MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES EXTENSIVE PLAN TO INSTALL SECURITY BOLLARDS TO PROTECT NEW YORKERS, TOURISTS AND CITY’S INFRASTRUCTURE

Approximately 1,500 new permanent bollards integrated into the City’s streetscape will address security threats, promote pedestrian flow, and maintain safe and open public spaces 

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City’s Security Infrastructure Working Group today announced plans to bring permanent perimeter barriers, or bollards, to high-profile sites and to create a process to streamline their design and construction. The Administration plans to double its $7.5 million commitment in the September Capital Plan for permanent bollards in Times Square, and will commit in excess of $50 million to commence the broader rollout of new protective measures in public spaces, including 1,500 new bollards as part of an initial installation phase.

“In 2017, New Yorkers witnessed the horrible capacity of people willing to do us harm, whether it was in our subways, on our bike paths or in Times Square,” said Mayor de Blasio. “But we will not be cowed, and our expanded investment today in barriers and bollards in our public spaces underscores our resolve in keeping New York City safe from future attacks. In this new year, we can and will protect our iconic public spaces while New Yorkers go on living our lives, including by hosting a record number of tourists.”

“These additional safety bollards will allow New Yorkers and visitors to be more secure at landmark locations and other sites throughout our City,” said Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill. “They will also serve to delineate restricted areas and help streamline vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic in these areas.”

“As our agency has dramatically expanded public spaces around New York City, we also work with the NYPD to make these spaces both welcoming and safe,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “Today we thank the Mayor for his leadership on investments to keep our city’s treasured public spaces secure, while ensuring that the public can fully enjoy them.”

In 2017, the City Council passed legislation requiring DOT and Parks to report on the number of bollards installed annually and the number of revocable permits granted annually to private businesses to install bollards.

In the wake of attacks around New York City in 2017, protective concrete barriers were installed at high profile locations in Manhattan. These temporary structures will be replaced this month by more attractive temporary blocks in advance of the rollout of the permanent metal bollard installation beginning this March. The installation of these permanent structures will be completed over the next few years. As they are replaced with permanent security structures the new, more aesthetically pleasing blocks, will be relocated to other locations identified as high profile. 

In identifying locations, the City conducted a thorough review of locations, including business corridors, tourist attractions and iconic sites, resulting in the prioritization of key locations in the City to be addressed with permanent fixtures under this plan. The City previously installed permanent metal bollards near the Times Square pedestrian plazas as part of a $50 million capital project completed in late 2016, and similar bollards will be added to additional areas in Times Square as part of this project.

 The Security Infrastructure Working Group, currently comprised of the Mayor’s Office, New York Police Department, Department of Transportation, the Department of Design and Construction, Public Design Commission, Department of City Planning, Department of Environmental Protection, Fire Department of New York, Department of Parks and Recreation, Office of Management and Budget will streamline the bollard design and construction by coordinating with the agencies responsible for reviewing and approving bollard installations to conduct their reviews as concurrently as possible. The installation process for these structures includes procurement protocols and engineering reviews normally associated with capital work. 

For years the City, through DOT and NYPD, has worked closely with private landowners and institutions on security measures through the revocable consent process, allowing bollards or other security structures to be installed on sidewalks. NYC DOT has approved dozens of locations for such structures, which are paid for by the property owners.

The City looks forward to continue its partnership with the State, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Port Authority and other entities to bring and facilitate protections on properties within the five boroughs, such as alongside the West Side Greenway.

DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION EXPANDS NYPD-DHS JOINT HOMELESS OUTREACH EFFORTS

Coordinated inter-agency outreach efforts expanded from two to seven days per week in Midtown Manhattan; City adding 250 Safe Haven beds for street homeless New Yorkers

  The de Blasio Administration today announced a series of enhancements to interagency homeless outreach efforts. The Department of Homeless Services and the New York City Police Department are expanding joint canvassing and outreach operations in Midtown, Manhattan from two days per week to seven days per week, focusing on engaging homeless New Yorkers residing on the streets between 30th Street and 60th Street in Manhattan, with the goal of providing services and helping them transition indoors. Additionally, the City is committing to opening an additional 250 Safe Haven beds within the next two years, in areas where outreach teams are actively engaged with known homeless individuals who would be most effectively served by a community- and borough-based Safe Haven placement, which will assist outreach teams’ efforts to help chronically homeless New Yorkers off the streets and out of the subway system. With this new capacity, this Administration will have nearly tripled the number of beds dedicated to serving street homeless New Yorkers citywide, increasing the operating total from 543 beds to more than 1,500 beds.

“It can take dozens or more contacts to convince homeless New Yorkers to come off the streets and into permanent housing,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The addition of these new beds and the expansion of the joint DHS-NYPD operations in Midtown will go a long way toward building the trust it takes to make these transitions happen.”

“The homeless are among the most vulnerable New Yorkers, and the NYPD is committed to helping them get the assistance and services they need,” said NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill. “We’re hopeful that the expanded outreach and additional beds we’re announcing today will help more people transition indoors. Homelessness is not a crime, it’s a major challenge that we all have to work on together—for the entire City’s benefit.”

“There is no single solution to homelessness and this Administration is leaving no stone unturned in our effort to help homeless New Yorkers on the streets come indoors and get back on their feet. Expanding coordinated interagency HOME-STAT outreach with the NYPD is another key component of our constantly-evolving strategy for addressing homelessness and always improving delivery of services to those in need,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks. “We also recognize that effective outreach requires supportive resources, so that a homeless New Yorker who is ready to come indoors can do so in a dedicated facility near local support networks. That’s why this Administration has made an unprecedented commitment to opening new capacity for serving street homeless New Yorkers, already doubling the number of dedicated Safe Haven beds to 1,300 this quarter––and that’s why we’re committing today to adding another 250 Safe Haven beds specifically for this population, expanding a proven-successful resource that serves as a first step for helping street New Yorkers stabilize their lives and transition to permanent housing.”

“Engaging our homeless neighbors residing on the streets requires an abundance of patience, persistence, and compassion—and it can take outreach teams many months of regular contact, building trust and offering services, for a New Yorker to ultimately accept that hand up and transition indoors,” said Department of Homeless Services Administrator Joslyn Carter. “By combining HOME-STAT and not-for-profit experience with the deep local expertise and relationships that our City’s police officers have developed in this area, we are increasing the chances of effectively making the connection that will make the difference for New Yorkers in need. With our additional commitment to new beds for these New Yorkers, we are further ensuring these individuals can access a productive path to housing permanency.“

Safe Havens are low-barrier programs targeted toward supporting unsheltered homeless individuals, many of whom may be resistant to accepting other services, including traditional shelter. Safe Havens provide an immediate alternative housing resource with private or semi-private rooms and flexible program requirements, which outreach teams have found are more effectively for helping chronic street homeless individuals stabilize their lives. Safe Havens only take referrals from street outreach teams, offer overnight beds, provide robust case management services, and have physical and program characteristics more suitable for helping street New Yorkers stabilize their lives in an effort to move them into permanent housing.  

In taking a citywide, multi-agency, community-based approach to addressing street homelessness, DHS engages with external partners to conduct strategic operations and targeted outreach in areas with persistent homeless activity across the five boroughs, meeting homeless New Yorkers where they are within communities. During joint outreach operations with NYPD, NYPD officers accompany HOME-STAT outreach teams as they canvass the area and jointly offer services to unsheltered homeless individuals, with the goal of providing the unique combination of services that will ultimately help them indoors. To further enhance coordination with NYPD, DHS and NYPD are increasing data sharing protocols: NYPD will now receive a daily list of real-time hotspot areas where HOME-STAT outreach teams may encounter homeless individuals more frequently. The NYPD will utilize this information to address street conditions, such as unattended or abandoned belongings.  

In December 2015, the City initiated HOME-STAT (Homeless Outreach & Mobile Engagement Street Action Teams), a citywide multiagency initiative to combat street homelessness in which hundreds of highly-trained not-for-profit outreach staff, including licensed social workers, canvass the streets 24/7/365, proactively engaging homeless New Yorkers, offering services and assistance, and working to gain their trust with the goal of addressing the underlying issues that may have caused or contributed to their street homelessness in order to ultimately help these individuals transition off the streets. Those outreach staff spend months building relationships by making regular—often daily—contact with street homeless New Yorkers: getting to know them, building trust, and sharing information about the resources available to them. It can take months of persistent and compassionate engagement to successfully connect street homeless individuals with City services. In the past year, outreach teams helped 865 homeless New Yorkers off the streets citywide, thanks to new investments and a doubling of the size of those teams.

Not-for-profit service provider partners who conduct citywide outreach efforts also have psychiatrists who perform psychiatric evaluations on the streets and thereby help outreach teams understand and better meet the individual needs of each street homeless New Yorker. These clinicians and psychiatrists help outreach teams make more effective connections with clients who may be difficult to engage, in many cases due to significant mental health challenges. HOME-STAT also provides aftercare services, continuing to work with individuals who receive placements to ensure that they get the supports they need to remain in housing and off of the street.

As part of the City’s commitment to redoubling those efforts, the de Blasio Administration has committed unprecedented new resources to street  outreach programs and providers:

·  Investing further in street homeless programs and not-for-profit partners who coordinate outreach across the five boroughs, including doubling investments in street homeless programs funding from $49.2M (118%) from $41.8M in FY14 to $91M in FY18;

·  Adding new staff, including canvassers and analysts, to expand the scope, reach, and focus of outreach efforts, more-than doubling the number of outreach staff canvassing the streets engaging street homeless New Yorkers;

·  Bringing new capacity dedicated to serving street homeless New Yorkers online, with hundreds of beds opened during this Administration, hundreds more coming online by early 2018, more than doubling the operating total from 543 beds to more than 1,300 beds, and this additional commitment to another 250 beds;

·  Increasing joint outreach operations with City Agency partners to utilize each Agency’s expertise, engage more New Yorkers, and offer more supports, including the NYPD, the Parks Department, the Department of Health, and the Department of Transportation;

·    Building the City’s first-ever by-name list of individuals known to be homeless and residing on the streets to improve delivery of services, with outreach teams now actively engaging more than 2,000 individuals known by name who are confirmed to be homeless and living on the streets, as well as working to engage more than 1,500 individuals encountered on the streets to evaluate their living situations and determine whether they are homeless as well as what specific supports they may need;

·  Enhancing proactive efforts after analyzing the first year’s results to further optimize proactive canvassing and outreach strategy, with a focus on more effectively mapping and understanding challenging hotspots.

Wave Hill Events Jan 12‒Jan 19

  Sat, January 13    Family Art Project: Freedom Quilting Bee

In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., visited the Gee’s Bend Community in rural Alabama and the Freedom Quilting Bee was established. These now-famous quilts would later go on to fund aspects of the community’s freedom. Create your own brilliant, improvisational compositions out of bountiful squares of donated fabric, just for the joy of it and to honor Dr. King’s birthday and the inspiring women quilters of Gee’s Bend. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sun, January 14    Winter Birding

The Hudson River Valley hosts an impressive diversity of bird species during the winter months. Explore Wave Hill’s tranquil gardens and woodlands with naturalist Gabriel Willow to observe birds in their winter habitats. Birders of all levels welcome. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. Severe weather cancels. Free with admission to the grounds; NYC Audubon members enjoy two-for-one admission to the grounds. 

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 9:30AM

Sun, January 14    Family Art Project: Freedom Quilting Bee

In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., visited the Gee’s Bend Community in rural Alabama and the Freedom Quilting Bee was established. These now-famous quilts would later go on to fund aspects of the community’s freedom. Create your own brilliant, improvisational compositions out of bountiful squares of donated fabric, just for the joy of it and to honor Dr. King’s birthday and the inspiring women quilters of Gee’s Bend. Free with admission to the grounds. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sun, January 14    Pre-Concert Tea

Enjoy Afternoon Tea in the Mark Twain Room prior to today’s concert in Armor Hall. The Café at Wave Hill pairs a classic menu with an assortment of green, black and herbal teas. This traditional tea service includes the four classic elements of savory, scones, sweets and tea. The menu, presented by Great Performances, includes an array of tea sandwiches, scones and bite-sized desserts. Afternoon Tea also includes a glass of sparkling wine. Afternoon Tea Service is $36. Wave Hill Members receive a 10% discount. Advanced registration is required online. We will take reservations until 5PM, Thursday, January 11.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, NOON–2PM

Sun, January 14    Winter Workspace Drop-In Sunday

Artists in the Winter Workspace program share their studio practice with visitors on this Drop-In Sunday. Artists in Session 1 of this program are Tomie Arai, Camille Hoffman, Pedro Ramirez, Jessica Rohrer, Jean Shin and Austin Thomas. For more about who is in residence on Sundays, visit wavehill.org. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 1–4PM

Sun, January 14    Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

Sun, January 14    Concert: Zig Zag Quartet

Anchored by Bronx-based upright bass player Hilliard Greene, this jazz ensemble has been a huge hit with Wave Hill Sunset Wednesday audiences. In addition to Greene, Quartet members are Francisco Roldán (guitar), Alexander A. Wu (piano) and Danny Mallon (percussion). Indoors in Armor Hall, Zig Zag will play jazz standards by Dave Brubeck and Claude Bolling, original tunes and arrangements of enduring American spirituals, such as “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Wade in the Water” and “Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore,” as a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. Tickets for this concert are $28 plus admission to the grounds/$24 Wave Hill Member/$12 Children ages 8–18. Order tickets online at wavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. For additional information, please call 718.549.3200 x251.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 2PM

Mon, January 15   

Closed to the public.

Tue, January 16    Nature Photography Workshop Series Begins: The Long-Term Project

Whether it’s a book idea or a simple album, photographers rarely get the chance to present larger bodies of work in a collegial, studio setting. And because editing work that one loves is a challenge, feedback can be enormously helpful. Nature photographers are invited to share projects at any stage of completion, from pie-in-the-sky to exhibit-ready, with nature photographer Benjamin Swett and fellow participants. Come to the first session with a group of prints or digital files to discuss. $165/$135 Wave Hill Member. Registration required, online at wavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. The three-session series continues January 23 and 30.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM−1PM

Wed, January 17    The Farm to Garden Movement: Influencing American Gardens from the Ground Up—Deborah Needleman, in conversation with Jenny Elliott and Sarah Ryhanen

A new wave of flower designers and growers are working in tandem—bringing new varieties into cultivation and affecting our ideas of what’s beautiful. Join writer and editor Deborah Needleman in discussion with Sarah Ryhanen, owner of Saipua, the influential floral studio and retail shop in Brooklyn, and World’s End, her farm and education center in upstate NY; and Jenny Elliott, owner of Tiny Hearts, a young and burgeoning flower farm in Copake, NY. Both will show slides of their work as they talk about the latest trends in flowers, floristry and growing. Wave Hill’s annual horticultural lecture series is held at the New York School of Interior Design. Three-lecture series: $60/$50 Wave Hill Member or student. Individual tickets: $25/$20 Wave Hill Member or student. Seating is limited, and advanced reservations are recommended, online at wavehill.org beginning November 15. The second lecture of the series takes place on February 21, when inspirational and passionate teacher and award-winning author Sarah Riven will speak about the cutting garden. 

NEW YORK SCHOOL OF INTERIOR DESIGN, 6‒7:30PM

A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River  and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS  Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–4:30PM, November 1–March 14. Closes 5:30PM, starting March 15.

ADMISSION  $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6–18. Free Saturday and Tuesday mornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the W. 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ SWORN IN FOR THIRD TERM

 Ruben Diaz Jr. was sworn in for his third full term as the 13^th Bronx Borough President at a ceremony held at The Bronx County Building, Veterans’ Memorial Hall.

Borough President Diaz first took office as Bronx Borough President in May 2009, and was reelected last year to serve his third and final term. Borough President Diaz was sworn in to office by Hon. Elizabeth A. Taylor, Judge of the Civil Court of the City of New York, Bronx County.

“Over the past eight and a half years we’ve done so well in moving the needle forward on our agenda to make The Bronx an even better place to live, work and raise a family,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “During the next four years we will continue our efforts to improve our borough, as we show the entire world how far The Bronx has come and how much further we are ready to go.”

Deputy Bronx Borough President Marricka Scott-McFadden was also sworn in by Judge Taylor during the event.

The ceremony was streamed live on the borough president’s social media accounts, and can be watched at http://bit.ly/2CwJTFk.

NEW YORK CITY TO CLOSE FIRST JAIL ON RIKERS ISLAND BY SUMMER 2018

Made possible by historic reductions in jail population, the closure of a facility is a major step in Mayor de Blasio’s plan to close Rikers Island

  The de Blasio Administration announced today that it will close its first jail on Rikers Island this summer as part of Mayor de Blasio’s plan to close Rikers Island. The closure is made possible by the dramatic reduction of the City’s jail population, which fell below 9,000 for the month of December, a record-low figure last reported in 1982. As of January 1, the Department of Correction’s jail population is 8,705.

“Every day we are making New York City’s jail system smaller and safer,” said Mayor de Blasio. “This announcement is an important step in our plan to close Rikers Island and create more community-based facilities to better serve people in custody and our hard-working correctional staff.”

“The Department of Correction and the City are committed to closing Rikers and today, we begin delivering on that commitment,” Department of Correction Commissioner Cynthia Brann said. “It is something we are able to do because of our Department’s reforms in creating safer jails and the City’s work in creating a fairer criminal justice system. Under Mayor de Blasio’s administration, we have reduced our jail population by 21 percent and have helped make our jails safer. We will continue building on our progress in reducing our jail population through programs that provide life and work skills that help individuals in custody re-enter our community.”

Elizabeth Glazer, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and co-chair of the Justice Implementation Task Force said, “Closing a jail is one of many steps toward modernizing our entire justice system. We are reimagining and reforming how jails function as we are safely shrinking the size of the population. This work is possible because of the partnership, from both inside and outside government, to reduce the jail population in a way that makes New York City safer for everyone.” 

Corporation Counsel Zachary Carter, who co-chairs the Justice Implementation Task Force, said, “The closure of GMDC recognizes the new reality of a substantially smaller jail population whose programmatic and facilities needs must be managed toward a safe and humane environment.”

The DOC will close the George Motchan Detention Center, which currently houses about 600 men in custody. Its closure will bring the total number of operational Rikers Island facilities from nine to eight and it will not result in layoffs or a reduction in DOC uniformed staff. Instead, it will help DOC reduce overtime, provide important training and support, and strengthen staff in other key areas. In the coming months, DOC will develop plans on the transfer of uniformed staff and detainees to other facilities. 

In March, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito announced the plan to close Rikers Island and create a jail system that is smaller, safer and fairer. Because existing borough-based facilities have the capacity to house only approximately 2,300 people, there is no immediate way to safely house the current DOC population off-Island. Expanding the capacity in the boroughs while simultaneously implementing a series of strategies to significantly reduce the jail population is currently underway. The Justice Implementation Task Force will coordinate the work of the many groups inside and outside of government to ensure effective implementation of the Mayor’s roadmap. The complete Roadmap, along with real-time updates and opportunities to get involved, is available at nyc.gov/CloseRikers. 

The City recently launched a request-for-proposals to identify sites that can eventually replace the jails on Rikers Island as well as assess the capacity of the three existing Department of Correction facilities in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. The City’s jail reduction strategies include alternatives to incarnation as well as specialized services to reduce reoffending and put people on a path toward stability. This includes a citywide alternative to bail program – Supervised Release – that has diverted over 6,000 people from jail since launching in 2016. This program allows judges to assign eligible, lower-risk defendants to a supervisory program that enables them to remain at home with their families and continue working while awaiting trial. Supervised Release has been funded in part by the District Attorney of Manhattan’s office.

Last October, the City launched a new program that will replace short jail sentences for minor, low-level offenses (typically under 30 days) with services that help prevent recidivism. Working with the district attorneys in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx, the program gives judges the option of sentencing people to these community-based programs rather than jail. Additionally, in 2017, the Administration also announced that every person in the Department of Correction’s custody will receive re-entry services to help connect them with jobs and opportunities outside of jail, as well as five hours of programming per day to address vocational, educational, and therapeutic needs.

Within jails, the Department of Correction began a series of sweeping reforms in late 2015 that included programs for individuals in custody, increasing security camera coverage, equipping officers with training in de-escalation techniques, safety equipment and protective gear, and creating a classification and housing strategy to safely house individuals in custody. The Department’s reforms have resulted in a 65 percent drop in assaults on staff with serious injury and a 53 percent drop in uses of force with serious injury since 2014.

New York City has the lowest incarceration rate of any large U.S. city with an incarceration rate of 167 per 100,000 versus 229 in LA, 252 in Chicago, 338 in Houston and 784 in Philadelphia in 2016. In addition to New York City’s plunging jail population crime rates also fell to historic lows not seen in generations.

Friends of VCP's January 2018 Enewsletter

Bringing Youth, Community and Nature Together for 25 Years!

January 2018

Happy 2018!  We hope that you had a wonderful holiday season!

The Friends are busy planning our 2018 programs and events and will have our Spring events, including a few new ones, posted on our website by the end of this month. 

Don't forget- Mulchfest is this weekend! If you haven't already disposed of your Christmas tree then please bring it to Van Cortlandt Park (free lot near the VC Golf House) to be recycled into mulch that will nourish plantings across the city! MulchFest will be on Saturday and Sunday January 6th and 7th from 10am to 2pm at various locations- for more information please visit NYC Parks website. 

The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park would like to wish you all a Happy and Healthy 2018 and we hope to see you in the Park soon!  

Christina and all of your Friends at the Friends of VCP!

Friends of Van Cortlandt Park

vancortlandt.org

718-601-1553

info@vancortlandt.org

80 Van Cortlandt Park South Ste. E1

Bronx, NY 10463, US

NYC Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez - Looking Forward, Happy New Year 2018

  Happy New Year 2018! Looking forward to a new and exciting time in New York City. This was truly the year of the progressive shift, not only in New York City, but in communities across the United States and the world. So many rose up, came together and brought important issues to the forefront of our social discourse that helped for foster change and set the framework for a brighter future.

I also want to take this opportunity to update you on some of the milestones we have reached at the City Council, specifically in my role as Chair of the Transportation Committee.

We started 2017 with hearings on the Progress of Vision Zero & strategies to reach our goals more quickly, and on how public transportation can better serve the needs of its riders and provide more equitable service for many New Yorkers, who depend on public transit as their only option to go to work, school or the doctor's office.

In a city with over 8.5 million residents and over 60 million tourists, pedestrian safety must always be at the top of our minds. The terror attacks in May 2017 and October 2017 are stark reminders of how pedestrians in our city and around the world have become more vulnerable as cars are more and more frequently used as weapons. We passed a law at our last stated meeting of the 2014-2017 session, requiring the DOT to study areas of high pedestrian traffic and install Pedestrian Safety Bollards throughout the city.

New York City witnesses 4,000 hit and run crashes a year that result in serious injury or death. New York City joined other cities in the nation in creating the "Hit and Run Alert System" that would notify the public of information about a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run crash. With this law, the over 8 million residents of this city can better help authorities bring justice to the families tragically affected by this cowardly act.

I drove a taxi to sustain my family and make ends meet; therefore, I can relate to many of the challenges drivers face and the importance that good service be rewarded to supplement fares. We passed a law to require for-hire vehicle bases allow passengers to Tip Drivers through the same method the passenger used to book the trip, including through a website or smartphone application.

We also passed laws to safeguard our youth, primarily in communities of color, who are easily drawn in to consuming hookah by alluring advertisement and packaging. Now the laws require that Hookah product sellers post signage stating the health risks associated with smoking hookah and raise the age of consumption to 21. These were part of a package of bills aimed at busting the myth that hookah is not harmful to New Yorkers' health and assert that it be treated like cigarettes.

These accomplishments exemplify the continued push for a more just and more safer City and make me particularly excited for the coming year.

The coming year, we will continue the push for Immigration Reform, making New York City streets safer, and supporting Amanda Morales-Guerra, her children, DACA recipients, refugees, immigrants, and all minorities who thirst to live in dignity and make our nation strong. We are a country built by immigrants from all over the world who, regardless of their legal status, make countless economic, social, and cultural contributions to this country.

I would like to thank you for your continued advocacy in and on behalf of our community. Thanks for your support and look forward to a productive 2018.

"PA' LANTE."

Sincerely,

Ydanis Rodriguez

Representing Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill

100 PERCENT December 31, 2017

100 PERCENT

By Robert Press

Looking Ahead to 2018

  As of tomorrow January 1st, Melissa Mark-Viverito will no longer be the speaker of the City Council, and she will no longer be a member of the City Council. There will be a new speaker chosen from the members which were elected in the 2017 general election. As of the end of 2017 the new Speaker of the City Council should be Councilman Corey Johnson of Manhattan. Speaker Johnson will owe his new post to the Queens and Bronx Democratic County Leaders, Congressman Joe Crowley of Queens, and Assemblyman Marcos Crespo of the Bronx. So what will the Bronx and Queens be rewarded with?

 I for one look to see a major council committee such as the Land Use Committee going to current Bronx Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson. I also look for a plum committee for Councilman Rafael Salamanca. New Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. could wind up with the Aging Committee, while the rest of the Bronx delegation either keep their current committee chairs or move up a notch or two in the standings. As for the other new Bronx Councilman, there is no reading on where he may wind up yet. One thing is for sure though, his name is Mark Gjonaj not Mark Gjonah, as new Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. spells it. 

  As for the two open seats in the Bronx now, the 32rd State Senate District and the 80th Assembly District, it will be a game of waiting for a special election to be called or not. Odds are since there another local vacant State Senate seat (Westchester County) of which both were in Democratic control there are those who think a special election will be called by the governor. However there is always the chance of the vacant Westchester County State Senate seat going Republican, and that is why I do not think a special election being called. 

  87th A.D. Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda had already announced that he would be running for the vacant 32nd State Senate seat before it even became vacant. Sepulveda even did away with his main competition that he would of had in the election to fill the vacant seat by getting former (as of January first) Councilwoman Annabel Palma a position in the de Blasio administration as a Deputy Commissioner of Homeless Services. Now with a clear path to the 32nd State Senate Seat, and the only thing that can stop Assemblyman Sepulveda is if no special election is called. That would mean that Speulveda would have to decide if he was to keep his assembly seat or run for the state senate in the September primary. Then again Sepulveda could call his friend Mayor Bill de Blasio to see if the mayor could convince Governor Cuomo to call a special election. 

 As for the 80th Assembly District, there are several local players jockeying for positions. If the former Chief of Staff to former Assemblyman Gjonaj currently working as the Bronx liaison to Governor Andrew Cuomo, Nathalia Fernandez runs that race should be over before it starts. 

 All of the above may happen even before the mid-term Congressional election, and September Bronx Democratic Primary which is the real election here in the Bronx. 

 Surprises to look for in the upcoming election season - A possible challenge to Congressman Jose Serrano. After all the Democratic County Leader of Queens is a Congressman not a State Assemblyman. 

- The possible retirement of a long time Bronx assemblyman, and the possible fight for his seat in the East Bronx.

- The coming up of a North West Bronx District Leader.

- Lastly, has there been peace made with a certain State Senator, and it is not the one you are thinking of. 

 This column was written on December 31, 2017. If you have any comments about this column you can e-mail 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com Mr. Robert Press.

Happy New Year, it's going to be a fun political year.