Vol. 57 No. 09
Saturday, February 26, 2022
$1.25
Board Discusses Ramp Rally, Asbestos, and Other Topics at Virtual Meeting BY ROZAAN BOONE Riverbay Board Directors addressed a wide variety of topics at the virtual Board meeting held on Wednesday, February 23, at 7 p.m. on Webex. Among Co-op City apartments and adding a dedication to the Dreiser Auditorium which the community will be asked to participate in. The meeting began with Roll Call and approval of the meeting’s agenda after which Board President Bernard Cylich gave a brief President’s Report on two matters – funding for a community center and today’s (Feb. 26th) rally to protest the exit ramp from the Hutchinson River Parkway North to Bartow Avenue and into Section 5. Board President Cylich announced that an application has been submitted to Councilman Kevin Riley for funding for a community center. He said that the Councilman has also been approached about the exorbitant water and sewer taxes Riverbay Corporation pays to the city which is currently greater than the corporation’s fuel expenses. He said that Councilman Riley said he would take these matters under advisement and a follow-up meeting will most likely be held at some time to discuss further. Regarding the Hutchinson River Parkway North ramp that the state Dept. of (Continued on page 4)
Bronx Bus Redesign Set to Roll Out in June BY BRANDON ORTIZ Changes to the Bronx’s local bus service are coming this summer as the MTA tries to implement a new plan to speed up commuting time in the Bronx and enhance service overall. bus panels and destination signs over the next few months in preparation of the launch. The redesigned Bronx bus plan focuses primarily on Local, Limited and Select Bus Service. Some buses will have certain stops eliminated entirely in an effort to shorten the wait times for commuters. “The MTA is excited to put the Bronx Bus Network redesign into practice the current network and get customers where they need to go faster and more to the press earlier this week. (Continued on page 5)
BY BRANDON ORTIZ
boosters are safe and provide protection against severe disease, especially the Delta and Omicron variants. from the CDC’s vaccine safety monitoring systems, v-safe and the Vaccine the same mRNA vaccine brand for their primary series and their booster shot on average “experienced fewer adverse reactions following the booster dose, of VAERS reports not considered serious. The most common side effects reported from boosters were fever, headache and muscle aches. V-safe data also (Continued on page 12)
NYS DOT’s Preliminary Work on Hutchinson River P’way North Exit Ramp in Section 5 BY ROZAAN BOONE
On Thursday, Feb. 24, more evidence of the New York State Department of Transportation’s (DOT) mobilization work around the site where the Hutchinson River Parkway North exit ramp into Section 5 is to be built was apparent. area along Hutchinson River Parkway and Bartow Avenue. Although actual construction is not yet beginning, the state DOT has started to set up signs and needed for construction work zones when work actually begins. They have been preforming survey control and measurements; installing soil erosion control measures; performing test pits for utility identification per their contract plans, and clearing and grubbing operations. Once this preliminary Photo by Brandon Ortiz work is completed, the NYS DOT will set up long-term construction zones, including temporary removal of parking spaces up to Einstein Loop North in order to reconstruct the existing HRP-Bartow Avenue roadway and to construct the new ramp from the northbound HRP. Hutchinson River Parkway East beginning from north of where there is onstreet parking, and along the right-hand shoulder of the southbound Hutchinson (Continued on page 2)
