Vacca, Phipps Community Development Corporation Rally to Protest Proposed Beacon Cuts at I.S. 192

Here is another press release from CM Vacca's office related to cuts to after school programs.

Gregory

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On Monday April 16, Council Member James Vacca will join community and school leaders at the I.S. 192 Piagentini and Jones Beacon Campus to protest the proposed Department of Youth and Community Development cuts to vital city afterschool programs.

The Beacon Program at I.S. 192, which is operated by the Phipps Community Development Corporation, is one of seven Beacon Programs throughout the city scheduled for closure at the end of the school year. The afterschool program at I.S. 192 currently employs 16 staff members and serves over 1,300 students, adults, and seniors, providing them with an opportunity to improve education and skills. These students and their families will lose these critical services if the Mayor does not restore the funding in his Fiscal 2013 Executive Budget.

WHO: Council Member James Vacca

Dianne Morales, Executive Director/CEO of Phipps CDC

Sharon Williams, Managing Director of Youth Services

Monique De La Oz, I.S. 192 Beacon Program Director

Members of The Campaign for Children

WHERE: I.S. 192 Piagentini and Jones Beacon Campus, 650 Hollywood Avenue

WHEN: Monday, April 16^th at 5:30 p.m.

MTA Announces Rehabilitation of Five Bronx Pelham Line Stations

Here is news on the funds secured to make much needed renovations to Bronx subway stations.

Gregory

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Major Renovations to Begin in Early 2013

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Council Member James Vacca announced that major renovations are expected to begin early next year at the Pelham Bay Park, Buhre Avenue, Middletown Road, Zerega Avenue, and Castle Hill Avenue IRT 6 Pelham Line train stations.

These upcoming station restorations will join the recently renovated Pelham Line stations at Whitlock Avenue, Elder Avenue, Morrison Avenue-Soundview, St. Lawrence Avenue, and Parkchester. The designs for the repairs are expected to be completed in the fall, followed by the construction award being issued this winter. Renovations are projected to begin early next year and are expected to be complete in 2015.

The general repairs that will be made at the Buhre Avenue, Middletown Road, Zerega Avenue, and Castle Hill Avenue stations include renovations of station mezzanines, including floors, walls, and ceilings; replacement of station mezzanine roofs; replacement of platform and street stairs including enclosures; new platform edges and rubbing boards, which prevent trains from coming into direct contact with the platform; new ADA boarding areas; repair and/or replacement of concrete platforms and windscreens; replacement of platform and street stairs canopies; repair of railings and corroded steel; painting of stations; new mezzanine lighting; bird deterrent systems; and the incorporation of artwork throughout stations.

The general renovations that will be made at the Pelham Bay Park Station include the repair of the bridge over the tracks; a new rubbing board and tactile warning strip; painting of the exterior of the control building and station mezzanine; new platform canopies; painting of platform windscreens; and a bird deterrent system.

“Thanks to Governor Cuomo’s leadership, funding for the next three years of the Capital Plan has been secured and MTA New York City Transit can now continue rolling out our station renewal program to five more stations in the Bronx,” said NYC Transit President Tom Prendergast. “When our work is completed at these five stations, our customers will enjoy newly painted stations and other improvements that will enhance their experience.”

“It is great news that these five stations will be receiving much needed repairs and renovations beginning early next year,” said Council Member Vacca, Chair of the City Council Committee on Transportation. “These stations have a combined average daily ridership of over 20,000 people who commute throughout the Bronx and into the other boroughs. It is important that these stations are updated frequently for the safety of riders. I look forward to these restorations, and I thank the MTA for bringing their attention to these vital stations in the Bronx.”

Country Club Bus Line extended to Vital Commercial and Transit Hub

Here is news on a new bus line connecting Country Club to the Westchester Square Hub.

Gregory

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On Monday morning, Council Member James Vacca will be joined by other local elected officials and community members to welcome the Bx24 bus line to the Westchester Square Community.

Vacca and others advocated for the new Westchester Square stop at East Tremont and Lane avenues after the Bx14 bus, which used to connect Country Club with Westchester Square, was eliminated in June 2010. The MTA announced that the Bx24 would be extended to Westchester Square in January and the new route officially began on Sunday, April 8^th.

WHO: Council Member James Vacca

State Senator Jeff Klein

State Assemblyman Michael Benedetto

Community Board 10 District Manager Ken Kearns

Country Club Civic Association President Marcia Pavlica

Spencer Estate Civic Association President Al Carena

Merchants of the Westchester Square BID

WHERE: Bx24 Bus Stop at East Tremont and Lane avenues

WHEN: Monday, April 9^th at 9:15 a.m.

Vacca to Hold Budget Hearings in Transportation Committee

Here is news related to transportation issues in NYC. For those that were not at the recent Borough Presidents State of the Borough Address, there is an orchestrated push by our elected officials to secure additional funding for our neglected subway system in the Bronx as well as plans for a new Metro-North rail line. The proposed Metro-North line would connect Co-op City, Morris Park, Parkchester and other parts of the East Bronx to the South Bronx and then Manhattan. For more on transportation issues here is a press release by NYC Transportation Chair James Vacca.

Gregory

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Vacca to Hold Budget Hearings in Transportation Committee

MTA, DOT, TLC Budgets for FY2013 Under Scrutiny

As the federal transportation bill stalls in Washington, leaving funds for mass transit in the balance, Chairman James Vacca and members of the Council Transportation Committee will hold a series of hearings on the Mayor’s Fiscal 2013 Budgets for transportation and transit funding in NYC.

The MTA plans to implement a 7.5 percent fare and toll hike in January 2013, netting an expected $463 million. In addition, the Taxi and Limousine Commission expects to add more than $1 billion to the city’s coffers from the sale of 2,000 medallions as well as the first wave of the TLC’s new street hail licenses.

And despite the mild winter, the FY 2012 Mayor’s Management Report shows that the number of days it takes the Department of Transportation to fill a pothole has still not gone back to FY10 levels. The spike in FY11 was attributed to the active snow season that year, including the Christmas weekend storm.

WHO: Council Member James Vacca, Chair, Transportation Committee
Hilary Ring, Director of Government Affairs, MTA
Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, NYC Department of Transportation
Commissioner David Yassky, NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission

WHERE: 250 Broadway, 14th Floor Committee Room

WHEN: Tuesday, March 6, 2012, 10 a.m. (TLC); 10:45 (MTA); 11:45 (DOT)