Friday, March 23, 2018

DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION RELEASES ANNUAL VISION ZERO REPORT



Year Four Report details comprehensive citywide efforts made around engineering, enforcement and education; in 2017, New York City had its fourth consecutive year of declining traffic fatalities, strongly countering national trends

  Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the release of the City’s Vision Zero Year Four Report, a comprehensive review of the first four years of the groundbreaking safety initiative. In 2017, New York City experienced its safest year on record with the fourth straight year of fatality declines.  Since the program’s inaugural year in 2014, when New York City became the first American city to adopt Vision Zero, the city’s traffic fatalities have declined 28 percent with a 45 percent decline in pedestrian fatalities — bucking national fatality trends, which have increased 15 percent over the same period.

“Vision Zero is working. We have lowered the speed limit, increased enforcement and created safer street designs, efforts that build on each other to help keep New Yorkers safe,” said Mayor de Blasio. “The report we are releasing today shows the promising results so far, but also illustrates how far we must go to deepen this work. Not even a single tragedy on our streets is acceptable, and we’ll keep fighting every day to protect New Yorkers.”

The report illustrates several of the elements of the data-driven Vision Zero initiative that have delivered results:

·    Using detailed crash and injury data, New York City created Borough Pedestrians Safety Action Plans, directing its investments at high priority locations across the five boroughs. The original priority locations introduced in 2015, based on 2009-2013 data, averaged 142 traffic deaths per year in that period. In 2017 that number was 100 deaths, a 30 percent decline.
·      Pedestrian fatalities have seen the greatest fatality decline among all modes of travel, dropping by 45 percent, from 184 in 2013 to 101 in 2017.
·    The Year Four report takes a closer look at demographic groups, types of locations or periods in the day which carry a disproportionate concentration of severe and fatal crashes.
·   The report look at the myriad ways agencies implement the initiative and a look ahead to new initiatives launching in 2018.

“Thanks to the incredible work of everyone at DOT, the NYPD, and our agency partners, the first four years of Vision Zero have been the safest ever on our city streets.  Vision Zero has truly saved lives — of family members, friends, neighbors and fellow New Yorkers,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “In 2017, under the Mayor’s leadership, DOT's work helped fuel a historic drop in pedestrian fatalities, including through a record number of safety redesigns and by reprogramming a record number of traffic signals that give pedestrians a head start in crosswalks.  However, the number of lives lost on our streets is still too high, including the increases in fatalities we saw last year among cyclists, drivers and motorcyclists.  We know we have much more work to do to fully achieve Vision Zero.”

“Four consecutive years of decreasing traffic fatalities in the City is a good indication that the Vision Zero Initiative is working,” said Chief Thomas Chan, the NYPD’s Chief of Transportation. “This Mayoral initiative owes its life saving successes to the collaborative effort of its Vision Zero inter-agency oversight.  The “Vision Zero Year Four Report” highlights some of the great work that laid the groundwork for these successful results. In 2017, the NYPD again increased its enforcement against dangerous driving violations identified as the leading causes of traffic fatalities; speed enforcement increased 9.2%, texting while driving increased 36.3%, and failure to yield to pedestrians increased 22%.  In 2018, the NYPD looks forward to working with the Vision Zero team to reach yet another traffic safety landmark.”   

“Professional drivers are pivotal to the Vision Zero work ahead of us, and the TLC has continued its extensive, multilingual outreach to drivers and bases on important safety issues like fatigue,” said TLC Commissioner Meera Joshi.  “More than 35,000 drivers completed the TLC Driver Education course last year.  Since taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers use our streets significantly more than other drivers, we hold them to a high standard and TLC enforcement continues to focus on traffic safety.  Our staff are highly responsive to public complaints and worked hard to hold drivers accountable for safety violations.  We also celebrated the accomplishments of more than 400 of our safest drivers, who completed millions of miles of safe trips last year without violation or injury.”

“NYC operates the largest fleet in the City and is working to make it the safest,” said DCAS Commissioner Lisette Camilo. “In 2017, DCAS completed a first Safe Fleet Transition Plan for our fleet which will ensure we specify and procure the safest possible fleet vehicles possible, including automatic braking, truck side-guards, and backup cameras, and will serve as a model for other public and private fleets.  We will continue to work with all our partner agencies to achieve Vision Zero.”

“The Vision Zero Year Four report highlights the extraordinary work accomplished by the City and our partners,” said Emily W. Newman, Acting Director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations. “But as we enter year five we know there is much more work to be done to make our streets safer and protect the lives of New Yorkers. As the Chair of the Vision Zero Task Force, we remain focused on one vision: vision zero.”

“Vision Zero has made a real difference in driving down the number of traffic deaths in New York City,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. “However, traffic deaths and injuries remain a serious public health concern, particularly among cyclists, drivers and motorcyclists. I commend Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Trottenberg for their work to protect New Yorkers through Vision Zero.”

Street Design
DOT continues to focus on proven methods of reducing fatalities and serious injuries through the implementation Street Improvement Projects (SIPs), installation of Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs), addressing left turns at intersections and building out the on-street bike network, particularly Protected Bike Lanes.  In the fourth year of Vision Zero (2017) DOT made major advances on these fronts:

·         Completed 114 SIPs, 76 of them in Vision Zero Priority Locations, a 138 percent increase over the five year average leading up to Vision Zero.
·      Added 832 LPIs, giving pedestrian a head start where drivers are turning and preserving their right of way. With over 2,000 of these installed under Vision Zero, pedestrian and cyclist KSI numbers have declined 37 percent at these locations.
·     Continued to implement Left Turn Traffic Calming interventions. Over 200 intersections have received this treatment, including 110 in 2017.
·    Continuing to build out the bike network. Last year DOT added over 77 lane miles to the bike network, including a record of 25 Protected Bike Lane miles.
·      A continued success of the agency camera enforcement program: speed camera, bus lane cameras and red light cameras.  The City is currently advocating in Albany for legislation expanding the speed camera program in an effort to increase and broaden the school zones.  Speed cams have proven to reduce speeding in school zones by 63%.

Enforcement
In 2017, the NYPD focused its enforcement to affect a change in the behavior of persons who disregard the importance of traffic safety. The NYPD officers issued 684,910 Vision Zero summons which were issued to drivers who violated the traffic laws identified as the primary causes  of collisions with the most catastrophic results, these violations included Speeding, Failure to Yield to a Pedestrian, Utilizing a Cell Phone While Driving and Texting while Driving. This is up 7.3% from 2017 and 20.2% from 2014. In addition, the NYPD continued to target drivers who violated the crime AC.19-190 which is violated when drivers fail to exercise due care and cause an injury to a pedestrian or bicyclist who has the right of way. In 2017, the NYPD took 2,255 total enforcement actions against these violators an increase of 12.5% from 2016. 

For-Hire Vehicles
In 2017, TLC field enforcement officers issued 59% more traffic safety summonses compared to 2016, with significant emphasis on speeding and distracted driving.  The TLC also pursues complaints from the public about safety infractions that include vehicles stopped in bike lanes and blocked crosswalks, a valuable complement to field enforcement and driver education efforts. TLC has held more than 500 Vision Zero driver outreach meetings and honored 420 drivers and 25 businesses last fall for their impeccable safety records, the highest number of honorees in all four years of the event.  The TLC also held a Fatigue Prevention Outreach Week last spring to educate driver about the risks of driving while tired and to raise awareness about new rules to keep tired drivers off the roads. 

Leading the Way with the City’s Fleet
In 2017, DCAS published its Safe Fleet Transition Plan in conjunction with the US DOT Volpe Center in May 2017. This plan stipulates that all vehicles purchased for Fiscal Year 18 and beyond must include the best available safety technology including, where applicable, automatic emergency braking, rear and side truck guards, and back up cameras. In addition, the City has installed over 1,350 truck sideguards on NYC Fleet vehicles, making it the largest program of its kind in the nation. Sideguards have been shown to reduce the deadliness of truck collisions with pedestrians by 20% and with bicyclists by 60%.

Using Data to Guide Efforts and Understand Crashes as a Public Health Imperative
In 2017, DOHMH completed a data matching process to link hospital records with crash reports. Using the linked dataset, staff identified patterns of injuries, injury type, body part injured, and injury severity associated with crash characteristics. These patterns can help describe, among other things, the disproportionate impact of traffic injuries on particular populations, such as children and older adults. Among the matched cases, injury severity is higher among older adults, pedestrians, and motorcyclists.

Select Year 5 New Initiatives
·         Update Borough Pedestrian Safety Action Plan priority maps based on an analysis of KSI data from 2014-2016, the first three years of Vision Zero
·    Intensify street safety improvements in areas with high senior citizen concentrations and pedestrian injuries to seniors
·    Implement Bicycle Priority Districts to increase lane network mileage in areas demonstrating disproportionate KSIs relative to their infrastructure
·     Convene a working group to develop a Vison Zero-based driver education program for those under age 25
·      Proactively identify intersections at which new traffic signals would likely be warranted by using data analysis

2,500 Children Have Received Grant-Funded Dental Care at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx


$2.5 Million Was Provided by HRSA to Modernize Outpatient Dental Care Services

   NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx have provided dental care to 2,500 children who might otherwise not have received care over the past two years, thanks to grant funding received from the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and the Affordable Care Act. Focused on preventing and detecting oral disorders, starting treatment earlier, and reinforcing good oral hygiene practices, the federal Health Resources and Services Administration granted the hospitals $2.5 million to expand their pediatric dental clinics and integrate the practices with primary care.

Tooth decay is the most prevalent childhood disease, affecting more youngsters than asthma or hay fever. This issue is particularly prevalent in low-income communities, as dental services generally aren’t provided under Medicaid and other public health insurance programs. According to a report from the American Journal of Public Health in 2005, more than half of low-income children without health insurance had no preventive dental care.                                                                                                                                        
This began to change in 2007, following the tragic death of a 12-year-old boy in Maryland, who suffered a brain infection that originated as a tooth infection—a death that many believe would have been preventable with routine dental care. As a result of the boy’s death, SCHIP was expanded in 2009 to include dental benefits.

These benefits were then included as essential health care requirements in the Affordable Care Act. To maximize the impact of these services, the Health Resources and Services Administration established funding sources to help facilities obtain the capital to modernize their facilities.

Following receipt of grant funding in 2015, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx were able to make a number of improvements to better serve their patients. They were able to recruit and employ two additional pediatric dental residents in addition to dental assistants and a registered dental hygienist. They equipped two new operatories at NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx to expand outpatient care. They expanded hours to provide additional access to care. And they coordinated programing and expansion of educational opportunities to the hospitals’ Women’s Infants and Children program and to the Illyria Clinic (dedicated to the Albanian community) at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, as well as through collaborations with Sapna, a community-based organization serving the South Asian community in the Castle Hill and Parkchester neighborhoods.

These improvements have resulted in over 2,500 high-risk children receiving care over the past two years, a major milestone in dental care for the Bronx and for public health overall.

“This grant and the great work done by our dental team represent the commitment of our health system to provide world-class outpatient care to all New Yorkers,” said Christopher Mastromano, executive director of NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi.

“These funds have been vital in expanding our outreach at both NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx, as well as to increasing our ability to serve populations in need of dental services,” said Nadia Laniado, DDS, MPH, of NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi’s Dentistry Department.  “Evidence shows that it’s critical that children establish a dental home by their first birthday in order to maintain good dental health. By collaborating with our partners and primary care, we are helping more families achieve this goal.”

“This HRSA funding has allowed us to expand services and provide cultural sensitivity training to our residents so that they might better understand the needs of our patients,” said Victor Badner, DMD, chair of NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi’s Dental Department.

Overall, since 2016, more than 13,000 patients of all ages have received dental care at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and more than 9,000 have received such care at NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx.

Those interested in scheduling a dental appointment for their children should contact NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi at (718) 918-3422 or at (718) 918-5636.

Bronx Jewish Community Council - Volunteer Recognition Breakfast April 22, 2018


RSVP TODAY

Councilmember Rafael Salamanca - CITY COUNCIL APPROVES “LA PENINSULA” DEVELOPMENT AT FORMER SPOFFORD SITE


The City Council passed the redevelopment proposal for the site of former Spofford Juvenile Detention Center in the South Bronx’s Hunts Point. The $300 million project, dubbed “La Peninsula,” includes the construction of a five-building, mixed-use development over three phases to be completed by 2024. The five-acre plan is comprised of 740 affordable units with rents as low as $396 per month, 54,000-square-feet of open and recreational space, 14,000-square-feet of fenced, green space, 49,000-square-feet of light industrial space, 48,000-square-feet of community facility space and 21,000-squre-feet of commercial and retail space. 
 
“La Peninsula will be a transformative project for Hunts Point and the South Bronx, adding 100% affordable housing and new jobs while spurring economic growth through the creation of a vibrant hub for my community,” said Council Member and Land Use Chair Rafael Salamanca, Jr. “Together with organizations such as Urban Health Plan, The Point CDC and many others we’ve advocated tirelessly to ensure that this project thoughtfully incorporates the much-needed community amenities to the neighborhood – and we got them. I’m grateful to our community leaders and partners who’ve helped take this incredible project one step closer to reality and look forward to our continued partnership to see this development to completion.”
 
Led by Gilbane Development Company, the site will be redeveloped by a team of developers, including the Hudson Companies and Mutual Housing Association of New York (MHANY). The consortium has committed to working closely with community stakeholders and groups, such as The Point Community Development Corporation, Urban Health Plan, Sustainable South Bronx, The Knowledge House, Casita Maria, Rocking the Boat, and BronxWorks. The master plan is designed by Body Lawson Associates and WXY.
 
The site will also feature a food step-up space for local entrepreneurs, a 15,000-square-foot early childhood education facility, and an 18,000-square-foot health and wellness center operated by Urban Health Plan. The project also commits to providing adequate lighting and security around the development site, repairing and widening the sidewalk on part of Tiffany Street and hiring a Bronx-based security firm to provide security during demolition.
 
The former detention center closed in 2011 and has remained vacant except for a Head Start (Pre-Kindergarten) facility operated by the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS).

UPCOMING EVENTS FROM COUNCILMAN MARK GJONAJ







Thursday, March 22, 2018

MAYOR DE BLASIO, VICTIMS’ FAMILIES, SURVIVORS, SENIORS AND OFFICIALS DEMAND ALBANY EXPAND SPEED ENFORCEMENT CAMERAS NEAR SCHOOLS IN STATE BUDGET


Extension and expansion of speed cameras to protect more schools was included in Assembly one-house budget bill, officials and families urge Senate and Governor to act

  Mayor de Blasio joined crash survivors, victims’ families, seniors and elected officials on the steps of City Hall to demand leaders in Albany include an expansion of New York City’s school zone speed enforcement camera program in the final state budget by April 1. With the program slated to expire in June, the City and advocates are seeking not just its extension, but major improvements.

Where installed, speed cameras have been proven to reduce speeding in New York City school zones by 63 percent, with injuries to pedestrians dropping 23 percent. But under the current restrictions, 75 percent of the children who were killed or severely injured in traffic were hit at locations or at times where the City can’t legally use a camera. For example, cameras cannot be installed on 9thStreet in Park Slope—the site of a crash that killed two young children this month. The New York State Assembly included reforms in its one-house budget bill that increase the number of school zones where cameras are allowed, and allow them to be placed on more dangerous streets.

“New Yorkers are tired of asking for the same thing year after year and getting nothing in return,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “How many more people must be killed before Albany passes common sense legislation proven to save lives? Enough is enough. The time is now to extend and expand our speed cameras program – we cannot afford to wait another day.”

“After four years of declining fatalities of Vision Zero, we know that speed cameras have saved lives, but the law authorizing New York City’s speed camera program expires this summer, putting us at a crucial juncture,” said Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “Most crashes happen in areas and during hours when speed cameras can’t operate.  To continue the progress we have made, we not only need Albany action to allow speed cameras on more high-crash streets close to schools, we need to expand the hours when cameras can operate.  As the Mayor made clear last week, we need even more enforcement tools to prevent tragic crashes like the one this month in Park Slope – but Albany can help us meet that urgent need by authorizing speed cameras as part of this budget.”

“When our leaders in Albany fail to take traffic violence seriously, people die. This deadly epidemic that killed my son has taken the lives of 1,000 New Yorkers since the City started piloting speed cameras in 2014, and caused unimaginable injuries to hundreds of thousands of others, said Amy Cohen, Founding Member of Families for Safe Streets. “Speed safety cameras work – like a vaccine. They protect our children. And they also help change the culture of reckless driving and protect all New Yorkers. The Assembly has done their part and included the bill in their proposed budget. Now we need the Senate and Governor Cuomo to stand up and pass this life-saving measure now, before others are killed or seriously injured.”

The Mayor was joined by his Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, NYPD Chief Thomas Chan, Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Letitia James, various city council members, Transportation Alternatives, Families for Safe Streets, the United Federation of Teachers, AARP and additional advocates.

Key Reforms to the Speed Enforcement Camera Program:

·  Authorize the City to install speed cameras at an additional 150 school zones—more than double the current number.
· Revise the definition of a school zone to allow DOT to address speeding on streets that are near a school, as opposed to only the street or streets on which a school is located. 
· Extend the program until 2022

Following this month’s crash that claimed the lives of two children in Park Slope, the City is also pushing reforms in Albany that will escalate fines and suspend the vehicle registrations of repeat speeding and red-light running offenders, and require physicians to notify the DMV following medical events that could cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

  The reason Mayor de Blasio is looking for escalating fines for repeat speed camera offenders is because the speed camera program is not working as it was planned. It only shows that drivers are receiving multiple violations without any penalty as if a police officer was to stop a motorist for speeding. The real answer is to have more police giving out speeding tickets which result in higher fines, points on a drivers license, and possible suspension of driving privileges. The driver is caught by a police officer and must appear in traffic court, not the car caught by a camera.

  It should be noted that the speed camera program came into effect with the help of the State Senate Independent Conference Leader Senator Jeff Klein. The introduction was in Senator Klein's district at PS 81 in the Riverdale section of the Bronx with then Mayor Michael Bloomberg, State Senator Jeff Klein, and parents of PS 81. 

  The Department of Transportation stated that they surveyed a street where over ninety percent of the drivers were clocked at speeds over the legal speed limit. It was thought that the street surveyed by the DOT was Riverdale Avenue in front of PS 81, a heavily traveled street by cars, buses, and trucks. 

  Senator Klein did two of his own surveys of Riverdale Avenue in front of PS 81, and the results were twenty-five percent lower than those of the NYCDOT. Mind you there were still speeding vehicles in front of PS 81. 
  
  At the announcement I asked when and where the DOT did its survey, and I was told that they did not survey Riverdale Avenue in front of PS 81, but Fieldston Road behind the Russian Mission (housed in Riverdale near PS 81), near the entrance to the Henry Hudson Parkway, and at the entrance to the private community of Fieldston. On that section of Fieldston Road the DOT did survey, three speed bumps were installed within a one-hundred foot area heading to and from the parkway and private community of Fieldston.

Wave Hill Events April 6‒April 13


Sat, April 7    Family Art Project: Rock with the Rock Pigeons
Nature is everywhere, as evidenced by New York City’s most prevalent bird, the rock pigeon. Learn how pigeons have made urban centers home and helped humans by carrying secret messages. Costume yourself in handmade, fabric feathers to make silvery wings. Then join your flock for a rockin’ pigeon sing-along with special guest guitarist Todd Falberg and storyteller Rama Mandel. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sat, April 7    Garden Highlights Walk
Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

Sat, April 7    Terrarium Workshop
Design and plant a fanciful miniature landscape in a glass container with a selection of diminutive plants, perfect for home or office. Terrarium enthusiast and Wave Hill Gardener Albert Cabrera provides plants, materials and personal assistance in this popular annual workshop. Space is limited! Ages eight and older welcome with an adult. $50; 10% discount to Wave Hill Members. Registration required, online at wavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. 
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 1–2:30PM

Sat, April 7    Gallery Tour
Learn about Glyndor Gallery exhibitions on a tour led by Wave Hill’s Curatorial Fellow. Avifauna: Interplay of Birds + Habitatfeatures artworks that delve into the relationship between birds and their habitats—from the role birds play in propagating plants to changes in how natural and built environments affect migration patterns. Artists working in photography, video, artist books, wall painting, installation, drawing and sound include Tatiana Arocha, Tanya Chaly, Marna Chester, Nina Katchadourian, Paula McCartney, Jeff Mertz, Peter Morgan, Sarah Nicholls, James Proseck, Jenna Spevek and Fred Tomaselli. In the Sunroom Project Space, Adrienne Elise Tarver builds tactile plant sculptures that create an immersive, sheltering landscape. Free with admission to the grounds.
GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM


Sun, April 8    Spring Birding
Welcome migratory birds back to Wave Hill this spring. Explore the gardens and woodlands with naturalist Gabriel Willow on a quest to spot both resident and rare birds as they pass through on their northern journey or settle down for the season. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. Severe weather cancels. Free with admission to the grounds. NYC Audubon Members enjoy two-for-one admission. 
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 9:30AM


Sun, April 8    Family Art Project: Rock with the Rock Pigeons
Nature is everywhere, as evidenced by New York City’s most prevalent bird, the rock pigeon. Learn how pigeons have made urban centers home and helped humans by carrying secret messages. Costume yourself in handmade, fabric feathers to make silvery wings. Then join your flock for a rockin’ pigeon sing-along with special guest guitarist Todd Falberg and storyteller Rama Mandel. Free with admission to the grounds.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sun, April 8    Family Nature Walk
Join naturalist and educator Gabriel Willow on a family-friendly walk through the gardens or woodlands. Registration not required. Ages six and older welcome with an adult. Severe weather cancels. Free with admission to the grounds.
MEET AT WAVE HILL HOUSE, 1PM

Sun, April 8    Garden Highlights Walk
Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

Mon, April 9
Closed to the public.

Tue, April 10    Art Workshop Series Begins: Photographing Local Landscapes—Woodlawn Cemetery, Untermyer Gardens and Van Cortlandt Park
Using the camera lens and the naked eye, explore three of the area’s most intriguing outdoor spaces with nature photographer Benjamin Swett. All-day workshops include tours and photography sessions each morning and afternoon reviews back at Wave Hill. All levels welcome. Carpooling is encouraged; limited transportation between Wave Hill and the offsite locations available upon request. Bring a brown bag lunch or order from The CafĂ© at Wave Hill. $300; 10% discount to Wave Hill Members. Registration required, online at wavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. This three-session series continues April 17 and 24.
MEETS OFFSITE, 10AM–4PM

Tue, April 10    Garden Highlights Walk
Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

Tue, April 10    Gallery Tour
Learn about Glyndor Gallery exhibitions on a tour led by Wave Hill’s Curatorial Fellow. Avifauna: Interplay of Birds + Habitatfeatures artworks that delve into the relationship between birds and their habitats—from the role birds play in propagating plants to changes in how natural and built environments affect migration patterns. Artists working in photography, video, artist books, wall painting, installation, drawing and sound include Tatiana Arocha, Tanya Chaly, Marna Chester, Nina Katchadourian, Paula McCartney, Jeff Mertz, Peter Morgan, Sarah Nicholls, James Proseck, Jenna Spevek and Fred Tomaselli. In the Sunroom Project Space, Adrienne Elise Tarver builds tactile plant sculptures that create an immersive, sheltering landscape. Free with admission to the grounds.
GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM


Thu, April 12    Art Workshop Series Begins: Plumage to Quill: Studies and Renderings of Birds in the Landscape
Draw inspiration from a private collection of mounted birds, and from photographs, poetry and outdoor observation, to create avian portraits with Wave Hill as the setting. Sessions include demo lessons, plein-air drawing and critiques with Wennie Huang, member of the American Museum of Natural History’s Animal Drawing Program. A nature walk with birding expertGabriel Willow is included. Basic hardware materials included; a supply list will be provided. $160; 10% discount to Wave Hill Members. Registration required, online at wavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. This four-session series continues April 19, 26 and May 3.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM–1PM 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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