Oct. 13, 2021 By Allie Griffin The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is putting the the controversial LaGuardia AirTrain project on hold. The agency announced Tuesday that it will pause its $2 billion plan to build a 1.5-mile rail line from Willets Point to LaGuardia Airport at the direction of Gov. Kathy… Read more »
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Early Voting Begins Oct. 23, BOE Increases Number of Early Voting Sites in Queens
Oct. 12, 2021 By Allie Griffin The NYC Board of Elections has increased the number of early voting sites to open in Queens this month ahead of the general election. There will be 22 early voting poll sites across the borough — an increase from the 18 sites that were available to residents ahead of… Read more »
De Blasio’s ‘Open Streets’ Stalled at Fraction of Promised Hundred Miles
This article was originally published by The CITY on Oct. 12, 2021, 5 a.m. BY GABRIEL SANDOVAL Fewer than half of the Open Streets touted by Mayor Bill de Blasio and his Department of Transportation are off limits to motor vehicles as advertised, a new survey finds. The review from the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives also… Read more »
State Closes Applications for Excluded Workers Fund As Money Runs Out
Oct. 11, 2021 By Allie Griffin New York State has closed applications for the Excluded Workers Fund as the $2.1 billion fund is running out. The state department of labor stopped accepting new applications Friday night to the program, which provides monetary aid to undocumented New Yorkers who lost their jobs during the pandemic and… Read more »
Queens DOT Commissioner Says Bike Boulevard is a ‘Work in Progress’ and Asks for Patience
Oct. 8, 2021 By Christian Murray The Queens Commissioner of the Department of Transportation told residents during a Community Board 2 meeting Thursday that the controversial 39th Avenue Bike Boulevard remains “a work in progress” and asked for “patience.” “This is a creative, innovative treatment–the first of its kind in the borough,” said Queens DOT… Read more »
Several Queens Legislators Criticize Mayor’s Decision to Phase Out the Gifted & Talented Program
Oct. 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday that the city will phase out the gifted and talented program at city public schools — sparking criticism from several elected officials in Queens. The highly competitive program, which requires kindergarteners to take a screening test, has been criticized by experts for exacerbating… Read more »
New 34th Avenue Open Street Opposition Group to Hold Rally, Plans Lawsuit
Oct. 8, 2021 By Max Parrott A new challenger has entered the ring to fight against Jackson Heights’ 34th Avenue Open Streets program. The 34OS Resisters United group, a new hardline organization, is fighting to eliminate the Open Streets plan altogether. Some of its members splintered from the 34th Avenue Compromise, a group that formed… Read more »
DOE Faces Backlash for Not Releasing School Enrollment and Attendance Numbers
Oct. 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin The New York City Department of Education is facing backlash for not releasing public school enrollment and attendance numbers for the school year thus far. City Council members along with the head of the city’s powerful teachers union criticized the DOE for what they say is a lack of… Read more »
More Than 15,500 New Yorkers Have Received COVID-19 Funeral Aid
Oct. 7, 2021 By Allie Griffin More than 15,500 New Yorkers have received a total of $107 million to help bury their loved ones who died of COVID-19. The recipients were able to tap into the funds from the federal COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program, which recently expanded eligibility after facing pressure from two local legislators…. Read more »
National Parks Service Recognizes John Bowne House for Its Role in Underground Railroad
Oct. 7, 2021 By Michael Dorgan The National Parks Service has designated John Bowne House in Flushing as a research facility for the anti-slave movement in America. The oldest house in Queens, known primarily for its role in establishing religious tolerance in America, has been selected to join the agency’s National Underground Railroad Network to… Read more »