Minimal Transparency Agency

 

Queens Chronicle

The group Passengers United has been making itself heard throughout the Queens bus redesign process, and the public hearing on July 24 was no exception.

Several members addressed officials of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority at the Borough Hall meeting, and they were clear about wanting plenty of changes to the amended proposal released last December [see separate story in some editions or at qchron.com].

The group also held a small protest at Borough Hall prior to the hearing, both calling on the MTA to reschedule the event and denouncing the bus plan as drawn up.

Queens Village resident Charlton D’souza, founder and president of the group, said during the hearing that there has been a lack of public input and transparency on the part of the MTA; and that the agency has reneged on promises to emphasize equity with necessary changes tailored to low-income communities and communities of color.

“The way this agency has treated us is disgraceful,” D’souza said. “If all of us right now, tomorrow, next week, we start protesting outside our elected officials’ offices saying we do not want the Queens bus redesign because equity was not even considered ...

“The whole plan, the way it’s been put out, you guys promised us a final plan before you implemented changes. But then you changed the game on us at the last minute and now you’re saying, ‘We’re going to release the plan after this public hearing.’ That is ridiculous. This is absurd.” He promised a civil suit.

As to the group’s preferences, a 21-page presentation of recommendations released on July 24 appeared to be a detailed extension of a letter Passengers United sent to Gov. Hochul dated July 9.

The report, online at passengersunited.org, calls for “serious revisions” to the bus plan.

 

Caption Eric Adams

 

How did E get to alone?...

MTA makes pregnant woman stand to guide commuters

@newyorkrealm MTA makes pregnant transit worker stand all day guiding commuters #NYC #Subway #MTA ♬ original sound - New York Realm

 

Congestion pricing will fix this.

The MTA sucks.

 

 

After the floods

 

QNS 

 The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced Wednesday, July 31, that they have started their planned $51.8 million infrastructure project in Rosedale.

The project, which the DDC is managing, will address reoccurring flooding in the flood-prone neighborhood, among other plans. Project highlights will include improved tap water distribution, reconstructed streets and new transportation improvements in the area. The projected completion date is scheduled for winter 2026.

 

The project will add 92 catch basins and upgrade or install nearly 1.5 miles of local storm sewers and over half a mile of sanitary sewers. The new catch basins will help to drain precipitation from the roadways, while 13 underground storm chambers will further boost water holding capacity. 

About 2 miles of water mains will be upgraded from 6-8-inch cast iron pipes to more durable 8-12-inch ductile iron pipes. Additionally, 14 new fire hydrants will be added and 21 existing fire hydrants will be upgraded to guarantee firefighters’ access to the city’s water supply during emergencies.

Rosedale roadways and sidewalks will also receive a major fix. The project calls for the reconstruction of 36 blocks with new roadways and the replacement of over 4.5 miles of damaged and/or broken curbs. The city also plans to fix 4.5 acres of sidewalks. Additionally, 130 ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps will be constructed in the are

 

City Of No Vouchers

NY Post 

 A Manhattan judge handed the Adams administration a major win on Thursday in its bitter feud with the City Council over controversial changes to a housing voucher program.

Mayor Eric Adams had vetoed the council’s expansion of the city’s rental-assistance program called CityFHEPS that would’ve fast tracked vouchers for tenants facing eviction — but lawmakers overrode the veto, then took him to court in an effort to force him to comply with the expansion.

But Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Lyle E. Frank ruled only the state government has the authority to expand the voucher program in a ruling that Adams celebrated.

 “While we are glad that the court agrees with our administration that these laws went beyond the City Council’s legislative authority, we are hopeful that our partners in the Council will join us in remaining committed to working to connect New Yorkers in need with safe, affordable, permanent housing,” Adams said in a written statement.

The City Council members disagree with the ruling and are planning an immediate appeal, a spokesperson said in a statement.

“It’s unfortunate that Mayor Adams’ administration has fought to delay help to New Yorkers that can prevent them from evictions and homelessness amidst a housing crisis,” the spokesperson said.

Lawmakers joined a class action lawsuit filed by the Legal Aid Society and four other plaintiffs back in February that would have forced Adams to comply with the expanded CityFHEPS.

The new law would have made housing vouchers available for people facing eviction without having to enter the shelter system for at least 90 days, and it would have increased the income-level cutoffs to qualify for aid while barring landlords from deducting the cost of utility bills from a voucher.