Early voting begins in New York today, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019. See page 4 for more information.
Vol. 54 No. 43
Saturday, October 26, 2019
$1.25
Final MTA bus plan preserves most service after committee, Byford confer The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has released its revised and final redesign plan for the city’s bus routes. Thanks to the clear message from a committee of Co-op City shareholders, and the MTA’s willingness to hear it, bus service in the area has largely been maintained, and, in some cases, enhanced. But a late edition to the MTA’s final plan, something that was not in the original draft, has shareholders and committee members concerned anew. Under the MTA’s planned redesign, the BxM7 express, which travels from Co-op City to midtown Manhattan, would see its scope of operation reduced at both ends. Southbound service will end earlier — 3 p.m. on weekdays — and northbound service would begin later all seven days of the week. This, according to Co-op City ad hoc committee co-chairman Blossom Johns, is not the end of the line between shareholders and the MTA. “I’m stunned at the cut in service on the BxM7 southbound because the MTA was not looking to make any changes to that bus,” Ms. Johns told the BY JASON CHIREVAS
Co-op City Times. “They never said a word to the committee about any idea they were considering for the line. We are going after them about that.” State Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, who was something of a silent partner, communicating Co-op City’s bus needs and concerns to MTA New York City Transit President Andy Byford while the ad hoc committee did its work, told the Times he did not know about the reduction to the BxM7 schedule before the MTA issued its final plan and complained to the authority immediately when he did learn of it. He said his understanding is the MTA is already reconsidering schedule reductions to its express buses. Mr. Benedetto, who has said he will help Co-op City seek money to fund further changes or additions to its bus service, said it’s too early to speculate about next year’s budget, but he “will fight for adequate bussing for Co-op City, and if that means ways to get more funding for the MTA I will do that.” Aaron Carnegie, the Co-op City ad hoc committee’s other co-chairman, told the Times he is not at all in favor of the reduction of the BxM7’s schedule. Ad
Committee: King charges true
The New York City Council Standards and Ethics Committee released a redacted version of its investigation of Bronx Councilman Andy King on Wednesday, Oct. 23. The report reveals the extent of allegations brought to light in 2017 and earlier this spring and concludes Mr. King violated council policies with acts of retaliation, harassment, conflict of interest and disorderly conduct. The committee recommended Mr. King serve a 30-day suspension, pay a $15,000 fine, have his discretionary funds and committee assignments removed, and remain under monitor for the rest of his term. The 48-page report details the extent of infractions it determined Mr. King committed. Mr. King “created a substantial number of conflicts of interest, resulting in the misuse of Council resources,” the report said. That misuse of council resources benefitted the councilman and his wife, Neva Shillingford-King, executive vice president of 1199 SEIU union. “Council Member King inappropriately utilized Council funds and Council resources to support the ‘retreat’ in the U.S. Virgin Islands that personally benefited himself and his wife,” the report reads. “The retreat featured and highlighted Council Member King’s wife and her union-employer (Local 1199) and, in 2017, included the wedding of his wife’s daughter.” According to the committee’s findings, Mr. King also retaliated against staffers on numerous occasions following both 2017 and 2019 harassment complaints. During a staff meeting at his home, the committee (Continued on page 4)
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Key changes in the final MTA bus redesign plan, released Oct. 22, include: • No transfers within Co-op City
• Most current bus routes remain intact within Co-op City • Bx23 will increase in frequency and lose no stops
• A new Bx25, with service from Bedford Park to the Bay Plaza Shopping Center, will split off from the Bx26
• The Q50 will continue to run to Co-op City, but only during peak hours. To preserve this service, the Co-op City ad hoc committee traded the MTA’s proposed express bus through Queens from Co-op City to Wall Street.
• The BxM7 express bus service to midtown will end earlier southbound and begin later northbound all seven days of the week. This change was not in the original draft MTA bus re-design proposal.
Replacement of egress doors continues
BY TORIEA McCAUSELAND
Riverbay’s Maintenance Department headed by Mike Sanders has been supervising the contractor hired to replace egress doors in the garages, shopping centers and residential buildings. The work is overseen onsite by the Maintenance department’s licensed locksmith, Josue Coronel, and involves replacement of the doors and frames as well as the associated masonry work. The new doors have a clear glass window making it easier to see if anyone is behind the door as you enter/exit. Photo by Brandon Ortiz
Riverbay Fund Halloween Horrorland
Dreiser Community Center (115 Dreiser Loop, Lower Level)
Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 26th and 27th 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.