BP Adams Applauds MTA’s Launch Of Atlantic Ticket Field Study
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams applauded the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) introduction of the Atlantic Ticket Field Study yesterday.
The MTA voted to approve testing on the program expected to launch this June, that will see cuts to Long Island Railroad (LIRR) one-way fares to $5 and one-week passes to $60 — roughly half the regular cost — on trips to Atlantic Terminal from nine rail stations, according to initial reports.
The study is part of the broader Freedom Ticket pilot program, which would allow commuters from select areas of Queens and Brooklyn to buy one-way tickets, weekly or monthly passes that include a ride on the LIRR and then a transfer to the city’s subway and bus systems in an effort to provide seamless transfers and shorter commute times for outer borough residents.
“This change, which forms part of the Freedom Ticket pilot program that I called for last year, will undoubtedly benefit commuters living in central and eastern Brooklyn as well as southeastern Queens — areas of the city that have long-endured poor transit options, with few reliable ways of getting around,” said Adams.
“We must maximize the opportunity this field study presents us to expand commuters’ options, and ensure this pilot becomes a permanent solution to empowering our city’s residents to be able to travel to their destination seamlessly,” added Adams.
Espinal Announces Bill To Ban Plastic Straws
City Council member Rafael Espinal (D-East New York, Cypress Hills, Bushwick) joined local, national and international environmental advocates yesterday in launching a citywide campaign to dramatically reduce plastic straws.
Alongside groups like the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Sierra Club and Oceanic Global, Espinal announced legislation aimed at banning plastic straws in New York City establishments.
The bill states: No food service establishment or beverage service establishment in the city shall offer to consumers any single-use beverage straw or beverage stirrer made of plastic or any non-biodegradable material. The city will not issue penalties for the first two-years after the legislation has been enacted, only warnings and informational materials. The legislation makes exceptions for a person that requires a straw due to disability or medical condition and carries a penalty of $100 for the first violation after the allotted two years.
It is estimated that every year 100,000 marine creatures die from plastic entanglement in addition to 1 million seabirds. While plastic straws are among the most common litter found on beaches and in oceans, they are also among the easiest plastic to replace. Alternatives to plastic straws made of paper, bamboo, metal, or glass are readily available, and consumers can always skip the straw all together.
“It is estimated that there are 13 million metric tons of plastic clogging our oceans and that 100,000 marine creatures die from plastic entanglement a year. But, there is something we can do about this trend and it could be as simple as changing how you drink your iced coffee in the morning or your cocktail at night. Each day millions of plastic straws are used and discarded. With so many options available from paper to metal straws, we can make plastic a thing of the past,” said Espinal.
BK Lawmakers Hold Fair Fares Day of Action
City Council members Brand Lander (D-Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington), Inez Barron (D-East New York, East Flatbush, Brownsville, Canarsie) and Justin Brannan (D-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, Bensonhurst) will join Speaker Corey Johnson in holding a Fair Fares Day of Action today.
During the Day of Action, the Speaker and Council Members will distribute information and reach constituents at various subway stations to inform them of the Council’s proposal to include funds towards MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers in the FY 2019 Budget. Additionally, flyers from the event will urge New Yorkers to call on Mayor Bill de Blasio to support Fair Fares.
Under the `Fair Fares’ proposal, working-age New York City residents living at or below poverty ($24,339 for a family of four) would be eligible for half-priced MetroCards. It would save eligible city transit riders $726 annually off the cost of a monthly MetroCard.
The proposed fares program is currently supported by 47 out of 51 Council Members, the majority of citywide elected officials and borough presidents and over 60 community organizations.
The events are slated for today, May 24th:
CM Lander: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at 7th Avenue F & G Train Station
CM Barron : 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at Pennsylvania Avenue 3 Train Station
CM Brannan: 8 a.m., at 69th Street R Train Station
Golden Demands NYC Schools Chancellor “Leave Specialized Schools Alone”
State Senator Martin J. Golden (R-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend, Manhattan Beach) blasted new Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza yesterday for proposing to eliminate the test admissions process at the City’s eight specialized high schools.
The city’s specialized high schools currently have a have a separate, optional admissions process from the general High School Admissions application for entry. Eight of the Specialized High Schools base admission solely on your score on the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT). While, the well-known LaGuardia High School, requires an audition in a talent area and also reviews academic achievement.
On Wednesday, Carranza, the newly appointed education head, proposed completely eliminating the controversial single-test admissions process, in favor of more population diversity. Under the current policy, few black and Latino students gain entry to coveted schools like Stuyvesant HS, Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech, according to the New York Post. Additionally, admissions to the city’s top three schools – Stuyvesant, Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech – are currently dominated by Asian kids under the single-test system. They comprise 74 percent of the student population at Stuyvesant, 66 percent at Bronx Science and 61 percent at Brooklyn Tech, according to the Department of Education (DOE).
“Nobody should be opposed to providing opportunities and ensuring that every student has an equal opportunity for our seats in our specialized high schools. However, changes should be vetted. All stakeholders should be heard, and a consensus reached, before radical changes are made to a system which has been successful,” said Golden.
“Our specialized high schools should be protected and nurtured. If the Chancellor is serious about gutting the process that provides access to these schools, the Legislature might be forced to take action. I am committed to ensuring that our specialized high schools continue to be the institutions that provide opportunities and a brighter future for our students,” concluded Golden.
Brannan Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony For 87th Street Speed Bump
City Council member Justin Brannan (D-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, Bensonhurst) will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new speed bump on 87th Street.
The new safety measure will be close to P.S. 185 Walter Kassenbrock School and will go toward improving pedestrian and student safety in the area. The new speed bump is part of bill, 732-A, which requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to annually install a minimum of 50 speed humps on blocks adjacent to schools.
The event is slated for 12:30 p.m., today, May 24, at 87th Street (between 3rd Avenue and Ridge Boulevard) in Bay Ridge.
