Transportation

Pending Arrival of Tropical Storm Ida Tail End, Travel Advisory in effect Sept. 1 to Sept. 2

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Emergency Management (EMS) is issuing a travel advisory for Wednesday morning into Thursday morning. According to the National Weather Service, remnants of Tropical Storm Ida will track near the region Wednesday afternoon into Thursday, bringing a period of heavy rain and potential flash flooding to the region, the bulk of which will occur overnight.   The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for New York City from 8 a.m. Wednesday, September 1, until Thursday, September 2, at 2 p.m. A total of 5 to 6 inches of rain is expected, with higher amounts of


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UPDATE: DOT Calls for Expansion of Speed Cameras in School Zones following Bronx Fatal Crash

By SÍLE MOLONEY
NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Hank Gutman is calling for the expanded use of cameras in school zones, following two fatal crashes which occurred over the weekend, one on East Fordham Road in the Bronx and one in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn.    Under prevailing State legislation, cameras in school zones can only legally operate between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., Monday to Friday.   “This weekend saw two high-speed, fatal crashes on our streets, both of which occurred within school zones, near speed cameras we aren’t legally allowed to operate,” said Gutman. “Once again, we urge the


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DOT Announces Launch Date of E-Scooter Pilot Program in the East Bronx

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Thursday, Aug. 12, the official launch of the city’s e-scooter pilot program in the East Bronx. Bird, Lime and Veo, the three companies participating in the pilot program, will bring up to 3,000 e-scooters to the East Bronx during Phase 1 which starts Tuesday, Aug. 17, with an increase to as many as 6,000 in the second phase next year.   According to DOT officials, both the department and each e-scooter company underwent an extensive community engagement process to locate sites for the e-scooter parking corrals and to educate the public about


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Neighborhood Notes on School Reopening, Alternative Vax App, Arts Recovery Funding

COVID-19 Updates Transmission Rates & Trends  As of August 9, all five New York City counties have community transmission considered substantial or high by the CDC. On July 27, the CDC issued an updated recommendation that all people, regardless of vaccination status, should return to wearing masks in indoor, public spaces in areas of high COVID-19 infection rates. To see the risk of transmission in your area, visit covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view.   Delta Variant An internal CDC document leaked by The Washington Post revealed that further research proved that the Delta variant causes more severe illness than other variants and is as


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Metro-North Bus Service Continues Monday, Parking Lot Upgrades Planned at Three Hudson Line Stations

By SÍLE MOLONEY
MTA Metro-North Railroad announced on Sunday, Aug. 8, that buses that have been substituting for the train service on the Port Jervis Line this weekend, Aug. 7 and 8, will continue to operate in place of trains on Monday, August 9.   Buses are substituting for trains following the New York State Thruway Authority’s announcement late Thursday evening that, out of an abundance of caution, the agency should not operate trains on tracks that run below the Arden Valley Road Bridge, near Harriman, until repairs can be made to the bridge.   Service Alternatives Port Jervis Line tickets will be


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Op-Ed: NYC Department of Transportation, Stay Out of Parks!

By ROXANNE DELGADO
Two months after New York State legalized e-bikes and e-scooters, the City Council passed a bill, on June 5, 2020, to create a pilot program for the operation of shared electric scooters to exist for a duration of no less than one year and no more than two years. Earlier this year, NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the East Bronx as the program’s pilot zone and selected three companies, Bird, Lime and Veo, to participate in the pilot project, starting with 3,000 e-scooters. Why NYC DOT chose an area that lacks biking infrastructure is so confusing.   NYC DOT proposed 24


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MTA Plans Intermittent Closures at RFK Bridge to/from Manhattan on Tuesday, Aug. 3

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The MTA has announced that intermittent, full closures at the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge to and from Manhattan are scheduled for Tuesday, August 3, from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. to test mechanical functionality and allow completion of any routine preventative maintenance. Intermittent closures are planned for both directions. Each closure will last approximately 20 minutes. Motorists may experience delays and should consider an alternate route.   Motorists can sign up for MTA e-mail or text alerts at www.mymtaalerts.com for the latest information on this planned work.

UPDATE: Serious Bus Collision on Jerome Avenue in Norwood, Multiple Injuries

By SÍLE MOLONEY & DAVID GREENE
Video courtesy of Citizen This is a developing story.   A bus accident involving a Bee-line bus has been confirmed by police at 3660 Jerome Avenue in Norwood, close to Woodlawn subway station. It occurred at 11.05 a.m. on Thursday, July 29.   Citizen App videos show emergency services at the scene. Citizen App users said that police report that there were 11 people injured, some seriously. Video courtesy of Citizen Norwood News contacted the NYPD directly and they could only confirm at this time that there were multiple injuries. They said a bus struck the elevated train pillar. The


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Police Continue Hunt for Suspect in Elderly Man’s Bus Assault

By DAVID GREENE
  Police continue to search for a suspect wanted in connection with the beating of an elderly man aboard an MTA bus on May 31, 2021.   According to a Twitter post by NYPD Crime Stoppers on Wednesday, July 14, the incident was initially reported on Monday, May 31 on an MTA bus at 5:30 p.m. at East Gun Hill Road and Barnes Avenue in the Olinville section of the Bronx.   The Crime Stoppers post reported at the time, “The unidentified individual assaulted an 83-year-old male victim that was attempting to exit MTA bus 8621.” An accompanying video shows


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