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END TO E-BIKE BAN IN SIGHT? STREETS Electric bicycles and electric scooters could soon be legalized on New York City streets BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal moderated the candidates’ forum at Goddard Riverside Community Center. Photo: Erica Overton
4 KEY ISSUES AT PUBLIC ADVOCATE FORUM POLITICS Big turnout for give-and-take with 13 candidates vying to succeed Tish James BY RICHARD BARR
When New York City Public Advocate Tish James is sworn in as the new State Attorney General at the beginning of next month, Mayor DeBlasio will call a special election to fill her current office, which is first in line of succession to the Mayor. Candidates will then have a short time to get 7,000 petition signatures, and the election will likely occur in February. Local Manhattan Democratic clubs organized a candidates’ forum last Thursday at the Goddard Riverside Community Center on the UWS, and 13 candidates showed up. Each of them was asked to do a two minute presentation followed by a three
The huge turnout was an inspiring moment in local politics. I am heartened to see that the new sense of civic activism has extended past the midterm elections.” Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal minute Q and A with the audience, a standing-room crowd of about 200 people. Manhattan State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, who is affiliated with Community Free Democrats, the lead organizer of the event, was the moderator. Candidates who participated were: Bronx State Assemblymember Mi-
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For years, electric bicycles have been a significant, if illicit, component of New York City’s street transportation network, favored by food delivery workers and loathed by many pedestrians. But the motorized bikes — now illegal and frequently confiscated by police — could soon become an officially sanctioned mode of transportation under a measure now being considered in the City Council. A package of bills introduced in the City Council on Nov. 28 would legalize not only e-bikes but also e-scooters, and would pave the way for e-scooter sharing services to begin operating in the city. Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, who is a co-sponsor of the bills and the chair of the Council’s transportation committee, cast e-bikes and e-scooters as an efficient and environmentally friendly option for delivery workers, commuters and tourists at a Nov. 28 press conference on the bills. “It’s a safe, green alternative to sitting in traffic, riding the subway or for a quick trip to the bodega,” Rodriguez said. “Most people are not blind to the fact that we have electrical bikes and electrical scooters moving through the city already.” E-bikes that use a throttle, which can travel at speeds of more than 20 mph, are currently banned from city streets. Earlier this year, the city’s Department of Transportation adjusted its rules to permit pedal-assist electric bikes, which have motors that only operate while users are pedaling and
An e-scooter sharing program similar to those operated in San Diego and other cities by companies such as Lime and Bird could soon be given the green light to launch in New York City on a trial basis. Photo courtesy of Lime
“I don’t think vehicles have any place on sidewalks where pedestrians go. I like human-powered vehicles to have their own space apart from motor vehicles, and that’s why we have bike lanes.” Council Member Ben Kallos Downtowner WEEK OF APRIL
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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
asphaltgreen.org
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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typically travel at lower speeds. Rodriguez and other council members co-sponsoring the e-bike legalization bill, including Lower Manhattan representatives Margaret Chin and Carlina Rivera, said that current regulations are unfair to delivery workers, who are predominantly immigrants and against whom police enforcement is often targeted. “We refuse to accept a city that uses overpolicing as a short-sighted Band-Aid
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