Hikind Questions DOT Ocean Parkway Improvement Plan
Assemblyman Dov Hikind (Boro Park) last week sent a letter to State Department of Transportation Commissioner Matthew Driscoll requesting that the current improvement plan to Ocean Parkway be modified.
Under this plan, right turns from the mainline of Ocean Parkway onto Avenue J, Avenue P and Kings Highway will be eliminated, forcing drivers to turn a block earlier or later.
“We all agree that safety is the top priority. However, after requesting, receiving and reviewing a report of the accident pattern of high crash intersections from DOT, I am more perplexed,” said Hikind in the letter.
Hikind said the DOT cited numerous accident statistics to justify the above changes, but when he requested the same statistics from the local NYPD precincts, they showed no bicycle accidents for the past two years and hardly any pedestrian accidents at these intersections.
“I believe some of the planned changes will make Ocean Parkway less safe, create more traffic and leave motorists more confused,” said Hikind. “It will create more traffic along the service road and more of a hazard for pedestrians, especially children.”
Hikind said the changes also call for the removal of 15 valuable parking spaces along the service road along Ocean Parkway.
Hikind is urging everyone affected by these changes to contact NYS DOT Commissioner Driscoll at 518-457-4422 and urge him to modify this plan.
Donovan On This Weekend’s Bomb Explosion
Congressman Daniel Donovan (Southern Brooklyn, Staten Island) issued the following statement following the explosion of one bomb that injured 29 people and another that was unexploded in the Chelsea section of Manhattan.
As this post was written the investigation is ongoing as to who planted the bombs.
“The details of last night’s explosion in Chelsea are still evolving, but it serves as a reminder that New York City remains a top target for terrorists and those inspired to incite hateful violence. Thank you to the NYPD for their vigilance and constant dedication to protecting the citizens of the greatest city in the world,” said Donovan, who serves on the House Committee on Homeland Security and chairs the House Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications.
Education Advocates Demand More Charter Schools
Dacia Toll, Co-CEO and President of Achievement First charter schools,, and Ian Rowe, CEO of Public Preparatory Network, will join dozens of parents and representatives from KIPP, Uncommon Schools, and Coney Island Prep today to call on the de Blasio administration to support the opening of 50 new charter schools in public space over the next two years.
The charter advocates say that city data shows there are 150,000 available seats in district school buildings, while more than 40,000 students remain stuck on charter school waiting lists citywide.
A Families For Excellent Schools study released last week showed that doubling the size of New York City’s charter sector to 200,000 students would eliminate the achievement gap in the city’s most underserved communities, illustrating the urgent need for the charter sector to expand and serve more children.
The pro-charter school rally is slated for 10 a.m. on the steps of City Hall in Lower Manhattan.
Richardson Hosts Civic Minded Meeting
Assemblywoman Diana Richardson (Crown Heights, Lefferts Gardens) this weekend will host a Civic Minded Meeting so that constituents and stakeholders within her district can gain insightful information on issues affecting the community.
All community leaders, merchant organizations, block associations, clergy leaders, civic organizations, and concerned neighbors are welcome to join and participate.
The Civic Minded Meeting is slated for between 12 noon – 2 p.m. at MS 61, 400 Empire Boulevard in Crown Heights.
Cumbo, James M/WBE legislation Passes The City Council
The City Council last week voted to provide the public and city officials with better information to hold agencies accountable for meeting the objectives of the city’s minority and women-owned business enterprise (M/WBE) program, as well as promote collaborative efforts to encourage greater participation by minority and women-owned businesses in city contract procurement.
City Council Member Laurie Cumbo (Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights) and Public Advocate Letitia James co-sponsored two of the M/WBE Meausre.
Cumbo’s bill (Intro. 923-A) would require the City’s Economic Development Corporation to assess and evaluate entities receiving economic development benefits from the city to determine whether they met applicable M/WBE goals, and to submit this information to the Department of Small Business Services for an annual report to be presented to the Mayor and the Speaker of the Council.
Additionally, Cumbo sponsored a bill (Intro. 981-B) that would establish an advisory board to enhance city procurement opportunities for M/WBEs. The board’s responsibilities would be to advise the mayor on M/WBE issues and methods of increasing M/WBE participation in procurement, to provide information to firms owned by minorities and women about opportunities and programs for M/WBEs and to encourage them to certify as M/WBEs, and to educate relevant stakeholders and others in order to support the City’s efforts to increase M/WBE opportunities through regulatory and legislative changes.
James’ measure (Intro. 976-A) would require the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) to conduct mandatory trainings for agency chief contracting officers and agency M/WBE officers on how to better meet the objectives of the City’s M/WBE program.
“Minority and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) have been on the back burner for far too long,” said Cumbo. “I am proud to have worked alongside my colleagues in government and fierce advocates to bring greater transparency and accountability procedures to the forefront, in order to support and highlight opportunities to advance M/WBEs. This is a significant milestone, one of many more to come, in achieving our greater goal of providing these enterprises with more openings to participate in the procurement process, and to thrive in the City of New York’s business sector.”
