New Bus Routes, and Some Rerouting, Under MTA Bronx Bus Redesign Plan

New Bus Routes, and Some Discontinued, Under MTA Bronx Bus Redesign Plan

By JOSE A. GIRALT

Senior leadership from the MTA and Bronx elected officials announced that final plans have been approved for a redesign of bus routes in the Bronx. Officially known as the Bronx Bus Network Plan, it is the most significant change in bus transportation in decades. Although the 323-page report, titled “The Bronx Bus Network Redesign” includes the words “Final Plan” on the cover, transit officials are encouraging continued feedback from community boards, elected officials, and commuters. The MTA estimates that 490,000 Bronxites ride the 57 bus routes in the borough every day and every route will be affected in some way.

Subway Heroes Honored By Bronx Borough President

By MICHAEL TURAY

The Bronx version of Batman and Robin were honored by Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. for rescuing a five-year-old who was nearly crushed by a train. Jairo Torres and Antonyo Love, both from Kingsbridge Heights, jumped onto the tracks of the Kingsbridge Road subway station to save five-year-old Ferni Balbuena, who was trapped underneath a southbound 4 train car Monday morning. Balbuena and her dad were both struck by the train, her father died instantly, Balbuena miraculously survived. “On behalf of the 1.4 million Bronx New Yorkers, I want to say thank you. It is the true meaning of being

By DAVID CRUZ

A report released by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. ahead of the first day of school proposes major fixes to the School Construction Authority (SCA), the body tasked to build new schools across the city, pointing out “inefficiencies” at a time when the borough’s public school districts are grossly overcrowded. After examining the SCA, which was created in 1988, Diaz Jr.’s office outlined 10 recommendations needed to streamline the authority. Among them is greater transparency, citing the lack of information that came out of a task force created by the New York City Council last year that studied the

Battle Cry for Justice for Junior Continues Year After Vicious Murder

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Within moments of Leandra Feliz emerging from a vigil held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Belmont, on the evening of June 20, ahead of a planned procession to mark the first anniversary of the murder of her 15-year-old son, Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, the heavens suddenly burst open. Feliz’s face broke into a broad smile, amid applause from onlookers, as she raised her eyes and arms skyward in an apparent secret moment of connection with her deceased son. Dressed in jeans, boots and a t-shirt depicting an image of Junior, she faced off against the media scrum with

After Spate of Elder Abuse Cases, Officials Highlight Senior Resources

By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS and DAVID CRUZ

In response to recent assaults on the elderly, city and borough officials are making a greater effort at underscoring the litany of resources and safety tips for seniors. “We know that in recent weeks here in the Bronx, in the city of New York, in the media we have seen horrific, horrific examples of abuse, of violence, of assaults, harassment towards our senior population. And what we are here to say is,” said Bronx Borough President Rueben Diaz Jr. at a news conference, “We are here for you. We are here to help you.” Diaz mentioned a specific incident in

The genesis of this edition’s cover story came about after editor David Cruz and reporter Alondra Vasquez drove around Norwood and Bedford Park, taking stock of the myriad of hard hats, construction equipment, and the oft rerouted traffic patterns that comprise typical ordinary construction. Yep, Norwood and Bedford Park have entered another wave of construction, the first happening after 2012, a year after the city authorized a massive rezoning effort along Webster Avenue. This new wave of construction was evident in the intricate grid in Norwood, where crews clad in orange vests were spotted in front of the Capital Bank

Bronx BP Blasts NYCHA for Evicting Newly Elderly Tenant

By DAVID CRUZ

In a continued rebuke against the New York City Housing Authority, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. lashed out at the beleaguered agency for kicking out a senior citizen tenant from his apartment for not paying his rent while he was recuperating from a leg amputation elsewhere. But hours after Diaz’s news conference, NYCHA is slated to reinstate the tenant. “He’s a good tenant,” said Diaz at a news conference April 11, calling NYCHA out for evicting Bienvenido Martinez, a 72-year-old resident at NYCHA’s Union Avenue Consolidation, a nine-story residential building, in Longwood for the last 14 years. Martinez was

Contest Looks to Tap Into Bronx’s Culinary Talents on Salad Dressing

By DAVID CRUZ

Throw in a dash of community gardens, a pound of culinary imagination, and a cash prize and you have a recipe for a contest seeking the next great salad dressing. The Bronx Canasta, a contingent of Bronx-based food and social justice groups, has announced a contest that seeks Bronx residents to create their own salad dressing and marinade recipe. Contestants will craft their recipes using ingredients grown at local community gardens grown across the Bronx. Organizers have taken the pains of prepping a recipe by simply having them submit them online. The contest has drawn interest from elected officials, including

State of the Borough Pores Over Decade of Change for the Bronx

By JOSEPH KONIG

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. gave his tenth “State of the Borough” speech on Thursday taking credit for nearly a decade of crime reduction and increased economic investment, while acknowledging the borough’s housing and transit challenges. He also indirectly addressed comments made recently by his father, that caused a greater political divide between the two. “The Bronx is thriving,” Diaz Jr. said. “Almost ten years ago, I gave my first ever State of the Borough address. I spoke about the need for better paying jobs, to fight crime in our streets, encouraging new development of all types, and the