Saturday, December 5, 2020
Friday, December 4, 2020
MAYOR DE BLASIO DECLARES SPECIAL ELECTION DATE FOR THE 31st COUNCIL DISTRICT IN QUEENS
Mayor Bill de Blasio today made the following statement on the special election in the New York City Council’s 31st District:
“I am declaring Tuesday, February 23, 2021 as the date for the 31st City Council District special election to elect a Council Member to serve until December 31, 2021. This date, within the window allowed by the City Charter, will give residents the chance to make thoughtful and informed decisions about their representation.
Eligible Queens voters can participate with early voting, in-person voting, or by returning an absentee ballot, and I encourage everyone to make their voices heard in this special election.”
EDITOR'SNOTE:
What the mayor has left out is the fact that this election should be a Rank Choice Voting election.
Governor Cuomo Announces Results of State Police Thanksgiving Crackdown on Impaired and Reckless Driving
Troopers Issue Nearly 14,000 Tickets, Arrest 155 For Impaired Driving During Campaign Over The Thanksgiving Holiday
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State Police issued 13,887 tickets during this year's Thanksgiving traffic enforcement initiative, which targeted unsafe driving behaviors during the holiday weekend. The special traffic enforcement period, which is funded by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, ran from Wednesday, November 25 through Sunday, November 29. State Troopers also arrested 155 people for DWI and investigated 757 crashes, including three fatalities, during the holiday period. The three fatal crashes that NYSP responded to occurred in Allegany, Nassau and Orange counties.
"Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs endangers every single traveler on the road, and it simply will not be tolerated," said Governor Cuomo. "Not only during the holidays, but at all times, the message is clear - be responsible and drive sober or make plans for finding a safe ride home. It's literally that simple and by following those rules, our roads will be safer and lives will be saved."
The State Police supplemented regular patrols statewide during this crackdown with fixed sobriety checkpoints, an underage drinker initiative and the "Operation Hang Up" initiative, which targets distracted drivers by utilizing Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement patrol vehicles to better locate drivers talking or texting on handheld devices. These unmarked vehicles blend in with everyday traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.
Acting State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen said, "I commend our Troopers and our local law enforcement partners for the work they do each day to keep our roads safe. State Police will continue to be highly visible throughout the holiday season, looking out for reckless and aggressive drivers. We urge drivers to do their part by making the right choices when they get behind the wheel - drive sober, follow posted speed limits and put away your smart phones."
GTSC Chair and DMV Commissioner Mark J. F. Schroeder said, "I applaud all law enforcement who took part in this mobilization to keep our roads as safe as possible. We want everyone to have a safe and happy holiday season. No one's holiday memories should be marred by a needless tragedy. If you plan to drink as part of your celebration, please do not drive. Having a plan to designate a sober driver or arrange a ride home could save a life."
As part of the enforcement, Troopers also targeted speeding and aggressive drivers across the state. Below is a sampling of the total tickets that were issued.
Speeding 4,871
Distracted Driving 228
Seatbelt violations 1,825
Move Over Law 188
ASSEMBLYMAN DINOWITZ CELEBRATES NEW LAW TO PROMOTE EQUITABLE SELECTION OF SUBWAY ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS
The newly signed law from Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and State Senator Andrew Gounardes establishes public criteria to select subway stations for ADA accessibility improvements.
The fight for full compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) throughout New York’s subway system has surely taken a hit from the COVID-19 economic crisis, but it will move forward in an equitable and transparent method thanks to just-enacted legislation from Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. The new law, which was also carried by State Senator Andrew Gounardes, requires the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to develop and make publicly available criteria to “determine how to best prioritize subway stations for accessibility improvements.”
These criteria, which were developed in conjunction with disability advocates and transit riders with disabilities, must include at minimum:
• citywide geographic coverage,
• transit transfer options,
• annual ridership volume,
• census tract data for senior and disabled populations and percentage of those populations in poverty,
• residential density of surrounding neighborhoods; and
• proximity to medical centers, schools, parks, business districts, cultural hubs, and senior centers.
The current MTA capital program for 2020-24 went into effect on January 1, 2020 but it has been paused by the MTA due to a dramatic reduction in MTA revenue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The future of this capital program is dependent on the delivery of federal relief funding for the MTA and the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but as currently described it includes $5.2 billion for station accessibility efforts in New York City Transit subways and Staten Island Railway. The new criteria will ensure that any modifications to the 2020-24 capital program as well as all future capital programs maintain the equitable practices that are currently used by the MTA to determine where station accessibility improvements are made.
The enactment of this law is described as a key step forward in the fight for full subway accessibility. Dinowitz and Gounardes also carry another bill (A7753/S6150) that would codify key elements of the Fast Forward subway action plan from former NYCT President Andy Byford, including a timeline for complete station accessibility in all 472 subway stations operated by the MTA. Under the proposed bill, the MTA would have to make accessible 50 stations in the 2020-24 capital program, and 130 new accessible stations in the 2025-2029 capital program, and the remainder of subway stations would need to be completed in the 2030-2034 capital program. That legislation, which has already garnered the support of at least two dozen Assemblymembers, would also improve elevator outage communications, facilitate the provision of accessibility information to third-party smartphone apps (such as Google Maps or Apple Maps), mandate full-accessibility for any major station work that lasts longer than six months, and other key elements to help riders with disabilities gain equitable access to mass transit.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said: “Although our fight for full mass transit accessibility is long from over, I am very proud to have secured this victory to ensure that future MTA decisions on subway station accessibility continue to be made in an equitable and transparent way. There are simply too many New Yorkers who are being left behind by inaccessible subways, especially in communities like those in the north and northwest Bronx, and for too many years. Along with State Senator Gounardes and all of the advocates who helped shape these criteria we will continue to work towards progress, but today I thank Governor Cuomo for signing this bill into law.”
EDITOR'S NOTE:
We see this as nothing more than trying to get publicity for elected officials or those they are supporting in upcoming races. The law should have said all stations, and not just select stations. We see the sentence Annual Ridership Volume as the problem, rather than number of Disabled Ridership Volume. Some stations may be in areas where there is less Annual Ridership Volume, but more Disabled Ridership Volume.
MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS MARGARET FORGIONE AS ACTING TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER
Mayor Bill de Blasio today appointed Margaret Forgione the Acting Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT). Forgione, a 26-year DOT veteran and the Department’s current Chief Operations Officer, will assume the role when Commissioner Polly Trottenberg leaves her position on December 11.
“Margaret Forgione has the experience and vision to build on the agency’s extraordinary reimagining of public space throughout our fight against COVID-19,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I look forward to working with her on Vision Zero street safety, accessibility, and the continued expansion of cycling and bus access.”
"Margaret Forgione is widely respected throughout City Hall and has consistently demonstrated her creativity and reliability in overseeing the operational divisions within DOT,” said Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin. “I look forward to her taking the helm of this vital agency and also want to thank Polly Trottenberg for her years of exceptional work in advancing this Administration’s transportation and mobility initiatives. It’s been an absolute pleasure working alongside Polly and I wish her nothing but success in her next endeavor. While Margaret certainly has some big shoes to fill, I have all confidence in her and the entire team at DOT.”
"I thank Mayor de Blasio for this opportunity to lead DOT in these challenging times,” said DOT Acting Commissioner Margaret Forgione. “Commissioner Trottenberg made historic strides in improving safety and mobility throughout her tenure and then guided us through the pandemic, safeguarding our workforce while transforming our streets to meet critical space needs. I look forward to continuing and building on this essential work to create a safe and livable street network to support the city in enduring through the pandemic and thriving beyond it.”
Margaret Forgione has served at DOT in senior roles since 1994, most recently as Chief Operations Officer, a position she has held since June 2016. Prior to that, Forgione had served as DOT’s Manhattan Borough Commissioner. She has also led DOT’s Arterial Maintenance Unit, directed the Adopt-A-Highway program, and served as a Special Assistant to the First Deputy Commissioner. Forgione began her work in New York City government as a Senior Analyst in the Mayor’s Office of Operations.
As Chief Operations Officer, Acting Commissioner Forgione oversaw the agency’s operational divisions, totaling roughly 5,000 employees, including within the Staten Island Ferry, Bridges, Roadway Repair and Maintenance, Sidewalks and Inspection Management, Traffic Operations, Transportation Planning and Management, the Office of Construction Mitigation and Coordination and five Borough Commissioner offices. As Manhattan Borough Commissioner between 2002-16, she oversaw the pedestrianization of Times Square, the creation of the City’s first on-street protected bike lane (along Ninth Avenue) and the rollout of Citi Bike, the nation’s largest bike share program.
Acting Commissioner Forgione was raised in Stamford, Connecticut. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Public Policy and Administration from Columbia University.
Thursday, December 3, 2020
Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic - DECEMBER 3, 2020
Governor to Sign Executive Order Expanding Eligibility for New York's COVID Rent Relief Program and Reopening Application Window
Positive Testing Rate in All Focus Zone Areas is 5.91 Percent; New York State Positivity Outside All Focus Zone Areas is 4.49 Percent
Statewide Positivity Rate is 4.84 Percent
61 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday
State to Partner with Prescryptive Health to Launch 150 New Rapid Testing Sites Statewide
"It's all about hospitalization rate and hospital capacity. In the broad scope of things, we're dealing with increases in hospitalizations, but we're doing dramatically better than essentially every other state in the country. The total number of hospital beds in the state is 53,000 - currently 35,000 beds are occupied, and about 4,000 of those with COVID patients. At our height, we had about 19,000 people hospitalized with COVID, to put this recent increase in perspective," Governor Cuomo said. "The next chapter is going to be vaccine distribution and vaccine acceptance. The vaccine is the weapon that is going to win the COVID war, and that is the light at the end of the tunnel. It's not a short tunnel, but we know the way through this. We just have to get there, and we have to get there with as little as loss of life as possible."
The Governor also announced he will be signing an executive order expanding eligibility for New York State's COVID Rent Relief Program and reopening its application window. The Program, which was created by the state legislature when it passed the Emergency Rent Relief Act of 2020, appropriated up to $100 million from the federal CARES Act to provide subsidies for tenants who lost income due to the pandemic. Based on the legislature's parameters, as much as $40 million is expected to be paid to eligible applicants approximately 15,000 New York households. This executive order will expand the program's eligibility so more rent relief can be provided to New Yorkers. Additional details will be available in the coming days.
Additionally, New York State is partnering with Prescryptive Health to provide expanded COVID-19 testing capacity across New York State. The partnership will help expand testing capacity in areas where testing access is limited and will include 150 new rapid testing locations statewide opening in the coming weeks where testing will be offered. Prescryptive's digital health platform will manage deployment of rapid test kits provided by New York State, and provide the technology to manage inventory, schedule appointments and report results in a timely manner. Residents can find participating sites, schedule a test, receive results and follow-up with licensed clinicians directly from their mobile device. All testing sites will be searchable on the state's COVID test site website (https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/find-test-site-near-you) and appointments for these sites will be also available at www.prescryptive.com.
The Governor noted that the positive testing rate in all focus areas under the state's Micro-Cluster strategy is 5.91 percent, and outside the focus zone areas is 4.49 percent. Within the focus areas, 50,800 test results were reported yesterday, yielding 3,003 positives. In the remainder of the state, not counting these focus areas, 152,640 test results were reported, yielding 6,852 positives.
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
- Patient Hospitalization - 4,063 (+139)
- Patients Newly Admitted - 664
- Hospital Counties - 55
- Number ICU - 783 (+41)
- Number ICU with Intubation - 377 (+4)
- Total Discharges - 86,638 (+437)
- Deaths - 61
- Total Deaths - 26,955