Mayoral hopeful Kathryn Garcia, fresh off a poll showing she has moved – along with Eric Adams – to frontrunner status for the June 22 primary, today unveiled her plan to jumpstart the city’s economic recovery by executing planned infrastructure projects in all five boroughs.
Her plan calls for leveraging federal infrastructure dollars, so the city can create new jobs, generate new business, and take the lead in implementing modern infrastructure.
“To rebuild our economy, we must rebuild our city – starting with the most urgently needed infrastructure projects in each of our five boroughs. From the Gateway project to rebuilding the BQE and a new light rail for the Richmond Avenue corridor in Staten Island, it’s clear that we have big opportunities to create jobs and build modern infrastructure fitting of the greatest city in the world,” said Garcia.
Among the projects Garcia is also looking at transforming are the Queensway line in Rockaway Beach and shoring up the public bus transit lines on Staten Island’s West Shore.
Meanwhile, Adams, today joined concerned residents in upper Manhattan’s Inwood neighborhood to propose a new action plan against a symptom of the city’s declining public safety: the dangerous use of illegal all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and dirtbikes.
Adams called for the city to more effectively use speed camera and red light camera technology to go after ATV and dirtbike operators when they break traffic laws. He also proposed requiring licensed dealers to have purchasers present a proof of insurance, as well as a vehicle registration document and/or a verified declaration of exemption from registration, before purchases can take possession of the vehicle.
“Our streets must be safe, from gun violence to traffic violence, and that means going after the dangerous use of illegal ATVs and dirtbikes,” said Adams. “These vehicles racing through traffic signals and driving down bike lanes and sidewalks are more than just a quality-of-life nuisance — they are a signal that our city is becoming lawless and unsafe.”
While Adams was uptown, mayoral candidate Andrew Yang was in Lower Manhattan to call for the immediate reopening of senior centers citywide as vaccination rates among New York’s seniors rise and the city’s reopening continues.
“There are 1.1 million seniors in New York City – it’s long past time that senior centers around the city reopen so that senior citizens can gather and socialize after a year of isolation. We can’t leave seniors behind as we open our city and kick-start our recovery.”
Finally, City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Scott Stringer today unveiled his vision for public safety to refocus NYPD resources and responsibilities on addressing serious and violent crime.
Stringer said the reforms will decisively stem the recent uptick in shootings and assaults by bolstering proven crime-solving, violence-prevention, community investment programs while cutting back on NYPD bureaucratic bloat.
“Public safety is foundational to our recovery as a city, and I will be the Mayor to lead the greatest city on earth out of its greatest crisis. At this critical moment, when the future of our city hangs in the balance, we can’t afford reactionary leadership. And we can’t afford to turn back the clock to the Guiliani era of policing,” said Stringer.
