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Saturday, November 4, 2023
Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Business News You Can Use
Friday, November 3, 2023
State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli Statement Regarding Antisemitism and New York's Response:
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli issued the following statement regarding antisemitism and New York's response:
"The antisemitic threats and incidents we’ve seen on college campuses, on city streets, and online have no place in our society. Antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate directed at any community must be denounced in all their forms. We cannot and will not tolerate intimidation in any community or at any institution.
"I fully support Governor Kathy Hochul's bold and smart actions today to protect Jewish and Muslim New Yorkers. I have confidence that Judge Lippman’s review of the City University of New York’s policies and procedures related to antisemitism and discrimination will help protect Jewish students and faculty.
"We stand with one voice in saying hate has no place in New York."
Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams Announce Launch of Induction Stove Challenge to Electrify Cooking Systems at New York City Public Housing Apartments
NYCHA, NYPA, and NYSERDA Partner to Issue Request for Proposals Seeking Manufacturers to Produce a New Class of Induction Stove
Program to Lead to Installation of 10,000 Modern, Induction Stoves in NYC Public Housing
Initial Pilot Program to Install Prototype Induction Stoves in 100 NYCHA Apartments
Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams today announced that New York State is partnering with New York City to launch the Induction Stove Challenge through the release of a request for proposal calling on appliance manufacturers to design and produce energy-efficient, induction stoves to replace existing gas stoves while avoiding costly electrical upgrades in New York City Housing Authority buildings. NYCHA, the New York Power Authority, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority first announced the competitive innovation challenge in July, which promises to ultimately lead to the deployment of 10,000 induction stoves in NYCHA apartments.
“Every New Yorker deserves to live in a safe, healthy home," Governor Hochul said. “This innovative new partnership between the City and State will lead to the development of a new class of induction stovetops – ultimately providing NYCHA residents with state-of-the-art appliances in their homes. New York will continue to lead the nation with our commitments to climate justice and innovative clean energy solutions.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “After decades of federal disinvestment in public housing — a bedrock for so many working New Yorkers — it’s long past time to get creative about how we build NYCHA for the future. But our administration is and has been ready to go. The Induction Stove Challenge will deliver energy efficient and cost-effective stoves to NYCHA residents in more than 100 apartments, and we will use the results of this important effort to identify any next steps worth taking.”
The Request for Proposal (RFP), which was issued by NYPA on November 3, invites manufacturers to submit proposals that include innovative solutions for new induction stoves that can be installed in older buildings using standard 120-volt, 20-amp outlets. Once one or two manufacturers are selected, they will have up to 24 months to design, prototype, and produce 100 units of the new product for testing during the challenge’s pilot phase. The units will be installed in up to 100 NYCHA apartments, with new cookware provided to each participating household, with the intent of providing best-in-class, comfortable cooking as well as health and quality of life benefits to NYCHA residents. Manufacturers participating in the challenge are required to work with industry testing and safety standards organizations such as Underwriter Laboratories to achieve certification for novel technologies prior to the pilot phase.
Successful testing of the selected product will trigger a large-scale purchase order of at least 10,000 units from NYCHA. The effort will demonstrate to building owners the promise of an affordable conversion to efficient induction cooking, and to manufacturers regarding the potential of a broader residential market for the new induction stove products. The initial purchase will support dozens of NYCHA buildings in fully electrifying their energy systems and displacing fossil fuel use.
To ensure that the new induction stoves can serve a large, national market, NYSERDA is engaging other states, municipalities, and housing providers across North America to generate interest in the results of the challenge. In this way, the challenge will build a pipeline of potential demand from others pursuing cooking electrification, aligning NYCHA’s product specifications with the needs of the broader market. Twelve agencies representing more than 300,000 housing units have already signed up to support the initiative.
Responses to the RFP are due on January 9, 2024.
The Induction Stove challenge is modeled after another successful State-City partnership, the Clean Heat for All Challenge, in which NYCHA, NYPA, and NYSERDA invited manufacturers to develop and produce a new electrification product to better serve multifamily buildings’ heating and cooling needs and hasten the transition to fossil-free heating sources at NYCHA campuses.
The Induction Stove program is representative of NYCHA’s Sustainability Agenda. Launched in 2021, the Housing Authority announced an ambitious recommitment to address climate change. Informed by 10 months of engagement with NYCHA residents, City agencies, community-based organizations, and technical experts, the Authority’s agenda focuses on taking a holistic approach to building renovations and community needs.
MAYOR ADAMS, DOT COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, LYFT ANNOUNCE EXPANSION, IMPROVEMENTS TO CITI BIKE SYSTEM AS RIDERSHIP REACHES RECORD HIGHS
City and Lyft Will More Than Double Number of E-Bikes, Create Pathway to Electrify Stations, and Provide New Benefits for Members
Citi Bike Surpassed Single-Day Ridership Record, Reached 200 Million All-Time Rides, and Opened 2,000th Station in September
Adams Administration on Track to Install Record Number of Protected Bike Lanes in 2023
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, and Lyft today unveiled plans to expand and improve the Citi Bike system to meet ridership demand and growth and to promote cycling and micromobility. By the end of next year, Citi Bike will double its electric bike fleet and pilot at least two electrified charging/docking stations, with plans to electrify 20 percent of stations in the coming years. Citi Bike will also introduce new price caps to its e-bike pricing model, and has already added 2,800 classic bikes and replaced 2,200 existing bikes as a part of its Phase 3 expansion.
Since its launch 10 years ago, Citi Bike has become a ubiquitous part of the fabric of New York City, and now is the largest bike share program in the nation and the fastest-growing transportation network in the city’s history with 200 million all-time rides. Lyft and the city have doubled the system’s number of docking from 1,000 in August 2020 to 2,000 in September 2023. In August 2023, the system set a monthly record with over 4 million rides, up 63 percent from 2019. A record-breaking 161,422 Citi Bike rides took place on October 28, 2023, representing approximately one-quarter of the total estimated cycling trips on an average day in New York City. Additionally, as of October 29, there have been 30.7 million Citi Bike rides this calendar year – setting a new annual record with more than two months left in the year.
“Biking in New York City wouldn’t be what it is today without Citi Bike, and we’re launching a new era of our city’s two-wheeled history by expanding and improving this system,” said Mayor Adams. “I’ve biked all across the city — from High Bridge to the Brooklyn Bridge — and this agreement with Lyft ensures that public bike share will be available for New Yorkers to do the same for the next decade. As we work every day to promote safe cycling on bikes and e-bikes, we will never stop making it greener, cleaner, and easier for all New Yorkers to travel across our great city.”
“Our shared bike system has become a fundamental part of our transportation network as more New Yorkers choose to bike every year,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “We’re glad to extend our congratulations to Citi Bike for setting a new monthly record of four million rides in August. We're excited to continue this partnership, expand the Citi Bike service to more communities, and add a greater share of e-bikes to the total fleet.”
“We’ve seen bike share grow to become an essential part of New York City’s transportation landscape, with hundreds of thousands of Citi Bike trips taken every week. Biking is often the fastest way to get around the city—and these new initiatives will make Citi Bike an even more convenient option for commuters,” said DOT Commissioner Rodriguez. “We look forward to working with Lyft on these important program improvements.”
“E-bikes are a game changer, and New Yorkers are continually raising the bar, riding and enjoying them more every week this year,” said Caroline Samponaro, vice president for micromobility and transit policy, Lyft. “Riding an e-bike makes the Big Apple feel small, helping riders cross bridges and travel longer distances in less time without breaking a sweat.”
Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, New York City has launched and completed significant bike infrastructure and greenway projects across all five boroughs. After winning a $7.25 million federal grant, the Adams administration launched a groundbreaking effort to expand the Harlem River Greenway seven miles into the Bronx — delivering critical public space in a community too often left behind. The administration has also completed and launched major bike infrastructure projects in East New York in Brooklyn, on Soundview Avenue in the Bronx, on Third Avenue in Manhattan, and more.
The Citi Bike system has grown to more than 30,000 bikes and 2,000 stations, more than quadrupling its fleet from 6,000 bikes and 332 stations at launch in May 2013. After the completion of the current Phase 3 expansion, Citi Bike will have deployed more than 40,000 bikes. . This year’s expansion areas include Ditmas Park and Flatbush in Brooklyn; Jackson Heights, Corona, and Elmhurst in Queens; and Bathgate and Marble Hill in the Bronx.
Expanded E-bike Fleet: Citi Bike will double its electric fleet by the end of next year. Pedal-assist e-bikes enable travel over longer distances and inclines like bridges, while also making daily bicycling accessible to more people. E-bikes have been a major contributor to Citi Bike ridership growth as hundreds of thousands of riders took their first ride on an e-bike last year. E-bike rides have increased from less than 14 percent of rides in 2020 to over 46 percent so far this year, despite making up about one-fifth of the fleet. In addition to providing a great riding experience for users, the entire Citi Bike e-bike fleet uses safe UL-certified batteries.
Additionally, DOT will launch a public awareness campaign on safe e-bike operations, focused on educating New Yorkers about how to properly accelerate, brake, and operate at an appropriate speed. The campaign will include both public marketing and direct community education to help newer riders know what to expect when they operate an e-bike.
Station Electrification: To enhance e-bike fleet growth, DOT and Lyft will pilot a grid-connected charging station later this year, with a goal of electrifying stations over the coming years. Electrified stations improve e-bike availability for riders by substantially increasing the number of bikes with sufficient battery charge and improving operational efficiency. Currently, e-bike batteries are charged in a warehouse and manually swapped at the station. Once the charging station network is built, DOT and Lyft will explore how operational cost savings can be passed along to riders.
Member Benefits and Access: Starting in January 2024, all new annual Citi Bike memberships and renewals will come with 60 free e-bike minutes. Members will never have to pay an additional fee to ride a bike when only e-bikes are left in a station. On Citi Bike’s next-generation e-bike, members will be able to choose in the app whether they prefer to ride with full assist — requiring more battery usage — at $0.17 per minute or a low-assist ride free for the first 45 minutes. Citi Bike key fobs will also be available for free for annual members who do not have smartphones or prefer to ride without using them.
Price Controls: Contractual price controls are being extended to per-minute prices for e-bikes, which were previously uncapped. Under the new cap, pricing this year cannot exceed $0.24 per minute for members, $0.36 for non-members, and $0.12 per minute for reduced-fare bike share members. The price ceiling takes into account the increasing cost of e-bike operations, with adjustments tied to economy-wide inflation in future years. Additionally, the existing cap on the Citi Bike annual membership price will be lowered from $230 to $210. An annual Citi Bike membership costs $205 this year, below the cap. Citi Bike pricing is not changing at this time.
Improving the Classic Pedal Bike Experience: Lyft will expand the classic pedal bike fleet by 2,800 bikes as part of the Phase 3 expansion. In addition, Lyft will replace 2,200 classic bikes, some of which date back to the launch of the system in May 2013, with brand-new bikes.
Equity: The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, DOT, and Lyft are continuing their successful Summer Youth Employment Program partnership to provide free rides and Citi Bike Unlocked safety training to participants. This fall, Lyft is partnering with DOT to run a reduced-fare bike share outreach and marketing campaign to expand community awareness about the Citi Bike membership program.
Safety: As part of the expansion of the e-bike fleet, Lyft and DOT have decided that the top assistive speed for pedal-assist Citi Bikes will be set at 18 MPH. This year, Citi Bike is partnering with local ride leaders to hold nearly 80 free community rides for new and current riders. Each ride begins with a safety course by the ride leader. All Citi Bike riders, whether they are experienced or new to urban biking, are required to review a safety guide in our app before their first ride to help them feel more comfortable and confident. Citi Bike also provides safety tips and resources — both on their website and by email to all riders. Additionally, Lyft will continue to work with DOT to develop measures to prevent underage riding, passenger riding in baskets or on fenders, and other unsafe behaviors as the pedal-assist fleet expands.
Statement from NYGOP Chair Ed Cox Re: Israel - Hamas
NYGOP Chair Ed Cox released the following statement in response to reports that the Biden Administration will press Israel for “pauses” in its existential war with Hamas:
“For weeks, antisemitic mobs have been raging in cities and on campuses across America. Rather than calling these mobs out for what they are doing – aiding and abetting the barbaric enemies of Western civilization – Joe Biden, as his poll ratings have dropped, has bowed to their pressure by stumbling into calls for a ‘pause’ (in reality a ceasefire).
“In war, there is no substitute for victory. There cannot be a ‘pause’ in Israel’s campaign to defend itself from an existential threat and to rescue the hostages held by Hamas thugs in Gaza. Biden has never understood that, especially in the mideast, strength, and the will to use it where necessary, is the only path to peace.
“The Republican Party will, as it always has, stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel as they eradicate the Hamas terrorists, move to strengthen the Abraham Accords and, from a position of strength, face the ultimate Iranian terrorist threat.”