Ampry-Samuel Announces Winning Participatory Budgeting Projects
City Council member Alicka Ampry-Samuel (D-Ocean-Hill, Brownsville, Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, East Flatbush) yesterday announced the winning projects of the first-ever conducted Participatory Budgeting (PB) process for the 41st city Council District.
Ampry-Samuel allocated $1 million in capital funding with an additional $155K injection from Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams towards the PB process. Ten projects were developed and voted on during PB Vote Week (March 30 through April 7), with over 1,800 constituents voted.
The 2019 winning projects are P.S. 284 playground upgrades, P.S. 5 lunchroom upgrades, and cameras at Langston Hughes Development.
“Thank you everyone who participated in this year’s Participatory Budget Process. This was the first time the 41st Council District engaged in this democratic process. I am proud to have supported a process that has allowed residents to make decisions and prioritize City dollars. Thank you again and special thanks to all volunteers from Elite Learners,” said Ampry-Samuel.
Malliotakis Unveils Bill Guaranteeing Every Borough Has Voice On MTA Board
Assembly member Nicole Malliotakis (R,C,I,Ref-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) will unveil legislation today that would give the mayor one additional appointment on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) board and require that each of the mayor’s five appointments represent a different borough to ensure they are all represented equally.
Due to a recent change to the MTA board, Staten Island is now the only MTA territory out of the 12 without a voice. During a recent shake-up of the board, four members were replaced, including Staten Island representative Peter Ward. The changes were a result of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to reform the MTA, which included modifying appointments so that board member’s terms aligned with those of the appointing elected official, according to initial reports.
Last week, Malliotakis wrote a letter to Gov. Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio expressing disappointment that Ward was replaced before his term ended with a non-Staten Islander.
Currently, the MTA is governed by a 17-member Board. Members are nominated by the Governor, with four recommended by New York City’s mayor and one each by the county executives of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Putnam counties (the members representing the latter four cast one collective vote). The Board also has six rotating non-voting seats held by representatives of organized labor and the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee (PCAC), which serves as a voice for users of MTA transit and commuter facilities.
Levin Applauds Mayor’s Plan To Prioritize Bus Riders During L Train Shutdown
City Council member Stephen Levin (D-Williamsburg, Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, DUMBO, and parts of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, Greenpoint, Downtown Brooklyn, Gowanus, Park Slope) applauded Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement yesterday to launch an experimental new transit plan aimed at giving straphangers expected to be affected by the looming L train shutdown priority along 14th street.
Under the new plan, the Department of Transportation (DOT) will pilot a new Transit/Truck Priority treatment along 14th Street and also retain upgrades already made to bike-lane network in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
This includes pursuing making the bike lanes along the Grand Street corridor in Williamsburg permanent. Between Waterbury Street and Vandervoort Avenue, DOT will modify the protected bike lanes to help accommodate the needs of industrial businesses along this section of the corridor.
The project will also include other adjustments made in response to community and business feedback — including additional metered parking and new loading zones around the corners from Grand Street.
The shutdown is expected to affect the daily commutes of over 200,000 riders and expected to last 15 to 20 months with an estimated cost of $477 million.
“I support DOT’s efforts to make all of our streets, including 14th street, safer and more liveable. With the impending L train slowdown, we need to continue advancing innovations and remedies that were developed during the preparation phase. I look forward to working with DOT and the MTA to implement as many of these as possible,” said Levin.
