Drivers Beware! It’s Festival Season

In the warmer months, streets are often closed due to local festivals and fairs. Visit Manhattan Community Board 7’s website for a list of events scheduled for the Upper West Side, or find a full list of NYC street fairs here. 

Composting Program Ends at Richard Tucker Park Greenmarket

Due to the City's budget cuts, GrowNYC will no longer accept compost at the Richard Tucker Park Greenmarket. You can still drop your compost off at the City’s Smart Composting Bins (find a full map of locations here). By October 6, curbside composting should also be citywide. Throwing all yard waste, food scraps, and food-soiled paper into compost bins allows the materials to be used to make compost or renewable energy, reducing the amount of material sent to landfills and cutting down on methane emissions. 

Restaurants: Explore DOT's Dining Out NYC Marketplace

NYC Department of Transportation offers an optional online, searchable directory of companies that provide design, fabrication, installation, removal, storage, and/or leasing/rentals to support compliant outdoor dining cafes. This resource may serve as a one-stop shop for restaurants looking to build roadway or sidewalk cafes. It is not a requirement for the Dining Out NYC program. The list of companies will grow, and the City aims to include products and custom designs in the near future. Restaurants may choose companies or products at their own discretion. Visit the Dining Out NYC Marketplace here. 

Open Streets Return to Columbus Avenue

From May 12 to June 23 and September 15 to October 27, Columbus Avenue will be closed to traffic from 68th to 77th Streets on Sundays between 10:00am and 7:00pm. The Columbus Avenue BID sponsors the area's Open Streets programming in partnership with the NYC Department of Transportation. Learn more here, and if you decide to stop by, be sure to visit nearby businesses on Columbus Ave between W 66th and W 68th Street: J.Jill, Arc'teryx, Le Botaniste, Kiehl's, and Maman. 

Older Adult Technology Clinic

On Wednesday, May 29, from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium (61 W 62nd St at Broadway), tech coaches and trainers from the New York Public Library, Senior Planet/AARP, and DOROT will provide one-on-one help to answer questions about smartphones, laptops, and email software. For an appointment window, call (212) 873-0282. Reps from the MTA will also be available to answer questions on Reduced-Fare OMNY Cards and Congestion Pricing.

Free Business Seminars

The federal Small Business Administration offers free seminars on a variety of topics. Visit the White Label Expo at the Javits Center from May 30 through June 1 for workshops like “How SBA Can Help Your Business” and “How to Start a Business.” Learn more here.

Small Business Conference 

The Small Business Conference will be held on June 4 (9:00am to 4:00pm) at The Forum at Columbia University (W 125th Street and Broadway). The event, sponsored by the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) and the Harlem Community Development Corporation, is for business owners in Harlem, Northern Manhattan, or the South Bronx. The keynote speakers will be Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and Melba Wilson, owner of Melba's Restaurants; workshops will address small business management, marketing strategies, and financial planning; personalized coaching will be in one-on-one sessions tailored to specific needs and goals. The event is free; register here.

SBS Releases FY23 BID Trends Report

In honor of 40 years of BIDs in NYC, Mayor Adams proclaimed May 6, 2024, “NYC BID Day.” The NYC Department of Small Business Services also released the FY23 BID Trends Report this month. This annual report (which includes three photos from our BID!) demonstrates the role and impact of BIDs across the five boroughs. You can read and download the report here.

Truck Route Transportation Survey

In 2023, NYC Council passed Local Law 171 requiring NYC DOT to redesign the city truck route network to enhance safety, increase visibility, reduce traffic congestion, and improve the overall freight roadway network. NYC DOT’s Truck Route Network Redesign Public Feedback Portal will allow the public and freight industry to learn about the City’s truck route network and provide feedback. The public is able to comment and provide feedback through identifying issues and concerns of the current network via an interactive map. Feedback will help inform NYC DOT on how and where we can look to improve movement of trucks on city streets. The deadline to provide public feedback is June 30, 2024.

Congestion Pricing Fees for For-Hire Vehicles

The Central Business District Tolling Program (Congestion Pricing) will begin on June 30, 2024. Vehicles entering the Congestion Relief Zone, the area of Manhattan south of and including 60th Street (excluding the FDR Drive, West Side Highway/Route 9A, and the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connections to West Street), will be charged. The toll rate schedule approved by the MTA Board specifies that taxis and for-hire vehicles (FHVs) are eligible for a per-trip charge to be paid by the passenger for each trip to, from, within, or through the Congestion Relief Zone. For taxis and street hail liveries (SHLs), the per-trip charge must be added to the meter. Under this per-trip charge plan, taxis, SHLs, and FHVs would not be charged unless the vehicle is on a trip. More information about the taxi and FHV tolling policy can be found here. The MTA has begun contacting FHV bases and technology service providers to enter into the per-trip charge agreement. To enroll in the per-trip charge plan, FHV bases can submit their contact information to the MTA using this form. For questions, please contact CRZtaxifhv-support@mta.info.

NYPD Pilots Program to Combat Retail Theft

This month, Mayor Adams announced a new pilot program that will use technology to protect public safety, while also increasing efficiencies and improving community relations between local police precincts and those they serve. The program will use a community-based security camera integration platform to enable businesses to voluntarily share information in real-time with the NYPD through existing closed-circuit television cameras as they seek to solve crimes. Learn more here.

Required Signage in NYC Businesses

The State and City require various types of signs to be posted in bars and restaurants. Make sure you have all required signs posted by using this checklist from NYC Small Business Services and NYC Hospitality Alliance. By July 1, all NYC employers must also post the required multilingual Know Your Rights poster where employees can easily see it. Read more about worker rights here.

Complete This Survey for a Chance to Win

Department for the Aging (NYC Aging) is conducting a Service Needs Assessment Survey. This will help them better understand the needs of older New Yorkers and their caregivers. NYC Aging will use the information for program planning, advocacy, and better understanding unmet needs. All responses are anonymous, but you can provide contact information if you’d like to be entered into a drawing for a chance at a giveaway of a $50 gift card at the end of September 2024. Find the survey and more information here.

Traffic Advisories from DOT

Need to know about upcoming bridge and street closures? Visit DOT’s webpage for the weekly traffic advisory and weekend traffic advisory.

Have a Safe and Enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend!