The local paper for Downtown wn WHAT WAS LOST ◄ P.12
WEEK OF APRIL-MAY
25-1 2019
CROSSTOWN BUS CUTS
INSIDE
TRANSPORTATION MTA to implement new schedules with reduced service on M31 and M72 routes Denizen of the cat cafe. Photo: lovinkat, via flickr
BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
HELPING THE FERAL CATS OF CHINATOWN ANIMALS Nonprofit TNR Utopia teaches the public how to trap, neuter and return stray felines to the wild NYC streets BY CULLEN MONROE ORMOND
The futuristic exterior — a stark contrast to the weather buildings with dirty awnings that line sleepy Hester Street — is a surprise to passersby. A glass-windowed wall protects the word MEOW, which commands attention in white, chunky letters. But within that word, if you look closely, you will sometimes be able to spot a pair of yellow eyes peering out into the street. Or spot a deft blur of fur, a force briskly pouncing on some invisible object. The M31 bus will soon run with increased headways during morning peak and evening hours on weekdays. Photo: Michael Garofalo
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Bus riders will face increased wait times on the M31 and M72 routes under new schedules set to take effect April 28. The M31 bus, which provides crosstown service between Yorkville and the West Side via 57th Street, will run less often during morning peak and evening hours on weekdays. The morning rush hour cuts are relatively modest, with scheduled headways between buses to increase from 6 to 6.5 minutes. The evening cuts are more significant, with scheduled headways to increase from 10 to 12 minutes. A 2017 report from Comptroller Scott Stringer found that the M31 travels at an average speed of just 4.14 mph, making it the city’s second-slowest bus route. On the M72, which runs between the Upper East Side and Upper West Side, scheduled headways during morning peak hours will be increased from 10 to 12 minutes. According to boilerplate language used by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to justify bus frequency reductions, the cuts are intended “to more closely align service with customer demand and to meet established bus loading guidelines.” Both routes were subject to a previous round of service cuts in 2017. The MTA’s practice of using decreased ridership to justify service cuts has frustrated many bus riders, who believe that slow and infrequent service is to blame for riders abandoning the bus as a reliable transit option.
BEFORE THE PULITZER Former Spirit editor wins prize for the WSJ P. 2
DOCTOR, SCIENTIST, WRITER Siddhartha Mukherjee honored at Rockefeller University P. 6
GOOGLE OPENS FREE LEARNING CENTER IN CHELSEA Workshops on coding, building websites, marketing P. 5
‘WEIRD, INTERESTING AND BEAUTIFUL’ Fashion entrepreneur Naomi Mishkin on her designs P. 16
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FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
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