Community Alerts 5.3.24

Bus Stop Removed from West 65th Street

Two neighborhood bus stops have both been changed due to construction projects that are expected to continue until January 2027. The M11 downtown bus stop on Columbus Avenue at W 65th and W 66th Street near Richard Tucker Park has been relocated to W 66th Street and Columbus Avenue with the M7 bus stop. The M66 bus stop (at W 65th Street & Columbus Avenue in front of Le Pain Quotidien) and its bus shelter were removed. A temporary relocation was not established due to the proximity of the previous M66 bus stop located at W 65th Street and Broadway. Check MTA Bus Time for more information.

No Parking on Columbus Avenue

“No Parking” signs have been posted on Columbus Avenue between W 60th and W 61st Street. Road work started at 6:00pm on Wednesday, May 1, and will continue until Wednesday, May 8.  

TD Five Boro Bike Tour

The TD Five Boro Bike Tour will take place this Sunday, May 5. The ride begins in Lower Manhattan and ends in Staten Island. The route does not go through the Upper West Side or Lincoln Square. Learn more here about the ride and the route. 

Upcoming Events / Street Closures

W 61st Street between Broadway and Central Park West will be closed for crane operations on Saturday, May 11, and Saturday, May 18 (8:00am through 6:00pm), and on Sunday, May 12, and Sunday, May 19 (9:00am through 6:00pm).

On Saturday, May 11, the annual Japan Day Parade will be held on Central Park West between W 68th and W 81st Street from 10:00am until 6:00pm. The parade will use W 67th and W 68th Street between Broadway and Central Park West for overflow and production parking. There will also be a Japan Street Fair on W 72nd Street between Columbus and Central Park West. 

On Sunday, May 12, there will be a multi-block street fair on the east side of Broadway between W 60th and W 65th Street. The fair will benefit the Committee for Environmentally Sound Development and will be produced by Clearview Events. The fair will begin at 10:00am (setup may begin as early as 8:00am) and conclude by 6:00pm (breakdown may end as late as 8:00pm). The street will be closed to vehicular traffic for the duration of the event.

Shred Day Event

On Sunday, May 5, Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal is hosting a West Side Shred Day from 10:00am to 2:00pm outside of 230 West 72nd Street (between Broadway and West End Avenue). Please bring a maximum of 3 boxes. To RSVP or for more information, please call (212) 873-6368 or email rosenthall@nyassembly.gov.

NYC Service AmeriCorps Virtual Information Session

AmeriCorps is an opportunity for those interested in starting a career in public service. NYC Service is now accepting applications for their 2024-2025 AmeriCorps Service year. There are 4 different programs that provide workforce development skills and pathways to public service careers. Register for the upcoming virtual information session here, or visit the NYC Service website to learn more about the programs and access the application.

Public Hearing on Perishable Foods and Air Conditioning Penalties

The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection is proposing to add rules to implement Local Law 151 of 2023. LL 151 provides civil penalty relief for small businesses from violations issued by the Department. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, May 8, at 11:00am. You can participate via phone or videoconference. Learn more here.

Goddard Riverside’s Good Neighbor Award

Goddard Riverside’s Good Neighbor Awards celebrate uncompensated community members for their outstanding efforts to help improve the community and aim to recognize people who voluntarily build a better community. Nominations must be submitted by May 10, 2024. The committee will meet and decide on the award recipients in May. A celebratory event will be held on June 18th. Submit a nomination here.

1010 WINS Small Business $10K Challenge

For over eight years, $200,000 has been awarded to small businesses via the 1010 WINS Small Business $10K Challenge. If your company has up to 100 employees in the New York Metro area, you're eligible to apply. To enter, all you have to do is tell them what you'd do with that $10k, be it relaunching, rebuilding, or expanding your business. Apply today or by 11:59pm on May 12.

Older Adult Technology Clinic

On Wednesday, May 29, from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium (61 W 62nd Street at Broadway), tech coaches and trainers from OATS, 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.

Updates on Congestion Pricing 

The MTA recently announced that the nation's first congestion pricing program will begin on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at midnight. Visit congestionreliefzone.mta.info for more information about program benefits, toll rates, discounts and exemptions, and answers to frequently asked questions. The MTA also announced two new pilot programs meant to make transit more accessible. The first will increase service frequency on six popular express bus routes from Brooklyn and Staten Island to the Congestion Relief Zone in Manhattan; the second will offer a 10% reduction on the price of monthly commuter rail tickets within New York City. Both programs offer more frequent and affordable ways to travel into the Congestion Relief Zone for New Yorkers residing in the Outer Boroughs. Additionally, MTA released a Roadmap to making the transit system more resilient to the impacts of climate change, and NYC Transit Authority announced the next round of subway station Re-NEW-vation upgrades.

Transportation Surveys

Truck Routes: 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.

Spring 2024 MTA Customers Count Survey: The survey will help the MTA improve service for all customers. You can rate your satisfaction with up to two MTA services you use. This survey should take less than 15 minutes to complete for one service (Subway and Staten Island Railway, Local or Express Bus, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, and Access-A-Ride). Upon completion of the survey, you can choose to be entered into a drawing to win a $50 OMNY gift card. You will be entered once for every service you rate, and you can rate up to two services. Complete the survey here before May 7.

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.

DCWP Expands the Visiting Inspector Program

The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) has announced the expansion of the Visiting Inspector Program (VIP). The VIP offers any new business the opportunity to receive an educational, violation-free visit from an inspector to help them learn about and comply with the laws that DCWP enforces. Any new brick-and-mortar businesses in NYC, regardless of whether they are licensed by DCWP, can request a VIP visit. DCWP will continue to contact newly licensed businesses to schedule an appointment for an educational visit. New businesses in NYC can schedule a VIP visit by visiting nyc.gov/BusinessToolbox or contacting 311. For questions or concerns, contact DCWP’s Community Affairs team at communityaffairs@dcwp.nyc.gov.

Rat Prevention Resources

Rats can be a problem for residents, property owners, businesses, and entire neighborhoods. To learn more about how you can help your community prevent rats, the Health Department created The Rat Information Portal, which uses an interactive map to show inspection results and follow-up actions. You can also look up inspection history by address, borough block and lot (BBL) number, zip code, or Community Board. To learn even more, visit the NYC Health Rat Academy Training schedule to register for a training or to request to work with the Health Department to sponsor a virtual or in-person training. Interested in sharing this information? Check out this Rat Prevention Resources infographic. 

Pedicab Registration Plate Lottery

Through its annual review of pedicab registrations, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) found that the number of registration plate issues has fallen below 840. As a result, DCWP will begin accepting applications for pedicab registration plates to fill any vacancies up to the legal limit of 850. Learn more here about how to apply for a pedicab registration plate. 

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.