FOLLOWING LAST MONTH’S VISIT TO MAMARONECK AND PERSONAL CALL TO OMB DIRECTOR, SCHUMER SECURES $1.5 BILLION FOR IDA-IMPACTED ARMY CORPS CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN DISASTER SUPPLEMENTAL; SENATOR SAYS NEW FUNDING CAN MOVE MAMARONECK PROJECT TO CONSTRUCTION PHASE ASAP

 

Schumer Secured Funding Through The Disaster Supplemental, And Following Commitment Secured From Acting OMB Director, Clears The Way For Stalled Mamaroneck And Sheldrake River Flood Risk Management Project

Schumer Says Protecting The Safety Of Mamaroneck Residents And Property Must Be Top Priority For Feds And Fast Tracks Funding To Get Shovels In The Ground; Project Would Construct Flood Defenses For Westchester Community That Has Been Victim Of Severe Flooding, Lost Lives, & Suffered Hundreds Of Millions In Damages 

Schumer: After Yet Another Deadly Flood Year, Mamaroneck Deserves Flood Protection NOW

 After visiting Mamaroneck to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Ida and making a direct personal appeal to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Acting Director Shalanda Young last month to urge the agency to greenlight the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake River Flood Risk Management Project (the Project), U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced that he has secured $1.5 billion in disaster supplemental aid to fast track Ida-impacted Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) construction projects. Schumer explained this means the Project could receive funding ASAP, bypassing several of the bureaucratic hiccups that have stalled construction for years.  The Project has been stalled for the past two years by the Trump administration based on faulty cost-benefit analysis, according to Schumer, despite strong support from the USACE, which would provide the boots on the ground necessary for construction.

“Following the horrible flooding in Mamaroneck last month, which caused millions of dollars in damage, terrorized the community, and claimed the life of one person, I’m proud to deliver funding for Ida-affected communities, and am also pleased about getting the feds to finally greenlight the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake River Flood Risk Management Project,” said Senator Schumer. “The past administration bottled up this vital flood mitigation project in OMB bureaucratic jail based on faulty logic, and I’ve worked day and night for the last month to bust that logjam. The federal government is one step closer to moving forward with the flood-protection Project for Mamaroneck and nearby communities and finally protecting a community that has suffered for decades because of severe flooding.”

“I want to thank U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer for recognizing that the residents of Mamaroneck, and the surrounding communities, need serious and immediate infrastructure help to combat the devastating flooding that has been plaguing the area for decades.  People have lost it all – time and time again – during Tropical Storm Ida a life was lost – this is beyond a minor water inconvenience of a 100 year storm.  Getting the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake River Flood Risk Management Project moving forward is a lifeline that is desperately needed,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer.

Schumer visited Mamaroneck the day after Hurricane Ida hit the region, where disadvantaged residents living in the USACE project zone reported 14-feet of water flooding the area forcing them to evacuate their homes and seek shelter in the dead of night. There were over 150 water rescues, 535 flooded homes, 1,000 people displaced, and 310 abandoned cars. The Village has reported over $18M in damages and over $75M in residential and commercial damage. Five Westchester residents also tragically lost their lives in the flooding, including one in Mamaroneck bringing the total number of people who have died in Mamaroneck as a result of the persistent flooding to three in the past 25 years.

The Project was first imagined in response to a 2007 Nor’easter storm, which produced record flooding in the Village of Mamaroneck, equivalent to a one percent flood event. Senator Schumer travelled to the area the day after the storm to personally survey the extent of the significant damage. The 2007 event caused over $50 million in damages and impacted over 50 percent of total structures within the study area. The storm resulted in floodwaters peaking on the Mamaroneck River in approximately four hours, and in approximately six hours on the Sheldrake River. As such, the evacuation time for approximately 19,000 residents in the Village of Mamaroneck was severely restricted and created a high-risk situation. Over 40 percent of Mamaroneck residents required evacuation assistance prior to floodwaters peaking, including a large population of children that attended a school located within the epicenter of the severe flooding.

Following this, in March of 2010, a Design Agreement was signed by the Army Corps, NYS Department of Conservation (NYSDEC), and Westchester County for a Preconstruction Engineering and Design study. During this time, severe flooding again occurred during Hurricanes Irene and Lee in 2011. The flooding extended several blocks on both sides of Mamaroneck Avenue. The repeated disasters, including shoreline flooding from Superstorm Sandy in 2012, caused extensive damage and severely impacted the local economy. Following a $4.7 million Schumer-secured study by the Army Corps, the project was recommended by the Chief of Engineers and Schumer successfully fought to authorize this project for construction in the 2018 America’s Water Infrastructure Act. However, in February of 2020 it was discovered that the Trump administration would not move forward with the construction of the project because of the Benefit-Cost Ratio used by OMB, sparking community concern and outrage.

Upon completion, the Project would reduce flood risk for the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake River Basins and protect residents and business owners by constructing retaining walls and a diversion culvert. The project would also enable the deepening and widening of river channels, elevate structures, and remove/replace 2 vehicular bridges that constrict flood flow. The plan is estimated to potentially reduce average annual damages by approximately 87 percent and help reduce the risk of loss of life.

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - OCTOBER 10, 2021

 

48,326 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours

34 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.  

"Getting vaccinated is the best thing you can do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe against COVID-19," Governor Hochul said. "We recently hit an important milestone of eighty-five percent of adult New Yorkers with their first dose and we get closer to ninety percent every day. The vaccine is safe, effective and readily available - if you haven't already, get yours as soon as possible." 

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Test Results Reported - 108,006
• Total Positive - 2,785
• Percent Positive - 2.58%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 2.49%
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,045 (-75)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 253
• Patients in ICU - 456 (-6)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 243 (-11)
• Total Discharges - 203,462
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 34
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 44,876

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 57,047

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.

• Total vaccine doses administered - 25,899,222
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 48,326
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 420,638
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 82.6%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 74.7%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 85.1%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 76.3%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 70.0%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 63.1%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 72.2%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 64.5%

DOI INVESTIGATION LEADS TO ARREST OF CITY HOUSING INSPECTOR WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING PRESERVATION & DEVELOPMENT ON SEXUAL ABUSE AND RELATED CHARGES

 

 Margaret Garnett, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced today the arrest of a Housing Inspector with the City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (“HPD”) on charges of sexually abusing a Section 8 tenant during an inspection of a Brooklyn home in the HPD affordable housing program. DOI initiated this investigation after NYPD referred to DOI allegations of misconduct during a housing inspection. The Office of Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez is prosecuting the matter. 

 DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said, “All tenants, including those in the Section 8 program, must feel safe and comfortable when allowing an inspection of their apartment by a City housing inspector. These charges gravely undermine the implicit trust that tenants should have when they open their door to the City and demonstrate troubling and unacceptable behavior for anyone, most especially someone assigned to go into New Yorkers’ homes. DOI thanks the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for its partnership in investigating and prosecuting this matter and HPD for its cooperation in this investigation.

 DAVID MARTINEZ, 70, of Ozone Park, Queens, was charged with two counts of Forcible Touching, a class A misdemeanor; two counts of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree, a class B misdemeanor; and one count of Harassment, a violation. Upon conviction, a class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year’s incarceration; a class B misdemeanor is punishable by up to three months’ incarceration; and a violation is punishable by up to 15 days’ incarceration. 

 MARTINEZ has been employed by HPD since June 2004 and has been placed on modified duty as a result of this investigation. MARTINEZ currently earns an annual salary of approximately $61,598.

 According to the criminal complaint and DOI’s investigation, in January 2020, the defendant was routed by HPD to a Section 8 tenant’s Brooklyn apartment to conduct a Housing Quality Standard inspection, a biennial inspection conducted in Section 8 apartments. During the inspection, the defendant placed his hands on the tenant’s body, and just prior to leaving the apartment the defendant engaged in sexual contact.

 DOI Commissioner Garnett thanked Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and his staff for their partnership on and prosecution of this matter. Commissioner Garnett also thanked HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll for her and her staff’s cooperation on this investigation.

A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Round the Clock is the New Rush Hour: Comptroller Stringer Releases New Transit Data and Plan to Better Serve Commuters in a Post-COVID Economy

 

New data shows that 61 percent of essential service industry jobs – in food, accommodations, healthcare, retail, building, and personal services– occur mostly outside the typical 9am-5pm workday and are located outside of Manhattan

As subway and bus ridership struggle to climb back to pre-pandemic levels, Comptroller Stringer releases report on ridership variations found by borough, time of day, and transit mode, underscoring the need to better align public transit with today’s economy

Stringer calls for six-minute subway and high-ridership bus service throughout the day to better serve working people; flipping the State gas tax to better fund public transit; 60 miles of dedicated bus lanes and busways; and increased affordable housing production near existing subway stations

New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released new transit data and set of policy recommendations in response to decreased public transit ridership and an emerging need for reforms as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact on the city’s workforce and commuting patterns.

Comptroller Stringer’s report, “Beyond Rush Hour: COVID-19 and the Future of Public Transit,”highlights significant variations in subway ridership by borough, by time of day, and by transit mode amid the pandemic. Comptroller Stringer outlines a variety of recommendations to address new and existing changes to the city’s public transit system in a post-COVID landscape: implement six-minute subway and high-ridership bus service throughout the day to better serve the city’s growing legions of shift workers; flip the State gas tax within the 12-county Metropolitan Commuting Transit District so that the lion’s share of funding goes to support public transit, not roads and bridges; open up the vast commuter rail network within the five boroughs; create 60 miles of dedicated bus lanes and busways; increase affordable housing production near existing stations; meet the transit service needs of women, parents, and caregivers; reopen closed subway station entrances; and pass the Commute Trip Reduction law so thatemployers incentivize public transit commuting among the workforce.

Comptroller Stringer’s report reveals transportation discrepancies among blue-collar workers and white-collar workers, with the former using public transportation to travel to in-person jobs more often than the latter:

• 61 percent of jobs in shift work or service industries that do not abide by the typical 9am-5pm workday—like food, accommodations, healthcare, retail, building, and personal services—are located outside of Manhattan.

• 89 percent of jobs that are well suited for remote and hybrid work—including finance, insurance, tech, media, and other professional service—are located in Manhattan.

“The data is clear: the new rush hour is around the clock—and we need to reform our outdated transit system to meet people when and where they are in a post-pandemic economy,” said Comptroller Stringer. “Frontline workers and New Yorkers in face-to-face jobs can’t afford to wait endlessly at platforms andbus stops for trains and buses that never come. If we want to reduce congestion and encourage people  return to public transit, we need to invest in changes that make public transit an accessible and convenient option for every commuter at every time of day.”

Comptroller Stringer’s report outlines key data points that support the need to better align public transit with today’s economy. The results of these changes have left the city’s transit system with unresolved challenges—namely declining farebox revenues and service that does not benefit ridership that is disproportionately lower income, living and working outside of Manhattan, likely to work in face-to-face industries, and more dependent on off-peak subway and bus service.

• From 2019 to 2020, farebox revenue dropped by $2.9 billion while traffic congestion swelled up city streets.
• Currently, typical subway ridership is 50 percent below pre-pandemic levels and bus ridership is down 40 percent– but there are variations by borough and time of day and week:
  • Subway ridership was down 66 percent and bus ridership down 52 percent in Manhattan from 2019 to 2020; the respective numbers in the Bronx decreased by a modest 53 percent and 37 percent.
  • Decreases in subway and bus ridership  were noticeably smaller in the early morning, when many essential workers have to get to work. While subway ridership was down 62 percent in 2020 and bus ridership down 44 percent, in the early morning hours (5 a.m. to 7 a.m.), subway ridership fell by a more modest 48 percent and bus ridership by only 32%.
  • Meanwhile, weekend ridership has recovered at a faster rate than weekday ridership. As of September 2021, weekend subway ridership reached 65 percent of pre-pandemic levels, while weekday ridership hovered at an anemic 51 percent.

To better serve transit riders throughout the five boroughs, Comptroller Stringer’s report outlines the following policy recommendations:

1. Engage employers to incentivize sustainable commuting among their workforces

New York should follow the lead of Washington State and encourage employers to subsidize public transportation expenses for their workforce. To this end, the State should pass the Commute Trip Reduction law, requiring all worksites with 100 or more employees to survey employees, submit a biennial commute trip reduction plan, and incentivize commuting trips via bus, train, biking, bikeshare, and other sustainable modes.  Special emphasis should be paid to hospitals, hotels, and other large employers outside of Manhattan to encourage them to provide monthly MetroCards and Citi Bike memberships for their employees. To assist and participate in these efforts, the City should create an inter-agency task force designed to reduce car dependency within New York City and increase public transit ridership.

2. Rebalance and increase the gas tax within the 12-county Metropolitan Commuting Transit District to better fund public transit

Currently, only about a third of its proceeds go to public transit, while the rest is poured into maintaining roads, bridges and outdated highways.  Now is the time for the State to reform its gas taxes to help pay for future transit improvements. Within the 12 county “metropolitan commuter transportation district,” gas taxes should be rebalanced so that roughly two-thirds of the revenue is devoted to public transit.

3. Implement the “New York City in Six” service plan, so that all subway routes and high-ridership bus routes arrive at least every six minutes throughout the day, seven days a week

The MTA should increase subway, bus, and commuter rail frequencies to ensure adequate social distancing and align with the largely off-peak, non-Manhattan commuting patterns of those who cannot work remotely. Each subway line and the 100 highest ridership bus routes should run at a minimum of every six minutes throughout the day, seven days a week — a marked improvement to New York City Transit’s current standards.

4. Congress Must Pass the “Stronger Communities through Better Transit” Act 

The federal government must step up and support subway, bus, and commuter rail service throughout the country – especially as farebox revenues fall and deficits soar. This is not the time to allow transit service to decline and leave nurses, grocery store clerks, waiters, janitors, and security guards waiting in the cold for buses and trains that rarely arrive. Instead, Congress must pass the Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act, providing direct grants for public transit operating expenses.

As it stands, federal transit agencies are largely restricted to capital funding and grants cannot be used towards more frequent and reliable transit service. These restrictions have always been misguided and, given the lasting impact of the pandemic on remote work and ridership, have become particularly egregious. The funding allotted through the Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act would provide approximately $3 billion to the MTA each year and cover anticipated farebox losses in the coming years.

5. Stop squandering our vast commuter rail network

With suburban, white collar commuters likely to work from home for the immediate future, there is a distinct opportunity to open up the 41 Metro-North and LIRR stations located within the five boroughs. Moving forward, the fare for all in-city trips should be reduced to the price of a MetroCard and transfers between commuter rail, subway, and bus should be free. Free transfers should also be extended to suburban commuters and trains should run at a minimum of every 15 minutes all day, every day.

6. Add 35 miles of Dedicated Bus Lanes and Busways each year

The Department of Transportation should add 35 miles of bus-only corridors and dedicated, protected bus lanes each year to reduce crowding and alleviate pressure on the subway system. This can be quickly achieved by targeting one-way avenues in Manhattan and throughout the five boroughs and converting them to two-way travel with one avenue set aside for car traffic and the parallel avenue exclusive for buses and bikes.

7. Improve Transit Access by Increasing Affordable Housing Production near existing Stations and Expanding the Subway System

First, the City should rezone and subsidize the development of deeply affordable housing around subway stations in residential areas with less than 5,000 daily riders to maximize access to the subway for those who cannot work from home. This can simultaneously address New York City’s twin challenges of affordable housing and rail access.

Second, extending the subway down Utica Avenue in Brooklyn and rebuilding the Nostrand Junction should also be a longer-term priorities to improve connectivity for working New Yorkers and communities of color outside of Manhattan.

8. Reopen closed subway station entrances to improve access and speed up commute times 

Out of the MTA’s 468 subway stations, more than one hundred have at least one street-level entrance that has been permanently closed. More than 60 percent of these stations are located outside of Manhattan, restricting public transit access beyond Manhattan. The MTA should create a five-year plan to reopen all of these entrances by 2027, which will speed up access to subway platforms for thousands of New Yorkers and shorten their daily commutes.

To read Comptroller Stringer’s latest transit policy report,“Beyond Rush Hour: Covid-19 and the Future of Public Transit,” click here.

Bronx Community Board 8 Fighting a Homeless Shelter, while Bronx Community Board 11 Does NOTHING

Bronx Community Board 8 reacts to a proposed 130 Single adult men's homeless shelter anticipated to open Fall 2023. 

Here is Bronx Community Board 11's response to a proposed 140 single adult men's shelter, the third after two 200  single adult male homeless shelters.

October 08, 2021

Jeremy Warneke

District Manager

Community Board 11

1741 Colden Avenue

Bronx, NY 10462

Dear Mr. Warneke,

I am writing to provide you with notification regarding the planned opening of the following program:

Shelter: 2028 White Plains Road, Bronx, NY

• Capacity/population: 140 Single Adults

• Nonprofit service provider: Westhab

• Anticipated opening: Fall 2022

That's right NOTHING.

Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association presents our October 2021 meeting!

 

Join us as the PPNA has their monthly community  meeting  on Tuesday  October  12, 2021 at 7pm at our new location 2134 Barnes Avenue (on the corner of Lydig Avenue and Barnes Avenue). We will welcome from the NYC Dept of Sanitation Citywide Community Affairs Officer Mr. Stephen J. Caruso Jr.  This is your opportunity to bring your issues, questions and concerns and problems  to this meeting. Involvement from the community  is essential  to having a safe ,clean, and graffiti  free neighborhood.  Its time to get  involved in your community  and stay involved .Your  problems get addressed and action taken. Show  up  and speak up! 

Housing Lottery Launches For 65 Buchanan Place In University Heights, The Bronx

 

65 Buchanan Place in University Heights, The Bronx via NYC Housing Connect

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 65 Buchanan Place, a seven-story mixed-use building in University Heights, The Bronx. Designed by Asher Hershkowitz Architect and developed by Craig Nassi of BCN Development, the structure yields 23 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are seven units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $60,515 to $139,620.

Amenities include a shared laundry room and a virtual doorman. Units come with name-brand appliances and finishes, air conditioning, energy-efficient appliances, and either a patio or balcony. Tenants are responsible for electricity.

At 130 percent of the AMI, there are seven one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,765 for incomes ranging from $60,515 to $139,620.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than November 1, 2021.

83 Days and Counting

 

My administration has proposed a third single adult men's shelter in Bronx Community Board 11. That did not stop me from marching in the 44th Annual Morris Park Columbus Day Parade. Some people didn't like me, they called me names I can't write here, among other things. I also got to pass Loreto Park where my Parks Department has stopped work. 

Here I am marching with Councilman Mark Gjonaj, Assemblyman Michael Benedetto Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark and the next Bronx Borough Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson. Don't worry there were plenty of police at the parade to protect your mayor, that's the 49th Precinct Commanding Office Deputy Inspector Natiw, with Community Affairs office Graham behimd me. I saw police from almost every Bronx Precinct, and even a special detail from Central Park to keep me safe from all those people who said bad things at me, but I just kept smiling.