Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - JOIN US: Bronx Iftar Dinner Dialogue and Conversation

 

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $120 MILLION IN FEDERAL GRANTS, SECURES ADMINISTRATION’S LARGEST FEDERAL COMPETITIVE GRANT

 

$117 Million Federal Grant for QueensWay Will Support 1.3 Mile Greenway Extension to Forest Park, New Recreational Amenities, and New Connections to Existing Park Facilities

$5.6 Million Federal Grant Will Help City and State Advance Concepts to Reimagine Future of Brooklyn Queens Expressway Corridor in North and South Brooklyn

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today continued his administration’s unprecedented success in securing federal infrastructure funding by winning two federal “Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program – Neighbor hood Access and Equity Program” grants worth a total of $123.6 million. The grants — issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation — will support key infrastructure projects in New York City, including the second phase of the QueensWay and planning for the future of the northern and southern sections of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE).

“Our infrastructure should be bringing communities together, not tearing them apart, and that’s why we aggressively pursued these Reconnecting Communities grants, to reshape our city in a way that unites us,” said Mayor Adams. “The next phase of the QueensWay will add more greenway miles, vibrant parks, and outdoor amenities to neighborhoods across Queens, and the BQE Corridor grant we won moves us closer to undoing some of the damage that Robert Moses caused and invests in beautiful, interconnected new public spaces. My thanks to President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg for establishing this transformational grant program and investing $123 million in federal grants to support our city’s growing infrastructure needs, as well as to all of our city, state, and federal partners who went to bat for New York City.”

“Across New York, we are reconnecting communities that have long been divided by highways and building healthier and more accessible neighborhoods,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “Thanks to support from the Biden-Harris Administration, we are developing a shared vision to improve the quality of life for New Yorkers living near the BQE and I'm committed to working closely with the community and our government partners on this transformational initiative.”

"These two grants represent a huge milestone for our city — creating real momentum to stitch together historically-disadvantaged communities with green space and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. We are deeply grateful to President Biden, Secretary Buttigieg, and our federal congressional delegation, led by Majority Leader Schumer and Minority Leader Jeffries, for enabling us to invest in a greener and healthier future for our city," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. "I want to congratulate our innovative Federal Infrastructure Task Force, which we started under the Adams administration to help our agencies collaborate to create the best possible applications for federal funding and has secured over a billion dollars in infrastructure funds. This is another massive win for New York City."  

“Thanks to this major federal investment and the hard work of the Adams administration, Queens residents are getting a beautiful new way to take in the great outdoors and connect with their neighbors,” said New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “This innovative project will create a new signature park in the heart of Queens, transforming an abandoned rail line into a vibrant greenspace where New Yorkers can enjoy all the health benefits of time outdoors. With over a mile of new greenway paths for pedestrians and cyclists, the QueensWay will provide new connections between neighborhoods and give New Yorkers a safe way to get around and enjoy the fresh air. I’m so grateful to our partners in the federal government and the Adams administration for recognizing that accessible, beautiful public greenspaces aren’t a luxury — they’re essential to a livable, green, and safe city.”

“The BQE has needlessly divided communities for decades and our administration is committed to doing its part to help bring them together. Thanks to DOT’s successful grant application, we will receive millions in new funding to plan projects to reconnect neighborhoods both north and south of the corridor,” said New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “We look forward to exploring projects like capping, street redesigns, and more in close collaboration with Brooklynites along the highway. I’d like to thank the Biden-Harris administration and our partners in Congress and at the state DOT for their support.”  

“This innovative project will provide Queens with one of the premier greenways in New York City, giving residents much-need open space to walk, bike, and enjoy the outdoors,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President (NYCEDC) & CEO Andrew Kimball. “Thanks to this enormous investment from the federal government, we will be able to extend this greenway more than a mile directly into Forest Park, delivering more public space for New Yorkers. NYCEDC looks forward to continue working alongside our agency partners and the local community in delivering this amazing greenway for Queens.”

QueensWay Phase Two: Forest Park Pass, $117 million

Mayor Adams announced that NYC Parks and the Trust for Public Land won a $117 million federal grant to further develop the QueensWay, a new public park being built on a vacant corridor of the former LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch. The $117 million grant is the largest competitive federal infrastructure grant won by this administration. The Forest Park Pass project will include an approximately 1.3-mile extension of the greenway into Forest Park, new greenway bridges, new recreational amenities, and new connections to existing facilities in the park including Victory Field.

Once complete, the QueensWay will transform an abandoned railroad line into 47 acres of new park space and seven miles of greenway. The project will cover the Queens neighborhoods of Rego Park, Forest Hills, Glendale, Forest Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, and Ozone Park. The proposal was conceived by the Trust for Public Land and Friends of the QueensWay. The QueensWay will connect neighborhoods with a new greenway corridor of beautiful open space between diverse residential and commercial areas in the borough. The project concept is the result of an extensive community outreach that included public and stakeholder workshops, information tables at local community events and festivals, and more than 20 public tours.

In September 2022, Mayor Adams announced a $35 million investment for design and construction of Phase One of the QueensWay — the Metropolitan Hub (Met Hub). This phase of the project will transform a vacant, city-owned corridor in Forest Hills into a five-acre park with 0.7 miles of greenway, providing residents with new open space, improved access to recreational amenities, outdoor education opportunities for students, and a safe transportation corridor connecting people to schools, businesses, and 10 bus lines. NYCEDC is managing the construction of the Met Hub in collaboration with NYC Parks. The funding includes $2.5 million from the New York City Council. The Met Hub will lead into the new Forest Park Pass.

 

Rendering of the QueensWay. Credit: Trust for Public Land

 

BQE North and South Planning Grant, $5.6 million

Mayor Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul today also announced that the DOT and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYS DOT) won a $5.6 million federal Reconnecting Communities grant to fund planning work to improve quality of life for residents living near the BQE, particularly those from disadvantaged communities.

The grant will help the city and state identify and advance proposals to reconnect communities divided by the Robert Moses-era urban highway. The city and state will develop concepts to reestablish connections in the local transportation network — improving access to jobs, services, and green space, while bolstering pedestrian and cyclist safety.

The work funded by this grant will focus on BQE North — from the Kosciuszko Bridge to Sands Street — and BQE South — from Atlantic Avenue to the Verrazzano Bridge. These sections account for 88 percent of the BQE in Brooklyn and are owned and operated by the state. Since December 2022, DOT has supported grassroots outreach and engagement efforts, led by community-based organizations, across BQE North and South. These efforts resulted in several proposals for the corridor, including partial or full highway caps, space activations and community amenities adjacent to the BQE, and road safety and intersection improvements. The study will review these proposals for feasibility, cost, community support, and other key factors. At least two of those proposals — one for BQE North and one for BQE South — will advance to partial design, laying the groundwork for DOT and NYS DOT to continue developing concepts to reconnect communities across the corridor.

These combined efforts are part of Mayor Adams’ BQE Corridor Vision, to work with communities along Brooklyn’s only interstate highway, investing in communities long divided by the highway, and fixing the city-owned triple cantilever between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street.

Examples of treatments that could be applied to BQE North and South. Credit: Department of Transportation

 

The grants were evaluated based on their commitment to:

•  Equity and environmental justice
• Improving community access
• Infrastructure suitability
• Community engagement and community-based partnerships
• Equitable development
• Climate and environment
• Workforce development and economic opportunity

Recent federal legislation, including the Biden-Harris administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, have made unprecedented amounts of federal funding available for key projects across the country. Recognizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Mayor Adams formed the Federal Infrastructure Funding Task Force. Under Deputy Mayor Joshi's guidance, that task force evaluates the competitive grant opportunities available, with a focus on new opportunities made possible through both the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, and works to break down silos and foster creativity across city agencies. The city has aligned its priorities for high-quality, sustainable, and equitable infrastructure with aggressive and creative grant applications from a wide range of infrastructure agencies. To date, the city has received over $650 million in competitive federal infrastructure grant awards from these sources.

“For more than a decade, Trust for Public Land has been a steadfast collaborator with community partners, advocating for the transformative repurposing of the rail line and recognizing its potential for positive change across Queens,” said Diane Regas, CEO, Trust for Public Land (TPL). “With the announcement of $117 million in funding from the U.S. DOT, specifically allocated to the Forest Park Pass section of the QueensWay, a new chapter in our mission unfolds. In strategically linking these diverse neighborhoods via Forest Park Pass, TPL reaffirms its commitment to better connecting culturally rich and historically underserved communities with the outdoors. This funding acts as a powerful catalyst, propelling us towards the realization of a vibrant linear park, QueensWay, that spans communities across Queens. TPL is grateful to Mayor Adams and to be part of this extraordinary journey towards a more vibrant, connected, and equitable future for more New Yorkers.”

“Friends of the QueensWay has been advocating for our communities and activation of this rails to trails project for more than a decade, and we commend federal and city leaders for collaborating on this extraordinary investment to activate quality park space and parks access,” said Friends of the Queensway. “For many of the 2.3 million people who live in Queens, access to public parks and open space is limited, and in many cases, difficult and dangerous to access by bike or on foot. By reclaiming and redeveloping the abandoned rail, the QueensWay will provide public access to green space, while acting as a main artery of the borough, connecting six distinct neighborhoods and Forest Park.”

MAYOR ADAMS, GOVERNOR HOCHUL ANNOUNCE LAUNCH OF LARGEST INTERAGENCY, CITY-STATE TASK FORCE TO REMOVE DANGEROUS GHOST CARS FROM CITY STREETS

 

First Joint Enforcement Operation Yesterday Resulted in 73 Cars Seized

 

NYPD, Other Law Enforcement Agencies Seized Record Number of Ghost Cars in 2023

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Edward A. Caban, New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chair and CEO Janno Lieber today announced the launch of a multi-agency city-state task force dedicated to identifying and removing so-called “ghost cars” — cars that are virtually untraceable by traffic cameras and toll readers because of their forged or altered license plates — from New York City streets. Yesterday, in an overwhelmingly successful inter-agency operation involving the NYPD, the New York City Sheriff’s Office, MTA bridge and tunnel officers, the New York State Police (NYSP), the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department (PAPD), authorities impounded 73 cars, issued 282 summonses, and arrested eight individuals.

 

“Outlaws have been purchasing fake or paper license plates online to avoid tolls and tickets, as well as to evade accountability for serious crimes, but we’re pumping the brakes on the use of ‘ghost plates’ with the help of this multi-agency task force,” said Mayor Adams. “Working in tandem with our city and state law enforcement partners, we impounded 73 vehicles, issued 282 summonses, and made eight arrests, and sent an important message to everyone who drives on the streets of our city: No one is above the law. These cars might not have license plates, but we’ve got their number, and we’re going after anyone who tries to make their car untraceable.”

 

“By launching this city-state task force, we are sending a clear message: if you attempt to alter your license plate to avoid traffic cameras and toll readers, you will be caught,” said Governor Hochul. “The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority and in partnership with Mayor Adams and law enforcement, we will swiftly remove elusive vehicles from our roads. Now, I'm calling on the Legislature to join our efforts and work with us to pass additional protections for New Yorkers in the final budget.”

 

“This multi-agency taskforce has a clear and well-defined purpose: locate illegal and unregistered vehicles travelling in and around our city, get them off our streets, and hold the people driving them accountable,” said NYPD Commissioner Caban. “Over the years, our department has seen a clear connection between these illegal vehicles and violent crime. And we’re here today, with our valued law enforcement partners, to assure New Yorkers that this lawlessness will never be tolerated. This task force is a talented, diverse team, dedicated to keeping our roadways — and the neighborhoods they run through — safe. It is all part of our intelligence-driven approach to precision policing, and it is another example of how interagency cooperation makes our city better and makes us all safer.”

 

“We frequently conduct joint operations with our partner agencies and will continue to do so on the city and state level to remove these ‘ghost vehicles’ from our streets,” said New York City Sheriff Miranda. “These vehicles cause a serious threat to public safety, as they are typically unregistered and uninsured. Our joint operations help to combat the violent crimes associated with individuals using fraudulent plates.”

 

“This multi-jurisdictional collaboration is a big step forward in the fight against a dangerous and pervasive problem, and the New York State DMV is proud to support this important work,” said DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder. “So called ‘ghost plates’ put the safety of all New Yorkers at risk, so we will continue working with our partners to strengthen their enforcement efforts and hold individuals accountable.”  

“The owners of these “ghost cars” are purposefully evading the law and are a threat to public safety in our city,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “Our residents want these drivers held accountable and interagency communication and enforcement to keep our streets and communities safe. I want to thank New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Edward A. Caban, New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chair and CEO Janno Lieber for their leadership on this issue and for sending a clear message that “ghost vehicles” will not be tolerated in our city.”

“Vehicles equipped with forged or altered license plates have long evaded detection by law enforcement and traffic cameras,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “When drivers cannot be unidentified because of ghost plates, there is a particular danger to breaking the law without accountability, posing a serious threat to public safety. I commend Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul on the multi-agency initiative they have spearheaded to tackle this problem. Their efforts will strengthen our ongoing work to hold accountable those who undermine safety in our communities.”

“I commend Mayor Adams and the city-state task force for their swift action in addressing the issue of 'ghost cars' plaguing our streets,” said New York City Councilmember Kristy Marmorato. “Ensuring the safety and security of our communities requires collaborative efforts across agencies, and I am confident that this task force will make significant strides in removing these dangerous vehicles from our roads.”

The primary focus of the task force’s work is to remove vehicles with fraudulent or modified license plates — and those with no tags at all — from city streets, as these vehicles are often unregistered, uninsured, or stolen. While the illegal practice of forging or altering license plates is not new, the crime proliferated during the pandemic, with drivers masking their identities by using counterfeit temporary paper plates to evade detection. The fake “temp tags” appeared as though they were issued by out-of-state dealerships, making them difficult to verify. In some cases, vehicle operators in New York City used this cloak of anonymity to commit more serious violent crimes, including hit-and-runs, robberies, and shootings.

 

In her executive budget, Governor Hochul proposed legislation that would improve toll collections throughout the state by increasing fines and penalties for driving with altered plates, prohibiting the sale or distribution of covers that obscure license plates, allowing police to seize illegal plate covers, and restricting DMV registration transactions for vehicles with suspended registrations for failure to pay tolls or failing to remove plate-obscuring materials.

 

To combat this scourge during 2022 and 2023, the NYPD, the New York City Sheriff’s Office, and their law enforcement partners arrested nearly 11,200 drivers and impounded their vehicles, seized almost 12,900 additional vehicles, and issued motorists more than 21,200 moving violation summonses.

 

The NYPD’s Transportation Bureau established the inter-agency task force with the mission of conducting eight-hour enforcement operations approximately once a month. Times and locations around the city will be chosen after analyzing toll and motor vehicle data. 

 

In its first outing yesterday, Monday, March 11, 2024, the task force performed traffic-safety actions at three river crossings that enter Manhattan: the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, the George Washington Bridge, and the Lincoln Tunnel. Law enforcement utilized marked police vehicles, including various-sized tow trucks, automated license plate reader technology, and officer observations. In addition to the outside agencies, NYPD units involved in the undertaking included the Highway Patrol, the Citywide Traffic Task Force, the Auto Crime Division, the Traffic Enforcement Division, the Aviation Unit, the Legal Bureau, Community Response Teams, and more.

MAYOR ADAMS, FUND FOR PUBLIC HEALTH NYC ANNOUNCE CONFERENCE TO IMPROVE BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH

 

Participants Will Discuss Ways to Improve Maternal Health to Protect Black Families and Babies in New York City

Advances Adams Administration’s Goal in HealthyNYC to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality by 10 Percent by 2030

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan today announced that the Adams administration — in partnership with the Fund for Public Health NYC and The Clinton Global Initiative — will host a conference to discuss how New York City can improve Black maternal health and significantly reduce preventable maternal deaths. Leaders from across different sectors will join the conference today, including representatives from government, academia, health care, advocacy, and philanthropy. As the city aims to reduce Black maternal mortality by 10 percent by 2030 through HealthyNYC — New York City’s ambitious plan to improve and extend the average lifespan of all New Yorkers — participants will discuss strategies to bolster maternal health across the five boroughs, save lives, and build healthier families and communities. Today’s conference also represents a continuation of the work of “Women Forward NYC: An Action Plan for Gender Equity,” the Adams administration’s $43 million plan with the ambitious goal to make New York City the most woman-forward city in the country.

 

“This is a critical moment for women's health in New York City and across the country,” said Mayor Adams. “The numbers are clear: Black New Yorkers are four times more likely than white New Yorkers to experience a pregnancy-associated death. Our administration has taken action to boost birth equity, expanding the doula program citywide, signing a package of bills to strengthen maternal health, and setting the ambitious goal of reducing Black maternal mortality by 10 percent by 2030. Today’s conference is a continuation of that work, bringing leaders from across sectors to the table to discuss solutions to determine how we can build a city that supports all new families. Our children are our most precious resource and by investing in them and their families from the start, we'll build a safer and healthier city for generations to come.”

 

“Regardless of your race or zip code, women in New York City should have access to the resources and support needed to ensure a safe, healthy birth,” said First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. “For too long, Black women experiencing childbirth have faced systemic odds. Data has constantly showed the inequities within maternal care, and today we are taking a step towards addressing that disparity. Today’s announcement is a true cross-sector, solution driven collaboration of thought leaders, health experts, and government officials convening with the sole purpose of making sure Black women and their families are safe during one of life’s most important moments.”

 

“Since the first day of this administration, the issue of maternal health and birth equity have been top priorities,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Willians-Isom. “We have and will continue to support expectant parents before, during, and after they welcome their new family member. Thank you to our partners for coming together for this convening and for joining with us in this effort.”

 

“When it comes to promoting longer, healthier lives, all roads run through equity,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “There is no more important place to start that than at the beginning of life. This conference is about partnership and building an infrastructure to support Black families, which has been missing for far too long.”

 

“Prioritizing the health and wellbeing of Black women and birthing people means committing new resources and implementing solutions that come directly from Black women and birthing people,” said DOHMH Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse. “To support those priorities, we at DOHMH support reducing siloes and bridging public health and health care because collaboration that centers community-based care is one key step towards birth equity.”

 

“The Black maternal health crisis is an existential issue that not only deserves our attention; it deserves, and requires, our shared commitment to action. To be successful, we will need everyone in this fight — from health care to business, from government to philanthropy,” said Dr. Chelsea Clinton. “At the Clinton Foundation and Clinton Global Initiatives, we stand ready to be of service in any way we can. And I am hopeful that together we can build a safer, healthier, and more equitable future.”

 

Speakers at today’s conference include Dr. Chelsea Clinton, First Deputy Mayor Wright, DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Vasan, DOHMH Deputy Commissioner Dr. Leslie Hayes, and DOHMH Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse.

 

Tackling maternal mortality is an urgent priority for the Adams administration: Black New Yorkers are four times more likely than white New Yorkers to experience a pregnancy-associated death. From 2016 to 2018, data shows that 72 percent of pregnancy-associated deaths among Black mothers were preventable, compared to 43 percent for white mothers, and 65 percent for Latina mothers. The Adams administration has taken action to strengthen birth equity, expanding the doula program citywide, signing a package of bills to strengthen maternal health, and setting the ambitious goal of reducing Black maternal mortality by 10 percent by 2023.

 

In January 2024, following his State of the City address, Mayor Adams announced Women Forward NYC. Supported through city dollars, private and public partnerships, academic institutions, and federal grant funding, the action plan addresses gender disparities by connecting women to professional development and higher-paying jobs; dismantling barriers to sexual, reproductive, and chronic health care; reducing gender-based violence against women; and providing holistic housing services, including for formerly incarcerated women and domestic and gender-based violence survivors.

NYS Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection Releases 50 Ways New Yorkers Can Save Money

 

 

Money-Savings Guide Provides Practical Tips for Everyone 

Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez said, “These tips may seem simple but when you add them all up, they can lead to big savings for a household” 

Follow the New York Department of State on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for “Tuesday’s Tips” – Practical Tips to Educate and Empower New York Consumers on a Variety of Topics. 

For this week’s “Tuesday’s Tips,” the New York Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) shares its Money Savings Guide which offers 50 ways New Yorkers can save and manage finances on everyday expenses. The guide includes tips for saving money on groceries, utilities, transportation, shopping, and entertainment. Managing money wisely and improving financial well-being takes time to plan and research. The more consumers know, the more empowered they’ll be to make everyday changes that can positively impact their finances. 

New York Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez said, “These tips may seem simple but when you add them all up, they can lead to big savings for a household. By taking stock of your spending and changing your habits, you may find that you’re no longer using some of those services you signed up for years ago, or that by simply changing how you stream video content can use less energy. I encourage all New Yorkers, no matter your budget, to take a moment to track your spending and check out our Division of Consumer Protection’s Money Savings Guide.” 

The top 5 category examples in the guide include: 

1. Evaluating current subscriptions and memberships
1. If you have multiple subscriptions, take the time to review what you really use and cancel those used infrequently.
2. Contact subscription services directly to find ways to save. Take advantage of discounts through company benefits, enroll in family share plans, pay fees annually vs. monthly, and ask the company if there are any other ways to save.
3. Cancel automatic renewals. Turn off auto-renewal which limits your opportunity to evaluate your subscriptions every year. 

1. Using Electronics Wisely
1. Shut down your computer: When you shut down your computer, don’t forget to turn off the monitor—it can use twice as much energy as the computer. Use an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) approved power strip for convenience so that all computer accessories can be turned off with one switch. Even in sleep mode, your computer may cost you $105 a year.  

1. Disconnect digital media players: Turn off dvd and blu-ray players, audio players, and video game consoles when not in use to avoid wasting energy. Even when powered off, most electronics continue to draw power, often referred to as ghost electricity, vampire power or phantom power. To save energy and time, plug entertainment products into an UL approved power strip to centrally turn off all components at once. 

1. Stream your content smartly: Streaming through a game console uses up to 10 times as much energy as streaming on a laptop or tablet. Consider using another kind of device to stream—like a blu-ray player, set-top box, or smart tv that has earned an Energy Star® label. 

1. Planning transportation ahead of time
1. Combine errands into one trip to save time and money. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer multipurpose trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm. Trip planning ensures that traveling is done when the engine is warmed up and efficient, and it can reduce the distance you travel saving fuel and wear/tear on your vehicle. 

1. Reevaluating Heating and Cooling
1. Check your thermostat: Each degree you lower your thermostat can cut your fuel consumption by approximately 3%. Installing a programmable thermostat can automatically adjust the temperature based on your home, work, and sleep schedule and provide an estimated cost savings of 10-20% on your monthly heating and cooling bills.
2. Weatherize and insulate your home: Help your home to retain heat during cold weather by insulating your attic and outside walls, sealing and insulating heating ducts, removing window air conditioners, wrapping or covering wall air conditioners, and sealing any cracks around walls and windows.
3. Get your heating system tested and tuned: Conduct annual checkups to help ensure the efficiency of your system. Replace your furnace filters at least every three months to keep your equipment running efficiently and consider replacing the filters once a month during heavy use months such as the summer and winter. A dirty filter slows down airflow and makes your system work harder to keep you comfortable. 

1. Rethinking Your Grocery Habits
1. Purchasing in bulk can save money on items you frequently buy. Wholesale shopping also allows you to stock up for fewer shopping trips. Some wholesale clubs allow membership sharing, and that could mean splitting the membership fee with a friend or family member. Remember to cancel memberships you aren’t using.
2. Planning meals in advance, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, will reduce food waste and cut down on expensive meal delivery or dining-out costs. Make a grocery list to support the plan and reduce impulsive purchases.
3. Look for deals. Plan meals around a few bulk ingredients or based on the weekly grocery sales circular to ensure you’re buying items on sale. Take advantage of store savings and enroll in store reward programs. Search for online coupons, use store savings and rewards cards, and watch for manufacturer coupons attached to the items in-store.
4. Shop strategically for food. Take inventory of what you have at home before going shopping. Go to the grocery store with a list, having planned out your meals until your next grocery trip. 

To see all 50 tips and learn more please see the Money Savings Guide from the Division of Consumer Protection here: Money Savings Guide (link). 

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection provides resources and education materials to consumers on product safety, as well as voluntary mediation services between consumers and businesses. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumer-protection. 

For more consumer protection tips, follow the Division on social media at Twitter: @NYSConsumer and Facebook: www.facebook.com/nysconsumer