Levine, Rosenthal Pen Bill to Give Residents Preferential Parking
City Council Members Mark Levine (D-Manhattanville, Manhattan Valley) and Helen Rosenthal (D-Central Park, Lincoln Square) have introduced a new piece of legislation that would allow city residents to get priority parking permits.
The bill would allow the City to reserve up to 80 percent of non-metered parking spots for those who live in the area. In anticipation of congestion pricing passing the state legislature this year, Levine and Rosenthal designed the bill to prevent the Upper West Side from being flooded with cars from suburban commuters looking to avoid the extra fee.
“As momentum continues to build for the creation of a desperately needed congestion pricing program to fund public transit, now more than ever, the City needs to address the prevailing issue of suburban commuters dumping their cars in our neighborhoods, only to transfer to the subway on their way downtown,” Levine said in a statement.
Women’s Caucus to Celebrate Women’s HERstory Month at City Hall
The Women’s Caucus, co-chaired by City Councilwomen Margaret Chin (D-Battery Park City, Chinatown) and Carlina Rivera (D-East Village, Gramercy Park) will be commemorating Women’s Herstory Month with a celebration at City Hall on Mar. 14.
The celebration will have the City Council honoring and paying tribute to notable New York women and their contributions to the arts, criminal justice and human rights.
The event is slated for Thursday, March 14 at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall.
Hoylman Bill on Imitation Guns Passes
State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Chelsea, Midtown) just had a bill that clarifies the definition of “imitation weapon” pass the State Senate.
The Bill, S35, mandates that toy or replica weapons must be brightly colored or constructed from translucent or transparent material before they can legally be sold. Hoylman said that imitation weapons, while ostensibly harmless, can lead to fatal shootings if they’re misidentified as the genuine article.
“Since 1994, there have been at least 63 shootings in New York State because of toy or imitation guns,” Hoylman said in a tweet. “Police say it’s virtually impossible to train officers to identify imitation guns from a distance. “That’s why it’s important that we stand up to gunmakers and the National Rifle Association and pass my bill that would require toy guns be distinguishable from the real thing.”
