NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT URGES NEW YORKERS TO PREPARE FOR EFFECTS OF HURRICANE JOSE – COASTAL FLOODING, STRONG RIP CURRENTS, STRONG WINDS AND RAIN

The National Weather Service has issued a Coastal Flood Warning forTuesday evening and Wednesday morning high tide cycles

Widespread moderate coastal flooding expected in coastal neighborhoods

  The New York City Emergency Management Department today urged New Yorkers to prepare for potential impacts of Hurricane Jose. With Jose’s track moving about 75 – 100 miles to the southeast of Long Island, residents living in the city’s coastal neighborhoods could experience moderate levels of coastal flooding. The National Weather Service has issued a Coastal Flood Advisory along the shores of Brooklyn and southern Queens from 6 a.m. through 12 p.m. Tuesday. A Coastal Flood Advisory is also in effect for Staten Island from 6 p.m. Tuesday through 12 p.m. Wednesday. The National Weather Service has also issued a Coastal Flood Warning along the shores of Brooklyn and southern Queens from 6 p.m. Tuesday through 12 p.m. Wednesday.  During a Coastal Flood Warning, widespread moderate flooding is expected, resulting in beach erosion and flooding of vulnerable shore roads and/or properties. Coastal residents in the warned area should be alert for rising water and take appropriate action to protect life and property.

“We are closely monitoring Hurricane Jose and the potential impacts it may have to New York City,” said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito. “If you live in vulnerable coastal neighborhoods, take steps to protect your property. Prepare your Go Bags, charge your cell phone batteries, and don’t forget to check in on relatives, friends, and neighbors.”

Hurricane Jose is also expected to bring dangerous surf, strong rip currents, strong winds, and rain to the New York City area. The National Weather Service has issued a Rip Current Statement for Brooklyn and southern Queens through 8 p.m. Tuesday. A High Surf Advisory is also in effect for Brooklyn and southern Queens through 6 p.m. Wednesday. A High Surf Advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area producing dangerous rip currents, widespread dune erosion, and localized washovers.

The City’s Flash Flood Emergency Plan has been activated to help mitigate potential flash flooding and ensure a quick, effective, and coordinated response to any flash flood events that do occur. Flash flooding can occur with little or no warning due to the large number of paved surfaces across the city. These surfaces do not allow rainwater to be absorbed into the ground and can result in storm drains often being overwhelmed, causing localized flooding. NYC Emergency Management works closely with NYPD, FDNY, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Sanitation, Department of Transportation, Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to mitigate the impact of flash floods. New Yorkers are encouraged to report clogged catch basins and areas of standing water to 3-1-1 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or TTY: 212-504-4115).

The Department of Buildings has issued an advisory for property owners, contractors and crane operators to take precautionary measures to secure their construction sites, buildings, and equipment in preparation for strong winds associated with Hurricane Jose. The department will perform random spot-check inspections of construction sites around the City and will issue violations and Stop Work Orders, where necessary, if sites are not secured.

NYC Emergency Management remains in constant communication with the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service to track and monitor Hurricane Jose and share storm updates with city, state, and private-sector partners. NYC Emergency Management encourages New Yorkers to take the following steps to prepare for potential rain, wind and coastal flooding effects ahead of the storm:

PREPARE AN EMERGENCY PLAN:

·         Make a plan with your household that outlines what to do during an emergency, including a coastal storm. Use the Ready New York: My Emergency Plan to create your family’s emergency plan.

·         If you have a disability or access or functional need, make sure your plan addresses how your needs may affect your ability to evacuate, shelter in place, or communicate with emergency workers. Arrange help from family, friends, or service providers if you will need assistance.

·         Know your zone. Areas of the city subject to storm surge flooding are divided into six evacuation zones (1 through 6) based on risk of storm surge flooding. Use the Hurricane Evacuation Zone Finder or call 3-1-1 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or TTY:212-504-4115) to find out if your address is located in an evacuation zone.

·         Prepare a Go Bag that you can grab in case you need to leave your home in a hurry. For more information about what to pack in a Go Bag, visit http://www1.nyc.gov/site/em/ready/gather-supplies.page.

·         Stay informed by signing up for Notify NYC to receive emergency notifications and updates via email, phone, SMS /text, or Twitter. Notify NYC messages are also available in American Sign Language (ASL). Visit www.nyc.gov/NotifyNYC or call 3-1-1 to sign up.

PREPARE FOR FLOODING

If you live in a flood-susceptible area:

·         Keep sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, and lumber, on hand to help protect your home.

·         Make an itemized list of personal property, including furnishings, clothing, and valuables. 

·         Move valuable items from basements to upper floors. (Basements are vulnerable to flooding.)

·         Know your flood risk. To learn more about coastal flood risk in New York City, visit the FEMA Region II Coastal Analysis and Mapping website for flood hazard information at http://www.region2coastal.com/. 

·         Consider getting flood insurance. Protection against loss due to floods is not covered under a homeowner's policy. Contact your property/casualty agent or broker about eligibility for flood insurance. For more information, visit the National Flood Insurance Program online at www.floodsmart.gov.

·         Learn the safest route from your home or workplace to safe, high ground in case you have to evacuate. This should be part of your household disaster plan.

PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES

·         Build or restock your emergency supply kit, including a flashlight, batteries, cash, and first aid supplies.

·         Charge cell phones and any battery-powered devices.

·         Turn your refrigerator and freezer to a colder setting. If you lose power, items that need refrigeration will stay cooler for longer.

·         Check on friends, relatives, and neighbors, especially older adults and people with disabilities, access and functional needs, or health conditions. Help them to prepare if needed.

PREPARE FOR STRONG WINDS

Strong winds can bring down trees and power lines and can turn unsecured objects into dangerous projectiles. To protect against the hazard of strong winds, New Yorkers should:

·         Check the area immediately surrounding your home for unsecured objects or potentially dangerous conditions. Tree limbs, garbage cans, yard debris, or other materials that can be moved by the wind are potential projectiles aimed at your home or parked vehicle.

·         Bring inside loose, lightweight objects such as lawn furniture, potted plants, garbage cans, garden tools and toys.

·         Anchor objects that would be unsafe outside, such as gas grills or propane tanks.

·         Close up and secure patio umbrellas.

·         Secure retractable awnings.

·         Remove aerial antennas and satellite television dishes.

STAY INFORMED

Before and during an emergency, the City will send emergency alerts and updates to New Yorkers through various channels including Notify NYC, the City’s free emergency notification system. Through Notify NYC, New Yorkers can receive phone calls, text messages, and/or emails alerts about traffic and transit disruptions and other emergencies. To sign up for Notify NYC, call 3-1-1, visit www.nyc.gov/NotifyNYC, or follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter.

Dinowitz Expresses 'Shock and Sorrow' Following Fatal Flushing Bus Crash, Calls for Safety Improvement

Chair of Assembly Committee with MTA oversight calls for city to look into dangerous intersection to improve MTA bus driver safety

Dinowitz mourns with victims' families, urges swift recovery to injured

  In response to this morning's fatal bus crash in Flushing, Queens, Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz, Chair of the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, is calling on the City of New York to review safety at the intersection where the incident occurred. The Assembly Member cited news reports claiming that area has been the site of multiple accidents in recent years, creating a danger to the MTA's fleet of bus drivers working in the area.

"I join my fellow New Yorkers in expressing shock and sorrow over the fatal bus crash that occurred in Flushing this morning. I mourn with the families of the three victims, and urge a speedy recovery to the Q20 bus driver and all passengers and pedestrians injured today. While we await a full account of what happened at the intersection of Northern Boulevard and Main Street, it's clear that the area has suffered from numerous traffic incidents in recent years," said Assembly Member Dinowitz.  

"As Chair of the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, I am committed to ensuring all MTA bus drivers remain safe from injury as the do their job of transporting their fellow New Yorkers. That's why I urge the city to conduct a thorough review of this intersection and find ways to improve traffic conditions. Public transportation remains the among safest and most efficient means of commuting, and we need take steps to prevent incidents like this from happening in the future."

EDITOR'S NOTE:

  If Assemblyman Dinowitz was to know this intersection, eastbound traffic comes down on Northern Boulevard from a bridge over the Van Wyck Expressway and Grand Central Parkway. There is a traffic light at the first intersection of Northern Boulevard and Prince Street which is at the bottom of the hill from the overpass. NYPD has always had police covering this intersection as cars, trucks, and buses come down at a rapid rate of speed, and will not stop when the light changes. Thus many many traffic tickets have been written in the past on Northern Boulevard just past Prince Street. 

  The second intersection is that of Northern Boulevard and Main Street where MTA buses turn from Main Street onto Northern Boulevard. This appears to be a case of the private bus company bus coming down the overpass at a very fast speed, going through the intersection at Prince Street with or without the traffic signal in the drivers favor, and then because the private bus was speeding it could not stop at Main Street the very next intersection. 

  In news reports there was mention of the private bus speedometer frozen at 60 miles per hour upon impact with the MTA bus and building on the corner of Northern Boulevard and Main Street. It was also reported that the private bus driver was dismissed from the MTA for reasons not mentioned. The news report also stated the safety record of the private bus company. It may appear that the Chair of the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions should look closer at the safety records of private bus companies, including school bus companies, and access a-ride companies.

Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Applebee's 2017 National Cheeseburger Day Special!

CITY PARKS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES FALL 2017 SEASON OF CITYPARKS SENIORS FITNESS

Free Yoga, Tennis & Fitness Walking Instruction in 

16 parks - September 18 - October 27, 2017

  City Parks Foundation welcomes all New Yorkers, 60 and over, to participate in CityParks Seniors Fitness. The fall 2017 season of Seniors Fitness programs begins the week of September 18, and will offer free tennis lessons, yoga instruction and fitness walking in 16 parks across the five boroughs.

CityParks Seniors Fitness, supported by New York Road Runners, has served over 10,000 participants since it began in 2006 and aims to keep neighborhood parks a great place for community activity. The program encourages New Yorkers to maximize the health benefits of staying active at all ages. Even in moderate amounts, exercise can help participants feel better, maintain or lose weight, reduce risk of heart disease and diabetes, and minimize the symptoms of arthritis.

“Exercise is important at all ages, but it is particularly important for seniors who typically lead more sedentary lifestyles,” says Mike Silverman, Director of Sports at City Parks Foundation. “We’ve found that exercising even just once a week helps participants feel better mentally and emotionally. The program is a great opportunity for seniors to be social and meet new people in their neighborhoods, while getting outside and having some fun.”

All activities in this six-week fitness program take place once or twice a week at each location through October 27th.

Online registration for Seniors Fitness is encouraged and may be completed here.

For more information about City Parks Foundation’s free Seniors Fitness programs, please call the Sports Department at (718) 760-6999. All equipment and instruction is provided free of charge. Sessions are one hour unless otherwise noted, once or twice a week.

The following is a schedule for Bronx Parks CityParks Seniors Fitness for fall 2017.

BRONX 

Pelham Bay Park

Tennis  - Mondays/Wednesdays from 1PM-3PM - Middletown Road & Stadium Ave

Yoga - Tuesdays/Thursdays at 9 AM -  Middletown Rd & Stadium Ave

Soundview Park

Walking - Mondays/Wednesdays at 9 AM - Lafayette Ave between Boynton & Colgate Aves

Yoga - Mondays/Wednesdays at 10 AM - Lafayette Ave between Boynton & Colgate Aves

Van Cortlandt Park

Walking - Tuesdays/Thursdays at 9 AM - Woodlawn Tennis Courts Jerome Ave & E 233rd St

Yoga - Mondays/Wednesdays at 9 AM - Woodlawn Tennis Courts Jerome Ave & E 233rd St.

SAGE Health Storylines™ App Updated in Time for Today, National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day

SAGE Health Storylines™ App Gets 

User-Friendly Updates

New technology allows older LGBT people living with HIV/AIDS to better monitor their health.

 National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day, SAGE announces updates to its SAGE Health Storylines™ app, which helps older adults and their caregivers make better daily health decisions.

“This innovative app is incredibly user-friendly in order to better help older LGBT people nationwide who are living with HIV and AIDS,” says Diosdado Gica, the Chief Program Officer at SAGE, the nation’s largest and oldest organization serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender elders. “Since more than 50 percent of people living with HIV and AIDS are older than 50, we see this app as a way for LGBT elders to live more freely.”

Created in partnership with Self Care Catalysts, the app has been further enhanced to improve functionality and to offer more flexibility to older LGBT people living with HIV and AIDS. The app comes with a variety of tools, including medication, mood, and symptom trackers. These allow users to build a complete health profile as well as giving them the ability to share information safely and securely with their caregivers and healthcare providers.

SAGE is the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBT older adults and their caregivers, advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBT older people, provides education and technical assistance for aging providers and LGBT organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, and cultural competence training through SAGECare. Headquartered in New York City, with staff across the country, SAGE also coordinates a growing network of affiliates in the United States. Learn more at sageusa.org.

The Bronx Chamber of Commerce's Hispanic Heritage Luncheon honors Bronx Hispanic Leaders

DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION RELEASES MAYOR'S MANAGEMENT REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 201

Emergency response times improved in many categories; traffic deaths, fire fatalities and murders are all down; use of transportation options increased; street cleanliness ratings improved

  The de Blasio administration today released the Mayor’s Management Report for fiscal year 2017, an analysis of City agencies’ performance from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the MMR, which is mandated by the City Charter and uses indicators to measure and track the City’s progress on a variety of goals and the implementation of services associated with those goals.

“The Mayor’s Management report isn’t just a collection of numbers, or a tool of good government. It’s also a statement of who we are as New Yorkers and the kind of leadership we demand from those who serve us,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “As New Yorkers strive to deepen the progress we’ve made together, the need for strategic, data-driven decision making has never been greater.”

“The MMR and the Mayor’s Office of Operations were created 40 years ago. Today, the MMR continues to be a standard of good government that the Mayor's Office of Operations is proud to lead,” said Emily W. Newman, Acting Director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations. “By tracking citywide performance, we are able to focus our efforts to make a meaningful impact on the lives of all New Yorkers.”

The MMR is a crucial component of what makes New York City a national model of public accountability by making the City’s performance data available to the public. This report not only allows the public to gain insight into how the government is working on behalf of New Yorkers, it also routinely creates opportunities for government to better target its work. Focusing on data allows the City to identify areas where our work is succeeding and other areas where we face challenges, and to continuously improve the delivery of services.

The vision for the MMR grew out of the 1970s fiscal crisis, which demanded a new strategy for management in City government. The first MMR was published by the Beame administration and was devised in an effort to control an unwieldy “management-by-crisis” approach. The MMR became a valuable tool for holding City government accountable.

Key Improvements Include:

NYPD

·         End-to-end emergency response times decreased for all crimes in progress by 29 seconds from 10:35 to 10:06; for critical crimes in progress by 20 seconds from 7:09 to 6:49; and for serious crimes in progress by 34 seconds from 9:24 to 8:50.

·         Murder and non-negligent manslaughter decreased 12.0% from 341 to 300.

·         Major felony crime decreased 6.3% from 105,614 to 98,991.

·         Forcible rape decreased 4.7% from 1,164 to 1,109 and rape related to domestic violence decreased 4.2% from 526 to 504.

·         Robbery decreased 11.5% from 16,670 to 14,759.

·         Felonious assault decreased 1.1% from 20,877 to 20,651.

·         Burglary decreased 13.9% from 14,463 to 12,454.

·         Grand larceny decreased 3.0% from 45,164 to 43,787. Grand larceny auto decreased 14.5% from 6,935 to 5,931.

·         Major felony crimes decreased in housing developments by 2.3% from 5,205 to 5,084 and in the transit system by 1.8% from 2,520 to 2,475.

·         Major felony crimes in schools decreased 5.3% from 532 to 504, and other criminal activities in schools decreased 9.6% from 2,219 to 2,007.

·         DWI-related fatalities decreased 25.7% from 35 to 26.

FDNY

·         For life-threatening medical emergencies, end-to-end combined response time by ambulance and fire units decreased 8 seconds from 8:17 to 8:09.

·         End-to-end average response time by ambulance units decreased 13 seconds from 9:09 to 8:56.

·         Civilian fire fatalities decreased 32.8% from 64 to 43.

·         Structural fires decreased 3.1% from 26,922 to 26,075.

DOT

·         Citywide traffic fatalities declined by 10.6% from 236 to 211.

·         Traffic fatalities of motorists and passengers decreased 25.0% from 84 to 63, and of bicyclists and pedestrians by 2.6% from 152 to 148.

·         Use of transportation options increased: Staten Island Ferry ridership increased 3.7% from 23,067,000 to 23,920,000. Average monthly ridership on the East River ferry increased 3.5% from 131,896 to 136,463. Citi Bike trips increased 22.5% from 12,234,000 to 14,981,000 as Citi Bike annual memberships increased 73.3% from 114,779 to 198,858.

·         Bicycle lane miles installed for the year increased 53.7% from 53.9 to 82.9.

·         Annual Select Bus Service ridership increased 19.1% from 65,433,000 to 77,902,000, and cumulated Select Bus Service route miles increased 21.2% from 73 to 89.

DHS

·         Families with children entering the shelter system decreased 5.4% from 13,311 to 12,595. Shelter length of stay for families with children in shelters decreased by 3.9% from 431 to 414 days, and for adult families by 2.3% from 563 to 550 days.

·         Exits to permanent housing increased for families with children by 3.2% from 8,294 to 8,558. The percentage of households and people who returned to shelter within one year decreased by 23.5% for all families with children that exited to permanent housing and by 7.7% for families with children that exited to subsidized permanent housing; by 10.5% for single adults who exited to permanent housing; and by 166.7% for adult families that exited to subsidized permanent housing.

·         Families with children receiving preventive services who did not enter the shelter system increased 0.1% from 94.1% to 94.2%.

·         Adult families receiving preventive services who did not enter the shelter system increased 3.5% from 90.7% to 94.0%.

DOHMH

·         The percentage of adults without health insurance decreased from 12.6% to 10.9%.

·         New HIV diagnoses (CY preliminary) decreased 8.6% from 2,493 to 2,279.

·         New cases of blood lead levels greater than or equal to 10 micrograms per deciliter among children under 6 decreased 9.7% from 784 to 708.

·         Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (CY) decreased 4.7% from 4.3 to 4.1.

·         Adults who smoke (CY) decreased 9.2% from 14.3% to 13.1%.

·         Restaurants scoring an A increased 0.6% from 92.7% to 93.3%.

DEP

·         Catch basins cleaned increased 68.4% from 30,778 to 51,816.

DOB

·         Average days to complete first plan review decreased in multiple categories: for new buildings (Hub) by 51.0% from 9.9 to 4.9; for new buildings (Borough) by 49.2% from 11.1 to 5.6; for major renovations (Alteration I) (Hub) by 43.2% from 9.0 to 5.1; for major renovations (Alteration I) (Borough) by 52.8% from 12.2 to 5.8; for minor renovations (Alterations II and III) (Hub) by 95.5% from 2.7 to 0.1; and for minor renovations (Alterations II and III) (Borough) by 54.0% from 3.2 to 1.5.

DSNY

·         Streets rated acceptably clean increased 0.9% from 95% to 95.9%.

·         Sidewalks rated acceptably clean increased 0.8% from 96.5% to 97.3%.

TLC

·         Active medallion taxis that are accessible increased 112.3% from 876 to 1,860.

·         Active Boro Taxis that are accessible increased 6.6% from 1,393 to 1,485.

OCME

·         Time to complete autopsy reports decreased 17.4% from 69.0 to 57.0 days, and median time to complete toxicology reports decreased 60.7% from 56.0 to 22.0 days.

DOE

·         Students in grades 3 to 8 meeting/exceeding standards in English increased 6.4% from 38.0% to 40.6%, and meeting/exceeding standards in Math increased 3.7% from 36.4% to 37.8%.

·         Average class sizes from kindergarten through 7th grade generally went down with decreases ranging from 0.4% to 2.7%.

·         Parents attending parent-teacher conferences increased from 1,983,000 to 2,021,000. In-person consultations with parents by PC or parent engagement designee increased 2.8%, and parents attending parent coordinator workshops increased 6.4%.

SBS

·         MWBEs that were certified increased 13.4% from 4,516 to 5,122, and the annual recertification rate went up 8.4 percentage points from 53.4% to 61.8%.

·         MWBEs awarded City contracts increased 11.9% from 1,011 to 1,131, and MWBEs that were awarded contracts after receiving procurement and capacity building assistance increased 14.0% from 723 to 824.

·         SBS site consultations provided by Business Services inspectors increased 105.6% from 1,052 to 2,163.

DOC

·         Incidents of use of force went down overall by 1.7% from 4,756 to 4,673, and decreased for adolescent inmates by 10.6% from 594 to 531.

·         Inmates delivered to court on-time increased dramatically to 98.4% from 84%.

·         The rate of use of force incidents with serious injury per 1,000 inmates went down 2.9% from 0.68 to 0.66 and went down for minor injury by 5.5% from 15.39 to 14.55.

NYCHA

·         Resident job placements increased 48.9% from 1,410 to 2,099.

·         NYCHA applicants placed through Section 8 vouchers increased 61.7% from 1,706 to 2,758.

·         Time to resolve emergency service requests decreased 7.2% from 13.1 to 12.1 hours.

·         Elevator related fatalities decreased from 2 to 0, and alleged elevator injuries reported to DOB decreased 45.0% from 20.0 to 11.0.

DCAS

·         Leasing activity decreased with 27 fewer lease-in agreements executed, and a 43 percent decline in square footage associated with executed lease-in agreements (from 3m to 1.7m), consistent with the goal of maximizing the use of City-owned space and lowering costs associated with leasing private space.

·         The annual estimated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from all City government building-related energy projects went up 203.2% from 14,459 to 43,833 metric tons reduced, associated with a 116.9% increase in annual estimated avoided energy costs from $6.56  million to $14.23 million in costs avoided.

·         Applications received for open competitive civil service exams increased 112.9% from 79,878 to 170,031, and candidates tested increased 32.1% from 83,364 to 110,140.

DoITT

·         The number of data sets available for download on NYC.gov/OpenData increased 9.5% from 1,552 to 1,700.