The delayed reconstruction of a pedestrian bridge over the Belt Parkway is drawing outrage from the Bath Beach community because the delay limits access to the New York Harbor waterfront for the entire neighborhood. 

The bridge was closed in 2021 and was then demolished in 2022. The project was supposed to be completed in the fall of 2023, but not much progress has been made. The completion of the project has since been pushed to mid-2026, according to State Assemblymember William Colton, who represents District 47, including Bath Beach and surrounding neighborhoods.

“The Bridge was closed in 2021 for what was supposed to be a 27-month-long project.  It’s now 2025, and not only have they not reopened the bridge, its completion is now delayed till at least mid-2026, which is very simply unacceptable,” said Colton.

The 17th Avenue Bridge crosses over the Belt Parkway, starting at Shore Road and 17th Avenue and terminating at the waterfront path, while getting views of Gravesend Bay. 

The delay affects the community, as residents may need to take an additional 20 or 30 minutes to even get access to the waterfront. They must walk all the way to another neighborhood, either Bensonhurst or Bay Ridge. 

The construction of the bridge could be compared to the time it took to build the Verrazzano Bridge. It took approximately five years to complete, from August 1959 to November 1964. That bridge is nearly a mile long and spans all of New York Harbor, connecting Staten Island to Brooklyn. The 17th Avenue Bridge is approximately a few hundred feet long.

The waterfront is a community space for people to walk, run, or bike that passes under the Verrazzano Bridge. 

“This is so outrageous, I really miss walking the waterfront, as I have been walking there since I was a young kid. This shouldn’t take that long to reconstruct the bridge, as from what I see, there’s no progress at all, so what am I going to do?” said Janett Romero, a resident who has lived in Bath Beach for over 15 years. 

East New York’s Broadway Junction is undergoing a major upgrade. On Tuesday, September 9, the NYC Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held a hearing on the progress of the upgrade, which quickly became heated.

The intent was to discuss and petition for the “demapping” of Sackman Street, to remove it from New York City maps, but the discussion soon veered off into Broadway Junction’s sanitation problem during the construction.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation announced plans to give the area a makeover which will put underutilized space to use, redesign the Broadway Junction train station entrance and the improvement of City streets around the station. $400 million is being put into the project by the MTA to improve station accessibility, first greenlit in May 2023 by Mayor Eric Adams, with an additional $95 million being added by the city to improve the surrounding streets. While the project should be viewed as good for the area, there are lasting issues that have not been addressed or taken care of. As work goes underway, Broadway Junction is suffering rather than benefiting from the work being done. 

The surrounding area is overrun with trash and neglected while the MTA works on repairs at the nearby train station. MTA vehicles block accessibility to both residents and the NYC Department of Sanitation. As a result, the MTA is inadvertently doing more harm than good. MTA workers who are part of the project are not putting in any effort to keep the streets and sidewalks clean despite their contributions to litter. The nearby bus hub, MTA vehicles, and workers themselves block streets and prevent DSNY street cleaners from being able to access the space to clean it. 

Councilwoman Sandy Nurse brought up the issue at the subcommittee. “This is a $400 million public works project which will dramatically revamp Broadway Junction Station and we’re all excited for it, but we need to do better here,” Councilwoman Nurse said. “This project is supposed to bring public dollars to local business and workers to strengthen our local economy but there are many issues.” 

Nurse is passionate about the waste problem plaguing New York City, and since 2011, looked for a way to uplift communities that were burdened by waste. In 2014, she founded BK ROT, a bike-run compost collection program run by youths of color. The garbage problem left unresolved at Broadway Junction angered her enough to demand change at the subcommittee, but no change has come. “I want to hear today from MTA how you plan to take care of this area and prove to the community that you’re competent and capable of doing that because thus far, we’re not seeing it,” she said. “I’m really tired of asking and I don’t like asking in this kind of forum.” While the DSNY has made attempts to clean the area, Nurse also stated that MTA workers would then bully DSNY workers who issued tickets because they were blocked from doing their jobs. 

One area, presented in photographs by Nurse shown covered in mountains of trash bags, was the now repurposed Sackman Street and has since been developed into part of Callahan-Kelly Park. According to Elizabeth Ernish of the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, “Currently, we are maintaining it. Maintenance is always a challenge to the parks department but in this case we were able to absorb it into our regular maintenance operations for Callahan-Kelly park.” 

“It doesn’t look like it’s being maintained very well,” said Chair of the subcommittee, Kevin C. Riley. “From my experience within my community, I know when you’re taking care of a large park or a large area, you want to make sure that you’re able to maintain it. It doesn’t make any sense that we have these beautiful parks and they’re just covered with garbage all the time.”

When asked to provide a plan to solve the issues with the garbage littering Broadway Junction, Arturo Espinoza of the MTA could only tell Nurse, “I will get to you as soon as possible.” While the MTA has plans to finish the project within three years, they had no intention of providing any explanation on how they would be maintaining the space both during and after the project is complete. 

New York City transportation is in a painful period. Since the end of the Cuomo-De Blasio era, there’s been no shortage of ambitious ideas from Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams to greatly reimagine the city’s infrastructure and economy. But these ideas are prone to roadblocks and resistance, as with Adams’s City Of Yes proposal. The Interborough Express could be just another victim of the friction that comes with trying to transform one Earth’s largest, most complex cities. But public officials are determined to move the project ahead.

The Interborough Express, also known as the IBX, has been a long-time goal for Governor Kathy Hochul dating to her 2022 State of the State address. In January 2023, she announced that the project would run on a light-rail line, intending for the tram to run along Metropolitan Ave and 69th Street. 

 Although light-rail isn’t a new or unusual form of transportation in other cities, it is for New York. The IBX would be the first of its kind in NYC, and that’s something that some critics fear the city may not be prepared for. 

Skeptics voiced concerns about a train line segment in the middle of a busy street.

it seems as if the MTA and New York government heard these concerns loud and clear.

On October 29th, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards hosted a press conference with MTA higher ups to give updates on the development of the IBX. The controversial concept to have the IBX run through the streets of Queens and Brooklyn has been scrapped, with the MTA instead deciding to have the light-rail line run through a proposed tunnel underneath a Middle Village cemetery. 

This is an interesting turn of events, as the MTA’s previous plan to have the line run along the street was in part to avoid interfering with this cemetery and disrupting the site of over 500,000 burials. MTA Chairman Janno Lieber was asked how the agency was able to find a solution to interfering with the graves. Lieber avoided providing a direct answer, instead shifting to tout how this new plan will reduce travel time and avoid conflicting with automobiles on the street.

“We’re looking at a tunnel at Metropolitan Avenue that will allow us to avoid street running to make the IBX faster and more reliable,” Jamie Torres-Springer, MTA President of Construction and Development said earlier in the conference. “This will save every rider a few minutes and enable us to run in a dedicated right of way the whole 14 miles which brings us a whole lot of efficiency.” Chairman Lieber later clarified that the new concept would cut “five minutes or more” off the previously estimated 40 minute ride.

“We’re taking an underutilized freight train line -– basically only gets one freight train a day — and we’re turning into something that’s transformative for many New Yorkers,” said Lieber. “It makes no sense that the 5 million people who live in Brooklyn and Queens have to go to Manhattan on the subway to reach the other borough. Makes no sense.” 

“We’re all mindful of the fact that the congestion pricing pause is in effect, but we were able to get some money from the state of New York to keep this project moving forward at least at the design stage and, too, we got some funding from our federal partners,” Leiber said. He made sure to give a shout out to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (who he called New York’s “guardian angel in Washington”) and President Joe Biden.

A core justification for congestion pricing was to rake in an extra $1 billion per year, which would serve as the largest source of funding for the MTA. This money would have been used to expand, improve, and maintain public transportation, including proposals such as the IBX. 

The IBX has had to rely instead on a $68 billion capital plan that was approved by the MTA Board last month. In lieu of congestion pricing, this extra burst in funding was desperately needed by the MTA in order to keep the dream of the IBX afloat.

As of now, the MTA is still yet to begin the preliminary design process, with part of the press conference earlier this week being a call for bidders and contractors. The designing and engineering process alone is estimated to take two years. 

Greenways are public car-free public roadways that provide a safe way for people to walk and bike without competing with car traffic. In Queens, the New York City Department of Transportation is working with the community to connect shorter greenway routes to create an 18-mile route along the Northern Queens Waterfront. 

On Wednesday night DOT hosted a community workshop about expanding the Queens Waterfront Greenway by connecting Gantry State Plaza and Fort Totten Park with bike paths and walkways. This is one of six greenways being developed across New York City. 

At Glow Cultural Center in Flushing, the room was full of motivated and engaged DOT employees and community members gathered around six tables. DOT staff set up two white boards with questions for people to answer, and asked participants to leave their replies on post-it notes. The first question was, “what would you like to get out of the greenway?” One post-it response read “waterfront,” another said “safe and convenient bike route from Forest Hills.”  

During the workshop, Mya Dutta, a planner with NYC Parks, described how the plan links local public parks like Flushing Meadows Corona Park with other parks, including Astoria and Gantry. 

 “As you know, there are lots of beautiful parks in this area, and we think this is a great opportunity to work together to find some great connections to and through the parks around us,” she said.

Data from The New York City Parks Department Vital Parks Explorer shows that those living near the greenway are currently underserved. According to the program, only 5% of residents in the area of Queens Community Board 3 live within a 10-minute walk of a waterfront, compared with a citywide average of 30%. Theoretically, the construction of this greenway would improve access to these spaces within this district. 

Notably, this greenway would also pass near Laguardia Airport. According to the Port Authority 2023 Air Traffic Report, approximately 40,500 people are employed at the airport. During the workshop, DOT expressed interest in providing a safe way for these employees to commute to work by bike. 

The project is being funded by a 7.24 million dollar federal RAISE grant Mayor Adams received in 2022 for the purpose of expanding greenways throughout the city. RAISE stands for Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity.

Jason Banrey, the Queens Deputy Borough Commissioner at DOT, encouraged community members to share information about any issues they’ve had while using their bikes on roads in Queens. 

“Even though this is part of a planning process, myself and the Queens Borough Commissioner team, we have planners that work day to day operations. So, share anything that we can pull from this information and do things now,” he told community members.  

According to Banrey, this greenway project will be completed within two years. This is a joint project between NYC Parks, the Department of Economic Development, and  DOT. 

The main points of discussion were the current condition of bike routes throughout Queens, the plan to build a safer route between Bowery Bay and Willets Point, and what exactly a greenway is. 

“We do think of greenways as primarily a continuous transportation corridor, that continuous piece is very important,” said Emma Maniere, a project manager for the DOT bikes team. 

A popular Queens greenway is the path along the East River in Astoria Park. Maniere described this as an example of the ideal greenway project. 

“That’s kind of the gold standard we’re shooting for,” she said. “It’s continuous, so the ride is more or less seamless and uninterrupted by traffic.” 

New York League of Conservation Voters, NYC Greenways Coalition, and Transportation Alternatives are just a few of the many organizations that campaigned and advocated for the construction of this greenway path. Alexa Sledge, Director of Communications at Transportation Alternatives, expressed excitement for the plan. 

“We’re huge supporters of the greenway and will continue to be, but obviously just one greenway, or even greenways across the five boroughs isn’t enough,” she said. “We also need an entire network of protected bike lanes so people can get where they need to go. The greenway is awesome if you’re starting at a greenway and ending at a greenway, but you need a bike safe lane no matter where you’re going.” 

Data from the DOT revealed 30 people died on bikes last year. According to a Transportation Alternatives press release, 2023 was the deadliest year for cyclists since 1999. 

“We see time and time again that one of the main reasons people don’t bike is they don’t think it’s safe and that’s especially true for women, so having more and safer places to bike is just absolutely critical,” Sledge said. 

There are a number of ways New Yorkers can make their voices heard when it comes to essential transportation needs. Sledge mentioned Transportation Alternative’s activist committees and other activist groups like Rider’s Alliance. She also suggested ways people can start thinking differently about transit activism, such as speaking with neighbors and working with others to start new initiatives. 

“There’s tons of people out there who have really similar goals and are happy to work with you, and align with you, and push forward on these advancements,” she said. 

The workshop was part of a series of public community discussions about the Queens Waterfront Greenway. On Oct. 29th, 2024 the last workshop will be held on Zoom and will discuss all sections of the 16 mile plan to close gaps and improve conditions along the waterfront.

The MTA is partnering with community boards to gain feedback from residents on the proposed Interborough Express Line (IBX). The line, which will run from Jackson Heights, Queens, down to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, is currently in the planning phase. On Monday, September 16th, members of the MTA’s IBX project team held a pop-up event in East New York, Brooklyn, to discuss the development process, proposed stops, and the potential impact on the community. 

Earlier this year, the MTA secured $52 million from Governor Kathy Hochul to greenlight the Interborough Express Line. This light railway will transport commuters from Brooklyn to Queens without entering Manhattan. The proposed route will use an existing 14-mile freight corridor. The IBX will service nearly a million New Yorkers living in both boroughs and anticipates cutting the commute time between Brooklyn and Queens in half. However, some residents are concerned that the MTA isn’t doing enough outreach to keep residents informed on the project’s progress. “They’re not speaking about the component of community work,” stated Community Board 5 Chairwoman Alice Lowman.

The IBX railway will service the most diverse population in the city. According to the project data conducted by the MTA, the line is home to over 900,000 commuters (7 in 10 people of color) and over 260,000 jobs. The MTA anticipates ridership along the IBX will promote community growth and increase the number of residents by 41,000 and jobs by 15,000 by 2045. The route will be a multipurpose line for passenger rail and freight. The line will use two existing rails to complete the route. These lines are the  Bay Ridge Branch, which starts in Bay Ridge Brooklyn and ends in Glendale, Queens, and the CSX rail line, which begins in Glendale, Queens, and ends in Astoria, Queens. The section of the CSX from Jackson Heights to Astoria will be used for freight only, while the section from Jackson Heights to Glendale will provide passenger service. Neither of these lines has served passengers since 1924. 

The new subway line will add 19 new stations with 17 new connections to other subway lines and the LIRR, as well as 51 new bus line connections. One concern for Fredrick Wells, a Queens resident who regularly travels to Brooklyn, is having enough free transfer stops along the route and using his MetroCard less. He said he hopes that “Instead of me having to tap when you get off, you can transfer and only use one fare as opposed to being forced to use another fare.”

In its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the MTA explored all possible routes to construct the line, taking into consideration the community impact as well as the environmental impact. When exploring mode selections between light, conventional, and bus rapid transit, MTA determined that light rail offered the greatest benefits, including capacity, reliability, constructability, vehicle specialization, and cost per rider. According to Charlie Gans, who oversees the construction of the development, “Light rail has a variety of benefits. It achieves good speed. It’s got very strong competitive capacity levels and can make tight turns. It’s just a very flexible mode, and it’s cost-effective.”

For the past year, the MTA has been trying to reach out to communities along the proposed route to get their feedback for the line with both town halls and pop-up events. At the September 16 pop-up, attendees were allowed to go to different stations and ask project teammates questions. They were asked to write suggestions on Post-Its and stick them on the station closest to them on a giant map on the IBX line. However, there was no Q and A session after the presentation, which made some residents uneasy while others felt left out. 

According to Albert Scott, an East New York resident and member of the East New York Coalition for Community Advancement, “We’re usually excluded, and here’s where community and local talent could participate. They’re throwing numbers at us about funding when this could have been addressed with a Q and A.” Chairwoman Lowman felt similarly, stating, “We need to have more sessions like this because we need to know the feedback and what they discovered tonight. We need to have a Q and A session; that’s what was missing tonight.” Some of the residents had concerns about how funding was being allocated, whether or not this project would involve eminent domain, remediation, traffic impact, and environmental issues. “My main concern is Wilson Ave. because the right-of-way is too narrow,” states David Kuperberg, Vice President of the Bus Advocacy Passengers United. 

Chairwoman Lowman is working with district leaders to organize another event in October with the MTA with a Q and A session for residents with questions and concerns. She hopes the MTA makes more effort to keep the community in the loop as the planning process continues. The MTA did not respond for comment.

After a long summer of repairs, on Tuesday Sep. 3 The MTA announced G train service
would resume between Brooklyn and Queens.

The shutdown started on Jun. 28, 2024. Since then, the only public transportation
alternatives connecting Brooklyn and Queens were bus lines. Or, commuters could take a
Manhattan bound train and later transfer.

During the summer months, this $368 million project successfully replaced dated signal
equipment across the entire G train line and tackled large repair initiatives, such as the
reconstruction of the Court Square interlocking.

In a press release the MTA detailed what led to this extended pause of service.
“Much of the signals on the train date back to the line’s debut in the 1930s and have
been a frequent source of service disruptions and delays,” the MTA said.

According to the MTA, this was also the first modernization project of its kind and it will
provide more dependable service for over 150,000 commuters. Still, some residents of Brooklyn
and Queens argue that there are still not enough public transportation options within these
boroughs.

“It’s super useful when you want direct access between Queens and Brooklyn,” said
Saul Herrera, a Queens resident.

This daily commuter also argued the train line would be a better resource if it extended
further into Queens.

“It would be more useful if it went to Steinway Street or higher up in Astoria or by
Jackson Heights. It just goes two stops into Queens,” Herrera said.

When traveling between boroughs, Brooklyn resident Jaclyn Rodriguez would rather opt
for an Uber.

“There are not enough connections between Brooklyn and Queens,” she said. “Say
you’re going to a Mets game, which is a 40 minute drive typically from Brooklyn, it turns into a
two hour subway trip.”

According to The MTA Press Release, Assembly Member Phara Souffrant, who
represents District 57 in Brooklyn, is pleased with the work made to this essential line.

“The train is a critical transit line for my district and the CBTC signal upgrades will help
commuters across Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Bed-Stuy,” Souffrant said.
While the extended absence of G train service is over, planned suspensions continue
beginning Sep. 16 2024. There will be no G train service Monday Sep. 16th until Friday Sep.
20th overnight. Work on this signal project is expected to continue into 2027.

This past weekend Brooklynites were able to dial back the clock, with just swipe or tap if they had a Metro Card or OMNY. The annual “Parade of Trains” returned this year at the end of the B/Q line with trains running from Brighton Beach Station and going up towards Kings Highway Station all day long

Straphangers were able to ride in a variety of vintage subway cars such as the R-9, BU Gate Cars and the AB Standards Cars which date back to 1940,1915 and 1907 respectively.

Steven Kaye of Canarsie ,a long-time rail enthusiast,  was instrumental in restoring some of the cars. For him a rush of memories gushed in.

“The entire Interior was basically stripped out of it. Mechanically it was missing many parts and we worked on this. My friend Randy, who is an electrician, rewired the car almost completely. I did a lot of work on the window frame and on the doors” he said.   “These cars are just amazing.”

Crowds of people snapped pictures as the trains rumbled on the elevated structure all throughout the afternoon. Rain earlier in the morning did not dampen the excitement for riders and enthusiasts, something organizers of The New York Transit Museum wanted to see. 

Concetta Anne Bencivenga, the director of the New York Transit Museum which maintains the vintage subway fleet added that it’s a way for the museum to reach a wide swath of people.

 “For any Museum, any arts/cultural institution one of the great aspirations to have is to be able to bring the museum to where the people are.” 

Bencivenga also added that cars “encapsulated”  the history of New York at large.

Eager passengers lined up to go aboard trains as old as 100 years to experience history. This past weekend, riders got to experience what riding the train was like in the early 20th century when there was no technology, air conditioning, or harsh illumination on the ride.

“I don’t take the trains as often as I used to but I’m taking this because it’s a vintage train,” said Drake Baker, a retired Department Of Education employee from Brooklyn. 

People rode vintage train cars on Saturday, as the Transit Museum put on a train parade with ten minute rides back and forth between the B/Q platforms at the Brighton Beach station and the Kings Highway Manhattan-bound platform. 

Some train enthusiasts dressed up in vintage clothing, going back in time with fashion to get a real feel for what it would have been like to ride these trains when they were originally in service in the early 20th century. 

The New York Transit Museum has been putting on events showcasing the older trains since the mid-70s, through the nostalgia rides series. While tickets to visit the Transit Museum cost ten dollars for adults, the price to participate in the train parade was the cost of a metrocard swipe.

This event has taken place nearly every year since it first began. One of the featured trains was the BU Gate Car which was created out of wood on top of steel. In order for passengers to enter and leave the train, they need to use the open platform at both sides of every cart. 

“The Transit Museum is extremely fortunate to have over a century of rolling stock that still rolls and we’re delighted to be able to be a ‘museum without walls’ and bring the vintage fleet to you for the weekend!” said Concetta Bencivenga, Director of the New York Transit Museum to the publication 6sqft.

A lot of the people who decided to partake in this parade of trains did so because the trains are vintage, and many have stated that this was not their first time riding the classic trains. But, they also agreed that they take the subway even less than they did before the pandemic. 

According to the NYC Comptroller, Brad Lander, “In February 2023, subway ridership was at 65% of pre-pandemic levels–up from 56% at the same point in 2022.” 

This comes at a time when the MTA has raised the base subway fare from $2.75 to $2.90 while also trying to get ridership back to what it was before the pandemic. 

While ridership in general is down, there seems to be strong enthusiasm around riding the classic trains.

On May 10, community members gathered at Franklin and Lexington avenues in Brooklyn to bring awareness about possible bus stop removals. 

According to residents, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York plans to remove the Ryerson/Dekalb and Grand/Lafayette Avenue B38 Bus Stops.

These bus stops are important to the community for the seniors, handicapped, and college students in the area. 

Melva Hatcher, who is a resident of Brooklyn and has health problems, spoke about why she wants to see the bus route continue to operate. 

“I have arthritis, I don’t walk with a cane, thank God, and if I have to get off at Foster Avenue, I feel threatened and I can’t run to any place and if I fall I can’t get up. I’m not as bad as others, but it’s bad enough that if I have to walk all the way to Foster Avenue especially at night, it’s just too long of a distance,” Hatcher said. 

Hatcher shared how a neighbor struggles, as well, and uses a walker, emphasizing how critical the bus route is to the community.

The removal of the bus stop impacts the elderly and handicapped, but also students and community members who rely on public transportation to get them to work, school and appointments. 

Marline Gooding, who is 73 and has lived in Brooklyn her whole life in the same apartment, shares the dangers if the bus stops are removed.  

“Guess where I walk? The bike lane, I rather take my chances with my life walking the bike lane. I wait for the light to change and walk the bike lane and I rather do that than walk pass the other bus stop that is in a dangerous area because you walk on the sidewalk near the bus stop where there is fencing and police cars that are parked perpendicular and I don’t want to be trapped between the cars and the fencing where people would hide and wait to attack and steal from others,” said Gooding. 

Safety at the bus stops are also top of mind for many commuters. 

“Anybody who’s maybe hiding between any of these cars can come out and hurt me or kill me and guess what the police won’t even know I’m dead or hurt until it’s too late,” saidGooding. 

Bus stops in the area see high traffic. Removing some would likely cause overcrowding at other stops. 

Marry Olf, who is in her 80s and a resident of the apartment near the bus stop, says that the MTA need to hear the residents’ voices.   

“The transit needs to do better than what they’re doing and they’re thinking about the wrong things. Removing the bus stops will serve no purpose for the people and I’ve never heard anyone say we should remove the bus stops. Don’t take it away from the start because you have all these elderly people and handicapped people here that depend on the bus stops,” said Marry Olf. 

Have you ever wondered where the yellow school buses go after they retire? Like many retirees, they move overseas for a second life and spend the rest of their lives in an exotic location outside the United States.

Guatemala is home to thousands of retired yellow buses. These buses are known as “chicken buses” in many Central American countries because they travel in rural areas. In addition, people often use them to transport live animals such as chickens.

Speaking in Spanish, Cándido Obando, 48, who has been driving and repairing  chicken buses for over 25 years, shared the process these buses go through to start a new life.  “My boss, Roberto Cabezas, [who was not available for an interview but allowed his name to be used], travels every two weeks to the United States and buys used  yellow buses from $2000 – $5000,” said Obando. He also says his boss keeps some buses and resells others to bus drivers who cannot travel outside of Guatemala, usually for a higher price to cover travel expenses.

As the buses arrive in their new country, they are prepared for a  makeover. “We check which pieces are still useful and which ones we must replace; sometimes we win, sometimes we don’t,” said Obando. Many bus workers have been in the same job for years, and already know the mechanics of buses. They do not hire mechanic; instead they can usually repair the parts themselves.

After the inner work, these buses get a new paint job. This part is what makes them original and makes tourists and locals get on them. There is no rule for this. Each owner paints his bus as he wants. The more imaginative and the more striking, the better,” said Obando.

In addition to color, the buses are also adorned with stickers, religious signs, and LED lights. And, of course, each bus has a name. Obando has been working with “Yolandita” for ten years. She travels a route from Antigua, Guatemala, to Panajachel every day, three times a day.

The price for a ride depends  on where you want to get off or how well you know the driver. “If you look like a tourist, expect to get charged a little higher than the regular price, that’s just how it is,” said Obando.

For example, a native Guatemalan gets charged 30 quetzals (3.92 U.S. dollars) for shorter routes of about half an hour between two nearby towns, depending on location, and around 95 quetzals ($12.41) for longer ones. Riders pay two quetzals ($0.25) for local transportation. Since these buses are not usually regulated and many do not have a permits, companies get to charge what they want. There are also local buses that travel only within the city limits and charge one quetzal which equals to $0.13.

Some people don’t find these fares cheap. “I’ve heard people complain about the price many times but compared to Uber or having your car, the bus is cheap,” Obando said. “Some tourists don’t know this, but often we have to pay weekly or monthly fees to gang members, to protect ourselves and passengers in certain areas or to get into certain areas.”

Yeruti Vera, 23, a tourist from Paraguay, who spoke in Spanish, said that one of the things that excited her about coming to Guatemala was riding a chicken bus. “When you look up’ ten things to do in Guatemala,’ riding a chicken bus is always on the list,” said Vera.

Vera, who came to the country well-informed, said she knew she was getting charged more than the average Guatemalan.” It’s sad but also a touristic thing to go through. You usually get charged more based on your looks, skin color, and how you speak,” said Vera.

Vera described her chicken bus ride as a “truly Guatemalan experience.” She said, “Drivers are reckless. One of the things that surprised me the most was the speed at which these drivers go, even on bumpy and curvy roads.”

Obando explained, “We have places to go. We know the roads, but this experience is what attracts people to travel on these buses.”

Another thing that tourists love about chicken buses is the music and, of course, seeing nature and the countryside through a bus window.

“It’s never a quiet ride. You’ll hear people selling their merchandise, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, Spanish music, live animals. Just the overload of people talking in Spanish and other native Guatemalan dialects, I loved the experience,” said Vera.

College students, workers, advocates and politicians are skeptical about NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ subway safety plan  that was put into effect on Feb 21.

“Repeating the failed outreach-based policing strategies of the past will not end the suffering of homeless people bedding down on the subway,” said Shelly Nortz, Deputy Executive Director for Policy with the Coalition for the Homeless.

The plan consists of three specific goals to address subway violence, as transit crime has increased 86.8% from 2021, according to NYPD data.

Response teams would be sent throughout the city to meet up with homeless individuals residing in the subway, ensuring that the unsheltered will be provided with housing and care, and working with government agencies to help improve housing and mental health services.

Five outreach teams will be deployed at Penn Station, the West 42nd Street corridor, Grand Central Terminal, West 4th Street, the Fulton Street Corridor, and Jamaica Center to provide alternative shelter to people living on trains.

Teams will include medical staff and psychiatric health clinicians to refer people to mental health services. In addition, teams will be stationed at a train’s final stop to engage with unsheltered New Yorkers and place them into shelter settings such as stabilization beds.

On March 28, just a month after announcing the subway plan, the mayor implemented further measures against the homeless, by removing homeless encampments from the streets of New York.

Many New Yorkers oppose Adams’ approach to the homeless.

Nortz stated that the mayor is trying to criminalize the homeless. “It is sickening to hear Mayor Adams liken unsheltered homeless people to a cancer,” she said. “Criminalizing homelessness and mental illness is not the answer.”

She continued, “We urge great caution with respect to any regulatory or statutory expansion of involuntary commitment or outpatient treatment standards, including Kendra’s Law.”

Kendra’s law was legislation that was put into effect in 1999 after a woman named Kendra Webdale was pushed onto the tracks of an on-coming N train by a schizophrenic man named Andrew Goldstein, killing her.

The law gives judges the power to issue orders requiring people who satisfy certain requirements to receive mental treatment on a regular basis.

But “expansion of the legal criteria will not solve the problem and could result in pushing people in need further away from care,” the Coalition for the Homeless deputy director said. ”It will also not solve the problem of premature discharges or access to care when people seek it. It will not solve unsheltered homelessness.”

Another individual had a similar sentiment in regard to the plan. A 24-year-old Brooklyn College student, who referred to himself only by his first name, Vern, said, “These people need to be housed, not in jail cells. The cops are just pushing people away into these jails by these summons and these tickets.”

Brooklyn College student Alliyah Biggs wanted the mayor to put enough funding into providing services to the homeless and mentally challenged.

“They should find a plan to help the homeless people better,” the 22-year-old senior said. “Funded shelters, job recruiters for the homeless, personal care assistants, counselors for the homeless.”

One major criticism that the mayor received was the funding for social services.

It was reported that Mayor Adams’ budget plan cuts $615 million from homeless services, decreasing the Department of Homeless Services spending from $2.8 billion to $2.15 billion for the 2023 fiscal year, according to City Limits.

Brooklyn Councilman Chi Ossé commented on the budget cuts when asked by the New York Daily News.

“I’m kind of confused as to how that plan will be carried out when there have been no significant investments in … street outreach,” he said to the Daily News. “Do you believe that the preliminary budget that is proposed is adequate enough for addressing … our unsheltered neighbors that are seeking shelter on the subways?”

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority conducted a survey which found 29 homeless encampments within the subway tunnels and an additional 89 encampments in the subway stations, according to the New York Post, which estimated there are over 350 people living within these spaces.

One MTA worker weighed in on the matter. “It doesn’t surprise me,” Monita Jordan, Power Distribution Maintainer with the MTA said. “We have a large homeless population (in NYC) and they find ways to make some place home. Sometimes it’s by all means necessary for them.”

She urged the mayor to take a humane approach. “You do have many crimes that are done by homeless people, but it’s not all homeless people,” she said. “Some people need mental health services and independent living services. They need to come up with some type of better services such as job placement and low-income housing for the homeless.”

In his March 25 announcement, Mayor Adams said a two-week operation would remove homeless encampments and place individuals in healthy living conditions.

“We can’t stop an individual from sleeping on the street based on law, and we’re not going to violate that law,” the mayor told The New York Times. “But you can’t build a miniature house made out of cardboard on the streets. That’s inhumane.”

Jacquelyn Simone, Policy Director for the Coalition for the Homeless, was sharply critical. “Once again, Mayor Adams is demonstrating his lack of understanding of unsheltered homeless New Yorkers,” she said. “His administration has no plan to provide safe, single rooms where they can stay inside, and is relying instead on the tired and cruel old tactic of chasing those without shelter out of Manhattan.”

She continued, “Like Giuliani, he will fail. Moving people to the outer boroughs will simply move them away from outreach workers, access to food, and the health and social services they need to survive,” she said. “If the Mayor is serious about helping homeless people, he needs to open thousands of new Safe Haven and stabilization rooms and offer them to those in need, not take away what little protection they have from the elements and other dangers on the street.”

NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodríguez announced in Times Square that this year’s Car-Free Earth Day will expand across the five boroughs for the first time ever.

Saturday April 23 will also be the largest Car-Free Earth Day ever with 150 participating partners.

Car-Free Earth Day is an international event that encourages pedestrians to travel without using their cars for a day.

It urges people to use other forms of transportation such as bikes, scooters, or walking to their destination in order to reduce the carbon emissions within NYC’s atmosphere.

During the event, selected streets will be closed off and turned into plazas for people to walk, as well as do other various activities.

The activities include art, cultural activities, dancing, music performances, educational workshops, and bike programs.

“Earth Day is when we can all commit to protecting our earth; and one way we can do that is by repurposing our roadways,” said the DOT Commissioner. “Car-Free Earth Day is a growing tradition that allows New York City’s car-free streets to come alive.”

This year’s event will expand to over 100 open streets, 22 plazas, as well as over 1000 miles of NYC’s bike networks throughout the five boroughs.

The list of neighborhoods for each borough are as follows:

• Bronx, Roberto Clemente Plaza, 3rd Avenue, 148th Street to 149th Street
• Bronx, Southbound Mosholu Parkway, Van Cortlandt Avenue East to Bainbridge Avenue
• Brooklyn, Tompkins Avenue, Gates Avenue to Halsey Street
• Manhattan, Avenue B, East 6th Street to East 14th Street
• Manhattan, Broadway, East 17th Street to West 42nd Street
• Manhattan, St. Nicholas Avenue, 181st Street to 190th Street
• Queens, 34th Avenue, 69th Street to 94th Street
• Staten Island, Minthorne Street, Bay Street to Victory Boulevard

The event is held the day after Earth Day, which has been held world-wide since 1970 to educate people about the importance of fighting for a clean and green environment and to combat climate change.

Car-Free Earth Day started in NYC in 2016, however, was discontinued for two years because of COVID-19.

“This is Earth Day and I encourage New Yorkers to join us in making the world a greener place by going car-free and taking alternative transportation,” said State Senator Brad Hoylman. “Our streets are one of the largest public spaces in the city. Together, we can create a better future and more equitable use of this public space for all to enjoy.”

Rodríguez wants to use this day to reimagine the city’s streets with fewer cars and more pathways for pedestrians and cyclists.

When asked how this may affect minority neighborhoods in the long run, he explained that this can be a good thing because plazas can bring together people, and they bring a sense of community.

He also said he hopes the day educates people on how important it is to reduce carbon emissions.

“I applaud the New York City Department of Transportation’s commitment to a greener and more sustainable city with Car-Free Day,” said Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. “New York City must be a leader in the global fight to combat climate change, and this important event can act as the template for a more sustainable future.”

A couple of people shared their thoughts on this day and the future implications of the event if it was to become a permanent initiative.

“That is a good idea,” said 29-year-old Ricardo Manuel. “For less cars, there’s less fuel emissions.”

A couple sitting near him shared the same sentiment.

“I think it’s a great idea because it’s less of a negative impact on the environment,” said 24-year-old Darrell Elliot.

His girlfriend, Nicole Blake, agreed with his statement.

“I think that this is going to impede on people’s ability to park their cars,” the 22-year-old said. “But it’s for the betterment of the environment.”

However, one man disagreed.

“I think it’s a bad idea because it will cause more traffic,” Brandon Kennedy said. “It doesn’t solve the issue. It will make things worse as more cars will be stuck in one area, causing more toxic fuels to be in the air.”

Many people say that New York City is the center of the world, with its bright lights, noise and crowds. However, it was also an epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that has left its mark on the city that never sleeps.

As normalcy is coming back, many are left wondering how the city will recover. Will it ever be the same again?

Gilles Duranton, professor of real estate at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and Jessie Handbury, assistant professor of real estate, addressed  the issue before a limited in-person crowd at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Thurs., Mar. 31. There were also 203 participants live streaming the event.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a “donut effect” in the city, according to the two professors, hollowing out the middle. Many people left the city and moved out to the suburbs, where rent and house prices have risen. This has been attributed to more people working from home.

“Fewer days having to go to work makes the suburbs more effective,” said Handbury. Due to more people having the luxury of being able to work at home, Duranton said that some cities should push outward. One way NYC could do that is by establishing a home-office tax where people who work from home in the suburbs pay tax to the city where they are employed, he said.

With more people working from home, many restaurants and smaller stores servicing office workers have closed.

“If you want to work from home you’ll have to pay a tax,” said Handbury. Both Duranton and Handbury are adamant about applying the home-office tax in order to help cities recover from the effects of the pandemic on businesses.

While some are predicting the after-effects of the pandemic, other experts are suggesting that residents wait and see what happens with employees returning to the city for work.

“It’s too early to really draw a long-term conclusion,” said Marc Morial, president and CEO, National Urban League. “The city is just easing out of the pandemic.”

Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, stated that of 10,000 office workers surveyed in the city, 82% responded that they are monitoring carefully what happens over the next year about whether to return to work in person.

As of late February, over 30% of office employees have returned to work in-person according to an article on thecity.nyc.

BROOKLYN—The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), following a dismal two-year decline in ridership needs riders back into the subways. Chair and CEO Janno Lieber announced in a virtual meeting Feb. 24 that there would be no fare hike this year, thanks to Federal stimulus money, while 20 commuters spoke out for improvement of service.

No small order: the enormity of the pandemic dropped the ridership rates of the MTA by 50% through much of the pandemic. New Yorkers have avoided public transit the Omicron variant forced people to work from home and other safety conditions plagued city transit.

“By working with the city and the state, I’m convinced we can fix these conditions and welcome New Yorkers back into a system that’s safer and feels safer,” said Leiber.

Crime on subways was also a major concern proposed by residents who spoke on Thursday. They called on the board to respond to the fear felt by riders, citing the death of the late Asian-American Michele Go, 40, who was pushed into the path of an oncoming train by a homeless attacker.

Malinda Elias, a mother who spoke to the board said, “Currently I have yet to go on a bus or a subway with my 18-month-old because of safety and convenience concerns.”

Leiber said the city, state and the MTA are doing something about it. “Last Friday I stood with Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, as they unveiled a comprehensive subway safety plan that prioritizes outreach and services for homeless and others who are housing in our system and suffer from mental issues,” he said.

The MTA will also enforce a subway code of conduct in addition to services to people in need. The governor and mayor agree to bolster the code’s significance by placing a record number of police officers in underground stations.
“No more smoking, no more doing drugs, no more sleeping, no more barbecues on the subway system, and no more just doing whatever you want,” said Adams. Chief Safety Officer, Patrick Warren will oversee the commitment made to NYC riders for the MTA.

Ridership rates are expected to spike in the coming weeks of March, as Adams had urged CEOs to resettle their companies back into office spaces to help revitalize surrounding service companies.

A group of mothers attended the public forum and pushed back against a ban on open strollers on buses, scrutinizing the board at the meeting for infringing on the convenience and accessibility of certain riders.

One mother pointed out that having a child sit on a mother’s lap contradicted the rule of car seats: to have the baby strapped in. Another said it was unsafe for her to manage her energetic child with one hand while balancing a heavy stroller away from the clear path on the bus.

“Bus drivers humiliate you; they create scenes,” Danielle Avaçar said. “It’s completely unfair for parents to put up with it,”. Some who were dismayed by the difficulty of riding buses accompanied by their baby and a stroller said they stopped riding buses.

The MTA expressed no clear response to resolve this concern, however, with assistance from the governor’s and mayor’s office, riders can expect novel changes to public transportation services.

Lisa Daglian, Executive Director of Permanent Citizen Advisory to the MTA (PCAC) addressed the board, “MTA needs to use every tool in its tool kit to keep riders safe and help them feel safer, so they return. Without riders, the cliff will only become steeper, and the red ink deeper.”

Brooklyn, New York- A 57-year-old driver has been charged with the killing of a 64-year-old female pedestrian on February 1, at the East 17th Street and Foster Avenue intersection a few steps away from Brooklyn College.

The driver, Gale Grey-Lawrence, 57,  who was driving a large Chevrolet SUV, was officially charged on February 2 with failure to yield, running a red light and failure to exercise due care, according to police officials.

On February 1, at 6:55 am, the 64 year old woman was crossing an intersection between 17th street and Foster Avenue. Grey-Lawrence didn’t stop for the pedestrian, struck her with the Chevy and dragged her several yards on the pavement.

The woman was taken to Kings County Hospital and died. Grey-Lawrence remained on the scene.

The investigation is still on-going and the victim’s family are withholding the victim’s information until future notice.

The executive director of Transportation Alternatives Danny Harris expressed outrage about the victim’s death.

“Once again, a driver of a big car has killed a Brooklyn resident as they tried to cross the street. We are heartbroken and outraged. We send our condolences to the loved ones of the deceased.”

So far, there have been at least 18 deaths due to traffic violations in 2022 compared to 85 fatalities in Brooklyn last year, according to Transportation Alternatives. This puts the 2022 traffic fatality rate on track to exceed the deaths from 2021.

Mayor Eric Adams addressed concerns about traffic accidents just weeks ago on January 19 at a Coney Island Avenue press conference to propose new approaches to decrease fatalities.