Johnson Grills City Over 311 System
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen) took the city to task on the flaws in its 311 emergency system during a recent interview with the New York Post.
During the interview, it was claimed that a significant number of complaints are reported as “addressed” on dates that come before the day they were submitted – a fact that both vexed and perplexed the council speaker. He also pointed out that almost all complaints registered to the Taxi and Limousine Commission and the Department of Health are marked as “closed”, even when they’re still ongoing.
“Based on the data, we unfortunately don’t know where, how or even if many complaints were actually resolved,” said Johnson.
Carlina Rivera Weighs in On Fast Forward Plan
City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera (D-East Village, Gramercy Park) released a statement yesterday sharing her thoughts on the MTA’s comprehensive plan to modernize the New York transit system – dubbed the “Fast Forward Plan”.
The Fast Forward Plan was first announced in May of 2018, but it came into the spotlight late last month when a rider named Malaysia Goodson took a fatal fall while trying to carry her infant son down a flight of subway stairs.
“My constituents and I are pleased to see the groundwork laid for improvement of the MTA’s record of accessibility in the Fast Forward Plan,” said Rivera. “However, we must be bold and consider how to accelerate its roll-out and try to beat the station count and timeline that has been set to solve this human rights issue.”
Brewer Releases Sobering Statistics About NYC Subways
The office of Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer just released a report demonstrating the dismal state of handicap accessibility in NYC subways.
Brewer’s office reviewed accessibility conditions in 42 subways across Manhattan that the MTA deemed “accessible”. Each was evaluated based on the presence (or lack thereof) of functioning elevators, adequate signage and accommodations for sight-impaired riders.
Several of the stations included in the study lacked those features – making the MTA’s claim that they operate 114 accessible stations somewhat suspicious.
“Moreover, ruling out stations that provide accessibility in only one direction, as well as stations that do not provide accessible transfers between other lines, would reveal a true percentage of accessible stations that is substantially lower than 24 percent [of the city’s 472 stations,” claimed the report.
