Simon, Kavanagh Want State Help In Speeding Up BQE Fix
Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon (D-Downtown Brooklyn, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill) and State Sen. Brian Kavanagh (D-Northern Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan) today are holding a rally today to pressure Gov. Andrew Cuomo to approve a measure that would speed up mandated repairs of a crumbling section of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in Downtown Brooklyn.
The triple cantilevered portion of the BQE below the Montague Street Promenade (triple cantilever) must be replaced. It carries 154,000 vehicles, including many large-sized trucks a day. You can read more about it here.
The city’s Department of Transportation made clear the urgency of using the streamlined “Design-Build,” procurement process, which gives contracts to separate firms for each phase. Design-build would speed up the project by combining the bidding for design and construction. This is done throughout the country, and the state utilized this method of road work in the recent Kosciuszko
If the triple cantilever is not completed by 2026 – which will only be possible with Design-Build – DOT will likely have to divert over 16,000 trucks daily from the highway onto local streets. Thus Simon and Kavanagh are leading a bi-partisan for Cuomo to include Design-Build authority in his proposed budget.
Cumbo Holds Conference Call For Discretionary Funding Applications
City Council Member Laurie Cumbo (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights) today will hold a conference call with not-for-for profit organizations seeking city council discretionary funds.
“As a member of this legislative body and now the [Council] majority leader, it has always been important to me that we educate eligible not-for-profit organizations- large or small- on this incredible opportunity to secure funding that will offset their operational costs and help expand programming,” said Cumbo.
The Conference call will answer general questions about the City Council discretionary application process. is slated for 10 a.m., today, Feb. 9. The Dial-in Number is (712) 775-7031. The meeting ID number is :776-764-598. For more information visit https://council.nyc.gov/budget/fy2019/.
Deutsch To Hold Three Fire Safety Forums
City Council Member Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest) will hold three fire safety forums with the FDNY and American Red Cross.
Don’t miss these opportunities to learn fire prevention and preparedness tips, to address your fire safety questions directly to the FDNY experts, and to sign up for free smoke alarms with installation.
The fire safety forums are slated for between 7-8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 15 at Trump Village Section 3, 458 Neptune Avenue in Coney Island; from 6-7 p.m., Monday, Feb.21 at the Apna Community Center, 236 Neptune Avenue (corner of Brighton 7 Street) in Brighton Beach; and from 6:30-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 21 at PS 193, 2515 Avenue L in Midwood.
Hamilton Introduces Measure Decriminalizing Fare Evasion
State Sen. Jesse Hamilton (D-Central Brooklyn) yesterday introduced legislation that would reduce the criminal code on subway fare evasion from a misdemeanor to a civil penalty.
The proposed measure comes after recent comments Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, MTA Chair Joe Lhota, and Manhattan DA Cy Vance in support of criminal justice reform regarding fare evasion.
Senate bill S.4841-C will no longer make it a misdemeanor for fare evasion of subways and buses. Instead, the offense will be a civil penalty of $100 administered by the MTA’s Transit Adjudication Bureau. For minors or offenders at or below 250% of the poverty line, approximately $30,000 household income, they will have the option of performing mandated community service instead of paying a $100 fine that they cannot afford.
In 2017, Hamilton issued a report titled, “Turning Lives Around: The Need to Decriminalize Turnstile Jumping,” detailing the breakdown of arrests, misdemeanor convictions, and jail sentences resulting from turnstile jumping over the past four years. People of color represent 92% of turnstile jumping arrests.
“We need to radically rethink our approach to policing and crimes of poverty. This measure on fare evasion takes a step in that direction and brings us closer to dismantling Broken Windows policing. Shifting from criminal to civil action means nearly 30,000 fewer New Yorkers will face the nightmare of an arrest, potential for a criminal record, loss of housing, or even deportation,” said Hamilton.
“We must lift that daunting burden placed on our fellow New Yorkers over $2.75. These are our friends and neighbors, these are people who may just be trying to get to school, or to work, or to a doctor’s appointment,” he added.
