New Yorkers can’t afford to live here, City Hall is in chaos, and Donald Trump is corrupting our city’s independence,” she said in a scathing statement announcing her mayoral run.
“It’s time to stand up. I never planned to run for Mayor, but I’m not giving up on New York City,” she added in the statement first shared with Politico.
Adams, who has been a forceful critic of Mayor Adams, would be the first woman to lead City Hall if she came out top in a June primary and then the general election.
“Our city deserves a leader that serves its people first and always, not someone focused on themselves and their own political interests,” she said in her Wednesday statement.
“I’m a public servant, mother, Queens girl and I’m running for Mayor. No drama, no nonsense—just my commitment to leading with competence and integrity.”
Monday, March 3, 2025
Saturday, March 1, 2025
Queens man runs for mayor
Andrew Cuomo announced he’s running for New York City mayor in the upcoming election after months of speculation.
The former New York governor will take on incumbent Mayor Eric Adams in the Democratic primary.
“We know that today our New York City is in trouble,” Cuomo said in a 17-minute announcement video posted to social media.
“These conditions exist not as an act of God, but rather as an act of our political leaders, or more precisely, the lack of intelligent action by many of our political leaders,” he continued.
Before Cuomo entered the race, many polls showed him as an early favorite for New York City voters. A February poll by PIX11 News, Emerson College and The Hill showed Cuomo was the first choice for 33% of Democratic voters. Some 10% of voters said Adams was their first choice for mayor.
Cuomo served as New York governor from 2011 to 2021, when he resigned after an independent investigation found he had sexually harassed multiple women, including state employees. His resignation also came on the heels of criticism and investigations related to his handling of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yes, 12,473 elderly people died but that's not why he resigned, he stepped down because he got too handsy and kissy with a lot a women he worked with and random women he met on occassions.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Friday, February 21, 2025
Sanction City
On Tuesday, Hochul met with Rev. Al Sharpton, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Comptroller Brad Lander at her Midtown office to discuss the mayor.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is poised to implement legal sanctions on Mayor Eric Adams and has decided against removing the mayor from office for now.
Proposed sanctions are expected to include legal limits on the mayor's power as an executive and could include an ethical watchdog to sure the mayor is acting ethically.
The governor is drafting legislation that would need City council and state legislature approval, according to reports.
Hochul could release the sanctions against the mayor later today.
In addition, the governor could unveil new state and city bills that would increase oversight of the mayor’s office. That includes creation of a new state deputy inspector general with authority to watch over the city’s dealings, according to the report.
Lander has called on Adams to form a plan to stabilize the government by Friday. If not, Lander said he would convene an Inability Committee, which would determine Adams' fitness for office, and could have the power to remove him, Patch previously reported.
The news on the sanctions was first reported by NY1 and FOX5 New York.
State law gives Hochul the ability to remove certain local officials, including mayors. It requires the governor to provide the mayor with a copy of the charges he’s facing and due process to defend himself.
Hochul could also suspend the mayor for 30 days during that time.
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Congestion pricing is dead again
The U.S. Department of Transportation has pulled its approval for the MTA's congestion pricing toll program, but the MTA is vowing to take the decision to federal court to ensure the plan will continue.
In a release Wednesday, the DOT's Federal Highway Administration said it sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul informing her that the department had rescinded the agreement.
"New York State's congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. "Commuters using the highway system to enter New York City have already financed the construction and improvement of these highways through the payment of gas taxes and other taxes. But now the toll program leaves drivers without any free highway alternative, and instead, takes more money from working people to pay for a transit system and not highways. It's backwards and unfair. The program also hurts small businesses in New York that rely on customers from New Jersey and Connecticut. Finally, it impedes the flow of commerce into New York by increasing costs for trucks, which in turn could make goods more expensive for consumer. Every American should be able to access New York City regardless of their economic means. It shouldn't be reserved for an elite few."
Duffy said in the letter to Hochul that the plan is being terminated for two reasons:
1.) The scope of the CBDTP is unprecedented and provides no toll-free option for many drivers who want or need to travel by vehicle in this major urbanized area.
2.) The toll rate was set primarily to raise revenue for transit, rather than at an amount needed to reduce congestion.
MTA chair and CEO Janno Lieber released a statement that the MTA has already filed papers in federal court in response to the DOT's letter:
STFU Janno. You're done.
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
The President's Day Massacre
Half of New York City’s deputy mayors dramatically resigned Monday in a major blow to Eric Adams’ administration – as a top rival threatened the mass exodus could lead to his ouster.
The resignations of Adams’ four senior aides — led by First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer –thrust City Hall even deeper into uncharted territory as the mayor faces mounting questions about whether he can govern the city after his controversial reprieve from his historic corruption case by President Trump’s Justice Department.
The four deputy mayors — Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, Deputy Mayor for Health Human Services Anne Williams-Isom and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker — resigned as dozens rallied in support of Adams unfolded in Rehoboth Cathedral in Brooklyn.
The rally contrasted with the growing calls for Adams to resign or Gov. Kathy Hochul to remove him from office in light of Trump’s DOJ moving to scuttle his criminal case — a move that many critics argue makes the mayor a hostage to the president.
“I am disappointed to see them go, but given the current challenges, I understand their decision and wish them nothing but success in the future,” Adams said in a statement.
orres-Springer, Williams-Isolm and Joshi issued a joint statement, citing the outgoing aides cited “the extraordinary events of the last few weeks” and “oaths we swore to New Yorkers and our families” as what led them to the “difficult decision” to leave.
Parker said the role was an “honor of a lifetime” but gave no reason for his departure.
City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is running for mayor in the Democratic primary, quickly fired off a letter to Adams demanding a “contingency plan” by Friday for how he’ll run the nation’s largest city.
He argued the leadership vacuum – as well as growing questions about whether Adams is beholden to Trump – could require him to invoke an obscure portion of the City Charter that sets up an “inability committee” with the powers to boot the mayor from office.
“In the absence of a contingency plan, the resignation of four or more deputy mayors, and the chaos created by the Justice Department’s actions regarding indictments against you, may well constitute inability to govern,” Lander wrote.
“Should your office be unable or unwilling to formulate such a plan promptly, I will seek to convene a meeting of the Inability Committee.”
The five-person inability committee would consist of the city comptroller, corporation counsel, a deputy mayor, City Council Speaker and longest-serving borough president.
Other than suspension or removal by the governor, the inability committee is one of the only ways to remove a New York City mayor from office.
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, no relation to the mayor, said Monday that the resignations by the four deputy mayors showed the writing on the wall.
“(Eric Adams) now must prioritize New York City and New Yorkers, step aside and resign,” the speaker said in a statement. “This administration no longer has the ability to effectively govern with Eric Adams as mayor.”
At least three of the exiting senior aides had signaled their intent to depart Adams’ troubled administration over the weekend, prompting a desperate Zoom meeting in which the increasingly isolated mayor tried to convince them to stay, or at least delay their exits.
At least one other deputy mayor — Fabien Levy, the chief mouthpiece for Adams — is also unhappy and eyeing an exit, multiple sources have told The Post.
“Rats jumping a sinking ship is always pretty bad,” one pundit quipped
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