Gounardes Launches Southern Brooklyn Pedestrian Safety Task Force
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend, Gerritsen Beach, Manhattan Beach, Marine Park) yesterday announced the Launch of the Southern Brooklyn Pedestrian Safety Task Force, in which community and advocacy stakeholders will identify problem areas and craft potential solutions to make local streets safer.
The effort, part of Gounardes’ staunch commitment to alleviating issues that have resulted in numerous pedestrian casualties and fatalities in notoriously dangerous intersections of Brooklyn, will bring a number of stakeholder voices to the table.
It also comes after Jan. 14, when the neighborhoods of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights experienced 17 motor vehicle incidents in a single day. With increasing community outcry, Gounardes and other elected leaders have relentlessly called upon City agencies, including the NYPD, to crack down on reckless drivers.
The Southern Brooklyn Pedestrian Safety Task Force will include community members, pedestrian safety advocates, and others who will collaborate on cross-functional strategies to dramatically improve safety on our streets.
“The safety of our streets is paramount,” said Gounardes. “I applaud efforts by the DOT, NYPD and pedestrian safety advocates who’ve tirelessly worked to find common sense solutions and new, innovative ideas to address the issue, but we need to do much, much more. These serious injuries and fatalities are preventable through effective policies, engineering, community engagement, and enforcement. What we need is not just a “few” more speed cameras and countdown signals to be put in place, but a complete overhaul. This Task Force is the first of many steps I plan to take to ensure that safety is unapologetically our first priority.”
The Southern Brooklyn Pedestrian Task Force will meet on a bi-monthly basis. The community will receive regular updates via social media and the Senator’s website. Additional updates, including members, date and time of the kickoff meeting, and goals will be announced in the coming weeks.
Ortiz Decries ICE Arrests, Wants Congressional Action
Assemblymember Felix Ortiz (D-Sunset Park, Red Hook) yesterday decried the large uptick in local ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) arrests and implored Congress to take legislation to address immigration reform.
According to the New York City Mayor’s Office, the federal ICE law enforcement agency increased its number of local arrests by 88% and arrests of individuals with no criminal convictions by 414% compared against the number of arrests in the last year of the Obama Administration.
Total local ICE arrests increased by 40% since late 2016 and continued to go up by an additional 35% last year. These increases show an 88% overall increase in ICE arrests.
“People are living in fear of ICE,” said Ortiz, the Assistant Assembly Speaker. “It’s time for Congress to take up responsible immigration reform legislation and put New Yorkers at ease over increased ICE raids.”
Cymbrowitz On NYCHA Announcement
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach), chair of the Assembly’s Housing Committee, yesterday called on Gov. Cuomo to put more money towards the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) following HUD Secretary Ben Carson and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement regarding the city’s public housing.
“Now that the city, NYCHA and the federal government have come to an agreement, I call upon Governor Cuomo to immediately release the $450 million in State funding that has been withheld for capital repairs at NYCHA. The State’s long-term disinvestment was one of the multiple levels of governmental neglect that left so many of NYCHA’s essential capital needs unmet and contributed to the serious challenges that NYCHA currently faces,” said Cymbrowitz.
“We appreciate that HUD Secretary Carson was receptive to the federal, State and city elected officials who advocated for maintained local control. We know our neighbors and their needs, and we will continue to fight for additional, stable funding for NYCHA, and for smart regulatory fixes that take residents’ concerns into full account. It’s their homes and lives that are at stake.
“In recent years my colleagues and I in the State Legislature have given record support to public housing. We will continue to stand with our fellow New Yorkers to repair NYCHA and strive toward a better future for its 400,000 residents.”
Gillibrand Harsh On Pentagon Report Revealing Increase In Sexual Assault At Military Academies
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) yesterday called on military leaders to take more action against sexual assault within the military following a new Pentagon report showing that sexual harassment and assault at the three military service academies has significantly increased, despite promises of zero tolerance from military leaders.
“Despite years of promises from the Pentagon to eliminate sexual harassment and assault from the Service Academies, this new report shows that unwanted sexual contact has increased by a staggering 47% in the last two years. Despite this alarming number, most survivors still are not reporting assaults to the authorities – a clear sign that they do not feel confident in the military’s ability to adjudicate and prosecute these crimes without retaliation,” said Gillibrand.
“Military leaders at all levels, including at our Service Academies, must take this problem seriously. The answer to this scourge can’t be the same answer we get every year of give us more time, it’s taking action. We must stand up for survivors and fight sexual assault in the military with everything that we have, which is why I continue to urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the bipartisan Military Justice Improvement Act,” she added.
