News & Notes from NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio

Public Advocate Delivers Thousands of Signatures to Mayor from Parents Opposing Child Care Cuts - June 7, 2011

Parents oppose closing 110 daycare centers, eliminating daycare for thousands of kids

At a City Hall rally today, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio delivered 3,773 signatures to Mayor Bloomberg from parents opposing unprecedented cuts to childcare. The petitions were collected by organizers from Public Advocate de Blasio’s office from parents at daycare centers, including some of the 110 centers that will be eliminated by Mayor Bloomberg’s budget. The Mayor’s proposals will slash services for as many as 7,000 children, according to the Citizens’ Committee for Children.

“We need to be committed as a city to preparing our kids to learn on that first day of school. That’s something every parent knows and certainly something an ‘Education Mayor’ should understand,” said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. “This budget consigns an entire generation of New York City kids to inferior childcare—and in some cases no childcare at all—during those first critical years of their development. The parents of this city cannot let that happen.”

The childcare cuts will eliminate the Priority 5 and 6 programs which provide vouchers for daycare services to working parents and those enrolled in job training. The drastic cuts will require the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) to provide much more limited childcare services by closing 110 daycare centers across the city and requiring increased co-payments. In many instances childcare services will be shifted to cheaper providers whose programs are shorter in duration and provide less individual attention and instruction due to larger class sizes.

The signatures delivered by Public Advocate de Blasio put the total collected by a broad coalition of childcare advocates to over 30,000. Public Advocate de Blasio gathered the signatures as part of his campaign to make children a priority in this year’s budget. He has also collected over 5,200 petition signatures against the proposed firing of over 4,100 teachers.

Statement on DOI’s Report on Blizzard Response

June 3, 2011

“Way back when the snow was still falling, it was clear that the botched storm response was first and foremost a failure of leadership. I commend the Department of Investigation for putting together this thorough report and for incorporating information from constituent cases provided by my office. Now that allegations of a slowdown have been debunked, our efforts should turn to making sure we are ready in six months when winter returns.”

Statement in Support of TLC’s Five-Borough Taxi and Livery Service Plan

June 2, 2011

”The Five-Borough Yellow Taxi and Livery Service Plan is a winner for all of New York City’s residents. By auctioning new medallions that permit taxis picking up street hails outside of Manhattan, we will improve transportation in the outer boroughs while adding over $1 billion in revenue and thousands of good jobs for New York City. I also believe that the City’s efforts to ensure financing for livery owners seeking outer borough permits are a key piece of making this plan work. I am proud to support this proposal.”

Statement on Governor Cuomo Withdrawing from “Secure Communities” Program - June 1, 2011

“Secure Communities has unfairly targeted immigrants and increased wrongful deportations. Despite its name, the program has made New Yorkers less safe and torn families apart. I applaud Governor Cuomo for pulling us out of the program so we can get back to focusing on the law enforcement priorities that truly keep our communities safe.”

Borough Taxis Draws Boos at Meeting by Steve Mosco - The Queens Courier

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Finding a taxi in Queens is a lot like catching a glimpse of Bigfoot – it’s a rare sight and worthy of snapping a photo for posterity.

However, that might soon change as a new law proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg aims to create an outer borough cab service for passengers in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens. The livery cab type service would do away with the need for unlicensed – and in some cases, unsafe – ‘gypsy cabs,’ which are usually the only outer borough option.

David Yassky, who heads the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), is charged with implementing the plan that Bloomberg unveiled back in January.

“As all New Yorkers know yellow taxis almost never leave Manhattan, except to go to the airports,” said Yassky. “The ‘gypsy cabs’ that fill the void in [the outer boroughs] are decidedly third-rate.”

The bill requires a vote from the City Council and, if passed, would equip For-Hire Base Station vehicles with meters, allowing them to pick up random fares. Borough taxis will be assigned a uniform color separate from yellow taxis along with GPS locators, meters and the option for customers to pay by credit card as well as cash. The fare structure will be determined

“While the system works pretty well in Manhattan, there is enormous room for improvement in the rest of the city,” said Yassky. “That's what this plan should accomplish.”

At a Community Board 10 (CB10) meeting on March 3, TLC representatives gave attendees a general overview of the proposal – many residents did not like what they heard and voiced their disapproval, stating that there are safety concerns as well as concerns that they already have with TLC transportation in the area.

“Before we get involved with another layer of cabs, we need to deal with the ones we have now,” said Betty Braton, CB10 chairman, who stated that current issues include problematic routes and off-street parking locations.

TLC representatives did not provide specific details about the borough taxi service, but only a general overview, which residents felt was not enough to convince them to support the proposal.

“It seems like you only have half a package and you are already visiting community boards,” said one community board member. “There are many questions you can’t answer.”

TLC is looking for passenger feedback on what customers would want to see from the borough taxis. A short survey can be found at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NYCTaxiSurvey.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority declined to comment on this story.

– With additional reporting by Laura Cimera and Will Sammon

Futuristic Glass Roof Cab Could Soon Be Reality on NYC Streets by Pete Donohue - NY Daily News

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One of the three finalists in the city's "Taxi of Tomorrow" competition is offering virtual rides in its uniquely designed cab featuring a glass roof.

KarsanUSA's three digital videos show the "spectacular views of the city's vertical landscape through the taxi's modern, panoramic glass roof," the manufacturer said in a statement announcing its new website yesterday.

In one video, the cab rolls through Times Square, where the rider sees the neon signs and skyscrapers against the nighttime sky.

The city's goal is to emerge from the competition with one iconic, environmentally friendly design to replace the 16 different models now authorized, including the Crown Victoria.

The Crown Vic is the most dominant model on the road, but Ford is halting their production.

The other two "Taxi of Tomorrow" finalists were designed by Nissan North America and Ford Motor Company.

The city is evaluating the three companies' best-and-final applications.

"The process could take several months," a spokesman for the city Taxi and Limousine Commission said.

The Karsan website is www.karsantaxinyc.com

Bicycle Still Beats Subway & Taxi in Queens-to-Midtown Rush-Hour Race by Chloe Rosenberg and Sarah Armaghan - NY Daily News

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And they're off! Competitors take off for the Transportation Alternatives' annual commuter race. DelMundo for News

When it comes to getting around the city, two wheels are still better than four.

For the fifth year in a row, cycling ruled the road in Transportation Alternatives' annual commuter race Thursday, with a biker beating a straphanger and a cabbie.

It took librarian Rachel Myers 20 minutes and 15 seconds to pedal 4.2 miles from Sunnyside, Queens, to Columbus Circle during the morning rush.

"Woo hoo!" the 29-year-old Brooklynite shouted, pumping her fist in the air. "Just goes to show that bikes rule this city!"

Subway rider Dan Hendrick - who hopped the No. 7 in Sunnyside and transferred to the No. 1 at Times Square - arrived 15 minutes later.

Hendrick, 38, usually rides the rails to work at the New York League of Conservation Voters, but he may be switching to pedal power.

"Twenty minutes saved is a lot in the morning," he said. "I could really use that time to get a latte or something."

A yellow cab rolled up to the finish line 27 minutes after Myers, costing passenger Willie Thompson $30 and precious commuting time.

"I always thought [cabs] were the fastest," said Thompson, 30, a nonprofit e-marketer from Flatbush, Brooklyn.

"But it was so slow, it was brutal. I'm exhausted from sitting so long!"

The bike, of course, is also the most environmentally friendly option with no carbon emissions, compared with 2pounds for the subway and 6pounds for the cab.

Wiley Norvell of Transportation Alternatives reminded commuters that with more than 600 miles of bike paths in the city, cycling is more efficient than ever.

"I think there's no commodity more important to New Yorkers than their time," said Norvell. "And clearly, if you've got somewhere to be in a hurry, riding a bike is the way to go."