Mayor Mamdani Announces More Than 16 Million People Visited New York City Beaches and Pools This Summer

 

More than 15 million people visited New York City beaches, nearly double last year’s total

 

More than 1,100 lifeguards kept New Yorkers safe, the most since 2019

 

2026 beach season lasted 114 days for the first time in more than a decade

 

Free summer Learn to Swim classes expanded to 18 pools, and Adult Lap Swim expanded to 11 pools 

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura today celebrated a successful summer at New York City beaches and pools. Highlights include:

• More than 15 million people visited the city’s beaches — nearly double last year’s total of 8 million visitors — and more than one million New Yorkers cooled off at outdoor pools.
• Free Learn to Swim classes expanded from 10 to 18 pools, with 10,500 New Yorkers ages 18 months to 17 years participating.
• Popular Adult Lap Swim program grew from five to 11 pools, available five days a week.
• More than 1,100 lifeguards worked to keep swimmers safe this summer, the most since 2019. This included 287 new recruits and a 79% retention rate for lifeguards returning from last year. 
• The historic lifeguard count follows the Mayor’s promotional video which received 4.16 million views across platforms. 
• Lifeguards conducted more than 200 beach and pool rescues throughout the summer, ensuring the safety of millions of attendees. No drownings occurred this summer during lifeguarded hours.
• The City reopened the 140,000-square-foot Orchard Beach Pavilion in the Bronx following a $114 million reconstruction project.
• This year, beach season lasted 114 days for the first time in a decade.

“What’s better than a beach day in New York City? 114 of them,” said Mayor Mamdani. “This summer, New Yorkers and visitors came together across 14 miles of sandy coastline to swim, cool off and enjoy the city’s beaches. And when they weren’t at the beach, they were taking classes, swimming laps and making the most of our expanded pool programs. None of that happens without the people who make our parks work every day. I want to thank our Parks workers — especially our 1,100 lifeguards — for making sure New Yorkers had a safe place to soak in the sun and celebrate another beautiful summer in the city.”

“Summer is NYC Parks’ time to shine, and we delivered for New Yorkers this year by safely welcoming more than 16 million people to our beaches and outdoor pools, reopening an iconic beach pavilion in the Bronx and expanding our summer swim programming,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. “We know how vital our public pools and beaches are for providing relief from increasingly high temperatures and teaching kids important water safety skills, so we were thrilled to expand our free summer Learn to Swim classes and know that visitors were protected by the highest number of lifeguards we’ve had in seven years. I’m so proud of the Parks staff — lifeguards, recreation staff, Parks Enforcement Patrol, maintenance and operations workers and many others — who worked hard to make summer fun a reality for New Yorkers.”

Parks beaches and Olympic- and intermediate-sized outdoor pools officially closed for the season on Sunday, September 13. Swimming is no longer permitted at public beaches as lifeguards are not on duty.

New York City Council Calls for Court to Dismiss Mamdani Administration’s Paraprofessional Lawsuit

 

Council argues consistent mayoral administration inaction has created a crisis requiring a legislative remedy

Today, the New York City Council filed its legal response to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s lawsuit challenging the validity of Local Law 129 of 2026 and seeking to prevent the City’s paraprofessionals from receiving emergency workforce stabilization payments. In its filing, the Council calls on the Court to decline to hear the Mayor’s lawsuit or declare that Local Law 129 is valid and not preempted by state Taylor Law. The filing argues that the current and previous mayoral administrations’ failure to address the ongoing paraprofessional workforce crisis necessitated the need for the Council to take legislative action. It also outlines how Local Law 129 represents the narrow, tailored exercise of the Council’s legislative authority allowed by the Taylor Law and Education Law.

The Council’s legal filing can be found here:

Memorandum of Law

“For years, New York City has faced a severe shortage of paraprofessionals that has left some of our most vulnerable students without the services they are legally entitled to receive,” said Speaker Julie Menin. “The Council acted because this crisis demanded action. Our legislation was passed unanimously by the Council and provides a narrow, temporary workforce stabilization payment to address this emergency while fully preserving the collective bargaining process. We are confident in the Council’s authority to enact this law and will vigorously defend it so that our paraprofessionals receive the support they deserve and our students have the professionals they need in their classrooms.”

“We have a crisis in the classroom,” said Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers. “The UFT surveyed schools at the start of this school year and found thousands of paraprofessional vacancies. Unfilled positions are left empty or filled with a rotation of substitutes, which does not provide consistency for high-need students. Instead of solving this crisis we are fighting it in court. Make this make sense.”

On July 17, the Council unanimously passed Local Law 129, sponsored by Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, which would require the Department of Education (DOE) to provide a workforce stabilization payment, totaling up to $10,000, to each eligible school paraprofessional for work performed during the 2026-2027 school year. The workforce stabilization payment would be prorated according to the number of days an eligible school paraprofessional was on payroll in the relevant payment period during the 2026-2027 school year. It would be paid in four separate installments. As of March 2026, there were over 1,000 paraprofessional vacancies. This crisis has led to students with disabilities not receiving their legally mandated services, contributing to the $1.5 billion the City most recently allocated towards due process cases.

Excerpts from the Memorandum of Law:

“In the face of this educational and fiscal emergency, the Mayor asserts he has the exclusive power to end this crisis, through collective bargaining. But he hasn’t made it happen. He has not addressed the crisis by bargaining, nor by honoring his campaign promise to provide paras a ‘$10,000 bonus’ via local law. Instead, he has filed this legal challenge to Local Law 129, hoping that the Court will give him legal and political cover for his failure to address the problem.”

“It is well-settled that courts may decline to issue a declaration where, as here, (1) the underlying problem is one of plaintiffs’ own creation; (2) the plaintiffs could address the problem but have failed to do so; or (3) available administrative remedies have not been pursued. Any of those shortcomings is sufficient to warrant dismissal of the Complaint without issuance of a declaration.”

“In their Complaint, Plaintiffs contend that (1) the Taylor Law requires the ‘terms and conditions of employment’ to be collectively bargained by the executive branch in all instances, and (2) Local Law 129 sets the ‘terms and conditions’ of paraprofessionals’ employment without bargaining. 

“The Mayor’s contrary reading of the Taylor Law finds no support in the law’s text, history, or precedent. The Mayor’s core textual argument hinges, counterintuitively, on the ‘definitions’ section of the Taylor Law. But nothing about these ‘definitions’ requires action or allocates responsibility or authority; they merely define terms used elsewhere in the law. 

The definition of ‘agreement’ states that it is ‘negotiated’ by the chief executive. No one disputes that. But it says nothing about the scope, let alone the exclusivity of executive authority, the role of other actors, or what steps local legislative bodies may take outside of the bargaining process to help workers. The Mayor’s misplaced reliance on the law’s ‘definitions’ is insufficient to overcome the heavy presumption against preemption.”

“Notably, the Mayor, through his press office’s statements about this litigation, correctly highlights that the Taylor Law’s collective bargaining regime is meant to protect workers, not mayors: he defends collective bargaining as a key tool for workers to ‘fight for the workplace they deserve.’ The Mayor’s framing in the press correctly reflects the structure of the Taylor Law, which helps workers by giving them a right to bargain while burdening public employers with a bargaining requirement. In this lawsuit, though, the Mayor takes a different tack—he tries to turn the Taylor Law’s worker-protection rules upside down, into mayor-protection rules. That logical leap finds no support in the Taylor Law’s text or history, as detailed above.” 

DHS Announces Removal of Alien Terrorist in First Use of United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court

 

Alien supported plot to commit an ISIS-inspired mass shooting on Election Day 2024

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after Nazira Haji Zada, 47, an Afghan national previously residing in Fort Worth, Texas, was removed from the United States after conceding that she is an alien terrorist in the first-ever case before the United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC).

As the matriarch in her family, she supported a plot to commit an ISIS-inspired mass shooting on Election Day in 2024 for which her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, were previously arrested and convicted. The ATRC issued an order of removal on August 20 that was unsealed earlier today following her return to her country of origin. This was the first case ever brought before the ATRC, which Congress established decades ago, and which no previous administration had used. Zada is now permanently inadmissible to the United States.

Nazira Haji Zada

The application to remove Zada, certified by Attorney General Todd Blanche, was filed on July 15, and Zada appeared in open court for the first time on July 30. ATRC Chief Judge Joan N. Ericksen presided over that hearing and later signed the removal order. In compliance with the ATRC statute, the government used classified information to establish that Zada is an alien terrorist. Additionally, the government provided Zada and her lawyers, two federal public defenders, with approximately half a terabyte of documents supporting the government’s case. With her lawyers, Zada conceded that she is an alien terrorist and waived appeal of the removal order, terminating her previous status.

“From the moment President Trump took office, he made clear that his Administration would put the safety and security of the American people first,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “The President’s direction to use the Alien Terrorist Removal Court to expel Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan national who plotted with members of her family to carry out an ISIS-inspired attack on American soil, delivers on that promise. Thanks to the President’s leadership and the coordinated efforts of the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and State, Nazira Haji Zada’s final order of removal is now FINAL. Those who plot acts of terrorism against the United States have no place in our country. We will find them, and we will remove them.”

“This landmark case, resulting in the prompt removal of this alien terrorist to her country of origin, is a win for national security and the rule of law,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Those who support and condone terrorism should not be living in the United States, and this first-ever case before the ATRC shows how the Department will use every tool at its disposal to protect our country.”

“This is a historic and vitally important step in our work to protect the U.S. homeland from terrorism,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “An individual who supported a plot by ISIS-sympathizing family members to commit an attack in America has paid the price for that. She came to our country, betrayed it, and has now lost the right to live here and enjoy our democratic freedoms. This FBI and our Justice Department partners will protect the American people from the threat of terrorism, using all means necessary.”

“Zada supported her sons’ terrorist plot to attack the United States while she enjoyed the privilege of residing here as a resident alien,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “She abused our Nation’s hospitality and represented a clear threat to our national security. The United States is a safer place now that her sons are in custody and she has been deported.”

“Those who support terrorism against the American people will face the consequences,” said State Department Spokesman Tommy Pigott. “We will secure our borders, and we will use every tool to stop those who intend us harm from entering or remaining at-large in our country. Under the leadership of President Trump, the State Department, alongside the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, will always work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our people and the security of our nation.” 

Tawhedi and Abdullah Haji Zada were arrested on October 7, 2024, after purchasing firearms and ammunition to be used in an Election Day terrorist attack from an undercover FBI employee. Nazira’s son Abdullah, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. As part of the plea agreement, Abdullah stipulated to the entry of a judicial order of removal from the United States to Afghanistan following his term of incarceration. Abdullah acknowledged that the order of removal would terminate his lawful permanent resident status and waived his right to appeal the conviction except in limited circumstances or seek any form of appeal or relief from his removal and deportation, including but not limited to, seeking asylum. Tawhedi, 28, pled guilty to two terrorism-related offenses: conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition in furtherance of a federal crime of terrorism on June 13, 2025, and is awaiting sentencing. 

According to court documents, Tawhedi admitted that between June 2024 and October 2024, he conspired with at least one other individual to purchase two AK-47 rifles, 500 rounds of ammunition, and 10 magazines, with the intent to carry out a mass-casualty attack on or around Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, on behalf of ISIS. According to a criminal complaint affidavit filed in the case, Tawhedi communicated with an ISIS facilitator about his plan to purchase firearms for use in the terror plot, including asking the individual whether 500 rounds of ammunition would be sufficient.

According to the criminal complaint, to raise funds for their attack, in 2024, the family started selling off their property, including furniture, computers, a mobile phone, and the family’s two vehicles. Zada signed a contract to sell the family house. The family also purchased one-way airfare for travel to Kabul, Afghanistan shortly before Election Day 2024 for its members, including for Zada and other minor children but not Abdullah and Tawhedi. 

The ATRC is a specialized federal court that Congress established in 1996. The court has jurisdiction to swiftly remove alien terrorists from the United States when the government establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that an alien is a terrorist. See Title 8 of the United States Code, Sections 1227(a)(4)(B), 1531(1), and 1534(g). It is run and staffed by U.S. federal district court judges confirmed to the judiciary pursuant to Article III of the Constitution and then appointed to the ATRC by the Chief Justice of the United States. See Title 8 of the United States Code, Sections 1531 to 1537. 

The court allows the government to use classified information where disclosing that information to the public would pose risks to national security. The statutory provisions that establish the court provide paid counsel to the aliens if necessary and also permit either party to appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. 

This removal proceeding reflects the coordinated efforts of multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service, as well as the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Hayden O’Byrne of the National Security Division led the litigation with assistance from Deputy Chief Larry Schneider and Trial Attorneys Anna Donnell, Garrett Coyle and Evan Schultz.

Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty To Anabolic Steroid Trafficking And Firearms Charges

Over $500,000 in cash, a gold bar, jewelry and seven guns found during search

A Las Vegas man, formerly of Northborough, Mass., pleaded guilty on Sept. 10, 2026 in federal court in Worcester for conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute large quantities of anabolic steroids and methamphetamine. The defendant also pleaded guilty to firearms charges. 

Mark Taslakian, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute schedule III anabolic steroids, one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and anabolic steroids, and one count of being a felon in possession of seven firearms. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2027.  

According to court documents, Taslakian and others formulated a plan to order multi-kilogram quantities of raw steroid powders from China which they then synthesized into injectable and oral products. Taslakian came up with the idea of marketing/distributing their own brand name of anabolic steroids under the pseudonym “Nex-Gen Pharma.” During a search of Taslakian’s former residence in Northborough, over $500K in cash, a gold bar, jewelry, significant quantities of anabolic steroids and methamphetamine, packaging materials, ledgers and seven firearms in a basement safe were seized.  

The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute schedule III anabolic steroids provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, at least two years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and anabolic steroids provides for a sentence of no less than five years up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5million. The charge of felon in possession of a firearm provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

More Affordable, Safer, Better Run: Mayor Mamdani’s First Management Report Shows ‘Pothole Politics’ is Working Across City Government

Young New Yorkers are finding a government that serves them: NYCHA youth employment placements rose 26%, young adult attendance at Parks rec centers rose nearly 50% and SYEP reaches over 100,000 participants.  

  

Major felony crime fell, including a nearly 20% decline in murders; shooting incidents dropped more than 16%.  

  

Pothole repairs rose 27%, speed bump installations rose 25% and tree planting rose 61%.

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Mayor’s Management Report (MMR), evaluating City agency performance from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The report, the first released under Mayor Mamdani, shows measurable progress in lowering costs for New Yorkers, expanding opportunity for young people, improving public safety and delivering public excellence and better services for all New Yorkers.   

  

“This administration came into office with a promise to make New York City more affordable, make our streets and communities safer and make government work for working people. This year’s Mayor’s Management Report shows what happen when City Hall puts those priorities into action. We are making housing affordable, connecting more young people with jobs, putting more money back into the pockets of working families, filling more potholes and delivering the essential services New Yorkers deserve. There is no room for complacency. We are building faith in government and lowering costs one day at a time. Every number in this report represents a New Yorker we have a responsibility to serve. Our job is to serve them better and better every day,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani.   

  

“Behind every number in the Mayor’s Management Report are dedicated public servants working every day to deliver essential services for New Yorkers — and to capture that work in a clear picture of how government is performing,” said Annie Levers, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations. “For nearly five decades, the MMR has been a cornerstone of transparent and accountable government, helping New Yorkers understand what their government is delivering and how well it is delivering it. We are proud to produce this report, but more importantly, to put it to work to improve services, deliver better results and make government work better for New Yorkers.”  

  

Highlights from the FY26 Mayor’s Management Report include: 

  

Making New York City Affordable   

From housing to child care to historic settlements for workers and consumers, the City made progress on reducing costs and increasing opportunity for working people:    

•    Workers entitled to restitution increased nearly tenfold, from 7,531 to 73,817.   

•    HRA made 29,100 job placements, a 33% increase.   

•    Food distribution grew 32% to over 62 million pounds.  

•    Affordable housing completions rose 20% to 26,971, the most in any of the last five years.  

•   The City financed 2,546 supportive housing units and 4,742 affordable homes for formerly homeless New Yorkers, the most in a fiscal year in the City’s history.  

  

Keeping New Yorkers Safe   

The City continued to reduce crime while strengthening accountability and safety in public spaces, housing developments and public transportation:  

•    Major felony crime fell more than 2% to 118,866 incidents, including a 20% decline in murders.  

•    Burglaries fell more than 9%, robberies fell nearly 9% and auto thefts fell by more than 7%.   

•   Major felony crime in public housing developments declined nearly 4% and approximately 2% in the transit system.   

•    Shooting incidents decreased by more than 16%.  

  

Investing in Young New Yorkers   

A City that works for families must work for young people. The City expanded access to jobs, education, recreation and services for young New Yorkers:   

•    Youth employment placements through NYCHA rose 26%.  

•   SYEP applications rose 14.3%, while participation in the DYCD program reached a record 97,444 young people. Citywide, across all agency programs, there were over 100,000 participants.  

•   Homeless young adults served by the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) increased 71.9%.   

•   Child welfare prevention services expanded, with a 16% increase in families entering prevention services programs.    

•    Young adult attendance at recreation centers rose nearly 50%.  

  

Delivering Public Goods and Public Excellence  

From filling potholes to planting trees and expanding composting, City agencies made life better for New Yorkers.    

•    The City strengthened flood-resilience infrastructure, installing 96,853 square feet of porous pavement, up 44%.   

•   Pothole repairs rose 27% to 229,000, including repairs completed through Mayor Mamdani's pothole blitzes.  

•    Speed bump installations rose 25% and pavement safety markings increased 22%.  

•    Organic material diversion – or the process of redirecting biodegradable waste from landfills -- rose 25% to a record 205,100 tons as the City’s mandatory curbside composting program — now the nation's largest — continues to expand.   

•    Parks and recreation engagement grew, with recreation center membership rising 13% to nearly 180,000 with attendance at 2.11 million; memberships reached a 15-year high in Fiscal Year 2026 following the opening of the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in February 2026.  

•    Attendance at non-recreation center programming increased 60%.  

•    Tree planting rose 61% to 55,000 trees.   

•    Bus lanes installation increased to 12 miles, up from 5.5 miles in FY25.  

•   Residential curbside collection reached its productivity target of 8.2 tons per truck shift —the first time DSNY has met the annual target since fiscal year 2005.   

  

Keeping New Yorkers Healthy, Supported, and Connected  

The City also expanded access to health care, mental health resources and supportive services.  

•    The time to the next available primary care appointment fell 31% for adults, from 13 to 9 days, and 24% for pediatric patients.  

•    NYC 988 services grew 40% to 466,712.  

•    Congenital syphilis cases fell 38%, from 37 to 23, and infectious syphilis cases fell 30%.  

•   LinkNYC subscribers rose 15%, providing the public with free high-speed internet, nationwide phone calls, device charging, and access to timely and relevant information about City services.  

•    20% increase in subscribers to Notify NYC, CorpNet, Advance Warning System, and Community Preparedness Newsletters.  

  

The FY26 Mayor’s Management Report provides a comprehensive accounting of City agency performance and will serve as a foundation for the Mamdani administration’s continued work to make New York City more affordable, safer and more livable for every New Yorker. 

 

Attorney General James Secures $700 Million from Abusive Subprime Auto Lender Credit Acceptance Corporation

 

AG James and Bipartisan Group of 39 States and D.C. Secure Industry-Leading Reforms to Protect Consumers from Abusive Lending

Tens of Thousands of Consumers Nationwide Will Receive More Than $630 Million in Debt Relief on Their Car Loans

New York Attorney General Letitia James today secured $700 million, including more than $630 million in debt relief for consumers, from Credit Acceptance Corporation (CAC), an auto lender that specializes in subprime loans to consumers with low or no credit scores. Attorney General James and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) sued CAC in January 2023, alleging that CAC deceptively pushed tens of thousands of consumers into unaffordable loans packaged with expensive add-on products, costing consumers millions of dollars and causing many to lose their vehicles when they could not make loan payments. The CFPB abandoned the lawsuit in early 2025 while the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) continued the case. Under a settlement with Attorney General James and a bipartisan coalition of 39 other states and the District of Columbia, CAC will end its deceptive and abusive lending practices, provide debt relief to more than 55,000 consumers, including about 2,500 New Yorkers, pay $60 million in restitution to consumers who lost their cars to repossession, and pay more than $15 million in penalties.

“CAC preyed on consumers in New York and across the nation with false promises of affordable loans, only to exploit them with outrageous interest rates that ruined their credit and cost them their cars,” said Attorney General James. “While their customers struggled to make payments, CAC made millions. By continuing our case to hold CAC accountable, we secured hundreds of millions of dollars in debt relief and restitution for all those who were taken advantage of by their schemes.”

CAC is a subprime lender that claims to help low-income borrowers with low credit scores or little credit history get approved for a car loan and purchase a vehicle. In January 2023, Attorney General James and CFPB sued CAC after a multiyear investigation by OAG found that CAC pushes borrowers into expensive loans with outrageous interest rates that they could not afford. The average CAC loan carried an annual interest rate of more than 38 percent, with some reaching over 100 percent. Attorney General James alleged that CAC hid the enormous cost of these loans from consumers, leading to high rates of delinquency or default and nearly half of all consumers having their vehicles repossessed during their loans. CAC projected precisely what it would collect from consumers in cash, payments, repossession and auction, and wage garnishment, and then cut backroom deals with dealers to ensure its own profits, even when consumers defaulted on their loans and lost their vehicles.

The OAG’s investigation also found that CAC helped car dealers push consumers to buy expensive and unnecessary add-on products and insurance. Consumers were either told that these add-ons were required to obtain loans or were never told about the products at all. CAC knew about these deceptive practices but took no steps to stop them. CAC allegedly unloaded its illegal loans onto investors by packaging and selling them as securities, falsely representing that the underlying loans complied with the law.

In April 2025, CFPB dropped its case against CAC, getting nothing in return. The OAG continued litigation and secured this settlement with a coalition of 39 other states and the District of Columbia. As a result, CAC will eliminate all debt owed by more than 55,000 consumers nationwide, resulting in more than $630 million in debt relief on auto loans that were destined to fail from the start. In addition, CAC will pay $60 million in restitution to thousands of additional consumers who were misled and lost their cars within months of taking out their loans with CAC. Finally, CAC will pay a $15.5 million penalty to the states. In total, New York will receive approximately $34 million in debt relief for consumers and restitution and penalty payments.

In addition to financial payments, CAC must adopt industry-leading practices to protect consumers. If certain at-risk borrowers default on car loans from CAC within 12 or 18 months and have their vehicle repossessed and sold, CAC must forgive 95 percent of their debt and will only be allowed to collect the remaining five percent. CAC is also barred from suing to collect the debt or reselling it to others. To prevent consumers from paying for unwanted add-ons, CAC must contact consumers outside of the dealer showroom to clearly inform them of any products they purchased and offer them a process to cancel those products while keeping their vehicles.

Joining Attorney General James in securing this settlement are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, along with the Office of Consumer Protection of the State of Hawaii.

Governor Hochul Announces Launch of ‘Canalside: The Next Wave’ to Develop a Strategic Vision for Buffalo’s Waterfront District

Urban Planning and Design Firm MKSK Selected To Lead Development of Framework To Strengthen the Canalside District, Unlock Future Investment and Better Connect the District to Downtown and Surrounding Neighborhoods

Community Survey Launched To Collect Public Input on Priorities for the Expanded Canalside District

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the selection of urban planning and design firm MKSK to lead the development of “Canalside: The Next Wave,” a strategic vision for the future of Buffalo’s waterfront district. MKSK will conduct comprehensive market and urban design analyses, lead public engagement, and establish an overarching development strategy. The firm will evaluate new development sites to expand Canalside and leverage the three-quarters of a billion dollars in previous state investments to unlock opportunities for mixed-use growth, commerce, and housing over the coming years.

“Today marks the start of a bold new chapter in the transformation of Buffalo’s waterfront and the expansion of the Canalside District,” Governor Hochul said. “This study, in partnership with MKSK, will lay the groundwork for a vibrant, year-round community that drives sustainable growth, increases neighborhood density, and seamlessly connects the Erie Basin Marina to the Cobblestone District. Buffalo, get ready for ‘Canalside: The Next Wave.’”

“Canalside: The Next Wave” will shape the next decade of growth, investment, and transformation at Canalside, KeyBank Center, the Cobblestone District, and along the Buffalo River waterfront. Led by Empire State Development (ESD), the strategy will deliver specific development recommendations for a targeted zone spanning from the Erie Basin Marina to Michigan Avenue, bounded by the Buffalo River and the I-190, and including Sahlen Field.

MKSK will provide ESD, the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC), Erie County, the City of Buffalo, and other public and private stakeholders with data-driven insights to prioritize financial feasibility, market demand, and seamless integration with ongoing local developments.

This strategy arrives at a critical juncture as several major neighborhood investments take shape, including:

• The start of construction of Pennrose’s mixed-use North Aud development;
• The resumption of construction at Heritage Point on the South Aud Block by Sinatra Development Company;
• The completion of The Chandlery on the North Aud Block by ECHDC;
• The evolution of the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship;
• The grand opening of the NFTA’s DL&W Terminal facility; and
• The redevelopment of affordable housing at the Perry Homes and Marine Drive Apartments by the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority.

To capitalize on this momentum, the study will evaluate potential development sites, integrating residential units, hotels, dining, retail, and experiential public spaces to promote year-round vibrancy. The new developments will be selected to unlock long-term economic opportunities that align with existing stakeholder investments and needs expressed by the public.

Gathering public input will be a cornerstone of the planning process. Residents, local businesses, and visitors are encouraged to share their feedback and participate in upcoming public pop-up events:

• Erie Basin Marina at The Hatch: Sept. 20, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Canalside Fall Fest: Sept. 26, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Seneca One: Oct. 1, 2026 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The online community survey is available now at buffalowaterfront.com and will remain open through early November.

MKSK is a collective of planners, urban designers, and landscape architects, founded in 1990, who focus on addressing urban and community challenges and creating desirable places to live and thrive. They work to build consensus around a shared vision and solve complex problems with integrated planning, design, and execution strategies that generate lasting economic, social, and environmental benefits. MKSK has extensive experience addressing key themes such as downtown revitalization, waterfront redevelopment, street and transportation networks, parks and trails, public spaces, sports and entertainment districts, tourism, and neighborhood investment.

Mayor Mamdani Repairs 200,000th Pothole as City Accelerates Street Repaving

 

City is filling 3,000 potholes each week while ramping up repaving — the most effective way to prevent new potholes

 

NYC DOT has already paved 757 lane miles this year — the distance from New York City to Nashville 

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today repaired New York City’s 200,000th pothole of the year on Troutman Street in Bushwick with the help of the Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) crews and Ra-mel, a 311 worker who fields pothole complaints and helps ensure repairs are made swiftly.

In early April, the Mayor filled the city’s 100,000th pothole of the year on Staten Island, marking the highest number of potholes filled in the first 100 days of a year in more than a decade.

While NYC DOT crews spend the summer milling and repaving streets — the most effective way to prevent potholes from forming in the colder months — roadway crews continue to repair an average of 3,000 potholes each week. So far this year, NYC DOT has paved 757 lane miles of streets across the five boroughs, the distance from New York City to Nashville.

“It’s the little things that say a lot about whether government is delivering for New Yorkers. Fixing the broken water fountain at the playground our kids love, upgrading the catch basin on the corner that always floods and, of course, making a bumpy road smooth again,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Today, we are marking 200,000 pothole repairs — a testament to the dedicated City workers who show up every day to solve New Yorkers’ problems and get the job done. That is what public service should look like.”

“No challenge is too big or too small, and that’s why we were proud to repair 100,000 potholes in the first 100 days of the Mamdani administration. But after a brutal winter, the work has continued. While we freshly pave streets across the city, we have continued to make pothole repairs, now reaching the milestone of 200,000 since January 1st,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “We are winning the war on potholes and delivering the safe, well-maintained streets New Yorkers deserve. Thanks to the Mayor’s investment in repaving, New Yorkers should expect smoother roads ahead.”

“Tech isn’t an abstract idea,” said Chief Technology Officer and OTI Commissioner Lisa Gelobter. “It’s about solving everyday problems for city residents and those visiting our city. 311 is the city’s digital engine that turns neighborhood feedback into action, and OTI is proud to support this work by ensuring 311 continues to provide top-notch service for every New Yorker and visitor.”

NYC311 connects New Yorkers to nonemergency services from more than 200 City agencies and nonprofits, serving 8 million people, 24/7 every day of the year in up to 175 languages. Today, the service handles roughly 100,000 contacts daily across calls, texts, web, the 311 app and social media channels.

New Yorkers are encouraged to report potholes — or get help with other nonemergency issues — by calling 311 or visiting nyc.gov/311