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Thursday, February 22nd, 2024
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Residence Inn by Marriott New York The Bronx at Metro Center Atrium 1776 Eastchester Rd, Bronx NY 10461
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Friday, February 9, 2024
Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Business News You Can Use
Attorney General James Takes Action to Protect Workers from Occupational Heat Exposure
As Climate Change Continues to Cause Temperatures to Rise, Workers Face Increased Risk of Injury, Illness, or Death from Extreme HeatAG James Leads Coalition of 10 Attorneys General Urging OSHA, Congress, and the Biden Administration to Enact an Emergency Extreme Heat Standard Before This SummerNew York Attorney General Letitia James is leading a coalition of 10 attorneys general to protect workers from the dangers of exposure to extreme heat in the workplace. Today, Attorney General James and the coalition petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to implement a nationwide emergency extreme heat standard to take effect this summer to protect workers from heat exposure. Despite rising temperatures and intensifying heat waves, and the grave dangers they pose to workers, OSHA currently has no occupational heat standard in place. The attorneys general also called on Congress to pass pending legislation directing OSHA to promulgate an interim heat standard while it continues its rulemaking for a permanent standard, and they urged the White House to support these efforts to protect the nation’s most heat-vulnerable workers.
“With each passing summer, workers across the country continue to suffer the potentially deadly results of extreme heat exposure,” said Attorney General James. “Before the summer heat once again sets in, we must protect our most vulnerable workers against the dangers of extreme heat by implementing an emergency extreme heat standard and ultimately set a permanent standard for all workers. Every American has the right to a safe workplace, and I encourage OSHA, Congress, and the White House to join us in ensuring we protect the health and wellbeing of all workers.”
Extreme heat refers to a period of excessively hot weather with above average temperatures, usually combined with high humidity. Climate change is increasing the severity, duration, and frequency of extreme heat events. Extreme heat exposure affects millions of workers across the country and can cause a range of heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Prolonged, repeated exposure to extreme heat can even cause chronic kidney disease. Extreme heat can also negatively impact preexisting medical conditions, such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and can even worsen psychiatric conditions.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, at least 436 workers died from heat exposure from 2011 through 2021. Summer 2023 was the hottest summer ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing soaring temperatures and unrelenting heatwaves to communities across the United States. As a result, vulnerable workers such as farm and construction workers labored through unprecedented heat and humidity, ultimately resulting in deaths:
- In June 2023, a 46-year-old construction worker died from hyperthermia at an outdoor construction site in East Texas, when the region was experiencing daily high temperatures around 100°F.
- In June 2023, a 66-year-old postal worker who had delivered mail in Dallas, Texas for 35 years died of heat stroke while working in extreme heat conditions.
- In July 2023, a 26-year-old farmworker and father of two died of heat stroke after collapsing in a field near Yuma, Arizona as temperatures soared above 110°F.
- In July 2023, a 29-year-old Guatemalan immigrant died while picking fruit on a farm in Homestead, Florida during an unprecedented heatwave.
- In August 2023, a warehouse worker died while working in part of a distribution center in Memphis, Tennessee that did not have air conditioning.
Summer 2024 is expected to be even hotter than 2023, putting workers at even greater risk of heat-related illness, injury, and death.
In the petition, Attorney General James and the coalition remind OSHA that the agency is legally obligated to set an emergency temporary standard if it finds that workers are exposed to a grave danger in the workplace and an emergency standard is necessary to protect workers from that danger. The potential dangers and impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable workers meet these factors for a range of occupations and are particularly evident for farmworkers and construction workers. Farmworkers are 35 times more likely to die of heat exposure than other members of the general population, and construction workers account for 36 percent of heat-related workplace deaths each year. Based on this evidence, the coalition calls on OSHA to fulfill its legal obligation to workers and issue an emergency temporary standard, including a heat exposure threshold and required preventative measures such as water breaks and shade, for farmworkers and construction workers — at a minimum — by May 1.
In addition, Attorney General James and the coalition are calling on Congress to pass and the White House to sign the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act (H.R. 4897/S. 2501), legislation that would direct OSHA to establish near- and long-term measures to protect workers from extreme heat. The legislation is named for Asunción Valdivia, a farmworker who died of heatstroke after picking grapes for 10 hours in extreme heat.
Illness, injury, and death from heat exposure disproportionately impact workers of color and low-wage workers who are overrepresented in those occupations most vulnerable to extreme heat, including labor-intensive outdoor work like agriculture and construction. OSHA has previously recognized that certain workers are at an increased risk of occupational heat illness not only because of the nature of their work, but also because of factors such as race, ethnicity, or language.
Joining Attorney General James in petitioning OSHA and sending letters to Congress and the White House are the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia.
“Due to climate change, New York State temperatures have risen three degrees per decade for the past 45 years. Workers are subjected to higher-than-ever temperatures as they labor in extreme heat,” said Charlene Obernauer, Executive Director at the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH). “In New York City alone, there are an estimated 350 heat-exacerbated deaths annually, caused by heat-worsening existing chronic conditions. OSHA can and must do more to protect our country's workforce — the time to act is now as temperatures continue to increase and show no signs of stopping.”
“In the summer of 2023, 95% of the American public faced local area heat alerts warning residents of deadly heat conditions and cautioning them to protect themselves,” said Juley Fulcher, worker health and safety advocate at Public Citizen. “One hundred million people in the U.S. faced more than 30 days of these dire heat alerts. Despite the warnings, Americans went to work knowing they had no control over the simple, yet critical, protective measures that could prevent heat, illness, injury, or death — plenty of drinking water, breaks in a cool location, reduction in strenuous work during the hottest portions of the day. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a responsibility to ensure workers are given these basic life-saving measures. Public Citizen praises New York Attorney General Letitia James and the coalition of state Attorneys General for petitioning OSHA for an emergency heat standard and for urging Congress to immediately pass the Asuncíon Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury and Fatality Prevention Act (S.2501/H.R.4897).”
“Illnesses and injuries from heat exposure on the job are wholly preventable and a national standard to protect workers is well past due,” said Anastasia Christman, Senior Policy Analyst at the National Employment Law Project. “Systemic bias and occupational segregation result in Black, Latinx, and immigrant workers laboring in jobs that target them for excessive heat exposure, with millions in the nation’s fields, construction sites, warehouses, transportation systems, and other industries risking irreversible injuries with every heat wave. NELP supports the call for an emergency standard to save lives this summer, and the passage of the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act to bring about a permanent protective standard as quickly as possible.”
“Our nation's agricultural economy is completely dependent upon immigrant workers, as 70% of such workers are foreign-born,” said Craig Livermore, Co-Director at the Midstate Council for Occupational Safety and Health (Midstate COSH). “There are an estimated 100,000 such workers in upstate New York, and Midstate COSH provides training and support to hundreds of such workers yearly in The Finger Lakes and Southern Tier Regions. The actions sought by the New York Attorney General and other State Attorneys General will provide necessary and immediate benefits to the protect some of our most vulnerable workers. Agricultural workers spend up to 12 hours a day working in extreme heat outside or inside poorly ventilated barns and living barracks. As temperatures rise it is essential to pass a standard to protect their health for both humanitarian and economic reasons.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading a coalition of 10 attorneys general to protect workers from the dangers of exposure to extreme heat in the workplace. Today, Attorney General James and the coalition petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to implement a nationwide emergency extreme heat standard to take effect this summer to protect workers from heat exposure. Despite rising temperatures and intensifying heat waves, and the grave dangers they pose to workers, OSHA currently has no occupational heat standard in place. The attorneys general also called on Congress to pass pending legislation directing OSHA to promulgate an interim heat standard while it continues its rulemaking for a permanent standard, and they urged the White House to support these efforts to protect the nation’s most heat-vulnerable workers.
“With each passing summer, workers across the country continue to suffer the potentially deadly results of extreme heat exposure,” said Attorney General James. “Before the summer heat once again sets in, we must protect our most vulnerable workers against the dangers of extreme heat by implementing an emergency extreme heat standard and ultimately set a permanent standard for all workers. Every American has the right to a safe workplace, and I encourage OSHA, Congress, and the White House to join us in ensuring we protect the health and wellbeing of all workers.”
Extreme heat refers to a period of excessively hot weather with above average temperatures, usually combined with high humidity. Climate change is increasing the severity, duration, and frequency of extreme heat events. Extreme heat exposure affects millions of workers across the country and can cause a range of heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Prolonged, repeated exposure to extreme heat can even cause chronic kidney disease. Extreme heat can also negatively impact preexisting medical conditions, such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and can even worsen psychiatric conditions.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, at least 436 workers died from heat exposure from 2011 through 2021. Summer 2023 was the hottest summer ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing soaring temperatures and unrelenting heatwaves to communities across the United States. As a result, vulnerable workers such as farm and construction workers labored through unprecedented heat and humidity, ultimately resulting in deaths:
- In June 2023, a 46-year-old construction worker died from hyperthermia at an outdoor construction site in East Texas, when the region was experiencing daily high temperatures around 100°F.
- In June 2023, a 66-year-old postal worker who had delivered mail in Dallas, Texas for 35 years died of heat stroke while working in extreme heat conditions.
- In July 2023, a 26-year-old farmworker and father of two died of heat stroke after collapsing in a field near Yuma, Arizona as temperatures soared above 110°F.
- In July 2023, a 29-year-old Guatemalan immigrant died while picking fruit on a farm in Homestead, Florida during an unprecedented heatwave.
- In August 2023, a warehouse worker died while working in part of a distribution center in Memphis, Tennessee that did not have air conditioning.
Summer 2024 is expected to be even hotter than 2023, putting workers at even greater risk of heat-related illness, injury, and death.
In the petition, Attorney General James and the coalition remind OSHA that the agency is legally obligated to set an emergency temporary standard if it finds that workers are exposed to a grave danger in the workplace and an emergency standard is necessary to protect workers from that danger. The potential dangers and impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable workers meet these factors for a range of occupations and are particularly evident for farmworkers and construction workers. Farmworkers are 35 times more likely to die of heat exposure than other members of the general population, and construction workers account for 36 percent of heat-related workplace deaths each year. Based on this evidence, the coalition calls on OSHA to fulfill its legal obligation to workers and issue an emergency temporary standard, including a heat exposure threshold and required preventative measures such as water breaks and shade, for farmworkers and construction workers — at a minimum — by May 1.
In addition, Attorney General James and the coalition are calling on Congress to pass and the White House to sign the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act (H.R. 4897/S. 2501), legislation that would direct OSHA to establish near- and long-term measures to protect workers from extreme heat. The legislation is named for Asunción Valdivia, a farmworker who died of heatstroke after picking grapes for 10 hours in extreme heat.
Illness, injury, and death from heat exposure disproportionately impact workers of color and low-wage workers who are overrepresented in those occupations most vulnerable to extreme heat, including labor-intensive outdoor work like agriculture and construction. OSHA has previously recognized that certain workers are at an increased risk of occupational heat illness not only because of the nature of their work, but also because of factors such as race, ethnicity, or language.
Joining Attorney General James in petitioning OSHA and sending letters to Congress and the White House are the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia.
“Due to climate change, New York State temperatures have risen three degrees per decade for the past 45 years. Workers are subjected to higher-than-ever temperatures as they labor in extreme heat,” said Charlene Obernauer, Executive Director at the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH). “In New York City alone, there are an estimated 350 heat-exacerbated deaths annually, caused by heat-worsening existing chronic conditions. OSHA can and must do more to protect our country's workforce — the time to act is now as temperatures continue to increase and show no signs of stopping.”
“In the summer of 2023, 95% of the American public faced local area heat alerts warning residents of deadly heat conditions and cautioning them to protect themselves,” said Juley Fulcher, worker health and safety advocate at Public Citizen. “One hundred million people in the U.S. faced more than 30 days of these dire heat alerts. Despite the warnings, Americans went to work knowing they had no control over the simple, yet critical, protective measures that could prevent heat, illness, injury, or death — plenty of drinking water, breaks in a cool location, reduction in strenuous work during the hottest portions of the day. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a responsibility to ensure workers are given these basic life-saving measures. Public Citizen praises New York Attorney General Letitia James and the coalition of state Attorneys General for petitioning OSHA for an emergency heat standard and for urging Congress to immediately pass the Asuncíon Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury and Fatality Prevention Act (S.2501/H.R.4897).”
“Illnesses and injuries from heat exposure on the job are wholly preventable and a national standard to protect workers is well past due,” said Anastasia Christman, Senior Policy Analyst at the National Employment Law Project. “Systemic bias and occupational segregation result in Black, Latinx, and immigrant workers laboring in jobs that target them for excessive heat exposure, with millions in the nation’s fields, construction sites, warehouses, transportation systems, and other industries risking irreversible injuries with every heat wave. NELP supports the call for an emergency standard to save lives this summer, and the passage of the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act to bring about a permanent protective standard as quickly as possible.”
“Our nation's agricultural economy is completely dependent upon immigrant workers, as 70% of such workers are foreign-born,” said Craig Livermore, Co-Director at the Midstate Council for Occupational Safety and Health (Midstate COSH). “There are an estimated 100,000 such workers in upstate New York, and Midstate COSH provides training and support to hundreds of such workers yearly in The Finger Lakes and Southern Tier Regions. The actions sought by the New York Attorney General and other State Attorneys General will provide necessary and immediate benefits to the protect some of our most vulnerable workers. Agricultural workers spend up to 12 hours a day working in extreme heat outside or inside poorly ventilated barns and living barracks. As temperatures rise it is essential to pass a standard to protect their health for both humanitarian and economic reasons.”
MAYOR ADAMS LAUNCHES “CHINATOWN CONNECTIONS” PLAN TO ADD NEW PUBLIC SPACE AND IMPROVE TRAFFIC SAFETY IN CHINATOWN
Administration Will Partner With New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative to Invest $56 Million in Chinatown
“Chinatown Connections” Will Kick Off With Public Engagement Period Starting This Month
Delivers on Key Commitment Made by Mayor Adams in This Year’s State of the City Address
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today launched “Chinatown Connections,” a joint city and state investment that will dramatically improve the public space in Chinatown through redesigning Park Row and Chatham/Kimlau Square — making the area safer, more-pedestrian friendly, and more welcoming to both residents and visitors. “Chinatown Connections” will bring together $44.3 million in city capital funding with $11.5 million from New York state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative awards for a total project budget of $56 million. Building on an announcement in Mayor Adams’ State of the City address last month, “Chinatown Connections” furthers the Adams administration’s commitment to enhancing and expanding public space across the city.
“For far too long, Chinatown residents, neighbors, and tourists alike had to deal with confined public spaces and dangerous intersections at Chatham/Kimlau Square, but those days are coming to a close. Our $56 million joint investment with the state in ‘Chinatown Connections’ will allow us to reimagine the square with shortened street crossings, more public space, simpler intersections, and direct cyclist connections — making our streets even safer for all New Yorkers to share,” said Mayor Adams. “We’ll beautify Park Row, making it easier for New Yorkers and tourists to get from the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge to Chinatown and all the small businesses here, and we’ll give Chinatown the entrance it deserves with a new Welcome Gateway that honors this neighborhood’s rich cultural heritage. At every step of the way, we will work hand-in-hand with the local Chinatown community so that the project reflects what the community wants and needs from our city. This announcement is another step in our work to revitalize the future of Chinatown and reimagine the urban experience for all New Yorkers.”
“The state is not only committed to preserving the culture of the community but also investing in projects that enhance the livability, health and prosperity of communities to benefit residents, businesses, and tourists alike,” said Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez. “Today we celebrate the launch of three signature Chinatown Downtown Revitalization Initiative projects that together will re-envision Kimlau Square as a safe and attractive community destination, celebrate Chinatown’s local culture, and invite visitors back to Chinatown’s local restaurants and businesses. We thank Mayor Eric Adams for working together with the state and community and for investing an additional $44.3 million towards these key undertakings. I am confident these, now enhanced projects, along with the other eight DRI funded community projects, will ensure local residents witness a greater beneficial neighborhood impact.”
Reimagining Chatham/Kimlau Square
Currently, Chatham/Kimlau Square features a five-point intersection with complex traffic movements; this results in many conflict points, which endanger drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. This year, in consultation with the local Chinatown community, the administration will kick off a traffic study to inform redesigning Chatham/Kimlau Square to create a standard, four-way intersection, larger public space, shorter pedestrian crossings, and direct cyclist connections. The study will also evaluate the option of either keeping Park Row closed to private car traffic or reopening Park Row in the future with a redesigned Kimlau Square. The study will take into consideration both existing traffic conditions and future traffic conditions under congestion pricing. Following that study and a community engagement process, construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with estimated completion in 2029. Approximately $5 million of the $11.5 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award will go towards this redesign.
The five-point intersection currently at Chatham/Kimlau Square. Photo credit: New York City Economic Development Corporation
Beautifying the Park Row Connection to Chinatown
Park Row is a critical pedestrian and bike route connecting Lower Manhattan, Chinatown, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the new public space at the Brooklyn Bridge Arches. Starting this spring, the city will launch a Street Improvement Project on the Park Row connection to Chinatown, between Frankfort Street and Chatham/Kimlau Square. In consultation with the local community, the city will implement short-term improvements to enhance the pedestrian and bicyclist experience, including safety improvements, art interventions, new planters, and additional wayfinding and signage. In parallel, the city will engage with the local community to evaluate options for deploying $4 million of the $11.5 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award for permanent improvements on Park Row. The project will begin with a community engagement period, and construction work will commence in 2024, with short-term improvements being installed throughout the year.
Creating a Chinatown Welcome Gateway
The city will also build a Chinatown Welcome Gateway, located in the vicinity of Chatham/Kimlau Square, finally giving one of New York City’s most historic districts the entrance it deserves. The Chinatown Welcome Gateway will commemorate the cultural heritage of the neighborhood and draw visitors to local businesses. The location, size, and design of the gateway will be informed by the traffic study, existing conditions assessment, and robust community engagement. The construction timeline for the Chinatown Welcome Gateway will depend on private fundraising to supplement $2.5 million of the $11.5 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award.
This month, the city will convene a community working group of key stakeholders across Chinatown sectors to help guide the entire project design and implementation. The community working group is expected to convene at key milestones throughout an 18-month engagement process, and the public engagement process will expand to community board presentations and broader public meetings. These efforts build on three initial public workshops the city conducted with the Chinatown community last year.
“Since the beginning of this administration, we have been committed to making Chinatown a more livable, walkable community, with more and better public spaces for residents and visitors,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “From the Arches to Kimlau Square, we are working closely with local leaders and residents to ensure that these public spaces are by and for residents — prioritizing safety, comfort, and connection. With deep thanks to our state partners, we look forward to continuing our robust public outreach and delivering an exciting new public space for Chinatown.”
“‘Chinatown Connections’ advances the administration’s commitment to celebrating this area’s cultural heritage while making significant public safety and infrastructure investments benefitting its residents, small businesses, and visitors,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “Similar to our other neighborhood planning efforts, we are excited to kick off this work with a comprehensive, community-focused engagement process that will deliver transformative improvements to Kimlau Square.”
“‘Chinatown Connections’ is a city and state collaboration that will bring dramatic public realm improvements to Chinatown and public safety improvements to one of the busiest intersections in Manhattan,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “Reimagining public spaces with pedestrian safety and outdoor amenities continues to be a top priority for the Adams administration, and we are looking forward to working with DOT and NYC Parks to revitalize this culturally significant area of Manhattan.”
“The ‘Chinatown Connections’ project exemplifies the city’s dedication to fostering equitable streets and welcoming public spaces in our effort to reimagine the public realm for years to come,” said New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “This ambitious project aims to revitalize busy neighborhood areas, including Park Row, Chatham Square, and Kimlau Plaza, improving the overall pedestrian experience, creating new bicycle connections, and dramatically enhancing street safety and connectivity at a major Manhattan crossing. I am pleased DOT was able to allocate $44 million in support of the effort to deliver this project, and I look forward to continued collaboration with the community, as well as our city and state agency partners, to further enrich Chinatown.”
“We are thrilled to participate in ‘Chinatown Connections,’ an inter-agency collaboration that aligns with the Adams administration’s commitment to enhance and expand public spaces,” said New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “This effort is designed to increase open spaces, create safer walkways, and redirect traffic to better safeguard pedestrians. We thrive on collaboration, involving community residents to be a part of projects such as this one at Kimlau Square, which will honor the rich cultural heritage of the Chinatown neighborhood. Through this project, our agencies are committed to ensuring safety, enhancing the aesthetics of the space, and supporting community events to bring visitors to the heart of Chinatown — through the beautification of Park Row and the redesign of Kimlau Square.”
“Public space is a not a luxury, but a necessity for all communities throughout the city,” said Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu. “Today, the Adams administration is making an unprecedented investment to transform public space in Chinatown that will not only improve traffic safety and create a vibrant space for local residents that honors the history and cultural fabric of the neighborhood, but that will make Kimlau Square a destination for visitors to enjoy and experience what the many wonderful local businesses have to offer.”
“More public realm enhancements like this mean greater neighborhood vitality and safety for residents and visitors across the city,” said “New” New York Executive Director B.J. Jones. “The partnership between the city, state, and community leaders makes this gateway a testament to our joint commitment to make the necessary investments to fuel New York’s economic resurgence.”
NYCEDC will be the lead agency responsible for the procurement, engagement, design, and construction processes. Additionally, NYCEDC will coordinate between NYC Parks, DOT, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA). NYC Parks will lead the Memorial Arch restoration and DOT will lead the Park Row improvements and the new Kimlau intersection, plaza, and gateway. DCLA will facilitate the artist selection process for the Chinatown Welcome Gateway.
Understanding that public spaces are where communities are built, culture is fostered, and opportunities are created, Mayor Adams committed $375 million to creating new, vibrant public spaces in his 2023 State of the City address. To further that effort, he appointed Ya-Ting Liu as the city’s first-ever chief public realm officer and launched visionary projects in all five boroughs to create new public spaces, including the North Shore of Staten Island, Broadway Vision and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, Broadway Junction in Brooklyn, the Met Hub in Queens, and new, world-class skateparks in the Bronx and Brooklyn. Mayor Adams also signed the country’s largest permanent outdoor dining program into law last year to create better, cleaner, and more accessible sidewalk and roadway cafes and significantly expanded open street programs during the holiday and summer seasons.
To keep the city’s public spaces clean and transform what it feels like to be outside in New York City, Mayor Adams and New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Commissioner Jessica Tisch launched efforts to containerize 100 percent of businesses’ trash and all residential trash from buildings with nine or fewer units. Building on the progress made over the course of the past two years, last week, the city unveiled a new, automated, side-loading garbage truck and a new data-driven containerization strategy in the city’s next phase of its war on black trash bags. The city will expand its Harlem on-street containerization pilot and take steps to get every single black trash bag off of New York City streets.
“The Chinatown connections project is a visionary project aimed at addressing the many issues in our community that have affected pedestrians and vehicles for all too long,” said Raymond Tsang, president, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. “With this project going forward from the support of the city and state government, our community will benefit from the improved traffic and pedestrian safety that it brings, and the tourists from near and far, to admire what a revitalized Chinatown has to offer.”
“Kimlau Square has historically been an important place — for open air markets or for the public to use the elevated train station,” said Wellington Chen, executive director, Chinatown Partnership. “It is also where we remember the veterans and honor those who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice as it is the vital key connection where streets converge. We look forward to having a better and proper setting for future commemorations and communal gatherings for generations to come.”
“Community Board 3 is very excited to plan for the renovation of historic Kimlau Square,” said Andrea Gordillo, chair, Manhattan Community Board 3. “The renovation of this gateway to Chinatown will make a great impact every day on the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists, and improve and enlarge the public space used by many Chinatown residents. Community members have long requested that the intersection be redesigned and aligned so residents can cross safely. The pathway from Park Row to the Brooklyn Bridge will unify the neighborhood and encourage the flow of residential traffic through a beautified and accessible street.”
“Today, we stand at the threshold of a new era for Chinatown and Lower Manhattan, united in our efforts to foster a safer, more connected and vibrant urban landscape,” said Tammy Meltzer, chair, Manhattan Community Board 1. “This project will do more than just enhance the function and aesthetics of our city streets. It serves as a profound act of reconnection and healing, beginning to knit back together a divide that tore apart the very fabric of our communities on 9/11. A vital part of that reconnection is creating space for community stakeholders for those who live, work, study and visit the area. The commitment for an inclusive community outreach process initiated by the city, signals a future crafted in collaboration with these important neighborhoods, ensuring that local voices and visions shape the path forward. I thank the vital community leaders who have moved this project forward, and Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul for investing in their vision. Together, we are not just redesigning a square that honors Chinese-American soldiers who lost their lives defending the United States; we are redefining the future.”
About the Downtown Revitalization Initiative
Chinatown was the winner of round five of New York state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, a cornerstone of its economic development program, which transforms downtown neighborhoods into vibrant centers that offer a high-quality of life and are magnets for redevelopment, business, job creation, and economic and housing diversity. Led by the New York Department of State, with assistance from Empire State Development, Homes and Community Renewal, and the New York state Energy Research and Development Agency, the Downtown Revitalization Initiative represents an unprecedented and innovative “plan-then-act” strategy that couples strategic planning with immediate implementation and results in compact, walkable downtowns that are a key ingredient to helping New York state rebuild its economy from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to achieving the state’s bold climate goals by promoting the use of public transit and reducing dependence on private vehicles.
In the first six years of the program, the state committed $700 million investing in 69 downtowns ripe for revitalization. Participating communities are nominated by the state’s 10 Regional Economic Development Councils based on the downtown’s potential for transformation. Each community is awarded $10 million to develop a downtown strategic investment plan and implement key catalytic projects that advance the community's vision for revitalization and leverage additional private and public investments. More information on the Downtown Revitalization Initiative is available online.