Stringer Demands Answers from MTA on Closed Subway Station Entrances
Earlier this week, City Comptroller Scott Stringer (D) penned a letter to New York City Transit President Andy Byford seeking updates about the numerous closed subway station entrances across the City.
A 2015 report from New York City Transit revealed that there were 298 closed street stairs across 119 stations in the City. Stringer’s letter demands that the MTA address this problem, and provides it with a detailed roadmap for reopening subway stairs.
“Millions of New Yorkers rely on the subway system every day to commute to work, attend classes, go to job interviews, see a doctor, and take their children to day care,” said Stringer. “At a time when system failures and overcrowding are already crippling commutes, especially for low-income New Yorkers, the abundance of shuttered subway station entrances across the five boroughs is problematic and unacceptable. This is not just about reducing commute times, it’s about equity and fairness. We need a roadmap to improve mobility and accessibility for transit riders throughout the five boroughs.”
Read the full letter here.
Brewer to Host Census Town Hall
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (D) will be hosting a town hall meeting in Harlem on the 2020 Census.
The meeting will educate Harlem’s faith communities on the importance of filling out the Census, and debunk popular myths. Brewer will be joined by a panel of faith leaders, who will discuss the Census from a faith-based perspective
The event will take place on Thursday, Jan. 30 from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcom X Blvd.
Johnson, Dromm, Gibson Release Statement Preceding Budget Negotiations for Fiscal Year 2021
Yesterday, Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen) released a joint statement with Finance Committee Chair Daniel Dromm (D-Queens) and Capital Budget Subcommittee Chair Vanessa Gibson (D-Bronx) regarding the Budget for Fiscal Year 2021.
The statement came shortly after Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) released the preliminary budget. Said budget warns of an impending $6 billion state budget gap and makes adjustments accordingly.
“As we have in the past, we will fight for a responsible and fair city budget that best serves a city as proudly diverse as New York,” reads the statement. “We are committed to ensuring a municipal government that is responsive to the needs of all New Yorkers, while protecting our neighbors who rely on social services and the institutions and initiatives that help keep this city the greatest in the world.
“We are keenly aware of the challenges presented to the City this year by the $6 billion state budget deficit, which is largely driven by the $4 billion Medicaid shortfall. The full impact of this deficit is unknown at the moment, but we will continue to work with our partners in state government to do everything we can to make sure that our 8.6 million constituents don’t lose critical services they depend on.
“The Council is also mindful that while the City’s economy remains healthy, we must plan for future financial slumps. We will work with the Administration to find savings in the budget while continuing to grow our priorities like Fair Fares, criminal justice reform, education, affordable housing, homelessness and transportation.”
