Engel on the Resignation of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt

   

“News of Scott Pruitt’s resignation is welcome, though long overdue. I said when Pruitt was chosen to serve as Administrator that he was a ‘dangerous and unacceptable choice to lead the EPA’ and his entire tenure proved my words true. His legacy consists of gutting our nation’s environmental regulations and encouraging the burning of fossil fuels, along with repeated and serious ethical failings. I called for Pruitt’s resignation long ago, so I am pleased to see this finally come to pass. I encourage the President to now nominate a replacement who understands the threat of climate change and is dedicated to the EPA’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment—not another shill for our nation’s worst polluters.” Said Congressman Eliot Engel.

Vigil For Victim Shot and Killed by Van Nest Park

  The Van Nest Community, neighboring community organizations, and community activists came out at a steamy rain threatened time on the eve of the Fourth of July against the senseless homicide that occurred on Tuesday June 19th at 4 PM in the Van Nest community. They were protesting the shooting that killed a man less than one block where the incident occurred, which is also next to a playground/park.

  According to reports Mr. Jose Velez was shot and pronounced dead at the hospital he was taken to. A witness engaged to marry the victim said that there was an argument with an unknown man, when a third man police say was Mr. Michael Rodriguez shot Mr. Velez who died of his wounds. Police are looking for Mr. Rodriguez and the unknown other person involved in this shooting.

Above - Pastor Jay Gooding who led a similar neighborhood protest in Soundview last week where three people were shot and killed, began the vigil.

Below - Ms. Bernadette Ferrara President of the Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance speaks about the uptick in violence in the Van Nest area. 

Above - Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez pledged her cooperation and support in helping to stop the violence which is occurring in the area.

Below - Father Robert Badillo reads a statement calling for an end to this violence in his church area.

  Also on hand to show support for the Van Nest area were neighboring community groups such as representatives of the Morris Park Community Association, Bronx Park East Community Association, Allerton Homeowners Association, The Clergy Council of the 49th Precinct, officers of the 49th Precinct, and various community activist.

First Nationwide Undercover Operation Targeting Darknet Vendors Results in Arrests of More Than 35 Individuals Selling Illicit Goods and the Seizure of Weapons, Drugs, and More Than $23.6 Million

  United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that John Edward Monette, 49, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has been indicted as part of a national undercover operation targeting Darknet vendors.  Monette was indicted on May 8, 2018, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. 

The Department of Justice, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announced the results of a year-long, coordinated national operation that used the first nationwide undercover action to target vendors of illicit goods on the Darknet. Special Agents of the HSI New York Field Division, in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, posed as a money launderer on Darknet market sites, exchanging U.S. currency for virtual currency.  Through this operation, HSI New York was able to identify numerous vendors of illicit goods, leading to the opening of more than 90 active cases around the country.  The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, working with more than 40 U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country, coordinated the nationwide investigation of over 65 targets, that lead to the arrest and impending prosecution of more than 35 Darknet vendors.

John Edward Monette was identified by HSI New York during an undercover operation as having exchanged Bitcoin for cash on numerous occasions. Between May 31, 2017, and October 24, 2017, HSI New York conducted 11 undercover Bitcoin for U.S. currency transactions with Monette that totaled $19,000.  Monette was also identified as the intended recipient of numerous international mail seizures containing MDMA.

MDMA (3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetimine, also known as ecstasy) is an illegal synthetic drug that causes both hallucinogenic and stimulant effects.  Most MDMA users are teenagers or young adults.  MDMA is a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act.  Schedule I substances, which include heroin and LSD, have a high potential for abuse and serve no legitimate medical purpose.

“Criminals believing that their illicit activities on the so-called Darknet will elude the attention of law enforcement had better think again,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “This operation is just the beginning.”

This extensive Darknet operation, which culminated in four weeks of more than 100 enforcement actions around the country, resulted in the following:

• Federal arrests of more than 35 Darknet vendors who engaged in tens of thousands of sales of illicit goods;
• Execution of 70 search warrants, resulting in the seizure of massive amounts of illegal narcotics, including 333 bottles of liquid synthetic opioids, over 100,000 tramadol pills, 100 grams of fentanyl, more than 24 kilograms of Xanax, and additional seizures of Oxycodone, MDMA, cocaine, LSD, marijuana, and a psychedelic mushroom grow found in a residence;
• Seizure of more than 100 firearms, including handguns, assault rifles, and a grenade launcher;
• Seizure of five vehicles that were purchased with illicit proceeds and/or used to facilitate criminal activity;
• Seizure of more than $3.6 million in U.S. currency and gold bars;
• Seizure of nearly 2,000 Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies, with an approximate value of more than $20 million;
• Confiscation of 15 pill presses, which are used to create illegal synthetic opioids; and
• Seizure of Bitcoin mining devices, computer equipment, and vacuum sealers.
   
  In addition to Monette, others who have been charged federally, include:

• Antonio Tirado, 26, and Jeffrey Morales, 32, of the Bronx, New York, were arrested on June 18, and separately charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York with distribution and possession with intent to distribute narcotics, including cocaine, LSD (also known as “acid”), marijuana, and hashish oil.  Additionally, Tirado was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking offenses.  Following an investigation into a Darknet marketplace vendor using the moniker “Trapgod,” investigators executed search warrants at homes in two residential neighborhoods in the Bronx leading to Tirado and Morales.  As alleged in the complaints, during the execution of the search warrants at the Tirado and Morales residences, agents seized controlled substances including powder cocaine, marijuana, and LSD, as well as various precursor powders, liquids, and reagents, and other narcotics-related paraphernalia including marijuana growing equipment, a home chemistry lab, scales, and heat sealing packaging materials.  In Tirado’s home, agents recovered a fully loaded shotgun alongside a narcotics stash.  Investigators in Tirado’s apartment recovered additional evidence of Darknet narcotics distribution, such as numerous U.S. Postal Service shipping boxes, already addressed to customers around the United States, which boxes contained hairbrushes some of which had already been packed with powder cocaine for distribution.
• Jian Qu, 30; Raymond Weng, 24; and Kai Wu, 22, all of Queens, New York, along with Dimitri Tseperkas, 22, and Cihad Akkaya, 22, of Middle Island and Port Jefferson, New York, respectively, were each arrested on June 18, and charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York with participation in a conspiracy to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana.  Tseperkas and Akkaya were also charged with firearms offenses relating to the drug conspiracy.  Investigators monitoring Darknet marketplaces found accounts used by some of the conspirators, leading agents to execute search warrants at three addresses in residential communities in Flushing and Mt. Sinai, New York.  From the residences, agents recovered approximately $400,000 in U.S. currency, 140 kilograms of suspected marijuana and an additional 10 kilograms of suspected marijuana vape cartridges, 12 kilograms of suspected Xanax pills, over half a kilogram of suspected ecstasy, four pill presses, mixers, and pill press parts, over a dozen kilograms of various powders, packaging materials, and paraphernalia.   While searching the residence where Akkaya and Tseperkas were found, investigators recovered three loaded shotguns, including a tactical double-barreled shotgun loaded with 14 shells, and over 50 shotgun shells, as well as significant quantities of narcotics, packaging materials, and paraphernalia including a money-counting machine.  Review of electronic evidence recovered from the residences proved the conspirators’ connections to Darknet marketplaces, use of cryptocurrency, and narcotics distribution schemes.
• Ryan Farace, 34, of Reisterstown, Maryland, and Robert Swain, 34, of Freeland, Maryland, were charged by the U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland related to a scheme to manufacture and distribute alprazolam tablets, which are typically sold under the brand name “Xanax.”  The indictment alleges that Farace distributed the drugs through sales on the dark web in exchange for Bitcoin, and that Farace and Swain laundered the drug proceeds through financial transactions designed to conceal the source and ownership of the illegal funds.   To date, law enforcement has seized various crypto currency, to include bitcoin, valued at over $22 million at the time of the seizures, and over $1.5 million in cash, which was seized from Farace’s residence upon the execution of a search warrant on Jan. 18.  As part of the indictment, the government seeks the forfeiture of no less than $5.665 million, plus the value of 4,000 Bitcoin believed to be the proceeds of the illegal drug sales, two residences, and a vehicle used to facilitate the drug distribution.
• Nicholas J. Powell, 32, and Michael Gonzalez, 27, former and current residents of Parma, Ohio, respectively, were charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and laundering money using the dark web.  The complaint alleges that Powell used various monikers on Darknet marketplaces as part of his criminal scheme, including “TheSource,” “BonnienClyde,” BnC,” “BCPHARMA,” and “Money TS.”  The conspiracy operated on multiple Darknet marketplaces, including Silk Road 2, AlphaBay, and HANSA.  The conspiracy involved distributing Xanax, steroids, marijuana and other drugs across the country using these and other Darknet monikers.  Powell and Gonzalez would then launder the funds as cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Etherium, and Komodo through individuals specializing in money laundering on Darknet marketplaces.  At the time of arrest, law enforcement had already seized approximately $437,000 in cryptocurrencies from Powell.
• Jose Robert Porras III, 21, and Pasia Vue, 23, both of Sacramento, were charged with drug distribution, money laundering, and illegally possessing firearms, in a 16-count indictment returned by a grand jury in the Eastern District of California. According to the indictment, Porras and Vue were using the online monikers “Cannabars” and “TheFastPlug,” to distribute marijuana, Xanax, and methamphetamine on various dark web marketplaces, including Trade Route, Wall Street Market, and Dream Marketplace.  Porras and Vue then laundered the Bitcoin proceeds of their drug distribution through the HSI undercover agent located in New York.  After receiving the Bitcoin from Porras and Vue, the undercover agent mailed parcels of cash to them in Sacramento. HSI and USPIS agents seized nine weapons including an AK-47 magazine and ammunition, 30 pounds of marijuana, $10,000 in U.S. currency, a vehicle, and over 100 bars of Xanax.
• Sam Bent, 32, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont (and formerly of East Burke, Vermont), and his cousin, Djeneba Bent, 26, also of St. Johnsbury (and formerly East Burke) were charged with conspiracy to distribute LSD, MDMA (also known as “ecstasy”), cocaine, and marijuana in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the District of Vermont.  The indictment alleges that the conspiracy involved setting up accounts on dark web marketplaces, establishing online identities, accepting Bitcoin in exchange for sales over the dark web, and mailing controlled substances from several different post offices in Northeastern Vermont and Northwestern New Hampshire in an effort to avoid detection.   The indictment also charges Sam Bent with four counts of money laundering involving three different exchanges of bitcoin drug distribution proceeds for U.S. currency. 
• In Fresno, California, a federal grand jury returned an 11-count indictment on May 17, against Daniel Boyd McMonegal, 35, of San Luis Obispo and Mariposa, California, charging him with drug distribution and money laundering in the Eastern District of California.  According to the indictment, McMonegal, using the online monikers “Sawgrass,” “Ross4Less,” and “ChristmasTree,” distributed marijuana on various dark web marketplaces, including Dream Market.  McMonegal was also the owner of a marijuana delivery service in San Luis Obispo called West Coast Organix, which claimed to be a non-profit medical marijuana cooperative.  McMonegal then laundered the Bitcoin proceeds of his drug distribution through an undercover agent located in New York.  After receiving the Bitcoin from McMonegal, the undercover agent mailed parcels of cash to McMonegal in San Luis Obispo and Mariposa.

More than 50 Darknet vendor accounts were identified and attributed to the real individuals selling illicit goods on Darknet market sites such as Silk Road, AlphaBay, Hansa, Dream, and others. HSI-New York Field Division and MLARS coordinated with law enforcement and federal prosecutors to investigate 65 targets identified by the undercover operation in more than 50 Federal districts, including: the District of Arizona, the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Western District of Arkansas, the Central District of California, the Eastern District of California, the Northern District of California, the Southern District of California, the District of Colorado, the District of Connecticut, the Middle District of Florida, the Northern District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Northern District of Iowa, the District of Kansas, the District of Maryland, the Eastern District of Michigan, the District of Minnesota, the Eastern District of North Carolina, the Western District of North Carolina, the District of New Hampshire, the Northern District of New York, the Southern District of New York, the Western District of New York, the District of North Dakota, the Northern District of Ohio, the Southern District of Ohio, the District of Oregon, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the District of South Carolina, the District of South Dakota, the Eastern District of Texas, the Northern District of Texas, the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the Eastern District of Virginia, the District of Vermont, the Eastern District of Washington, and the Western District of Washington.  FBI was part of the investigative team in the Northern District of California.   

The investigation is ongoing.

The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations and defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

A.G. Underwood Announces Indictment Of Financial Advisor Thomas Lagan For Stealing From Family Trusts He Oversaw In $9 Million Scheme

While Serving as Trustee, Lagan Looted Family Trusts Funded by Capital Region Philanthropists Warren and Pauline Bruggeman

  New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced the grand jury indictment of financial advisor and lawyer Thomas Lagan for a scheme in which he and former Town of Guilderland Judge Richard Sherwood plundered over $9 million from family trusts they were responsible for overseeing.

“The defendants orchestrated a complex scheme to steal millions from trusts they were supposed to protect,” said Attorney General Underwood. “We will continue to ensure that those who game the system and violate the public trust are brought to justice.”

As detailed in the complaint, Lagan and Sherwood have provided estate planning and related legal and financial services to Capital Region philanthropists Warren and Pauline Bruggeman and Pauline Bruggeman’s sister, Anne Urban, since at least 2006. The Bruggemans each created a revocable trust, which contained sub-trusts designed to provide for Anne Urban and Pauline’s other sister, Julia Rentz. Other funds were to be awarded to Anne Urban and Julia Rentz outright upon the deaths of the Bruggemans.

In 2011, the Anne S. Urban Irrevocable Trust (AUIT) was created using some of the funds from the Bruggeman trusts; Sherwood was named Trustee and Lagan was named Successor Trustee.

In one instance, a sub-trust with approximately $2,000,000 was to be returned to the Pauline Bruggemen Revocable Trust for distribution to six named charities upon Anne Urban’s death; the complaint alleges that, rather than returning those funds after Urban died in 2013, the funds were disposed of through the AUIT primarily for the benefit of Sherwood and Lagan. In another part of the scheme, Sherwood and Lagan allegedly conspired to deceive an Ohio attorney into sending over $2,000,000 of Julia Rentz’s money to the AUIT, under the premise that it would be sent to charity; in fact, Sherwood and Lagan shared those proceeds. Sherwood and Lagan allegedly formed the Empire Capital Trust to benefit themselves and funded it with over $1,000,000 of stolen money. In January 2015, they allegedly transferred $3,598,908 from AUIT to a Trustco Bank account in Sherwood’s name and $2,693,865.92 from the AUIT to a Trustco Bank account in Lagan’s name.

Lagan was arraigned before the Honorable Roger D. McDonough, Acting Supreme Court Justice in Albany County Court. The indictment charges Lagan with two counts of Grand Larceny in the First Degree (a Class B felony), two counts of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property (a Class B felony), and one count of Scheme to Defraud (a Class E felony).

The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

On June 11, 2018, Richard Sherwood pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a Class C felony). Sherwood faces up to three to ten years in prison.

Attorney General Underwood thanks the New York State Police Special Investigations Unit, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the New York State Office of Taxation and Finance for their valuable assistance in this investigation.

BRONX WOMAN INDICTED IN MURDER OF INFANT SON

Defendant Slammed 5-Month-Old’s Head Against Wall, Did Not Seek Help

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx woman has been indicted on Murder and Manslaughter charges in the death of her 5-month-old son, who suffered a fractured skull after she slammed his head against a wall. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “This infant suffered grievous head injuries, allegedly inflicted by his mother. The crime was all the more callous because she allegedly did not obtain medical attention for the baby for more than an hour. We will get justice for this innocent life that was taken so soon.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Joann McLeod, 30, of 1420 Bronx River Avenue, has been indicted on second-degree Murder, first and second-degree Manslaughter and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. She was arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas and remand was continued. She is due back in court on October 2, 2018. 

 According to the investigation, between midnight on June 3, 2018 and 9 a.m. on June 4, 2018, inside McLeod’s apartment in 1420 Bronx River Avenue, the defendant picked up her 5- month-old son, Raymond Porfil Jr., shook him and slammed his head against a wall several times. She purposefully did not obtain medical attention for the infant for more than an hour, including leaving the apartment for a period of time.

 District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detectives Christian Gutierrez of the 43rd Precinct Squad and John Ferretti of the Bronx Homicide Squad. 

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS FOR THE SOUTH BRONX'S CIVIC CENTER NEIGHBORHOOD AS PART OF $10 MILLION AWARD

12 Downtown Revitalization Initiative Projects Connect Commercial and Cultural Nodes within the Civic Center, Support Economic Growth and Opportunity, and Preserves Borough's Unique Heritage

 

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced 12 transformational projects in the South Bronx as part of the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award. The strategic investments in the South Bronx will connect the commercial and cultural nodes within the Civic Center to create a unified downtown that provides a high quality of life for residents and visitors; supports inclusive economic growth and opportunity and preserves and promotes the borough's unique heritage and identity. The investments are part of the Governor's ongoing efforts to revitalize the Bronx and create more opportunities in the Bronx Civic Center Downtown neighborhood.

 

"The Bronx Civic Center neighborhood is the heart of the bustling Bronx and it must be showcased," Governor Cuomo said. "These projects will advance the Borough by leaps and bounds, increasing amenities to existing South Bronx residents and bringing further investment and community pride to the Bronx."

 

The Bronx Civic Center neighborhood was named a DRI Round 2 winner. The neighborhood includes the area bounded by 144th Street on the south, 165th Street on the north, the Harlem River on the west and St. Ann's Avenue/East-Third Avenue on the east. The South Bronx is one of New York City's most rapidly evolving areas. Neighborhoods like Mott Haven, Concourse Village, Melrose and Morrisania have undergone dramatic, grassroots and community driven transformation. The South Bronx is booming with private and public investments in affordable housing, cultural facilities, retail and other sectors. Many local policies enabled this growth of activity, such as the South Bronx Initiative and Melrose Retail Strategy, and the resultant Lower Concourse rezoning.

 

The specific projects to be funded through the DRI include:

 

Expand the Andrew Freedman Home Cultural Art Center: Renovate the Andrew Freedman Home Cultural Art Center to accommodate theater, visual arts, music, dance, and other art productions, and space for workforce development and after-school programming. Refurbish and enhance the outdoor areas to increase public awareness of programming inside the historic center. ($1,720,000)

 

Convert the 149th Street Bridge into a Public Plaza: Create an expanded, programmable sidewalk plaza on the 149th Street Bridge that will connect the Lower Concourse to the Hub, and provide space for vendors, art, and other activities. ($2,592,000)

 

Beautify Streetscapes at the Hub and 149th Street: Invest in a series of streetscape improvements on Third Avenue, Melrose Avenue, and 149th Street to foster a stronger local identity, improve safety, and encourage private investment. ($1,040,000)

 

Create a Business Improvement Fund: Create a Business Improvement Fund available to business owners and property owners to fund façade and storefront improvements, upper-floor renovations, and development of full-service restaurants and cafés along the DRI area's major commercial corridors. ($1,000,000)

 

Complete an Upgrade of the BronxWorks Public Swimming Pool Facility: Build on recent investment in a community swimming pool located at BronxWorks' Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center on the Grand Concourse. Improvements to the pool area would include an air handling system, new ceiling tiles, and refurbished locker rooms. ($429,000)

 

Support the Opening of the Bronx Kreate Space Artist-Maker Hub Provide gap funding to build out artist-maker co-working space in Mott Haven at the new Bronx Kreate Space. Planned improvements include gallery space, a café, low-cost workspace, artist studios and communal facilities. ($595,000)

 

Improve Community Gardens at Melrose Common: Improve three community gardens in Melrose Commons with solar power, enhanced lighting, wi-fi access, and rainwater harvesting to strengthen the area's open space network, community resilience, and sustainability. ($630,000)

 

Activate the New Roberto Clemente Plaza with Outdoor Cafes: Install two outdoor cafes in the soon-to-be-completed public space at the Roberto Clemente Plaza to provide additional dining options for local workers and shoppers. One of the cafes will serve as an incubator for local food entrepreneurs. ($520,000)

 

Enable Construction of a New Pregones Theater Space: Demolish the existing, out-of-code, wood-frame house at 571 Walton Avenue to enable the Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (PRTT) to develop a modern facility that will serve as an organizational headquarters and house artist rehearsal, studio, and performance space. ($260,000)

 

Expand Low-Cost Broadband Access in Melrose Commons: Create a point-to-multi-point, rooftop-based wireless broadband network serving residents, businesses, and visitors in Melrose Commons. The network would offer free wi-fi in and around select public spaces; free access to an internet-enabled local resource portal for residents within networked buildings; and low-cost broadband service for residents within networked buildings. Initial fiber access would be provided by Nos Quedamos at two buildings it owns. ($437,000)

 

Refresh the Bronx Walk of Fame with Updated Signs and Branding: Refresh the Bronx Walk of Fame by redesigning, replacing, and regrouping signs along the Grand Concourse between 149th Street and 167th Street, and creating a digital directory to draw visitors. ($250,000)

 

Create a More Welcoming Gateway at the 161st Street Station: Create a modern, attractive gateway to the Bronx outside the East 161st Street - Yankee Stadium subway station by enhancing existing concrete medians with improved plantings. This project will complement other investments in the area. ($227,000)

 

The Bronx developed a Strategic Investment Plan to revitalize the South Bronx with $300,000 in planning funds from the $10 million DRI grant. A Local Planning Committee made up of municipal representatives, community leaders, and other stakeholders led the effort, supported by a team of private sector experts and state planners. The Strategic Investment Plan for the South Bronx examined local assets and opportunities and identified economic development, transportation, housing, and community projects that align with the community's vision for downtown revitalization and that are poised for implementation.

 

"We have opened a new chapter for the Bronx Civic Center community with investment through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, and this new round of funding will strengthen the Bronx economic success story," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. "The projects awarded today will improve quality of life in the Bronx and invest in the future of this diverse community. Our funding commitment today will bolster connectivity between neighborhoods, support arts and cultural attractions, and create good-paying jobs for Bronx families." 

 

New York Secretary of State Rossana Rosado said, "The DRI's recognition for this South Bronx hub demonstrates that the entire Borough is on the rise. This is a game-changer that will bring revitalization to the entire community and build upon the many successes already in place across the Bronx."

 

Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky said, "The Downtown Revitalization Initiative infuses communities with resources and support to realize their potential as vibrant hubs where New Yorkers want to live, work, and play. These investments in the Bronx Civic Center will build on the area's incredible momentum and catalyze new growth and opportunities."

 

NYS Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, "Through Governor Cuomo's Downtown Revitalization Initiative, these community-led, targeted investments will combine with HCR's $639 million investment in the Bronx over the last seven years that has created affordable housing for about 38,250 residents to help ensure that as the Bronx's economy grows, all New Yorkers have the opportunity to take part. In New York State, we are lucky to have a Governor who understands how to build inclusive, long-term economic success."

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Unlike the scandal ridden Buffalo Billion project upstate, we hope that each and every dollar to be spent on these Bronx projects is totally accounted for. We also hope that certain elected officials do not try to take credit for this, and have intentionally left out any elected officials comments.

FIVE-BOROUGH BIKE SHARE: DOT NAMES FIVE DOCKLESS BIKE SHARE COMPANIES ASSIGNED TO FOUR NEIGHBORHOODS FOR PILOT

Later this month, bike share pilot will kick off in the Rockaways, the central Bronx, and on the North Shore of Staten Island – and later in the year in Brooklyn’s Coney Island; Each community will receive at least 200 bikes, including pedal-assist models  

  The New York City Department of Transportation today named the five companies that would begin to offer dockless bike share later this month in neighborhoods in boroughs outside Manhattan.  Eventually, each neighborhood will host no fewer than 200 bicycles.  Regular pedal bikes will be supplied by the companies Lime, Motivate, ofo, or Pace.  Those bikes will be supplemented in each community by pedal-assist models offered by either JUMP or Lime.   By mid-July, bikes are expected to arrive in the Rockaways in Queens, followed by the central Bronx and Staten Island.   Later this year, Coney Island in Brooklyn will also host a pilot.

“We at DOT are excited to name the companies that will bring dockless bike share to four different communities in New York City for the first time,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.  “Each of the five selected companies are leaders in this emerging field, and in the course of the pilot, we will see how they perform in diverse New York City neighborhoods that have never before seen bike share.  We strongly encourage New Yorkers to get out this month to explore some great neighborhoods by bike -- and give us feedback on their dockless experience.” 

The five companies participating in the pilot are pending final approval, but have all signed contracts with DOT that obligate them to provide bikes to specific New York City pilot communities.  Under a rule adopted last week by DOT, the two companies offering pedal-assist dockless bikes in the pilot can be operational after Saturday, July 28 – the date when the rule clarifying pedal-assist bikes’ legal status goes fully into effect.

The four pilots will roll out in the following order, with assigned companies:

·         Mid-July: Rockaways, Queens – Pace and Lime (Lime will offer regular bikes only until July 28)

·         Mid-to-late July: Central Bronx/Fordham area – JUMP and ofo

·         Mid-to-late July: North Shore of Staten Island -- JUMP and Lime

·        Later this year: Coney Island, Brooklyn: Motivate and potentially a company to be named later

During June, DOT visited affected community boards in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and on Staten Island, presenting plans and establishing final boundaries (see map above) for each of the pilot areas.  As part of this consultation process, DOT expanded the Rockaways pilot area, which now includes the entire peninsula.  DOT also adjusted its plans for Coney Island, where strong community concerns about current construction projects and summer crowding led to a postponement of the pilot there until later this year. 

The pilot will begin in mid-July as bikes start to arrive on a rolling basis to neighborhood streets.  Eventually, each neighborhood will host a minimum of 200 bikes that must remain within the pilot boundaries during the course of the pilot.   Each company’s pricing structure is expected to differ although dockless models around the country generally allow bikes to be rented in 30-minute increments via an app on a mobile phone, usually for $1 or $2 per ride.

During the pilot, DOT will carefully evaluate companies’ compliance with requirements around data accessibility and user privacy. Evaluation criteria will also include the safety, availability and durability of the bikes themselves.   In the evaluation period, DOT will also make a determination on future steps, including the possible implementation of pilots in different or expanded geographic areas.