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WEEK OF AUGUST JOURNALISTS ARE NOT THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE ◄ P.8
16-22 2018
SUBWAY INACCESSIBILITY IS A BURDEN FOR MANY TRANSPORTATION The elderly and those with young children are also at a disadvantage BY NATASHA ROY
Three acres of new parkland will be built in Hudson Yards as part of the second and final phase of the city’s master plan for the development project. Photo: Michael Garofalo
NEW PARKLAND COMING TO HUDSON YARDS DEVELOPMENT Greenway to be extended three blocks north to 39th Street as part of final phase of development project BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
Glass skyscrapers aren’t the only thing Hudson Yards will see more of in the years to come. Three acres of new green space will be built over a rail cut as part of the massive West Side development’s next phase, City officials announced on Aug. 8, enlarging an existing park at the site by 75 percent. Hudson Park and Boulevard, as the greenway is known, currently occupies portions of three blocks from West 33rd Street to West 36th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues. The park will be extended three blocks north to West 39th Street as part of
Completing this park has been a goal of the West Side community for years. Securing this financing is an important step in ensuring that this neighborhood has essential public green space as Hudson Yards grows.” City Council Speaker Corey Johnson the project’s second and final phase, with portions of the new parkland slated to be constructed on top of an Amtrak rail cut that runs below street level.
Julie Maury didn’t feel safe taking the subway alone until the Second Avenue station was revamped — and even then, she has only taken three subway rides by herself. The 36-yearold is wheelchair-bound, and relies on the buses. Each use of public transportation is an ordeal. “To rely on the bus system heavily like I do, I have to start out an hour or maybe two hours in advance if I want to go somewhere, whereas a friend without a wheelchair may have to start out 15 minutes in advance because they have access to the subway, where I don’t,” Maury, who lives on the Upper East Side, said. New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer last month released a report detailing the lack of accessible subway stations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens. According to Stringer’s office, 51 percent of neighborhoods don’t have American Disabilities Act-accessible subway stations. A majority are located in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens. Nearly 500,000 people who need accessible stations do not live in a neighborhood that has one, according to the report. Non-ADA-accessible stations don’t solely affect those with a disability — mothers with young children, senior citizens and people with injuries also often depend on elevators.
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The MTA has a plan that, within five years, would expand accessibility such that customers be no more than two stations away from an accessible station. Photo: Jeremy Weine Downtowner
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WEEK OF APRIL
SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12
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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