the popular 1.25-mile Cherry Walk stretch of the Hudson River Greenway between West 100th and 125th streets closed for reconstruction work notices posted by the New York City Parks Department said the portion of path adjacent to the Hudson River would reopen in spring of 2025 the stretch is still closed as of April 15 West Side Rag received multiple emails asking when the pedestrian and bike pathway would reopen Along with the detour that people still need to take to avoid the construction work is home to multiple cherry trees that are now in the short window of blooming The Rag reached out to the Parks Department to get more information on when the Cherry Walk stretch was slated to reopen “Cherry Walk is expected to reopen in mid-April once repaving and pavement markings are complete,” a Parks Department spokesperson initially said When asked for more details or a more specific timeline “Park staff have one final inspection late next week before opening.” This would put the opening of the Cherry Walk stretch sometime during the last week of April Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here. Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Would love to understand on a day by day basis why it takes them this long to pave a one land wide how about adding soil to increase the height of the walk…..bury the enlarged roots but unless you install root barriers then in a few years time we’re going to be having the same conversation – the roots get thicker so the optimum approach is to bury them deeper so you can keep the surface at the same height (otherwise you will have a path that’s several inches about the level of the surrounding turf particularly when it comes to water run-off and drainage) Through the use of root barriers and employing the services of a qualified tree surgeon (which I’m not The truth of anything is usually in the gray areas (not the black and white) Because it is being done at the speed of government Tony had a good and thoughtful explanation Turns out it’s more complicated unless you want to kill the trees This project has been an atrocious execution by the Parks Department along with DOT If it really takes 8 months to repave a bike path that is 25 blocks long–which admittedly seems pretty over the top to me–they should come up with a more creative detour than hey let’s just dump everyone on to a four lane section of Riverside Drive that also includes buses and cars moving at high speed I get drivers trying to squeeze by me with an inch or two to spare an Uber driver bumped my rear tire from behind in traffic and nearly knocked me over And I’m an adult riding a full sized bicycle can’t imagine how kids would be expected to take this “detour.” Riverside Park needs so much more budget in order to clean up the long park The walk next to Riverside Drive needs more debris clean up as well repointing the cement between the stones in the parapet wall,…as well for the broken and missing pavers for the walk (promenade) riverside is a gem and is being run into the ground by an underfunded Parks Department Would be nice to see the local electeds raise holy hell about it til something happens – and WSR could do the same sort of accounting for damage erosion and non-existent tree maintenance that they do for Central Park & horse manure Just this Sunday I decided to walk along the river from 83rd street to Sakura Park to see the blooming trees–first this stretch was closed When are they going to repair the docks on the West Harlem Piers Park on W125th Street Why does Tony J believe it won’t be merely a (spot) repaving — as it was <5 years ago https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2020/09/22/public-service-announcement-busiest-bike-path-in-north-america-to-be-severed-for-months?fbclid=IwAR3Hy2fCJvGPmcBO-DVlLXshslvufibdNqkHyydDAr1YLSGd7gnrw2b_uUM In the winter, you may observe pauses in construction work due to weather conditions prohibiting our ability to place new asphalt. Necessary pauses in construction do not necessarily mean we are behind schedule. We are happy to inform you that the project is anticipated to be completed in the coming weeks. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience and feedback as we work to enhance the park experience for all visitors. (I wrote an extended reply — available upon request) © 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved. © 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved. ©2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations As officials investigate a truck rampage in New Orleans that killed more than a dozen people a similar attack in New York City in 2017 offers some lessons about how to prevent vehicles from driving into crowds The New Orleans incident happened in the early morning hours of January 1. U.S. Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck with an Islamic State flag onto Bourbon Street, killing 15 people It echoed what happened in New York City more than seven years earlier, when self-professed ISIS supporter Sayfullo Saipov plowed a truck into a group of pedestrians and cyclists on the West Side Highway greenway killing eight people and injuring many others Gothamist spoke with public safety experts about the steps New York City has taken to protect the public since that 2017 attack and what New Yorkers can do to remain vigilant One lesson learned from the West Side Highway attack was to pay closer attention to so-called “soft targets” for terrorism or busy areas that aren’t quite as obvious as the World Trade Center an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s Center on Terrorism said there are lots of them “A bike path on the West Side Highway was at the top of nobody’s list when it came to hardening infrastructure in regards to terrorism in 2017.” Viola said people who want to carry out attacks will often search for places with lots of people — but fewer security measures than the most crowded locations “It’s going to go around the immovable objects and still find the cracks.” Retired NYPD deputy chief Robert Lukach said after the 2017 attack the police department increased its security assessments of different locations around the city He said the NYPD also started to pay closer attention to the areas on the periphery of big events like the blocks surrounding Rockefeller Center on the night of the tree lighting He said deploying more officers to those areas could both act as a deterrent and help to gather information in real time if anything out of the ordinary happens The drivers in both New Orleans and on the West Side Highway bike path were able to harm so many people because nothing stopped them from speeding into throngs of people barriers that typically close off the street were under repair and Jabbar was able to ride around a police vehicle that was supposed to be blocking traffic Lukach said the police department uses a “layered approach” to protect highly trafficked areas the NYPD can bring in portable sally ports which are metal plates that officers can lower to impede car access He said police also sometimes put up two rows of gates to make it harder for vehicles to pass But Lukach said there’s no perfect solution in a city with both cars and pedestrians because you need accessibility for people to drive to these particular locations,” he said Experts said one of the most effective ways to stop terrorist attacks is to find out about someone’s plan before they act said both police and the military comb through social media to see who’s interacting with content about extremism That includes monitoring people who like posts on the Islamic State’s TikTok and those who show interest in white supremacist “replacement theory,” he said it can be extremely difficult to find the real threats “It’s a needle in a stack of needles hidden inside of a bundle of needles in the dark,” he said “It’s really hard to get through all of it and find out what is the signal and what is the noise.” Viola said internet surveillance also poses a threat to people’s civil liberties He said it’s important for investigators to respect people’s rights and not go “too far,” as they sometimes have in the past High-profile events like the one in New Orleans can spark fears of future attacks especially in a massive city like New York that attracts worldwide attention Lukach and Viola both said it’s important for New Yorkers to be vigilant “Always keep your head on a swivel,” said Lukach who also warned pedestrians against getting distracted by their phones He said if people observe something suspicious like a backpack left behind on a subway car it’s better to call police to check out a threat that ends up being bogus than to ignore something that ends up being dangerous “I don’t think there’s any time where any police officer will pull up and say said the threat of terrorism shouldn’t stop people from living their lives “I don’t want any of us moving through the city petrified or super anxious,” he said “But it doesn’t mean that we can’t be vigilant in uncertain times.” A City Council measure up for consideration would gradually lift caps on vendor permits and licenses. The Jones Road fire is still going, and has burned about 15,300 acres in Ocean County. Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily. Gothamist is a website about New York City news by CAITLYN FROLO and TAYLOR FISHMAN | The National News Desk NEW YORK CITY (TNND) — A helicopter broke apart and crashed in the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday afternoon "Due to a helicopter crash in the Hudson River in the vicinity of the West Side Highway and Spring Street expect emergency vehicles and traffic delays in the surrounding areas." New York City officials including Mayor Eric Adams held a press conference where they confirmed three children and three adults died in the crash The family aboard the helicopter were tourists visiting from Spain Adams said the scene is "still fresh and still new" and that his heart goes out to the families of those on board Adams said four of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene while two were taken to area hospitals and succumbed to their injuries The victims have been identified as Agustin Escobar, an executive of Siemens, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three young children, as well as the pilot, according to ABC News. Deputy Mayor of New York City for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry called the response involving FDNY Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and other agencies as "swift and coordinated." The helicopter involved was a Bell 206 with the tour company New York Helicopters Tisch laid out a preliminary timeline of the crash: FDNY says they received notice of the crash at 3:17 p.m near Pier 40 on the New Jersey side of the river and that Land Marine Units are on scene performing rescue operations President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social saying that announcements on what has happened will be made shortly and that Secretary of Transportation Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem confirmed on X that the U.S Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote on X "I’m praying for all those impacted and for our brave first responders on the scene We have to fight for safety in the air." New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she has been briefed on the incident and that her teams have offered to assist NYPD and FDNY "I join all New Yorkers in praying for those we've lost and their families," Hochul wrote on X Witnesses have shared videos and photos of the crash on X "WTF a helicopter just crashed into the Hudson next to my apartment." Bruce Wall told The Associated Press that he saw the helicopter “falling apart” in midair He said the propeller was still spinning without the aircraft as it fell into the water and it landed in the water really hard,” Lesly Camacho a hostess at a restaurant along the river in Hoboken Erik Bottcher, a New York City councilman, wrote on X that FDNY's Marine Unit was on site: "Helicopter crash in the Hudson River on the NJ side — emergency response is underway The Federal Aviation Administration released a preliminary statement reading "A Bell 206 helicopter crashed and is submerged in the Hudson River in New York City The number of people on board is unknown at this time The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate The @NTSB will lead the investigation and provide any updates." the cause of the crash remains under investigation There have been multiple crashes in or around NYC over the years including a collision between a plane and a tourist helicopter over the Hudson River in 2009 that killed nine people and the 2018 crash of a charter helicopter offering “open door” flights that went down into the East River The Associated Press contributed to this report Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal NewsAvery Meurer Patty Santos Santiago Esparza SAN ANTONIO – An 18-wheeler crash on the West Side has closed part of Highway 151 during a bout of rain across San Antonio The incident was reported to have happened on Highway 151 near Highway 90 and Port San Antonio which appeared to have crushed several yellow traffic barrels when it turned Traffic is held up by the 18-wheeler and could affect your commute time There is no word yet on whether anyone is injured or how the accident happened Click here for up-to-date traffic from KSAT KSAT has reached out to San Antonio police We will update this story as we learn more Copyright 2025 by KSAT - All rights reserved Avery Meurer is a Content Gatherer for KSAT 12 She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Communications/Radio Avery attended the Northeast School of the Arts (NESA) majoring in musical theater and creative writing Email Newsletters KSAT RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us KSAT Internships Careers at KSAT Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More Congestion pricing is here in Manhattan below 60th Street affecting commuters throughout the five boroughs and beyond here is how the new rules will impact your commute Congestion pricing is a policy in which drivers who enter local streets and avenues south of and including 60th Street in Manhattan will be charged a fee The fee for passenger cars will be $9 with E-ZPass during the “peak hours” of 5 a.m The toll will be lowered to $2.25 during overnight hours for passenger cars with E-ZPass Read more about the full congestion pricing plan here. you will only be charged if you exit the zone and then reenter The maximum number of times you can be charged is once per day between midnight and 11:59 p.m you may drive around and park freely — without being tolled — until your next exit and reentry If you are driving into the congestion zone from outside the zone The two main highways within the congestion zone — the West Side Highway and the FDR Drive — are exempt from congestion pricing tolls.  if you exit either highway and drive onto a residential street within the congestion zone you will be charged — even if your intent is to head for another highway As long as you remain on either the FDR Drive or the West Side Highway for the entire duration of your time within the zone You can check the MTA’s website for a complete list of scenarios not unless you exit one of those highways back onto residential streets within the congestion zone Residents of the Congestion Relief Zone may qualify for a tax credit for the tolls they pay if their New York state adjusted gross income is under $60,000 a year For more on specific exemptions, check here. Manhattanites are served by nearly every subway line in the city and all residents live within blocks of a train station this is likely the best way to avoid the toll There are also dozens of local bus routes connecting different parts of the borough. To find one that may work for you, here is a trip planner. Every product is independently selected by editors Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission Congestion pricing has finally come to New York City After a last-minute reversal from Kathy Hochul that “indefinitely” paused the plan before it was meant to go into effect in June and another reversal that put the plan back on after Donald Trump won the 2024 election the toll finally went into effect the first Sunday in January A lot of questions remain about the new arrangement Will 61st Street turn into a line of parking garages? and Why didn’t anyone consult me individually about my very specific driving habits we try to answer all of your most pressing queries Basically exactly what it sounds like: a toll for driving into a heavily congested zone — in this case but you will be tolled if you exit one of these roadways into the zone Yellow cabs add 75 cents to passengers’ fare Passenger vehicles are charged only once per day Other vehicles can be charged multiple times The tolls are set to go up to $12 by 2028 and to $15 by 2031 If you enter the zone through the Lincoln Tunnel or the Holland Tunnel you get money back for already paying the toll charged for entering the tunnel (So New Jersey can put down its pitchforks.) The “refund” during peak hours is $3 for cars If you enter from the Queens-Midtown Tunnel or Hugh L and $6 for large trucks and tour buses.) Got it They are, admittedly, a little convoluted Drivers who make under $50,000 and drive to work in the district can get a 50 percent discount after their first ten trips each month Vehicles transporting people with disabilities police cars) and certain government vehicles (snowplows It’s not! And many people are upset about this. But the MTA maintains, per its toll-recommendation report from November 2023 it can keep the toll rate lower to “consider the interests of the many over the few.” Only 4 percent of outer-borough residents — around 128,000 people — drive into Manhattan to work, according to a Community Service Society study. Meanwhile, 57 percent use public transit. Only 2 percent of poor outer-borough residents commute to Manhattan by car 61 percent of poor outer-borough residents rely on public transit Some shift workers do have to go into the city at irregular hours — times when public transportation might not be reliable or feel safe director of the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management noted to us back in March that congestion pricing “needs to go hand in hand with improving transit for off-hours commutes.” (For what it’s worth the non-peak-hour toll for personal vehicles is $2.25.) this is exactly the kind of person most capable of paying the fees if they’re very committed to driving around the city But Kaufman suggested a shift in perspective for people who see it as a penalty she says drivers should see it as an investment they make to cover “the cost of the wear and tear and externalities of operating a vehicle within the zone.” (Those externalities include the fact that by owning a car in the city you are creating increased traffic risk for others and generating air pollution in one of the most transit-dense neighborhoods in the country.) This is a concern. The MTA plans to spend at least $100 million to mitigate impacts to diverted neighborhoods. But as the plan rolls out, advocates say that transit and environmental overhauls to the borough are something they need to keep monitoring and pushing for Fewer cars and trucks in the city is the overall goal The MTA has installed cameras that tag E-ZPasses and photograph license plates at 110 locations around Manhattan the MTA said it installed readers at select points that records the time that vehicles pass through: “The system will charge a toll only if vehicles that originated outside the congestion zone stop being detected by toll equipment along these two highways.” Yeah, it’s bad. Plate scammers are on the rise and somebody should probably have figured this out by now but the adjustment period might be annoying But Kaufman pointed out that in London and Stockholm things eventually normalized when people found themselves “spending more time or money looking for parking than either just paying the fee or taking transit.” Drivers changed their behavior in response to the policy London flooded the streets with buses when congestion pricing went into effect and immediately saw traffic drop and air quality improve. The introduction of Ubers set things back, and the city had to be flexible in its response by upping fees. But, as Justin Davidson has written here before London has a much more centralized transit system compared to New York where one decision might have to go through the city’s DOT this system needs to coordinate its strategies (or face an overhaul) It’s estimated that the number of vehicles in the zone would be cut by 13 percent — which is still a lot albeit less than the 17 percent estimated for the previous Yes, it will still raise the legally required amount for the MTA since the money is being used to borrow $15 billion via bonds. But because money is coming in more slowly, the projects it’s supposed to fund will be delayed (though no one seems to be able to say by how long They’re part of the MTA’s 2020–24 capital-improvement plan: track upgrades and generally bringing our very old subways into a condition of good repair There will also be a lot more desperately needed elevators and accessibility updates counterbalances many of the arguments about needing a personal car because public transportation is inaccessible But Republicans are looking to block the toll through a bill and Trump might try any number of things outside the normal ways a president might attempt to stop it In Stockholm, some critics were swayed by congestion pricing after it was implemented maybe because they had less time to sit around fuming in traffic Others begrudgingly accepted it as part of life But some people might never come around — and that’s also part of life Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York 2025: A member of an Incident Response Team worked with the Washington State Patrol (WSP) to save a mother duck and her ducklings The rescue took place on a busy roadway in Southwest Washington The team acted quickly to ensure the safety of the d… A section of the West Side Highway near Castle Rock is closed to freight vehicle traffic due to a 15-foot sinkhole also known as State Route 411 between Hazel Dell and Delameter Roads were closed to vehicles with a weight over 10,000 pounds according to a press release from the Washington State Department of Transportation The road will remain restricted to freight traffic until water levels lower and crews can identify and plan a permanent repair Fright traffic will have to use another route around the closure and passenger vehicles will have to slow down and be cautious of loose gravel First responders and essential services and delivery vehicles can still use the road According to the Washington State Department of Transportation crews discovered a weakening culvert on Waters Road at milepost 9.55 in early March while clearing culverts after several days of heavy rain The culvert has reached the end of its usable life and can’t drain water effectively Freight vehicles over 10,000 pounds are asked to use alternate routes due to a sinkhole on Westside Highway Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter Email notifications are only sent once a day worked with the Washington State Patrol (WSP) to save … Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to The Daily News Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account and deeply controversial congestion pricing program is scheduled to begin on Sunday which New York Governor Kathy Hochul resurrected in November after postponing the program this summer most passenger car drivers will have to pay a $9 toll when they enter Manhattan south of 60th Street The earlier version would have set the toll price at $15 While the $9 toll is the basic cost for passenger vehicles during peak hours Drivers who enter the congestion zone at any other time will be charged $2.25 The tolls will be collected through new camera infrastructure set up throughout the city and drivers with E-ZPass linked to license plates will be able to pay the new tolls as they already do Owners of registered vehicles that do not have E-ZPass will receive the tolling bills by mail Drivers will only be charged the toll once per day even if they enter the congestion zone more than once The goal of the plan is to reduce traffic congestion and provide new funding for improvements in the city’s public transportation the agency that oversees city transportation expects to increase the toll charge to $12 in 2028 and then bump the price up again There are also different toll prices for trucks, motorcycles, and buses. You can check out a breakdown of the different toll prices — HERE. Drivers who enter Manhattan but remain on the West Side Highway or the Battery Park Underpass will not be charged In terms of the Upper West Side, City Councilmember Gale Brewer told NBC that while she supports congestion pricing she is worried that trucks will idle north of 60th Street She also suggested that local garages north of 60th Street might raise prices to take advantage of cars wanting to avoid the toll Even in the final days before the program takes effect, New Jersey continues to look for ways to stop congestion pricing within the court system. You can read more about that ongoing court battle on the New York Times’ website — HERE. Subscribe to WSR’s free email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here. Can anyone tell me what hapoens if you come across the ypper level of the Queensboro Bridge The lower level dymps you out in 60th which woukd be in the zone My understanding is that the fee is charged BELOW 60th St meaning that it’s free to drive on 60th especially important for vehicles heading toward the airports I have a question that my research hasn’t been able to answer We live on 72nd and West End Avenue and often drive down West End to access the Lincoln Tunnel Will there be some sort of adjustment to my toll once I get to the tunnel to reflect that I was also charged the congestion toll It seems to me that there is a difference between entering the zone to drive in the zone as opposed to entry in order to exit the city It doesn’t matter why you’re in the zone and what your plans are the man who always knows it all and respond to people rudely that’s a genuine compliment…thanks There is no way to get to or from the Lincoln Tunnel without entering the congestion zone You get a credit of $3 against the congestion fee if you enter Manhattan via the Lincoln Tunnel and you have EZ-Pass Vehicles from NJ or Queens/Brooklyn entering via the tunnels pay only $6 to enter the zone but any other vehicle entering the zone to go to NJ What’s the reasoning behind that scheme You get a discount if you enter the zone after having paid a tunnel toll whether it’s from NJ or Brooklyn/Queens The reasoning is to placate New Jersey politicians over everyone else But the same discount applies to vehicles entering from Brooklyn & Queens via the East River tunnels you don’t pay the tunnel on the way out so if he is leaving he will pay the full CP charge the scheme encourages drivers to use the tunnels both times Someone going thru the tunnels to end up slightly north of the zone won’t be deterred from going back into the zone to get out thru the tunnels why not use the QB Bridge upper level and pay nothing That’s correct for crossing the East River My comment referred to crossing the Hudson to/from Jersey Deegee mentioned that there is no toll on the way out but the East River tunnels charge both ways You pay if go below 60th Street for any reason You would need to drive to the tunnel on the West Side Highway You WILL be tolled if you take West End (remember that you don’t get stuck IN traffic With the southbound 79th street entrance to the West Side Highway closed you’d have to go up to 96th to avoid the toll If you’re headed for the Lincoln Tunnel it makes no difference whether you come down the West Side Highway or West End Avenue you have to drive a mile and half out of the way create more pollution and congestion heading uptown Because who knows when the 79th South entrance to the WSH will be completed. It’s just crazy that the city did not make an exception for cars to turn west at 58th off West end to access the highway or that residential parking permits were not instituted You will pay the tax if you leave west end highway which you need to do to get to the tunnel to force people on to transit options that do not exactly meet their needs Urbanists love to say they want cities for people not cars Don’t see an exception for Lincoln Tunnel/West Side Highway connection…there is one for Brooklyn Battery…so we will be charged for the couple of blocks between the West Side Highway and the Lincoln Tunnel entrance Yes…what is so difficult to understand about the way the congestion plan works The goal is to keep vehicles out of the zone Those couple blocks contain some of the most congestion in the City I suppose it’s not difficult to understand but it does seem unfair that a car that is traveling on the two city blocks connecting the WSH and the Lincoln Tunnel only because the City never built a highway connection between the two is charged the same as a vehicle that spends the entire day driving in the Zone Other cities charge according to distance/time spent within the zone “Vehicles traveling between the West Side Highway and New Jersey will be charged a toll if the trip cannot be made exclusively on highways The connections between the West Side Highway and both the Lincoln Tunnel and the Holland Tunnel involve Manhattan streets and so those drivers will be charged a toll will receive a crossing credit against the cost of the Congestion Relief Zone toll.” But when you are leaving the city you don’t pay a toll so there is no credit to be received if you leave the city and don’t return the same day This is going to lead to a lot of traffic shifting to the GWB to save tolls If you are going somewhere like the Meadowlands from the UWS the distance is not that different so better to take the GWB and save a few bucks Now is the time to institute paid parking permits available to neighborhood residents and workers as parking will become a nightmare Make it a nominal fee of $100 a year or so And I’m sure all of the anti-car folks around here are rejoicing Not realizing that our neighborhood will now be full of idling cars and destroying the atmosphere this is not going to make people drive less No one will sit 90 minutes to deal with alternate side and compete with UWSers The GW Bridge typically has a great deal of congestion Many of those theoretical drivers who opt to drive north for the bridge will ultimately decide that it’s worth $9 to save 45 minutes Also by going north if their destination is south of exit 16 or so they will pay more on the NJ Turnpike to avoid the congestion toll You would have to be kinda dumb to commute to the zone before congestion pricing and pay $50 a day for parking and then change to searching for an hour for non-existant street parking north of the zone Only to then take the subway to save $3 ($9 toll minus a roundtrip subway fare) The early bird special rates are competitive with commuter rail fares Especially if you have to transfer to the subway and pay for parking at a train station They will idle for a couple months into 2025 and will then disappear It’s like those who sign up for gym memberships on Jan 1st and are not seen in the gym after Feb Upper level of Queensboro into Manhattan and staying above the congestion zone avoids the congestion toll The traffic on both sides of the Upper level will be tremendous No advantage to using the outbound upper level And the only drivers who will opt for the inbound upper level exclusively are those headed for north of 60th Street anyway It seems like one would be charged to enter the city using Midtown Tunnel 59 st bridge etc shunting all UWS traffic to the Triborough It will be difficult to access the UWS now The toll for the RFK Bridge is $7 for those with a NY EasyPass and $9 for those with other passes especially if one takes the Midtown Tunnel which will cost only $6 why would it be difficult to access the UWS i live here with no car and have no problem with acccess It will be expensive to access the UWS via car Hopefully this will be put on hold in the next day or so by the judge Very unlikely – why should NJ have any say on what NY does on our streets Does NY get to sue NJ for tolls on the turnpike I’ll be celebrating when congestion pricing goes into effect even though this watered down toll will not be as impactful as the original $15 hopefully there will still be enough drivers who opt for public transit and free up space on our streets This tax is just going to be passed on to you with higher prices for everything as well as back to work initiatives just when New York was coming back Making it harder and more expensive to do things is never a good idea no one driving into town to see a Broadway show who’s spending upwards of $300-400 (per pair) on tickets couple hundred on dinner for two (or family of 4) $50 for parking is going to change their mind and refuse to be a “tourist” all on account of a $9 toll So you’re making the point that the congestion fee will not deter congestion I’m just saying tourism will not die as Tim suggests For evening commutes into the city for the scenario I suggest it will not deter congestion (maybe small amounts of people will get the hint and take Mass Transit but the thought of waiting an hour for a 1am train after being out all night vs $9 to drive…you do the math And for working people at 7am coming into the city maybe those people will want to avoid the extra $9…or worse those folks are now going to infest the UWS (and UES) co-opting whatever small amount of parking already available to take the train down to work I doubt people will want to spend 90 minutes waiting for alternate side in the middle of the day up here A truck makes multiple stops when it delivers within the zone Allocating a single truck congestion charge among all the stops will make the individual impact negligible New Jersey residents who work in New York pay New York income tax as there is no tax reciprocity between the two states Their employers also pay taxes to the MTA and to New York but we have a bistate port authority that would have been the better agency to administer this toll program Port authority has bought trains and buses for the MTA in the past And the people who work in NY but live in NJ get a tax credit on their NJ taxes for what they paid to NY However many more New Jersey residents work in New York than vice versa but that doesn’t have any relevant to why NJ should get to sue for veto rights over NY’s congestion pricing I’ll keep my fingers crossed until Sunday because there are some powerful interests who are hellbent on killing this program Conversely there are some powerful interests that are hellbent in implementing congestion pricing including the same guy that donates large amounts of money to RFK Jr Tom – Yes the major contributor to the bicycle lobby Transportation Alternatives is very rich and powerful And was an active member of RFK Jr.’s election team NJ residents who work in the City earn higher NY pay but have lower NJ living expenses So even if they come into the City to work 5 days a week that amounts to $120 /month in congestion fees I’m sure they still come out ahead especially if there are multiple people in one vehicle The new charge might actually encourage car-pooling Before anyone starts in with the lack of transit options available to many NJ commuters there are lots of convenient transit options When you have to use transit options between NJ and NY every day There is a reason why people who live on the UWS own cars what is the incentive for NJ Transit to improve service only to lose tax revenue to NY Why don’t you tell someone who can’t afford to live on the UWS to go live in Fort Lee It seems like Manhattanites pay a premium to live here and see us as dirt under their feet Only a NY democrat would pay for the failed transit system by taxing people who don’t use the transit system Enforce the law and stop the fare beaters and have people who use transit pay the fare What elements of the management of the MTA do you consider criminal mismanagement I would hardly describe NY’s transit system as failed They should be paying us to take the subway the noise and the pollution not subway riders I used to walk five miles one way to the office and five miles back but I can certainly understand that not everyone can or wants to do that driving is already subsidized and you are not paying for the damage done by driving By charging $8 to park on the street for 2 hours There used to be awareness that criminality doesn’t come out of nowhere; it starts by getting away with small crimes I’ll hopefully have the opportunity to “vote better” for a governor who supports congestion pricing and NYC instead of our bumbling current governor who has completely whiffed on CP and deferred far too much to NJ and suburban interests What are the odds NY has a Republican governor in 2027 we need sterling characters like Greg Abbott or Kristi Noem here in New York… especially once the consequences of the 2024 presidential election becomes clear Have the of the consequences of the 2020 election become clear yet The red wave did not materialize nationally in 2022 Question re congestion pricing…if you drive south on West Side Highway from uptown heading for Lincoln Tunnel will you be charged the congestion toll between the exit from the West Side Highway and the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel to access the Lincoln Tunnel from the West Side Highway you have to drive on 12th ave and then turn on 42nd Street… How is this not going to increase already heavy traffic on the Henry Hudson why would more cars all the sudden be on the highway Silly me when I bought my apartment 26 years ago that I couldn’t have predicted another money grab from our legislators Why should I have to pay to drive to my own home where I pay a fortune in taxes You should be happy that the area around your home is expected have less pollution then maybe you’re part of the current problem I don’t drive..in fact I don’t keep a car in the city My point is that people who live in the zone should be exempt That would defeat the purpose of reducing congestion Bringing a car into the zone creates congestion whether you also live there or not Didn’t intend to come off as lecturing you but I think your grasp of the concept of double taxation is tenuous Taxation and fees are totally different schemes The congestion pricing charge is essentially a usage fee that’s what they’d like you to think but it’s really a tax on drivers to pay for mass transit but instead of the money going to to improve the roads Your grasp of “fairness” is tenuous Governor Hochul keeps pointing to congestion pricing in London — which specifically exempted residents of the congestion zone Apparently the British don’t share your interpretation of a “usage fee.” I would be much more sympathetic here if anyone really believed that this will alleviate the traffic issues in Manhattan (clearly a laudable goal) instead of simply being a money grab by the MTA — which has an extremely poor history of financial management Someone just got thrown in front of a subway this week by a crazed lunatic Until the MTA and NYPD foster a sense of confidence in the safety and reliability of public transport you can’t ever properly address the congestion issue And please also throw in the issue of ghost plates because I find it extremely unfair that scores of drivers are selfishly evading tolls and the NYPD and PANY are just too lazy to enforce the rules Cars with obscured plates pass right by PANY checkpoints at the entrances to the tunnels A few weeks ago I watched a minivan pop open its rear hatch while entering the Holland Tunnel in order to avoid the toll — and four PANY police officers sat by as a vehicle traveling at speed *with a door open* entered the tunnel It’s a reasonable question to also ask how many of these vehicles are owned by city employees Don’t penalize those who follow the rules with even more tolls until you make a basic effort to ensure that everyone else is actually paying their fair share Yes absolutely NYPD need to prioritize enforcement of ghost plates / toll evasion IMO having fake/obscured plates should be an immediate tow/boot and the car should be impounded NYPD used to do this in the Bloomberg administration That in no way invalidates CP as a way to mitigate traffic which you rightly point out is needed I usually avoid comparisons to other localities unless one also takes into account other related factors would you be willing to pay more for your trip based on the distance you travel as riders do in the greater London area The NYC transit system is unique in having a flat fee Also New York did not have free bus to subway transfers until 1997 Bus routes in most of Manhattan and all of the Bronx did not have bus to bus transfers at all between 1962 and 1975 and a couple of toddlers navigate the subway Or move out of NYC and avoid all the taxes and fees entirely Yes – and lots of people will move out of NYC A friend mine seeing the fare in his future sold his apartment in the Parc Vendome on West 57th Street and left the city I do not drive so this really does not impact me unless of course I need an Uber or taxi to take me through midtown I go to Chinatown once a month and every time I get off the Q line on Canal street I see homeless people keeping the gate open and countless people not paying fares This is a tiny example of the fare beating which adds up to millions of $s Businesses already said they’ll be adding a surcharge for deliveries and businesses will past surcharge onto the consumer and for those who drive shop and dine after they pay will essentially pay double and adds new levies and fees that will continue to get hiked Perhaps the politicians in charge should really focus on reducing their spending The state and the city are not allowed to run “deficits.” They have debt but it’s through agencies like the MTA and the Water Board A public benefit corporation is allowed to bypass state limits on debt Traffic fatalities are normalized with minimal press coverage whereas subway crime gets front page of the Post treatment There are crimes – on the subway as well as out of the subway – which are not fatalities such as sex crimes The person who was shoved on the tracks at 18th Street will thankfully survive – but it is still a crime Also worth remembering that workers on night shifts trying to get home late at night on public transit (and in NYC then likely a walk from the subway or bus) are in a much more difficult situation Yes of course millions of people take the subway daily at all hours (myself included) the point is not that no crime ever happens (an impossible standard) but that relative to other transportation options such as driving Those high profile crimes you mention do happen but are very rare they just get so much press coverage that they feel more likely than they really are That is not to say things are safe or not unsafe Of course the subway crime gets front page treatment When you are not in your own personal space they are not enthusiastic about using them regardless of what the ridership numbers are or how many cops you add You can add 5,000 cops to the subways and people still merely will tolerate them Uber and Lyft are so popular among Manhattan residents even before criminal justice reform This is just a zero sum game to grab the streets for “chosen” people while “unwanted” people like myself are forced to use transit and then when we complain The House majority runs through districts like mine Also the Democratic state senate supermajority was broken and it is districts like mine that determine that That outsized press coverage makes people think that transit is not safe when in fact it is very safe & vice versa for drivers Driving in NYC seems extremely unpleasant to me but if people want the convenience they should also pay for the negative externalities of traffic/pollution that they inflict on the rest of us It’s really that simple and has nothing to do with anyone being scolded or whatever chosen/unwanted groups you are talking about The lifestyle of UWS residents depends on those negative externalities everything comes from motor vehicles whether you like it or not we had the negative externalities of horse feces on city streets there is no way to stop you from entering the intersection at 60th Street It’s also located there to prevent cars from backing out to avoid entering the zone I envision drivers doing some wild driving maneuvers to avoid the fee and creating haphazard traffic patterns on streets near the zone Get ready for the price of everything now to increase so businesses can cover this fee Every delivery to every restaurant will now be more expensive they are all just passed on to the consumer Exactly why so much traffic will be redirected towards the bridge So my daily commute is literally from 60th street west end to 59th street bridge to Queens I understand coming back I can possibly take Upper roadway from queens to 62nd to avoid the charge I think so crazy to be charged for a block to get on the 59th st bridge Would you feel better about it if you were on 70th St which is 11 blocks away You’re neglecting the fact that you’re adding to the congestion by driving across Manhattan from the westside to 3rd Ave which is a far greater distance than going from 60th to 59th St I can’t wait to see what people do to avoid paying the fee a lot of license plates that don’t get picked up by the cameras and EZ Passes removed from windshields People backing up into the zone with no front plates The guy who owns the huge 1980s-era silver Caddy Eldorado ghost car that parks around 96th Street a lot these days It has a fake registration and plates that belong to another car he thinks nobody notices and the police don’t care So he and other people like him won’t pay Just like the people who get on the bus without paying don’t pay The fees are being assessed on drivers who already follow the rules and pay their bills There are all sorts of rules against ghost plates but the NYPD and PANY hardly do anything to enforce them It seems that some NYPD officers are among the scofflaws themselves The corruption and fecklessness has to end that seems like a more critical priority than congestion pricing Lack of NYPD enforcement is a huge problem Hopefully Tisch keeps cleaning house at the NYPD and the officers on the ground are empowered to boot / impound these cars with fake plates I personally witnessed package thieves with Amazon packages in a van with paper plates driving on the UWS Various unions (including transit workers) are against CP NYU-Langone requested but did not get an exemption and the restaurant sector among others are very worried about CP https://nypost.com/2024/12/21/opinion/congestion-pricing-will-severely-hurt-nycs-food-supply-chain/ As if street parking wasn’t enough of a nightmare for UWS residents as it is every bridge & tunneler from outside Manhattan will be parking above 60th in order to avoid the $9 charge Impeach Hokum and repeal this idiocy right now Where exactly are they going to park without getting ticketed Is there a place to enter the WSH to travel sound between 60th St and 96th We live in the 70s and often went fown WEA to 57th or lower to grt on Some people will surely travel north to enter to avoid the toll How many and what tyat does to traffic sounth of 86th remains to be seen Will gladly pay this tax to have less traffic around me when I drive While cities in America are trying to make it harder to drive up and coming world powers like Turkiye are building new highways and letting their working class have easier access to cars Turkiye is hardly the sort of forward thinking country we want to be emulating Look at other world-class cities like Paris and Singapore that are encouraging public transit Make sure your EZpass is in order otherwise you will be charged more for entering the cp zone $13.50 instead of $9 Reading these comments and seeing the complete lack of critical thinking skills and ability to foresee consequences of this money grab (yes These are probably the same people who were cheering “bail reform” without seeing where that would lead us No wonder we have elected government leaders who make every decision to torpedo New York City It’s nice to get one of the “most commented on stories in 2025” winners on Jan 2nd https://www.riverdalepress.com/stories/finally-the-end-of-the-henry-hudson-bridge-toll-for-bronx-residents,132806 Can somebody explain why it’s fair that the congestion zone boundary is right down the middle of a residential neighborhood with apartment buildings on both sides of the border with people on 60th street being charged a fee for picking up a person with mobility issues in front of their building while people a few doors up on 61st street are not Tolls are traditionally paid at geographic boundaries not arbitrarily placed within a single neighborhood The fair thing would have been to make all of Manhattan the congestion zone so that Upper West Side residents can do their local business without getting tolled as is the case in every other neighborhood in NYC Midtown (commercial/office) is a lot more congested than the mainly-residential uptown It sucks that you have to take that new charge into account when you drive your personal car into midtown Take comfort in the fact that it’s helping close the MTA’s budget holes (I know it’s not perfect but perfect is the enemy of the good) and improving congestion for the people who do choose to pay You want to enlarge the congestion area so that all Manhattan residents are not deterred from driving around Manhattan We’ve jumped the shark from lamenting about commuters who live in areas underserved my mass transit to those who live in Manhattan with lots of transit options Supporters of this tax like to point to London which are significant: residents of the congestion zone get a 90% discount; congestion pricing doesn’t apply after 6pm and before 7am during the week (after 6pm and before 12pm on weekends); motorcycles and taxis are exempt Londoners argue about whether traffic congestion has in fact been reduced which suggests that if it has been reduced London is organized more like Chicago than NY In London the central districts (roughly between Hyde Park and the City) don’t have a lot of residences There are some neighborhoods which are captured by the zone but it looks like they’re pretty wealthy (and London “wealthy neighborhoods” make Park Ave look reasonable) TfL (their MTA) claims that the reduced traffic has allowed reconstructing roads to put more emphasis on liveability so congestion hasn’t changed that much But apparently no study can prove causality so I guess you can believe whichever one confirms your priors Having lived in London for a bit in the ’90s I think the tradeoff of congestion pricing to improve neighborhoods makes a lot of sense for a city which was built in the 1600’s We need leaders who can do the hard things that make life better for the city as a whole and withstand the complaints from the loud minority bicyclists (particularly Citibike) endanger me and my family daily Bicyclists are former bus and subway riders – not former drivers Yes bus and subway should be the priority – and bicyclists should be taking mass transit bus and subway learn how to cross the street with bicycles getting hit by a car is a lot worse and unfortunately more common bikes are great for getting around the neighborhood so I’d posit they replace taxi/uber rides not subway/bus Maximizing the modes of non-private-car transportation is a Greater Good that drives expert public planning which is why bicycle infrastructure is exploding nationwide Hi WSR – could you add a link in the article to the FAQ on the MTA website especially about exemption plans for the mobility impaired Some folks in the comments are clearly not informed that a vehicle can be exempt from the charge in the Zone if a mobility impaired person has designated the driver as their caretaker – or if the impaired person can drive but not use transit Another issue of concern: CP is for subway capital – CP is not to increase bus service The MTA has actually been cutting bus frequency and bus routes for years CP will not increase bus service in Manhattan Also bus service continues to decline as City DOT allows more street closings and Open Streets on bus routes forcing detours The proponents of congestion pricing do not actually want congestion to seriously decrease the amount of funds generated for the subway system would not materialize to the degree expected Wouldn’t it be great if cars coming into Manhattan decreased by 50-60-70% So you can hog all the parking spaces for yourselves rather than fight the bigger enemies One purpose for parking permits is to require the car have a NYC address and insurance of the same address where many register the vehicle out of state to get cheap insurance and avoid NY State tax for registration If you do not want cars those are the first to eliminate right after the ghost cars Fun alternative logic: if a truck enters the zone and there really is less congestion they will be able to make their deliveries much faster and make more deliveries in the same time That should easily offset the extra charge The bike lobby Transportation Alternatives-Open Plans is pushing for more and expanded bike lanes and Citibike So I brake my foot and have to take a cab to see my doctor on 57th I get a $9 tax every time I don’t have a public transportation choice Bring my son home from school in a cab at night to be safe I get taxed again All our deliveries from NJ are taxed so guess who pays you would have seen that taxis are not charged $9 and the passenger pays only $.75 per trip Getting to your appointment faster will also save you on taxi idling time they had already put a price tag on how much money they must raise for the MTA or improving air quality and the quality of life they want more traffic because that is whats going to pay up the tolls and generate that revenue that the MYA is after a tax on the working people and it is wrong Day by day it feels more and more like the government is limiting our ability to move freely so much for New Yorkers being “pro democracy but it is wrong to take money from people that should be going to feed their families I understand that city wants to reduce the traffic What I don’t understand is uws or ues is also a part of the city and heavily congested They are giving examples of London and Singapore but look at their public transportation they have permit parking systems from many years We don’t have any such facilities and just like that council imposed congestion pricing First you have to give permit parking at least I understand that to bring changes in public transportation one needs funding but start from somewhere where you don’t need funding Excited for this to finally make our neighborhood safer Can someone explain to me how the UWS is not going to become a giant Parking Lot parking their cars and taking 72 Street 1/2/3 train downtown How exactly is this going to be of ANY benefit to our neighborhood Exempt us from a tax to drive around in our own neighborhood If you are paying $5.80 for a round trip subway ride to avoid a $9 fee might as well pay the extra $3 and go all the way finding parking and then taking a subway there and back would save about $3 doesn’t seem worth it so I doubt we’ll see a lot more people driving in to park on the UWS But agree it would be great if we could stop giving free street parking to NJ residents Yesterday a guy getting of a parked car asked if I knew of a local parking garage His calculus is to stop parking in the congestion zone and take the GWB instead of the Lincoln Tunnel I didn’t get into the particulars of how much he was paying for parking in the congestion zone What he did say is won’t take NJ public transportation So I guess he is ok with the NYC subway if he finds a garage on the upper westside Basically he will take a garage spot and not a street spot I would gather if this adds additional demand monthly parking rates will go up above the zone © 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved © 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved I split my head open in an early morning soccer game on the West 108th Street field in Riverside Park After a few minutes of collecting myself on the ground and the good luck of finding there were multiple doctors playing in the Upper West Side pickup game an ambulance arrived — not on the level where we were but on the park’s upper promenade that looks down on the fields I remember looking up at the medics as they looked down both sides seemingly frozen by the question of how they might get the ambulance to me and the medics simply walked down the stairs and escorted me back up to the ambulance It turned out I had a concussion and ended up needing nine stitches to fix my forehead I grew up west of West End Avenue in the lower 90s I spent endless hours in this Riverside Park stretch where the injury took place It’s an area almost always packed with people: kids playing their West Side Little League and West Side Side Soccer games adults meeting up for early morning pick up games high school and college students doing the same in the afternoons This stretch of Riverside Park is on a very short list of my favorite places in the world something has become increasingly apparent It’s an issue that came to light as I lay on the astroturf field five years ago waiting for medics to arrive: this sprawling sports playground has an ambulance accessibility problem My experience that morning illustrated two challenges for ambulances trying to navigate this bustling stretch of Riverside Park there is only one roadway that leads to the field and court level of the stretch from West 101st to 111th streets Riverside Park has five levels within this 10-block stretch: Riverside Drive The number of different levels in this stretch of the Park isn’t typical; the field level only exists from 101st to 111th streets situated between the promenade and the West Side Highway starts with the first soccer field at 101st Street and ends with the last basketball court around 111th Street have revolved around dispatch,” Mark McIntyre the longtime former leader of the Riverside clay tennis courts near West 97th Street McIntyre was speaking about the challenges of calling an ambulance if you call 911 while you’re near the river “the call goes to New Jersey most times they insist on a street address and of course you’re in the park and you can’t really give an address.” “When you try to describe where you are there is no knowing if that gets properly relayed to the ambulance driver,” he added Multiple other people who spoke to the Rag also noted the likelihood that an emergency 911 call placed from the field or greenway level in Riverside Park would be routed to New Jersey dispatch Although the mixup is generally worked out quickly redirecting the call to Manhattan dispatch it is something that can cost valuable time It is not unique for large public parks to have areas that are difficult for emergency services to reach simply not being able to give a specific street address complicates the ambulance dispatch process But this area of Riverside Park has another challenge Ambulances have just one roadway on which they can drive to get to that sports field area between 101st and 111th streets If an ambulance driver doesn’t know that route they are likely to arrive on the promenade level — as did the ambulance that came for me — only to be confronted by the staircases that lead down to the playing fields Staircases that ambulances can’t drive down I’ve seen what happens four times when an ambulance was called to this stretch of Riverside Park — twice for soccer injuries the ambulance arrived on the promenade level and medics then walked down as opposed to arriving on the field level with the ambulance There are two entrances to Riverside Park for an ambulance to get to the lone roadway and access point for the field level between 101st and 110th streets unmarked turnoff just before the West Side Highway entrance an ambulance can drive deeper into Riverside on the backside of Dinosaur Playground there is a nearby ramp on Riverside Drive and West 97th Street an ambulance can use on the frontside of Dinosaur Playground behind and in front of Dinosaur Playground This is a crucial juncture: if an ambulance turns right only having staircase access to the fields and courts for the rest of the stretch where it is then met with another fork in the road A right turn there will keep it on route to the playing fields but a left turn leads down to the Hudson River Once the ambulance has successfully made this right turn it is now on the field and court level of the 10-or-so-block stretch and can make its way up this roadway all the way to basketball courts on West 111th Street while having direct access to all the facilities in between That route is the only way in; there is no entrance farther uptown where the sports fields end at the 111th Street basketball courts The field-level roadway that starts by that 101st Street soccer field runs all the way to these courts and then begins to loop its way up to the promenade level But at the 111th Street entrance to the basketball courts This means that an ambulance cannot access the field level roadway from the uptown side it has to make its way to the 101st Street access point to get down to the fields and courts this means if an ambulance picks up an injured person at the skate park near 109th Street in this stretch it then has to turn back around and exit the roadway at 101st Street large stone barriers were also placed on the promenade level of Riverside Park from around West 103rd to 110th streets These barriers — three sets of them in the 10-block stretch — block any vehicle traffic in that stretch of the promenade This means that ambulances can no longer drive along the promenade level above the sports fields (as that ambulance did that tried to aid me five years ago) That reality makes it all the more imperative for ambulance drivers to know the field-level route from 101st to 111th streets The city Parks Department told the Rag that the concrete blocks had been placed to prevent vehicles from driving on this section of the promenade while repairs are being planned for the 90-year-old promenade section that covers the train tracks under the park within this stretch West Side Rag reached out to multiple organizations and agencies associated with Riverside Park to see if emergency services were trained on the specific route needed to access the playing fields We started with an email to the Riverside Park Conservancy which passed the query on to the Parks Department though it did not comment on whether it saw the field level stretch of Riverside Park as particularly challenging for ambulances to access “Any incident with a location of Riverside Park will have a premise history that will provide the ambulance crew with access points off the Henry Hudson Parkways [West Side Highway],” an FDNY spokesperson wrote in an email This stretch of fields and courts from West 101st to 111th streets in Riverside Park bustles with New Yorkers of all ages who come to exercise, compete, play for fun, or just gather for companionship. Injuries can happen there. And as West Side Rag reported in its story of the two Flavias who saved a jogger who had collapsed in Central Park the speed of care that an injured person receives can make a huge difference in the outcome especially if it is a cardiovascular episode While it is true the majority of injuries that take place in this Riverside Park stretch of fields won’t require an ambulance getting directly next to someone what about those rare and scary moments when a person’s life or future well-being will depend on an ambulance getting directly to them it makes me feel very grateful that my head injury five years ago did not reach the level of an emergency where I was fully incapacitated or needed an ambulance to get to me as quickly as possible it leaves a pit in my stomach knowing others in this stretch of glorious fields and courts may not be so lucky Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here The first is how long it took the ambulance to arrive The second is how to navigate this difficult path A few years ago I fell and broke both my arms and couldn’t move After 20 minutes of lying on the sidewalk Why does it take so long for an ambulance to arrive in Manhattan The best solution is to eliminate the West Side Highway and put a big bike lane which ambulances can use just get rid of the West Side Highway all together Mt Sinai trucks (like all other hospital-run 911 trucks) all operate equally in the 911 system and are all dispatched by a centralized dispatch center run by the FDNY They have computers in the trucks with the same premise information that FDNY EMS gets thank you for raising a very important problem and your detailed report I never gave this much thought until reading your article but given how many people make use of these fields means this issue should be addressed and not buried as so many other important issues find themselves The fact that no one has [thankfully] died as a result of a delay in receiving treatment should not result in complacency Kudos to any UWS politician at any level who is willing to take this on the inclusion of all the photos really highlights how complex this all is thanks for your work on this (but sorry it took what sounds like a pretty brutal head injury to inspire it!) And – on a lighter note – that unmarked turnoff from the highway (which is sometimes closed to cars sometimes not) may explain why one sometimes sees bewildered drivers on Park roads who really did NOT want to go there in their vehicle and have no idea how to get out ;D I always wonder what on earth got them there (and feel sadly ill informed that I can’t point a way out.) So this issue is very real and effects a majority of riverside park and the Hudson River greenway I once got in a bike accident near the boat launch and it took over a half an hour to get to EMS they made the call and provided all the information to the dispatcher Even with that extra expertise it was very difficult for EMS to figure out how to navigate the park Eventually a group of fire fighters walked down to escort me to the ambulance Both the firefighters and the EMS people were talking about how difficult it was to respond to emergencies on the greenway and that this was not the first time this happened I saw the same thing happen a year later when that man on a e-bike died near the tennis courts after colliding with a park bench I was there that night and it was a prolonged challenge to get him emergency care It was very difficult for the EMS people to get to him and I’ve been extremely worried about those stone blocks on the promenade I think the short term solution is that making sure that all ambulance units that might dispatch to this area are well aware of the best routes to get there I’m guessing one would not properly route them I was walking my dog blast March when a man broke his ankle sledding on the hill at 91st I called 912 and the did come almost immediately But getting to the guy and bringing him to the ambulance was There is also a large gate (big enough for vehicles) into the field level of the park directly from the Henry Hudson parkway right in front of the beach volleyball court It’s a little area where you can pull over on the side of the road However this gate is locked with a padlock Maybe the EMTs could cut the padlock if necessary to get in There are openings hidden gates in black fence between park and the 2 highway emergency stop areas What is the best way to call a ambulance to northbound highway emergency stop areas parks vehicles drive north next to fields and turn into skatepark to go back south This is one reason the new skatepark’s concrete floor is cracking everywhere Well designed and placed Ambulance Access signs would be valuable At little cost they should be ordered and implemented right away I believe I read that discretionary funding is happening now Maybe there can be a project related to addressing this Oscar Hjuelos died at the red-clay tennis courts I don’t know details but I wonder if delayed response played a role “Emergency Route” signage might help there is plenty of “Hurricane Route” signage I was sitting on a bench slightly north of the 96th street tennis courts facing the river when I saw a gentleman fall off his scooter and they couldn’t get a read on where this occurred After about 45 minutes I walked out of the park to 97th and Riverside and there was the ambulance They eventually took the 96th street northbound exit on the West Side highway to reach him You point out the difficulty in describing a location within the park A solution would be to implement the lamppost system that we have in Central Park every lamppost in Central Park has a metal tag with an ID number The first two digits indicate the nearest cross street The next two are sequential with even numbers on the east side and odd on the west If you give the number of the nearest lamppost to the 911 operator responders will know exactly where you are a last resort option would be for the ambulance to stop on the Henry Hudson Parkway but may well be the fastest way to get there especially if responders aren’t familiar with the park There’s an emergency parking area and a gate in the fence at approximately 106th St The same problem applies to the tennis courts at 119th down in RSP Ambulances arrive up top on RSD and emergency personnel have to walk down the steps They are unaware of an entrance at 116th St See my post about Vernon Manley who passed when we were playing tennis on 119 This article brings up some really good points regarding ambulance access for medical emergencies in this area of the park It is also important for the nearby fire companies to know the best route to get to a person that needs help The closest fire engines are dispatched on medical runs and usually arrive first The truck companies may also be dispatched to a patient if there is a need for special equipment that the engines don’t have I work at the local firehouse and will be brining this issue up with the fire units that would be responding to an emergency in this area of the park I see a great project for an enterprising high school junior or even public health student from any UWS school who can contact Google maps FD contacts and provide emergency GPS for access to and from a few key access points to courts and fields up and down the stretch This article could be a base for a really usable tool for first responders But estimating time and choosing the route are key to response Central Park had a similar problem where it would take 45 to 90 minutes for an ambulance to arrive A few Parkies got together and formed a volunteer ambulance service which cut down the response to an average of three minutes or less thus the Central Park Medical Unit was formed a FREE service to anyone who needs an ambulance in Central Park with EMT’s who love Central Park and know Central Park intimately CPMU is now 50 Years young and growing stronger than ever CPMU also serves as a training ground for the City’s future we were playing tennis on the 119th Street hard courts My good friend Vernon Manley collapsed on the court and we immediately called for an ambulance the ambulance was not able to navigate the park and took over 25 minutes to reach us You would think that EMS services would have training on how to navigate Riverside Park I have lived here for years and had only thought about access in case of a crime happening hadn’t considered sudden health issues or injuries I tried to locate my kids phone once when they were downstairs from where I had asked them to stay in Riverside Park and it showed me that their phone was in the Hudson River! Needless to say I almost needed the ambulance myself thanks to the incorrect tech So yes yes yes to plain old fashioned signage please it is very difficult for ANYBODY to navigate the multiple levels and crossings between the streets of the UWS Why not set up a permanent staging area adjacent to those athletic fields One ambulance plus its team would be posted there When that unit responds to a call on those athletic fields another unit would immediately go directly to that staging area and wait for the next call there would be medical teams already knowledgeable of that area of the Park And a team would always be ready to respond This should substantially shorten the response times this could be the difference between life and death! Could the park put up some signs to direct ambulances I found a person in distress on a bench on the lower portion of the park around W I called 911 and no one could figure out how to get to me I fail to understand how 911 does not know that there is a lower level to the park I’m 95 and don’t play soccer but I do like to walk and use the park I wear an emergency pendant and always carriy medical I.D information but how could an ambulance get to me It never occurred to me about such a problem but the solution doesn’t seem adequate It can be hard to determine who is responsible for what in the parks So much shared responsibility creates gaps in service and a round robin of figuring out who can fix a problem like this The 911 routing of emergency calls to NJ has been going on for years pick-up and parks vehicles know how to access the playing fields Until that knowledge is as pervasive in emergency services Riverside Park has a distinct need for pertinent communication Visiting pedestrians and cyclist have a hard time figuring out how to get to the river I don’t love a lot of signage in the parks as nicely designed as it is – but would prefer useful direction and information to catchy phrases about how to think about the park I hope your article serves as a call to action Wonderful article and thank you for raising awareness of this important issue Temperatures will warm slightly again this week but there could be rain on Thursday and Sunday Louis reporter did a segment almost a decade ago that went viral about February being among the bleakest of months “February is the worst month of the year it’s a month that doesn’t hold up life any better than it really is.” We don’t know if we agree with this February assessment Sunday is the Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles The Upper West Side was one of the noisiest neighborhoods in New York City in 2024, according to 311 data first reported by The New York Times. The Times sorted through the 753,222 noise complaints made in the five boroughs during the last year and found that nearly 10 percent of them came from a single Community District in the Bronx The data was also sorted into the 10 neighborhoods that produced the most noise complaints from residents in 2024 and the Upper West Side’s Manhattan District 7 had the third most of any Community District in New York City residents on the Upper West Side filed 26,369 noise complaints last year The New York Times found something very specific to the Upper West Side’s noise complaints A staggering 14,809 of them were related to helicopter noise there were 40 noise complaints related to helicopter noise on the Upper West Side every single day Here were the five Community Districts with the most noise complaints in New York City last year You can read the full story in The New York Times — HERE. Ever want to own a townhouse within a luxury condo building Now’s your chance at a new Upper West Side residential development A 42-foot-wide triplex is one of two townhouses built within a new 22-story building called The Henry at 211 West 84th Street The concept of a townhouse within a condo building is a puzzling one, but this is how Compass real estate broker Alexa Lambert described the property to the publication Mansion Global. “You come into the foyer and up eight to 10 steps to the ground floor but the stoop is on the inside,” Lambert told Mansion Global “The townhouse is actually in the building The residents of the unit will also have access to all of the building amenities that come with the condominium portion of the development The development and the townhouses are designed by Robert A.M There are not extensive photos of the townhouses within the luxury condominium development, but you can check out renderings — HERE. You can also read more about the new Upper West Side townhouses on the Mansion Global website. The Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital announced last week the grand opening of the Comprehensive Health Program on the Upper West Side The “state-of-the-art” facility will offer extensive personalized health assessments for early detection and prevention of diseases The new facility is at Mount Sinai West at 1000 Tenth Avenue The check-ups will include a comprehensive blood analysis an extensive cardiovascular health assessment the tests and images will be reviewed by specialists and any necessary recommendations will be made for follow-up care and state-of-the-art facilities ensure that each patient receives the highest quality of care and a personalized road map to best address their health needs,” says Valentin Fuster President of Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital the Comprehensive Health Program is a self-pay bundled program and is not covered by insurance You can find out more — HERE. The screaming ambulance sirens (mainly those of Mount Sinai) that run up Amsterdam Ave throughout the day are a health hazard all their own There is no reason for them to be as deafening as they are when they force people on the street to plug their ears Busy European cities use sirens that are many decibels lower and Hoylman-Sigal have not taken up this insidious issue of public health for their constituents is a dereliction ofduty What has happened to the city council proposals submitted in the last couple of years to address the dangerous public health hazard represented by the reckless use of ear-splitting high-frequency sirens especially by unregulated private ambulances like Mt I’m extremely sensitive to noise but once you’ve been in one of those ambulances with a terminally ill loved one whose vitals are dropping you may feel differently People not getting out of the way is far more of a “heath hazard” than the sound try saying a prayer or sending out healing vibes for the person inside and use hearing it as a reminder to be grateful for your own health But not everyone being transported by an ambulance is about to die Sometimes there’s no patient inside at all and the sirens are on to help the EMTs get to the patient faster But you don’t know so I maintain that the best thing to do is send good vibes and be grateful it’s not you You’re entitled to your opinion but not to presume other people’s personal experiences I am not an advocate of eliminating sirens to alert to an emergency many others are advocating is for sirens that don’t deafen residents Science will tell you that when loud sounds cause your ears to hurt damage is being done to your hearing in real time Noise pollution is not a mere annoyance and petty complaint— it is a public health hazard When did I “presume other people’s personal experiences”? And your previous comment already made clear what you’re advocating for They also often go slowly on CPW with deafening sirens Columbia-Presbyterian and Lenox Hill ambulances are better And they aren’t barreling through red lights either Many times these sirens are unnecessary and overdone and Columbia’s dorms ae right across the street from the hospital I am surprised they haven’t complained as are their stroboscoic lights—as many as 24 on some ambulances i sometimes think there must be a special team of marketers and purchasing agents on both sides: the sellers devising more and more ways to attach brighter lights and buyers in eager anticipation that painfully deflective pitch “we are trying to keep people safe.” I live on West 80 Street bwt Columbus and Ams Terrible….Tourists scanning the park in helicopters . This is nothing new and has been an issue for years It is something that falls under the jurisdiction of the FAA something our local congressman could help with Only problem is that our congressman is Jerry Nadler who is reelected again and again I wonder how many of those affected by the noise keep voting for incompetent Jerry Ill ask him next time he cruises through our neighborhood in his SUV Vazquez and I think one other member of the House made a splash about introducing legislation to cut down on tourist helicopter and similar flights I am glad Jerry Nadler is bringing attention to the month of positive data we now have about the effect of congestion pricing in NYC I’d like to know how many car alarm complaints there were on the UWS There is always one car around WEA and 83rd that goes on and on When you call 311 the operator will say something like you’re the 10th caller They are very good about coming and they will contact the owner or disable it And car horns going off in the middle of the night Nadler and the rest of his collaborators a la Brewer really do not care about these issues They only care about political hopscotching from one term to the next so long as they keep moving the paper on to the next bloated government agency It’s illegal to have electrified sound in the park but it’s totally legal to have the womp womp of a helicopter overhead disrupt an amplified play 311 does not include my calls to New York State DOT region 11 and the main office of the commissioner where I complain about sirens on the West side highway because highway unit 1 in The Bronx does not enforce the speed limit If it’s illegal to have electrified sound in the Park then someone needs to unplug the Strawberry Fields buskers We are not one of the noisiest neighborhoods Everyone here gets tremendous joy in being miserable and complaining That is why we have so many noise complaints I’m sure I can find you a few acres in a suburb of Utica that will be plenty quiet Not only the noisiest but also the filthiest neighborhood on the UWS The sidewalks have dog feces and garbage everywhere Our neighborhood has become disgusting and dog owners are a scourge Our sidewalks (specifically West 79 between Amsterdam and Columbus) have become dog toilets Dog owners on the whole are very self-centered Our building regularly cleans the sidewalk would be required to maintain their sidewalks it’s definitely a “townhouse.” Actually East Village and LES have huge noise issues relating to blasting music from bars all night What’s the cost of the comprehensive exam at the new Mt Sinai facility Is this a primary care “concierge” service that the hospital is using space for to bring in $$$ Significant amount of owners are not picking up after their dogs Sidewalks are marked like hopscotch with feces ‘This is a quality of life issue and a sanitary one Can’t see it but it’s stuck to your shoes and all over your home Dog owners — all the ones we know in any event and we know quite a few of them as our dog is a social butterfly — DO pick up after our dogs I suspect some of the worst culprits are dog walkers especially the ones who walk 10 dogs at a time When is Mount Sinai going to renovate all its dilapidated buildings and clean up the sidewalks Halal Guys closed abruptly over the weekend The food isn’t good and it’s not unique any more either Haven’t been there in a good while but I thought it was good for the price and it always seemed busy If anyone has any doubt about this being the whiniest neighborhood Exhibit One is the all-powerful issue of dog poop commandeering a discussion of neighborhood noise The Times study provides ZERO scientific evidence that the UWS is among the noisiest neighborhoods in the city It could be that we are simply one of the crankiest agree; one helicopter might generate 200 complaints We’re probably also one of the oldest When people get old they often (perhaps rightfully) get cranky and kvetch The noise at two or three in the morning from the lot on West end laps is horrendous as my bedroom window faces their office building Ok – maybe it’s just me being weird – I live in the west 80’s – agree that helicopter noise – boo At times – they are almost symphonic (to me) – especially those (probably police cars – not ambulances or fire trucks) who choose their tone rise and fall as they get closer – and then farther – approach a street crossing and start – then stop – then start – like the “Sounds of Silence” – those “Symphonic Sirens” are city life – Last year I was unemployed for a few months and spent a lot of time at home I did not find the noise anything to complain about Now that I’m staying in suburban Queens (temporarily I hope!) I’m dying to get back to the wonderful UWS I love so much With rising prices for everything on the horizon perhaps you could use a little rental income since the congestion pricing went into effect i’ve noticed much less noise attributable to traffic meaning sirens and horns as well as start and stop i’m guessing that less traffic means less need for sirens the UWS has become one of the loudest neighborhoods in NYC and helicopter noise has become a leading reason for complaints Sightseeing choppers from NYC’s own Downtown Manhattan Heliport host 30,000 tourist helicopters annually and they fly Mondays- Saturdays up and down the Hudson River Combined with sightseeing helicopters from NJ (their flight paths include circles around Central Park) and commuter flights such as Blade all these nonessential helicopters have turned that beautiful waterway into a “Hellish Helicopter Highway” – disturbing people in their homes throughout the length of their flight paths from the South Street Seaport all the way up to Spuyten Duyvil in the Bronx (as well as ruining park going experiences from Battery Park These nonessential helicopters should be banned and only essential helicopters (such as medical The nonprofit Stop the Chop NY/NJ and its new sister org Stop the Chop NY/NJ Advocacy Fund were formed to end this helicopter plague in the NY metro area Exposure to noise pollution is a proven health risk and additionally these helicopters are adding unnecessary pollutants and carbon into our air (some helicopters still even use leaded fuel!) One helicopter is equal to at least 40 cars on the road There is no sane reason to allow tourists to sightsee via helicopter over the most densely populated city and airspace – it is dangerous no one should be commuting to the airports and elsewhere via helicopter as we now are experiencing myriad climate catastrophes caused by increased greenhouse gases in our atmosphere UWSiders (and residents throughout our metro area) are the ones who suffer while these polluting unnecessary businesses externalize their dangerous costs to the public It is time we pass common-sense legislation pending at the NYC and NJ State legislatures and have federal legislation reintroduced and signed into law to finally solve this long-standing and worsening environmental and health issues all caused by these nonessential helicopters […] In the name of immersion journalism I found myself standing on the small island at the intersection of Broadway where you’re left dizzy from trying to track all the moving chaos coming at you from every angle I chose this intersection to hear the sound of our existence in one of the noisiest neighborhoods in all of New York City Pedestrians and bikers who commute or ride for recreation on the 1.25-mile Cherry Walk stretch of the Hudson River Greenway face a prolonged disruption that began on Monday named for the trees along that part of the greenway between West 100th and 125th streets is closed to all pedestrian and bike traffic to allow repairs and resurfacing along this stretch The $1.5 million project is expected to take about six months to complete with reopening estimated in spring of 2025 Signs posted at the point of closure include a map and a recommended bike detour which the city Parks Department says was developed in consultation with the city’s Department of Transportation Bikers headed north are advised to climb up to Riverside Drive at West 100th Street then eventually make their way back to the riverfront greenway via Tiemann Place Southbound bikers are shown a detour that exits the greenway at St and Tiemann Place to southbound Claremont Avenue The detour requires significantly more climbing than the greenway’s water level route along Cherry Walk A check of the Strava app’s route planning software shows the now-closed route requires just 16 feet of hill work heading north in contrast to 125 feet of elevation gain using the detour A Parks Department spokesman told West Side Rag: “The Cherry Walk reconstruction is a long-awaited project that cyclists and the community have been requesting for years.” Several bikers encountering the detour for the first time on Monday seemed to take the closure in stride though most also expressed shock when told the disruption would likely last six months an architect who lives downtown and bikes the Cherry Walk route daily An NYU research scientist named Long said he uses the greenway to commute from the university back to his home at 165th Street he might change his commute to pass through Central Park said she normally leaves her car in Fort Lee and bikes down the greenway to commute to her job downtown she had just completed the detour from the north on her bike Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here While there are perhaps areas that could use repaving this is enough time to build a bike superhighway Not to mention that the path has repeatedly been closed north of the GWB (as it remains now) for pavement repair efforts that typically fail within days or weeks The closures to the path seem to persist significantly longer than the fixes do the Parks Department also loves diverting bike traffic on to Broadway… the “detour” they created for the closed path section by Fort Tryon Park requires robust cardio health nerves of steel and a generous life insurance policy An alternative solution would have been to close one side of the path at a time and leave room for bikers and runners to pass through but that apparently was too complicated for consideration Others have suggested creating a temporary lane from the Hudson River Parkway but that seems even less likely to pass muster Closing one side of the path at a time would not be workable because of how narrow it is to start with It’s only about 12 feet wide to start with and two-thirds of that is allocated to bicycle traffic cyclists consistently use the small portion of the path allocated to runners because they’d need room for the barrier) would be a disaster but I’m guessing that four feet would not be enough for two bicycles to pass each other I know that two feet is definitely not enough for two runners to pass each other Segments of the Harlem River Greenway are 3′ wide It’s miserable but it works in a pinch it will do not nearly enough and take far too long and the detour is poorly planned and not suitable for many I’d be amazed if it gets done within six months as it’s needed new paving for a long time I hope they take the opportunity to think the lane markers which thinking was apparently not done the first time around (“Does ‘peds’ stand for ‘pedalers’?) Shouldn’t take six months to repave a one mile stretch of a bike path Cherry Walk was also closed from September 2020 to January 2021 https://www.westsiderag.com/2021/01/19/cherry-walk-in-riverside-park-reopens-after-extended-closure The detour should be a lane on the highway blocked off with concrete barriers and resume traveling north–much in the same way that many cyclists ignore the “Cyclists Must Dismount” signs on barriers at either end of the promenade between 72nd and 78th Streets (2) When is the Parks Department finally going to address the considerable overgrowth along the stretch of walkway beside the river between 82nd and 90th Streets as northbound walkers are now forced to move into the bike lane Because they always seem to block off projects like this days or weeks before the work actually begins (Off topic but related: so DOT removed the asphalt on West End Avenue from 104-107 in preparation for repavement weeks ago We have rough washboard streets to cross and no lane markings….why?) side streets from 111th to 114th were not repaved for almost six weeks While chopping and replacement used to be done over a weeks tops this year has gone for close to two months now Someone somewhere either run out of money or is skimming money from the budget more positivity and less complaining especially from car drivers I just turned 74 and have been riding a bike here for 30+ years We need congestion pricing so we can breathe You give all those details for bikers – some of whom should not even be there ever – but none for walkers and runners The details for pedestrians are basically the same: detour onto Riverside Drive Though I suppose you can incorporate some of the pedestrian paths in the park if you wish I really hope this construction includes better signage for pedestrian lanes vs Make sure to check the tide before leaving home so the currents carry you the way you want to go Parks NEVER rakes dead leaves on the upper HRG; ask me for photos The acid has destroyed the pavement and caused12-foot sinkholes Parks plants trees close to the path but they pave it with asphalt The Parks Department will take half a year to do this They’ll probably make the same errors they always do: build to fail More than 300 cyclists are in the Hudson River Greenway Facebook group And we’ve had it with these unannounced I hope this is wrapped up in time for annual Great Saunter And +1 for distinct lanes for cyclists and pedestrians please be considerate of park users while cutting through on the walking paths Just slow down and let them know you’re there You didn’t mention that the Greenway is also indefinitely closed above 181st St There is a better way but NYS DOT needs to be made to care: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17MELlB3FpxvVcRFLllZJ5E-wl0HoxnD2IUfHSaeYQkA/edit?usp=drivesdk would be great to get same info on when north of GWB greenway closure construction will be done just signs saying closed for 30+ days — only online source about it to date is “Westside Greenway Closed Again North of GWB” on reddit This should be connected a little further north to the West Harlem Piers Park Free Upper West Side News, Delivered To Your Inbox “Many of the issues are the result of illegally modified car mufflers,” the DEP explained in the letter The noise cameras are “paired with a sound meter and activate when the meter detects a noise of at least 85 decibels from a source at least 50 feet away.” The video then captures the offending vehicle’s license plate and the car’s owner receives a notice to appear in the mail and any further violations result in a $2,500 fine Edging out District 7 in the rankings was Manhattan’s District 12 Topping the list was the Bronx’s District 12 many related to fireworks and outdoor speakers The noise camera pilot program launched in 2021 Have a news tip? Send it to us here! you agree to receive occasional messages from our partners How many of those are related to Jacobs Pickles Bannin fireworks in Central Park would be a good start So would demanding that Mount Sinai ambulances turn down/off sirens when the transportee isn’t in immediate danger Love hearing the music from Central Park concerts ouch ouch ouch on the ambulance and police sirens Why am I the only one holding my ears and turning away on the sidewalk like some kind of weirdo Excessive use of ambulance sirens is the single greatest source of noise pollution Are there regulations that ambulance operators are supposed to follow We shouldn’t be drowned out 20 flights up with closed windows and doors from sirens outside The volume of sirens has increased to a ridiculous degree Gale Brewer has been a leader in addressing the public health hazard represented by the gratuitous She has been pushing legislation in this regard We should all support her and encourage hospitals and other emergency responders to abide by the first principle of health care : “first It should be possible to point alarms to sound directly in front of an emergency vehicle (just like a megaphone) The need for this alarm is only to notify traffic ahead so that it should move to the side and especially at intersections to announce that the emergency vehicle traffic is coming and may want to go through a red light It’s like using a flashlight instead of a light that projects in all directions He’s another one “street” performers playing amplified music in Strawberry Fields and elsewhere in Central Park.* Amplified music without a permit is illegal in Central Park Strawberry Fields used to be a reasonably quiet place to read but back then the lawns were also well tended now the “lawns” of SF are packed earth *Street performers blasting music on the street can also be a problem; there’s a guy who likes to sing Sinatra outside of Alice Tully who should really be… Not clear if NYC forbids unpermitted amplified music performances on the street and the modern replacement bluetooth speakers If you're traveling from Brooklyn or Staten Island here's what the new rules will mean for your commute There are four crossings that take drivers from Brooklyn into Manhattan: the Hugh L the Manhattan Bridge and the Williamsburg Bridge Drivers who cross over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge from Staten Island into Brooklyn must take one of the four crossings if they want to get to Manhattan Here’s how congestion pricing will affect each of the crossings: Carey Tunnel and continuing directly onto the West Side Highway or the FDR Drive will not be charged a toll Carey Tunnel connecting to West Street are all exempt from the congestion pricing toll Carey Tunnel onto Trinity Place or any other local streets and avenues within the congestion pricing zone will be charged a toll Drivers will still have to pay a non-congestion pricing toll to pass through the Hugh L but vehicles that get charged a congestion toll when they exit the tunnel onto local streets will receive a crossing credit to offset part of the congestion toll.    Drivers using the Brooklyn Bridge can travel from the bridge to the FDR Drive northbound — and from the FDR Drive to the bridge — without incurring tolls trips from the Brooklyn Bridge to the FDR Drive southbound will be tolled as the connection involves entering the street grid at Pearl Street Drivers who cross over the Brooklyn Bridge and travel onto local streets and avenues will also be tolled Drivers who cross over the Manhattan Bridge will be tolled as they will exit onto local streets and avenues within the congestion zone Trips between the Manhattan Bridge and the FDR Drive will also incur tolls because that route also requires travel on streets in the congestion zone Drivers that cross over the Williamsburg Bridge will be tolled Trips between the Williamsburg Bridge and the FDR Drive will also incur tolls Staten Islanders who drive through New Jersey and take either the Lincoln Tunnel or the Holland Tunnel into Manhattan will be charged a congestion pricing fee since both tunnels let vehicles out onto residential streets south of 60th Street the two major highways running through the congestion zone you will be tolled if you exit either highway onto local streets and avenues within the congestion zone Commuters traveling from Brooklyn to Manhattan have a number of public transit options available The MTA also operates express bus service from Brooklyn to Manhattan, including routes such as the BM1, BM2, BM3 and BM4. The fare is $7. More information about routes and schedules can be found here NYC Ferry operates routes connecting stops along the Brooklyn waterfront to stops in Manhattan. The East River route, for example, stops at DUMBO and South Williamsburg in Brooklyn and connects to Wall Street/Pier 11 and East 34th Street in Manhattan. One-way fares cost $4.50. Look up more ferry routes here The MTA also operates express buses that provide direct service from Staten Island to various parts of Manhattan. The fare is $7. Check schedules here Two cars parked on the side of Westside Highway after being involved in a crash.(Matt Esnayra John Medical Center following a two-car crash on West Side Highway Thursday afternoon in Kelso Ryan Tanner of the Washington State Patrol the crash occurred in the northbound lanes of State Route 411 but two people were sent to PeaceHealth St Two vehicles were involved in a traffic collision on the northbound lane of State Route 411 an online app that alerts users to emergencies reported that a 911 call was sent at about 4:26 p.m Richard Knehr, 52, of Longview was driving northbound too closely, a WSP press memo states, and struck the Kia Soul in front of him, when the driver Elijah D. McPherson, 24, of Auburn stopped at a red light near Carnival Market. The struck car also included passengers Cierra L Knehr and Raven Seaman were sent to the hospital Matt Esnayra covers public safety in Cowlitz County Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email Access the latest Lower Columbia news in The Daily News app that lets you select the topics that matter most to you For commuters coming from New Jersey and points north of the Bronx here’s how the new rules could impact your travels Congestion pricing is a policy in which drivers who enter local streets and avenues south of and including 60th Street in Manhattan will be charged a fee.  Read more about the full congestion pricing plan here.  Below are scenarios specific to various crossings. Keep in mind that existing non-congestion pricing tolls for MTA and Port Authority bridges and tunnels still apply, but vehicles with E-ZPass will get a credit that reduces the congestion pricing toll when they enter Manhattan via the Lincoln “The credit amount will be up to $3 for passenger vehicles up to $7.20 for small trucks and charter buses and up to $12 for large trucks and tour buses,” the MTA says The George Washington Bridge lets vehicles enter Manhattan north of the congestion zone You will only be charged a congestion pricing fee if you enter Manhattan on or south of 60th Street on a residential street If your destination is south of 60th Street and requires driving on residential streets If you are crossing the George Washington Bridge with the goal of taking the West Side Highway and leaving Manhattan via the Hugh L you will not be charged a congestion fee unless you drive on residential streets south of 60th Street as the West Side Highway is exempt from tolls.  The Lincoln Tunnel lets vehicles out onto residential streets south of 60th Street All drivers entering Manhattan through this tunnel will be charged a congestion pricing fee If you are exiting Manhattan via the Lincoln Tunnel and your trip did not begin in the congestion zone as residential streets are required to access the tunnel.  The Holland Tunnel also connects directly to residential streets south of 60th Street Drivers entering Manhattan via this tunnel will be charged a congestion pricing fee The same rules apply for drivers leaving Manhattan through the Holland Tunnel: You will be charged unless your trip started within the congestion zone Drivers coming from points north of the Bronx using the Major Deegan Expressway the Henry Hudson Parkway and other highways will enter Manhattan north of the congestion zone you will not pay a congestion fee unless you travel on or south of 60th Street on a residential street without entering Manhattan south of 60th Street you will not be charged a congestion pricing fee New Jersey commuters have several public transit options to avoid driving into Manhattan and paying congestion pricing fees: Commuters traveling from areas north of the Bronx also have public transit options: A fire broke out in a building that once housed the iconic Westside Highway Car Wash on the evening of Nov No first responders or civilians were injured in the blaze at 638 W it was a favorite of early-morning taxicab drivers and late-night limo drivers due to its early-bird special An Aug 26 2012 story on the carwash in the The New York Times quoted limo driver Ed Haddad who said he rolled by every day because he wanted his customers to be able to see their reflection in the hood of his limo He said that if customers can’t see their reflection they “might not say it to your face,” but they’ll notice which develops commercial and residential properties bought the car wash building for $21.5 million as part of a broader bid to redevelop the area It appears that whatever plans it had were put on hold by COVID Fading signage on the side of the building which stretches a full city block on 12th Ave still proclaims “BEST CAR WASH IN NEW YORK SINCE 1947.” Underwest Donuts, which opened under the carwash in 2015 also closed its doors after the sale to the real estate developer the donut shop drew a rave review from the Untapped New York website or a variety of espresso drinks with your donut as well Everything is made from scratch and donuts are slightly smaller than your average ones with flavors ranging from Coco Raspberry to Maple Waffle and even a signature “Carwash” flavor (Vanilla-Lavender),” the review notes Underwest Donuts is a must-visit in Hell’s Kitchen.” Yet it is one of many memorable and funky sites fast-disappearing from the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood 4 was called in at around 10:08 p.m by somebody who noticed smoke billowing from the building’s roof A total of 60 firefighters and EMS workers responded The cause of the blaze is still under investigation here is how the new rules could impact travel Read more about the full congestion pricing plan here.  you will not be charged a congestion pricing toll.  All of the bridges between the Bronx and Manhattan connect to Upper Manhattan None of the connecting bridges drop drivers within the congestion pricing zone which is the area including and below 60th Street in Manhattan The two main highways within the congestion zone — the West Side Highway and the FDR Drive — are exempt from congestion pricing tolls As long as you don’t enter the Manhattan congestion zone during your commute you won’t be charged a congestion pricing toll keep in mind that non-congestion pricing tolls on Port Authority bridges outside Manhattan still apply There are multiple subway lines serving the Bronx (the 1 with dozens of stations across the borough serving locations that do not have nearby subway service The fare for subways and regular buses is $2.90.  Commuters in some parts of the Bronx can also take express buses that will drop them at stops throughout Manhattan The Metro-North Railroad has 12 stations in the western part of the Bronx that take commuters to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan.  A one-way trip between stations within the five boroughs costs $7 during peak hours and $5 during off-peak hours Bronxites on the east side of the borough also have the option of taking NYC Ferry into Manhattan. Commuters can catch a ferry at Throgs Neck at Ferry Point Park and Soundview at Clason Point, then take it all the way down to Wall Street at Pier 11. Check out the schedules here Bus routes and schedules for Bronx commuters can be found here "Three adults and three children were on board a Bell 206 helicopter that had left from the downtown Skyport just about 3 p.m.," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams during a news conference adding the pilot and the family were visiting from Spain He noted that an investigation is ongoing into the cause of the crash New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch also spoke at the news conference “Four victims were pronounced dead on scene and two more were removed to local area hospitals where sadly both succumbed to their injuries," she said without revealing their identities pending family notification the New York Police Department confirmed that the crash took place "in the vicinity of the West Side Highway and Spring Street," warning motorists and pedestrians on X to "expect emergency vehicles and traffic delays in the surrounding areas." Bystander video appeared to show the helicopter breaking apart mid-air as it plummeted into the river News footage showed search and rescue boats operating in the area on a gray and cloudy day A woman sitting in her Mercedes-Benz on the Upper West Side Sunday morning had her car stolen at gunpoint a police spokesperson confirmed to West Side Rag The 50-year-old woman was sitting in the car shortly before 10 a.m at West 84th Street and Broadway and the two perpetrators hopped into the Mercedes and drove away and police did not have a description of the suspects Haven’t seen what happens to carjackers yet in this city People wonder why I always lock the doors when sitting inside a car You are aware that bullets penetrate glass Denton: It was raining cats and dogs yesterday FACT: There are 35,000 carjackings a year in the US Tell that to the 3 people MURDERED on the street by a mentally ill man today I didn’t feel safe when someone mentally ill was coming toward me before today and I sure as hell don’t feel safe now And ‘facts’ aren’t Reality I’d be interested in knowing what the policies towards homeless and mentally ill are of the politicians you would have us vote for It’s not just the police and the mayor It’s the state legislature and the governor with the Raise the Age law how many crimes are being committed by illegal immigrants Not nearly as many as some people/some media make it seem statistics show that undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit crime because they do not want to jeopardize their ability to stay in the country if human beings are housed in poor situations and do not have any ability to work for money to provide for themselves and/or their families we can end up in a Les Miserables type situation so it is a complex problem that demands more resources and compassion Yet I’m sure many will vote for Bragg again citing that he was too busy prosecuting a presidential candidate in an attempt to sway an election that his party got absolutely walloped in Bragg proved a case of business fraud and prosecuted it successfully Would you prefer he not prosecute big shots who commit crimes we are under threat by the President Elect and his henchmen anyway We are threatened with a coonspiracy theorist who propounds that flouride poisons doesn’t believe in science by experts people with no government experience AT ALL sex misconduct by the proposed attorney general and talk of taking down the whole So sorry you feel threatened but please don’t speak for all of us As far as the new appointees are concerned we had very inept ones in the current administration solely based on identity politics criteria https://www.kxii.com/2022/12/10/biden-official-accused-stealing-luggage-airport-warrant-issued-police-say/ he wasn’t “in charge of the Energy Department.” He was a Deputy Assistant Secretary There are probably 20-50 of these in the Department of Energy A mere three blocks away from the 20th precinct The crime’s proximity to a police precinct is totally irrelevant It’s not like there’s a magic force field emanating from the precinct and the closer one is to it It’s not just the carjackings and the sucker punches and the robberies; it’s the endless stream of e-bikes running red lights That week reading about stories like these and then get responses that nothing has changed taxes are going up while services go down… This is why you lose elections I invite you to read the papers and look for youtube videos of that era and to the point of sanity losing at the elections I believe we observed this car (a white G-wagon) being driven through the intersection at 96th and Broadway in a very dangerous way then blow a red light at West End and Drive onto the West Side Highway It was incredibly dangerous and I was half waiting for the police to come racing behind them I hope they are able to find the car–please update bicycle advocates faulted the NYPD when a burglary suspect struck and killed a bicyclist last month Media reports suggested that the NYPD was following but not speeding – but the suspect speeded away and crashed into the bicyclist https://nypost.com/2024/10/23/us-news/burglary-suspect-fatally-strikes-cyclist-with-pick-up-truck-while-trying-to-evade-cops-in-nyc/ On that note – I drive on the West Side Highway coming back from NJ 1-2x a week There is rarely a time when there is NOT dangerous drag racing and weaving (90mph+) happening between the GW bridge and 72nd street yet there is never a police presence on that stretch It is a true shame that there seems to be a lack of enforcement of so many things I want to do something to effect change – because the current quality of life is deteriorating rapidly get over it.” We can expect and do better Other than voting Republican (assuming that would help do you have any ideas about what to do to effect change People have been participating with EVSA for at least two years and almost nothing has changed re e-vehicles NYPD Highway 1 covers two boroughs Manhattan and the Bronx whereas the other NYPD Highway units only cover one borough Adams says “there’s a real question as to why he was on the street.” I assume you mean the guy who stabbed a man in Chelsea and then a man on E 30th by the FDR and then a woman by the UN as well as the same question about the other several states he apparently had committed crimes in as well Coyotes have been spotted multiple times in recent weeks within Central Park Upper West Sider Sara Xing was walking her dog last week at the Turtle Pond near the Great Lawn “They started around 10 to 15 meters from me and then Maya [her dog] started barking and ran them across the ice,” Xing told West Side Rag Xing wasn’t the only person to see coyotes in Central Park this month The X account “Above 96th” posted the following video on January 16 showing a coyote running through the Ramble area of Central Park Coyote sighting in Central Park! My friend Kaz spotted two coyotes in the Ramble this morning and took this video of one of them. 🐺🐺🐺 #coyote #CentralPark pic.twitter.com/o1gLI9HskV — Above_96th (@Above96th) January 16, 2025 This past summer, researchers at the Gotham Coyote Project confirmed that a male coyote who has been living in Central Park for the past four years has found a partner The project told the news site Gothamist that the female coyote most likely took the same route to Central Park as did the male traveling along train tracks next to the West Side Highway before moving from one green space to the next until making it to the most wooded area of Central Park the Parks Department advises to keep your distance make yourself look bigger and make loud noises A spokesperson from the agency added that you should not feed coyotes and visitors should properly dispose of garbage in green spaces where the animals might frequent The agency also warns visitors with pets to closely monitor them because they might be viewed as prey You can read more about coyotes living in New York City — HERE. “confirmed that a male coyote who has been living in Central Park for the past four years has found a partner.” Who doesn’t love a good love story Just did a google search and learned that January through March is coyote mating season As long as Central Park’s new family sticks to the rats and leaves the dogs alone Can you guarantee that coyotes won’t attack children squirrels or other people won’t attack children Just keep your kid inside – we’ll all feel better They don’t attack children (generally) Just keep an eye on your child if you see a coyote They are larger than the Western State Coyote because in 1900 when the American’s killed all the Grey Wolves the last Grey Wolf mated with an eastern coyote When the British brought small dogs to the new world the small dogs would invade Coyote dens and kill the pups Wolf and Coyotes) have a culture passed on to generations The memory of small dog destructive nature is embedded in this memory so… small dogs are definitely a target for Coyotes I think it’s time that we name this adventurous little dude and his new girlfriend Flaco the Owl was practically a local celebrity…RIP I’m thinking along the lines of famous couples Maybe the Rag could do a vote like we did with the goats I heard weird animal noises in the park along the 97th St walkway two nights ago I see groups of coyotes in the late evening They come down from the3 hills surrounding the San Fernando Valley and also from the Sepulveda Dam and wildlife area about 2 miles away They have no interest in adult humans however there have been attempted attacks on pets and even child once The main message here I think is the danger to dogs— just beware and don’t let small dogs run free I used to live in the sierras— loads of coyotes— one friend lost a beagle ON A LEASH when a coyote ran up behind her and snatched her dog(so have to be ready even when leashed) Another one lost a Pomeranian in his driveway when he went out with it to pick up his newspaper— coyote was crouching/hiding behind a bush and jumped out/grabbed pup This explains that ACME pop-up store on Columbus:) What are we going to tell a parent when his or her child gets injured or killed by a coyote but one should be diligent with infants in areas around coyote habitat Coyotes have been in New York for thousands of years not sure who has NO PLACE in New York State They are timid and generally not dangerous You can find enough information in a search engine site called Google What one must keep in mind is coyotes have issues with small dogs The memory of small dog’s absolute destructive nature is embedded in this memory so… small dogs are definitely a target for Coyotes By the way most of the attacks from coyotes are ones that are rabid and mainly come from the smaller coyotes in the West Coast Won’t be long before the next generations of coyotes in Central park are enjoying off-leash time with the local canine populations But more likely they’ll be begging for food from the folks dining al fresco at La Pain Quotidien My dog a husky would play with the alfa coyote in Central Park Why was this person letting her dog ‘run them across the ice?’ I hope her dog was on a leash I saw the coyotes last year before the female was officially reported and the didn’t mess with me or my dog even though they walked right by us and I kept my dog quiet and close and all was well No need to spook the animals unless they are really trying to hurt you Construction has begun work on a major redesign that will add dedicated bus lanes to 96th Street including the section on the Upper West Side New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced on Monday The new design will stretch from West End Avenue to Second Avenue and include new dedicated bus lanes traveling in both directions “Bus lanes are one of the best ways to speed up service and the new bus lanes on 96th Street will reduce wait times and improve service for 15,500 weekday riders,” Rodriguez said in a news release “These improvements will make commutes faster The redesign will convert one of the two vehicular lanes in each direction on 96th Street to buses-only traffic leaving slightly narrower curbside parking lanes and one lane for cars and trucks in each direction Construction on the new bus lanes is expected to be completed by the end of this year The new bus lanes will operate 24 hours a day and the DOT will implement daytime “Neighborhood Loading Zones” to “better facilitate curb access for deliveries and service vehicles.” The city agency will also lengthen the bus stops for the M96 and M106 in an effort to reduce delays and improve accessibility left turn bays will be added at intersections along 96th Street to help traffic move more smoothly The construction on the project began despite a protest at the beginning of September by a group of Upper West Side residents and Councilmember Gale Brewer who pushed back against the plan to implement dedicated bus lanes along 96th Street and requested alternatives to speeding up bus service Glad a vocal minority of vehicle owners did not overrule good transportation policy in our neighborhood That bus is so slow and 96 is crowded by double-parkers unloading in front of apartment buildings If you believe the root of the problem is double parked cars what will the new bus lanes do that enforcement of the existing double parking laws will not The buses will likely have cameras for enforcement but if two consecutive buses take a picture of the stopped car a ticket will be issued…so legitimate loading/unloading will be permitted but the car can’t double park indefinitely So if two buses are bunched together and grandma is getting out of the car then ‘click’ $100 fine Buses are frequent enough that legitimate loading cannot be done Some bus lanes speed up bus service while other spite drivers that are unwanted Moreover buses must still adhere to the speed limit and stop at red lights Instituting bus lanes to speed the ride by 5 minutes is not a ‘solution” to inadequate frequency and crowded buses Lengthening bus stops doesn’t help riders either And it is clearly absurd to have bus lanes 24/7 Lastly it must be noted that the 96th corridor is unique as it is an access point to Mt Sinai and to both the West Side Highway and FDR drive Bus lanes will create more chaos and congestion I cannot imagine how all this is going to work for those of us who depend on the 96th street cross-town busses daily for work and personal appointments Getting access for wheelchairs is already problematic due to parked cars Bus drivers try to pull over but often can’t and access ends up being denied Will residents curtail e-commerce orders to reduce vehicle traffic Do you really think they will ticket an ambulance Will th bus lane disappear for a short distance so there will be parking I’m assuming we can’t make the streets any wider It may speed up the buses by a few minutes but will delay cars deliveries for hours by only having a single lane on a major thoroughfare an illegal maneuver that isn’t ticketed or if it is is ignored by commercial delivery vans/trucks that don’t care Neighborhood Loading Zones are a citywide joke The only ones who park there are placard holders NYC DOT says that bus riders deserve better bus transit and insists that the way to do that is to install bus lanes The hypocrisy and dishonesty is mind-boggling I just need someone to explain: if you have to pick up/drop off an elderly or immobile person or if you need to unload furniture or boxes or if you’re packing the car to bring your kid to college or if you’re loading a bunch of suitcases onto a taxi to the airport or if you’re unloading a a bulk of groceries from Costco if you live on 96th street you’re not allowed to do this in front of your residence You need to carry in multiple trips up the long block to a designated loading space you’re just supposed to circle the block endlessly And if you live on 95th street or 97th street you don’t have this restriction at all only those unlucky enough to be living on 96th street And if you complain about the inequity of this circumstance you’re called names Thanks Phil – a fellow W 96 St apt owner but the people parking on the street are not all UWS residents Loading and unloading sometimes takes more time people who spend time are likely to spend in the area and contribute Street parking is very important not only for residents but for visitors and workers who do not have easy commutes It is very easy to say when your whole life revolves around trendy neighborhoods in NYC of which the UWS is one Would any of the people against parking or cars who are single on the UWS be willing to date someone who lived in a part of Queens without a subway Or date someone who lives in an area you have to take Metro North Or date someone living in Richmond Hill off the J train or Ozone Park off the A train I say this to illustrate that UWSers who tell others take the train or drive to the train are generally unwilling to do the same thing on a regular basis themselves and are also generally unwilling to fraternize with people who do not live in the same 20 or so socially acceptable neighborhoods Therefore it becomes more than just about the curbside space but turning the UWS into an exclusionary zone where people are supposed to know their place What type of disability gets you a parking spot What if people have family members whom it is difficult to use transit Why should I have to explain an invisible disability constantly to people How good is the service where the nearest point of public transit is If it is not good enough and people drive elsewhere what about that other community not wanting outsiders What will happen is that yes the UWS may have 5 subway lines but in practice you are discouraging outsiders from coming here or doing business here and are discouraging UWSers who have substantial interests in the metro area outside Manhattan or trendy Brooklyn neighborhoods from living here I’ve contacted Gale Brewer’s office to lend my support for more Have you called or written her with your support More loading zones are beneficial in some spots but maybe the real solution is keeping the street parking and if people need to double park failure to leave a phone number to call to move will result in bigger consequences Yes double parking is a problem but sometimes necessary Double parking slows down traffic for everyone (plus it’s illegal) It is not necessary at all with adequate loading zones I look forward to automated double parking enforcement on the buses since the police have stopped enforcing any laws containerization of garbage and so on so forth and the need for commercial parking you would need to take so many parking spots that there would be no residential street parking for residents The fact that garages are closing down does not help But people do need to park on the street who are not commercial vehicles There’s over 75 miles of free parking plus several more miles of paid parking on the UWS Pretty sure that there is plenty of room for additional loading zones even with the tiny fraction of that 75 miles being used for functions other than the storage of a few people’s personal property in public space It will be more than a tiny fraction for containerized garbage and the amount of loading zones that actually will be needed to prevent all double parking It is not storage of personal property in public space it is transportation that facilitates commerce and connections that would be more cumbersome to do so otherwise You cannot complain about car storage then complain about subsidies for transit that you do not like the reason why MTA exists is to make hard decisions no one wants to be directly accountable for You cannot have an anti car agenda where transit entities are not overly sensitive to political concerns and to every concern to the point where hard decisions have to be avoided Don’t forget the most important reason to double park to eat a sandwich while waiting for alternate side to end so that you can enjoy free parking on the upper west side dangerous (because what if an ambulance needed to get by) or whether trying to avoid a street sweeper or not Everyone has their own good reason to double-park The benefits of bus lanes get diluted when you start making unique exceptions But the lane closest to the curb where you would want to do all those things is being taken up by parking I think your complaints about inequality are being directed in the wrong direction especially when parking garage are being closed I’d prefer an uncrowded bus that comes frequently even if it takes 7 minutes longer rather than waiting 15 minutes for a packed bus that is 7 minutes “faster” So the MTA metric now shows “faster” buses – but as a rider the trip is now at least 15 minutes longer (and usually much more) because now it is necessary to transfer buses and wait…. The MTA cares about reducing run time and thus operating expenses Especially to balance out the increased traffic due to vision zero It has nothing to do with better service for customers Bus running times today even with all these lanes and busways are higher than they were in the 1990s Or is the problem vision zero and rideshare which are being pushed by the same interest groups Can we please ban amazon from eating up a whole lane of traffic for deliveries and paying ZERO fines but it is nice to see good things eventually happen for our neighborhood despite the objections from a loud minority of NIMBYs Aren’t you frequently upset with once a week bus rerouting for open streets Surely you should be thrilled that DoT is prioritizing bus transit and I most certainly do take the 96 crosstown and other crosstown buses My colleagues and I regularly travel across the park between West 88th and East 93rd so this will come in handy during high-congestion hours We will learn to adjust and I believe this will improve traveling cross town Of course there will be issues rising that will be addressed but in the end this is going to put people who use mass transit first I have lived on both East and West 96th Street and have long depended on the M96 I know I stand to benefit from the bus lane and look forward to it I know that it will be a pain to load and unload on the rare occasions when I rent a car or take a cab or — God forbid — move The obvious solution to this is to eliminate street parking Only slightly more than a quarter of households on the UWS own a car That they should get two full lanes of 96th Street for free storage is astonishing This often-repeated obsession with referring to parking lanes as free storage is mind numbing Even more loopy is using the UWS’ car ownership rate to pass judgement on how many lanes there should be How about taking account of the number of vehicles not having anything to do with UWS residency that need to park their cars on 96th St The city quite literally gives away free storage for private cars though Manhattan real estate is very expensive unless you are parking a car in which case it’s given away for free If people truly ‘need’ to park their cars on the UWS surely it will be worth it for those car owners to pay for it Yes there are a lot of workers and visitors not all who have decent transit The percentage of residents who own cars do not tell the complete story This plan definitely will choke up traffic on 96th Street by reducing non-bus traffic to one lane each way I wish they would consider eliminating parking on 96th Street so that it can be a genuine thoroughfare with 2 lanes of traffic going each way while maintaining a dedicated bus lane I’d appreciate knowing why the bus lanes will be 24 hours Also extending bus stops is not needed nor helpful – it is a waste of money And yes – what hypocrisy that DOT says it cares about “improving” buses – but DOT forces bus detours implementing open streets for brunch and bicyclists please try to divert traffic away from 96th st so it isn’t such a highway! The reality is that 96th Street is the only street that connects the west side highway and the FDR drive and is relatively quick While DOT installs bus lanes ostensibly to improve bus transportation the weekend of October 5-6 illustrates that the City – DOT included – keep making bus tranportation harder and worse by continuing to shut more streets and force more bus detours I wish they’d explain a little more about how it is supposed to work (especially the turns) and why it is a great idea (if it is) I have been both a frequent driver across 96th and a daily bus rider on 96th Seems like everyone knows the biggest problem with the buses isn’t the traffic but that not enough operate at peak times (and maybe they need some express buses that don’t stop on EVERY block) maybe it’ll improve the drive by making it less necessary to aggressively change lanes to avoid double parked and turning cars Maybe the “bus lane” really just frees up a lot of space to create extended turn lanes and drop zones (so that only the buses have to zig zag around double parked cars/delivery vans?) I want to believe this is meant to be a good thing so I worry “bus lane” is a deliberate misnomer 2025 at 11:05 pm ETA number of videos on social media captured the moments following the crash (AP Photo/Jennifer Peltz)A number of videos on social media captured the moments following the crash (WABC-TV via AP)NEW YORK CITY — A helicopter crashed into the Hudson River near Pier 40 and the West Side Highway Thursday afternoon The helicopter went down in the vicinity of the highway and Spring Street in Manhattan around 3:17 p.m. two adults and three children were on board the helicopter All six bodies have been recovered at this time Four victims were pronounced dead at the scene two others were transported to a local hospital where they succumbed to their injuries and were pronounced dead Five victims appear to be tourists who were visiting the city from Spain According to the Federal Aviation Administration the chopper has been identified as a Bell 206 helicopter It had taken off from the Downtown Skyport in Lower Manhattan The helicopter departed the skyport at 2:59 p.m and lost control after it turned at the George Washington Bridge making its way along the New Jersey shoreline "We are praying for the families and show our gratitude to the rescuers," Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference Thursday evening A number of videos on social media captured the moments following the crash Witnesses near the scene described seeing the helicopter "fall from the sky" and they heard a loud boom before it crashed into the water The cause of the crash is currently under investigation Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker the tolling program for Downtown will start on Saturday at midnight January 3, 2025 • Community News With four of the legal challenges cleared as of this week, all signs point to congestion pricing starting Saturday New Jersey has been the fiercest opponent for reasons I still don’t understand Tribecan and transportation consultant Charlie Komanoff monitored the “lawyer chit-chat” all week the judge hearing the New Jersey federal lawsuit ruled to deny the state’s request for a temporary restraining order Drivers will be charged a toll on their E-ZPass once per day when they enter what the MTA is now calling the “Congestion Relief Zone,” FKA the Central Business District south of 60th Street Still except are the highways — the FDR Drive The tolling devices kick in when you cross into the grid They go up to $12 for passenger vehicles in 2028 The peak period toll rate will apply from 5a to 9p on weekdays and 9a to 9p on weekends drivers will be charged off peak toll rate Congestion pricing is nothing more than a government sponsored scam. Its time for everyone to cover their plates take off their ez pass transponders and just drive through the congestion pricing zone for free If nobody pays then government can’t do anything about it Hochul needs to be impeached for being a terrible governor Yeah ..go ahead and do that and have your car impounded or seized I think you should reacquaint yourself with the definition of ‘taxation without representation’ You elect officials and they voted for it and emergency vehicles cant be caught up in the worst traffic anywhere transporting someone with lung issues from breathing toxic fumes from cars are mostly richer than the people using mass transit they can drive to mass transit entry points and enjoy a few precious minutes of sweet privacy I hope this is a first of many campaigns for de-Moses-ification Let’s tax parking lots to encourage more housing conversion and price on-street parking properly we can install proper gates so subway fare evaders can’t get on our trains There was drama tonight as NJ applied for a temporary restraining order on the tolls and there was a hearing this afternoon where the decision didn’t come until 8:30p They will appeal (again!) tomorrow (Sat) to a higher court How can another state (NJ) have any say on what tolls this state (NY) imposes within its own limits the complaints all rely on the same tools used to block development of any kind – that the “environmental review” process in this case the one built into the federal highway laws was insufficient and failed to properly account for and mitigate the extra pollution that will land in NJ I think these environmental review lawsuits are usually garbage but they’re an incredibly effective tool for slowing stuff down I think if you got down to the very bottom of the constitutional basis for these laws in this instance it’s got to be the interstate commerce authority granted by the constitution to congress but so far none of the relevant challenges have been constitutional @mg: Your layman’s hunch matches up with what Tribeca resident (and attorney) Jess Coleman wrote yesterday “NJ’s basis for its case is the Dormant Commerce Clause which appears nowhere in the constitution and is an incredibly amorphous area of law which even the judge admitted in a footnote was dealt with in the supplemental record but declined to consider it because of a technicality “The judge then decided to remand to a federal agency to do… something It was a made up problem with a made up remedy A democratically enacted piece of legislation is currently in limbo because our legal system has become an undemocratic Kafkaesque institution that creates bespoke solutions for blocking progressive policies “I hope the judge makes the right decision But this saga is a perfect illustration that our entire system of policymaking in this country is severely broken.” Jess is running in the 2025 Democratic primary to unseat CM Chris Marte unequivocal support for congestion pricing are some of the reasons I’m backing his candidacy Not interested in more luxury real estate candidates and certainly not for actually getting housing done I only wish enough residents would come out to vote for city council so someone else can take his place and actually accomplish something Jess Coleman is exactly what this city needs less of Wasn’t there a referendum on this exact type of candidate two months ago 70% of New Yorkers do not support this tax These are the same people that have been on the wrong side of every issue since Bloomberg left office If somebody like Jess Coleman or Brad Lander or (insert any progressive politician that has destroyed our city) really cared about congestion they could start by shutting down their voting block’s weekly anti-American protests Or they can advocate for elected officials to stop using tax-payer funded black cars so they are forced to deal with the consequences of their bad policy like the rest of us because they only advocate for things that inconvenience other people And the concept of a fair and equitable outcome is alien to them Congestion pricing as a policy is a brazen cash grab by the MTA funded by those who stand to benefit most: the rideshare apps they can start with the $700mm of annual fare evasion they fail to collect or cut their executives’ salaries Not levy another tax on one of the most heavily-taxed jurisdiction in the country Regarding the ride share companies: do some research and see who the largest donors are pushing this tax Now consider the impact on first responders and the outer-boroughs – and how selfish it is to force these people to use public transportation given its descent into chaos (ironically the same people who advocate for congestion pricing are the reason the subways are so dangerous) consider how services may wane because of the added cost burden on their employees What do you think an additional tax will do to costs for everything from hiring a moving company to getting groceries when the worst people in the room support something – it is probably bad policy It will benefit the very privileged few at the expense of everybody Stop me if you’ve seen how this movie ends “Benefiting the very privileged few at the expense of everybody” is a good description of unchecked use of private autos in our transit-rich and gridlocked borough Please try putting aside your wide-ranging anger and considering congestion pricing on its merits and demerits rather than conflating it with a bunch of ills that have little or nothing to do with CP itself As for candidate Jess: at least credit his forthrightness in unabashedly supporting CP played all sides of the issue and accomplished nothing The Commerce clause is not “nowhere in the constitution” it is the constitutional basis for most of the federal law in this country the Commerce Clause (which grants Congress the right to regulate interstate commerce) is in the Constitution That’s not at issue with congestion pricing The so-called Dormant Commerce Clause is an implication arising out of the commerce clause (not in the constitution itself) that says the states cannot “interfere” with interstate commerce That’s what’s at issue in the congestion pricing lawsuits (in addition to the environmental review questions) what I find frustrating is that the folks from NJ are claiming “environmental” impact on the neighborhoods near the GW bridge on the theory that those seeking to avoid the toll will use the GW rather than the Lincoln or holland tunnels the only way this holds water at all is as it applies to drivers “passing through” Manhattan because regardless of how you enter Manhattan So the “extra” cars they are predicting will end up in the roads in northern NJ can only apply to those folks who otherwise would take one of the tunnels to “enter” Manhattan but then not go anywhere in congestion zone I find it hard to believe that there are that many people who do this NJ’s claim amounts to “screw people in NYC let them have all the “grid lock” and “pollution”caused by NJ folks coming into NYC enjoy all the benefits of driving into NYC but bear none of costs to maintain roads and a good mass transportation system.” Is there a useful resource that clearly shares the details of this plan Very confusing to figure out how this impacts residents in Tribeca who reside within the zone if a Tribeca resident drives to the West Village or Chelsea via the West Side Highway are they charged since they technically left the zone while on the highway If that same resident does not take the West Side highway and instead takes the side streets to West Village or Chelsea (ie Hudson St or 6th Ave); I’m assuming they are not charged No. I have written about this a lot — look at this post and others https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/01/05/congestion-pricing-has-begun-here-is-the-only-explainer-you-need I’m trying to figure out what will prevent massive amounts of vehicles from driving down West Street (out of congestion zone) to enter BPC (also out of congestion zone AFAIK) to park You’re missing the fact that your hypothetical vehicles will be charged once they exit West St and enter BPC So no incentive to do your workaround (unless your destination is Bklyn which you can drive to via the Bklyn Battery Tunnel w/o paying the congestion charge though you’ll pay the incumbent TBTA toll) for my ASP people – assuming you have been parked in tribeca and are just moving your vehicle to a new spot for alternate side parking – if you drive west down N Moore and re-enter the zone via Vestry/Hubert/Chambers – is there a charge you have to enter a highway and then cross 60th or a bridge or tunnel to get charged Isn’t West Street the same thing as the West Side Highway This may be the source of my ongoing confusion…..If you have your car in Tribeca and then come back into Tribeca by re-crossing West Street Same question regarding the example someone else gave earlier: driving your car from Tribeca to West St and re-entering the zone in the Village I’m missing why there’s no toll in either case And you can drive around the zone as much as you want as long as you don’t leave it But BPC is not part of the congestion zone On the map it looks like the areas on the water side of West Street and the FDR are not included That is just a graphic representation of the plan… I checked two of the BPC intersections with West Street and didn’t see anything that looks like the cameras they have installed at 60th Street https://gothamist.com/news/mta-congestion-pricing-infrared-cameras They’re installed on the undersides of the foot bridges that cross West Street You do that Tom and tell us how that works for you Previously posted that this is a tax not congestion charge as it is not waived at off peak say 7pm (as in other cities like London) This allows people to come in for free to go to a restaurant enjoy a night out etc and visit on a weekend The can enjoy the city and critically support NY businesses If it stays as is it should called a straight tax should be called that Would only now add that timing is also odd as the subway and public transport is getting more and more dangerous Will we see the city and state move towards making the public transport safe again or continue policy of soft/zero policing If you want people to move back to public transport it can’t just be tax them so they can’t afford to get to work or visit the city (can it ?) but has to be make public transport more comfortable and safe I like public transport but would hesitate to use it at certain times of the day or to take my family on it it’s hard to blame people for wanting to use a car I am sure stats will say crossing the road is more dangerous but I myself can control how to cross a road and maximize safety and minmise risk I can’t control for random attacks or events in a crowded environment that is recognized to have low policing and law enforcement Just surprised that the tax revenue raised which is massive compared to equivalent global cities – 15-20% higher than say London)-s not leading to better transport etc you can come in any time without a toll by public transportation That is why it is called a toll and not a tax… well normally agree with TC on most things but this is one of those rare occasions I think you are being generous most people don’t have a choice and the alternatives are not what they should be – as published here It’s raised at every part of the day regardless of congestion which actually ebbs and flows It’s designed to maximize revenue not to manage traffic There is no free time particularly in the evenings when restaurants Other congestions charges are not charged at peak hours Hope it leads to real investment and improvement in the Subways Worth checking in on that here in one and two years time @Will: Though regular TC readers will know that I differ on many points in your two posts I agree with you that the peak toll period is excessively long But I mostly want to compliment you for your measured tone — a refreshing vibe that the rest of us (myself included) will do well to emulate I do think some of the worst traffic is on weekends caused by drivers heading to NJ via the Holland Tunnel This congestion has a terrible impact in Tribeca especially on Hudson Street I’m not optimistic that congestion pricing will have a major impact on tunnel traffic but the peak hours feel appropriate given tunnel volumes on weekends Would just be great if the city would do more to improve actual road conditions in neighborhoods where bridges and tunnels flow into residential communities A lot of the worst traffic is caused by these choke points and the effort to enforce basic traffic laws is minimal But I do object to sensationalizing what is happening on the subway My kids have grown up in manhattan taking the subway fo 20+ years We all do what we can to control our safety You can no longer control getting hit by a car regardless of when you want to cross the street Could this make the NJ to Brooklyn (and vice versa) route through Staten Island and the Verrazano Bridge more attractive than the Holland Tunnel/Manhattan Bridge via Canal Street option One glaring omission from this discussion is that there is effectively zero discount for people who live in the zone The paperwork and officious bureaucracy involved in applying for a low income or disability discount is egregious In London (which this program was allegedly modeled from) residents of the “congestion zone” get a 90% discount the congestion high fee time period in London ends at 7pm to encourage people to come into the city for dinners This is effectively an additional tax for many people who live in the zone (as all the costs to businesses will be passed on to consumers sick or elderly who need to drive as public transportation is not a viable option and will be a nail in the coffin for already struggling small businesses in the zone Government greed and stupidity at its worst There is an exemption for people with a disability that hinders their ability to take public transportation Would love a common sense candidate that is focused on clean streets safe subways and reasonable development that brings commerce back to the streets of downtown Enough with wasting money on ridiculous vanity projects mental-health initiatives that are worthless and policies that hurt the people who work That’s basically Jess Coleman’s entire platform: http://jessfornewyork.com rather than focusing on a few vivid (and admittedly horrifying cases): Which is actually safer as a means of travel and does not include suicides or things like subway-surfing…?) fortunate to be living in Manhattan in convenient apartments are not aware of what it is like for those not in that living situation and those complicate any comparison of total safety calculations It seems that a major concern is about traveling late at night because subways are relatively (and sometimes very) empty then If it’s true though that as you said that most car crashes also happen late at night then late night travel in general is a risk either way admittedly it’s surely a greater risk of being the victim of *assault* crimes on the subway late at night than there is driving late at night There is some risk of assault even when driving vulnerability while walking to or from parked car I can see that in some cases the car would be safer especially late at night the complete comparison would have to factor in both the risk of death and the risk of of other kinds of assault To make a determination would also requiring giving those different types of horror a “weight” to decide which risk we would prefer to take I don’t know if anyone has done this kind of sophisticated calculation; anyone know of proper analyses out there we would prefer to have no risk either way Reducing crime would also reduce the “accidental” deaths from cars many of those come from people under the influence or breaking the law in other ways – speeding the obvious solution is to reduce crime overall NYC has clearly massively failed in that goal I still agree that subways should be far safer and there needs to serious enforcement against fair evasion I have yet to see one person given a ticket for fare evasion since the pandemic I see people jump turnstiles right in front of the “security” who do nothing Is the safety issue just a subway problem though or a general NYC problem of an increase in crime If the powers that be are weak on enforcing the law and punishments to lawbreakers are weak or non-existent then that’s a problem for the whole city including but not limited to subway riders I asked the security guy at the subway what he can do when people hop the turnstile or fare evade he said he can only tell them to pay their fare He can’t ticket or enforce in any other way He is there more as a deterrent for people I have seen cops ticketing kids who fare-evade Again they ticket kids (mostly young male) With all the extensive news coverage and varying points of view I have not seen a definitive answer to the most important questions 1- How many vehicles paying the toll are necessary for the MTA to meet its financial goals 2- How is this vehicle volume that meets financial goals Came back same way and parked across our apt in BPC Guess will find out as soon as I get the EZ pass statement went north and turned into Pier 40 to park I looked at my EZPass account this morning and don’t see a congestion toll The tunnel toll is there but nothing else Maybe it takes longer than a day for congestion tolls to appear… we’ll see I saw a report yesterday stating it would take longer for the charges to show because they have to look at the type of vehicle and time the vehicle entered the CBZ. @Makes_You: I fwd’d yr comment to (“Gridlock”) Sam Schwartz, who as former NYC Traffic Commissioner knows E-ZPass ins and outs. He asked if you can post an update in a few days, so he can follow up. Or email me at komanoff@gmail.com Similar situation here – I crossed the GWB around 5 PM last night went south on Varick/W Broadway and west on Reade to the garage @Komanoff — please explain why I don’t get a discount on my GWB toll when I would if I crossed the Hudson by tunnel further south Certainly it’s not because they can’t correlate the bridge toll and congestion toll as being connected with the same trip I won’t even bother to ask why I get charged for all of maybe 10 minutes of driving in the zone but could cause congestion for 17 or 18 hours a day driving around the zone as long as I didn’t leave it Thx for your E-ZPass story that jibes with @Makes’ I’ve fwd’d yours to Gridlock Sam as well Sam is on vacay but of course is monitoring the rollout; I’ve urged him to do his best to pick up the pace in getting info The realpolitik reason for omitting a GWB toll credit is the old slippery-slope problem: the floodgates would open to similar pleading re the Triboro shrinking the toll “base.” At least the criterion adopted for CP — only tunnel trips get (partly) credited — has the clear rationale of applying to trips directly into the zone The policy reason is that trips into the zone that crossed the GWB do generate considerable upstream congestion during the 6 plus mile section from 178th to 60th Streets Perhaps you (understandably) believe that CP architects (MTA) and proponents (like me) are concerned only about in-the-zone congestion congestion reductions outside the zone due to CP will be far larger than reductions within the zone 60th Street was simply the most logical place to draw the line (due to abundant transit longstanding def’n of the central business district Mayor Bloomberg’s original (2007) CP proposal would have tolled intra-zone driving It also would have required 390 camera/gantry stations — costly Moral of the story: CP is “imperfect” (I would put it that way) or “riddled with contradictions” (others say) Happy to elucidate how I back up that belief; best to do that offline I have been corresponding offline on the Congestion Pricing issue with Charles Komanoff I find that he is diligent and honorable in presenting his positions It is important to have constructive conversations especially in a time when there is a tendency to demonize those with whom there is disagreement we can agree to disagree without being disagreeable Watching the news it appears a BUNCH of law enforcement resources are being deployed to catch congestion toll evaders That’s a good thing…violators should be prosecuted But why isn’t a comparable effort being expended to apprehend and prosocute bus/subway fare evaders The interwebs are rife with videos of police standing idly by as fare beater after fare beater jumps the turnstyle Where’s the enforcement against fare evasion The value of busting license-plate tampering goes far beyond the added revenue from the congestion toll (and “incumbent” TBTA and Port Authority tolls) It has value in stopping these motoring miscreants from violating red-light and speeding laws that endanger and too often injure and even kill other road users With NYPD having basically given up active enforcement of driver violations camera-based ticketing is the public’s only line of defense but it requires that license plates be visible and valid Traffic Enforcement on New Jersey’s Highways Plummeted”…and immediately crashes went up https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/08/nyregion/new-jersey-state-police-slowdown.html Yesterday I drove across Canal St from Pier 40 on my way to my mechanic in Queens Neither trip is reflected on my EZPASS account My earlier trip noted above through the Holland Tunnel still doesn’t appear I crossed Houston St yesterday from Allen St to the West Side Hwy a trip I’ve done many times before and I’ve never seen lighter traffic Fingers crossed congestion pricing is actually working It took 3 days for the toll to hit my E-Z pass literally went in and out around 1 block as we live right by the west end highway It’s only 4 days that the congestion pricing is in effect and already their is less traffic below Chambers Street The shops and restaurants also have less business In 3 to 4 months we will begin to see the cost of food rise Eventually our rents will rise to cover the higher cost of servicing the property we live in In a year from now we will feel unhappy as we realize how much more it’s costing us to live in the zone than those lucky residents who live above 60th Street The charge from Monday showed up today but it was for $9… didn’t reflect the $3 credit I should have gotten for going through the Holland Tunnel I wish they would have carved out some level of exclusion for downtown residents While our neighborhood is mostly residential it’s still zoned commercial with no local alternate side of the street parking paying this fee to access my parking facility isn’t sitting right @ Jill F: Are you sure you’re being made to pay the congestion toll b/c of some unfortunate aspect of your garage’s location I’m trying to picture why that would be Tribeca Citizen on Instagram Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal NewsRJ Marquez Alex Gamez SAN ANTONIO – The new flyover ramp that connects State Highway 151 West to Loop 1604 North on the far West Side is now open but there has been confusion about how to navigate through the ramp and get to Culebra Road KSAT reached out to TxDOT for additional details to help drivers using the ramp near Alamo Ranch and Culebra The first exit ramp on Loop 1604 is Shaenfield Rd You can not currently use the flyover ramp to get to Culebra take the first exit ramp after Wiseman Blvd bridge and continue on the frontage road to Culebra Rd Option 1: Traveling west on the SH 151 frontage road intersection and enter Loop 1604 after the intersection Option 2: Traveling west on the SH 151 frontage road enter SH 151 main lanes at the entrance ramp after Westover Hills Blvd and take the second exit ramp after Wiseman Blvd entrance ramp is scheduled to open Saturday TxDOT added that while there is signage indicating the exit ramp provides access to the frontage road crews will be adding additional signage that indicates where drivers can access Culebra Rd from SH 151 RJ Marquez is the traffic anchor/reporter for KSAT’s Good Morning San Antonio He also fills in as a news anchor and has covered stories from breaking news and Fiesta to Spurs championships and high school sports He is proud to serve our viewers and be a part of the culture and community that makes San Antonio great A Jaguar sits on the bed of a tow truck as it leaves the scene of a crash involving two other vehicles near Carnival Market on Wednesday A Ford Explorer is hooked up to a tow truck after being involved in a collision involving two other vehicles near Carnival Market on Wednesday Authorities say a driver suspected of being intoxicated caused a multicar crash on the West Side Highway Wednesday morning Washington State Patrol Trooper Chad Prentice told The Daily News that the woman driving the Ford Explorer was the cause of the crash and was arrested on a suspected DUI charge Washington State Department of Transportation reported the crash on their X account at 10:09 a.m., and according to Trooper Will Finn a Ford Explorer was traveling northbound on West Side Highway when it collided with the rear of a Jaguar that was turning into the Carnival Market The impact caused the Jaguar to be pushed into the southbound lanes Finn said the female driver who was detained is a 25-year-old resident of Kelso Prentice said he driver of the Jaguar sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital All three vehicles were towed from the scene and an alternate route was set up that included Beacon Hill Drive A Jaguar on a tow truck leaves the scene of a crash involving two other vehicles near the Carnival Market in Kelso on Wednesday A BMW SUV was stolen at gunpoint Sunday on Riverside Boulevard A police department spokesperson told West Side Rag that at around noon on Sunday a 57-year old woman in a BMW X7 outside of 200 Riverside Boulevard was approached by two men with a firearm who forcibly removed her from the car and drove it away A bystander who tried to intervene was also threatened Police also confirmed that a similar carjacking incident the previous Sunday in which a Mercedes-Benz was taken from a woman at gunpoint NYPD did not say whether the two cases were connected We will update this article when further information is available See if there was a car parked behind the victim’s vehicle like in the case by AMC last week WHEN PEOPLE COMMIT ANY THEFT OR VIOLENT CRIMES Do you have inside information on the perps Obvious thing to wonder: are these the same two guys who carjacked a Mercedes (I think) with a woman sitting inside a few days ago These violent criminals should not be out on the streets Time for another Brewer / Hoylman “rah-rah” get together on how we can solve neighborhood problems We can all feel productive for a day and then go back to doing absolutely nothing but gaslighting…. They can take a stroll through the neighborhood like they did by the McDonalds Someone needs to ask the new NYPD Commissioner to call her staff together and find out just what happened to all the ANTI TERROR money taxpayers have shelled out in over two decades since 9/11 if we can’t shut off all the Manhattan bridges and tunnels five minutes after an alert of this sort It’s not worth shutting down the City for one car lock the perps up and throw away the key for a few years Change “shut off” to “station cops at all the checkpoints and monitor…” Is this another carjacking of another woman Plesae lock up and hold people and get rid of “bail reform.” Surely you don’t think that whether you sit in jail awaiting trial should depend on whether you’re rich there is a minimum 5 year sentence for criminal use of a firearm during a felony with time for good behavior they will be out in what It’s incredibly concerning that these daily crimes are being commonplace and our elected representatives are saying and doing nothing about it focusing and spending their efforts and our money on anything and everything else Not entirely true – a family member drives a solid but well-dented 2007 Toyota sedan – never expensive couldn’t look new if it tried – which has been broken in to twice in the last 4 years glove compartment contents dumped on floor: thieves take INFORMATION (VIN but insurance and credit info for the owner needs to be carefully watched I thought that there was some Toyota model that was the most broken-into model of all time because there are so many that the parts are easily marketable It is way past time that victims of crime were given some rights Police arrest these people when they find them and the DA lets them go To be fair the law here is pretty straightforward…use of a firearm in the act of committing a felony (car jacking) is a minimum of 5 years in prison Now…if they are given bail is a whole other issue Alternative title: “Cowards with guns force woman out of her car perhaps time for car owners (especially women) to install hidden “ring” like cameras in their cars so we can all see the visages of such (possibly serial) criminals … I do not drive and therefore do not understand details surrounding car ownership Can these guys simply replace the license plates and get away with it A patrol vehicle at the narrow entrance to the West Side Highway would solve the problem Complaining here will only help so much – at least direct the comments to a local official responsible for neighborhood safety Call Gail Brewer’a office (for whatever it’s worth): 212-873-0282 I am sure others can offer additional contacts Can’t vehicles be fitted with tracking devices A people still wonder why Democrats are doing poorly on elections NYC has been poorly managed for 20 years now but a couple of interesting similarities suggest UWS time & place vulnerability Relatively little traffic on Sunday morning are close to northbound HH Parkway entrance ramps then down to Port Newark where they’ll be loaded on ships and off to Eastern Europe or West Africa Most apt complexes like this have 24-hour video monitors I know -taking a chance that they won’t shoot you through the door – would be interested to know if they opened door and them waived gun around The far West Side from Hells Kitchen through Hudson Yards has The new Hudson River Park is much further along to both the north and south while plans to develop the western half of the Hudson rail yard have lain dormant since the real estate crash of 2009 “The landscape in Hudson River Park between W29th and W46th Streets that bridges Hudson Yards and Hell’s Kitchen has appeared desolate,” Dashiell Allen wrote on the W42ST.nyc blog the other day “with largely undeveloped walkways broken up by the occasional tree and flower in a planter.” But now the question of what to do with this vital space is the subject of renewed debate on two fronts informed Community Board four that it has begun planning for the improvement of the stretch of park from the Heliport to the Intrepid and has set aside $65 million for the work Related Companies says it wants to replace its 2009 plan for developing the western end of Hudson Yards with a new $10 billion proposal for a casino and resort neither plan has been greeted with unmitigated hurrahs “This is penny wise and pound foolish,” a longtime critic of the Hudson River Park Trust Let’s really design the section of the park as it should be designed and stop kicking the can down the road.” He said that a comprehensive plan for this “missing piece” of the Hudson River Park should include a pedestrian bridge across route 9A (the West Side Highway to most New Yorkers) at the Convention Center robust flood resiliency against rising tides in the river and the removal of bus parking in that stretch of the park and of the heliport “This should be an opportunity to step back and think about this unfinished segment of the park more comprehensively,” said Fox author of a history of the Hudson River Park He noted that beyond the $65 million in local funds there are substantial federal infrastructure funds available for both climate resiliency and construction related to the highway “I don’t think we have the luxury of doing piecemeal planning and should be looking at this whole issue the Park Trust told Community Board Four it was in the early stages of planning and was mainly seeking to introduce the planning team to the community They said they had hired the architectural firm Marvel has worked on several projects in New York including the Battery Maritime Building to the south of the Hudson River Park and St Ann’s Warehouse Theater in Brooklyn The Park Trust said the $65 million for building these 17 blocks of the park would include state and local funds as well as revenue from development in the park Governor Hochul signed legislation the other day approving private development on half of Pier 76 while preserving the other half for the park The site is immediately across from The Javits Center The plan for pier 76 will be developed separately but the area between the pier and the West Side Highway is included in the planning process getting underway Fox has argued for years that development in the park is unnecessary and inappropriate and that the park should be funded by a fee on real estate across the West Side Highway which has boomed in value because of the Hudson River and High Line parks should get a new look as debate proceeds on what is by far the largest development opportunity along the west side the future of the western half of Hudson Yards The city 15 years ago approved a development plan for west Hudson Yards that was heavy with residential housing has never proceeded with that plan and recently asked to set it aside in favor of building a casino and hotel tower one of eleven proposals in and around New York City seeking to win one of the three downstate casino licenses to be approved by the legislature The Hudson Yards Casino proposal has drawn stiff opposition from the non-profit which run the High Line the park on an old railroad that wraps around the western edge of the Hudson rail yards The High Line has just launched a Protect the High Line at the Rail Yards campaign “The western railyard was contemplated as a counterpoint to the eastern rail yard,” said Preeti Sodhi the High Lines senior director of community and government relations “Where the eastern rail yard is largely commercial and retail the western rail yards proposed over 3,500 residential units a school and some commercial space at the northern end of the development.” While the 2009 plan meshed with the High Line that the new plan would be “a significant change to both the use and scale and type of buildings In addition the use has flipped from mainly residential to mainly commercial and includes an open space layout that is significantly altered The development plan would gravely threaten the visitor experience on the northern most stretch of the High Line and have profound effects on our entire community.” as “a giant podium bigger than six Costco warehouses that will overwhelm the High Line and reduce the amount of housing.” The state says it will make a decision next year on who gets the three casino licenses SAN ANTONIO - A woman is dead after a vehicle hit her early Friday morning on the Far West Side The deadly accident took place just before 6:30 a.m Police said a woman was on her way to work when she hit the other woman The driver told investigators that she didn't see the woman due to it being really dark in the area The victim was pronounced dead at the scene The famous Riverside Park goats are preparing to head baaaack to the city for the summer The Riverside Park Conservancy announced on Tuesday that seven goats from Green Goats in Rhinebeck will arrive on the West Side of Manhattan on July 12 the goats have been deployed in a Morningside Heights section of Riverside Park near West 120th Street they’ll be stationed further uptown at West 143rd Street Their mission is the same: munching on poison ivy and invasive species “Thanks to the goat crew’s hard work at 120th Street over the past four summers the human staff at the Conservancy and NYC Parks now have access to a much clearer slope,” the Conservancy said in a news release “With the success of the goats’ work at that location native understory and large trees to fill in gaps can be installed protecting the existing mature tree canopy The Conservancy is thrilled for the goats to bring their big appetites further uptown.” Chico and Mallomar were both part of the 2023 class in Morningside Heights “The goats’ work at their previous location has been incredibly productive and we’re thrilled to be able to replicate their success in another weed-filled area of the Park,” said Merritt Birnbaum President & CEO of Riverside Park Conservancy “They truly have become Riverside Park Conservancy’s mascots and we’re excited to introduce them to a new neighborhood – and a new all-you-can-eat buffet.” and programming to the uptown sections of the Park,” the release said There will be a free festival and ribbon-chewing ceremony on July 12 at the Ten Mile River Playground at West 151st Street within the park I hope that area is clear of junk and broken glass before they start grazing From what I understand about goats they could care less about glass and junk of which there is plenty up and down the banks of the Hudson in Manhattan The amount of glass in the earth at Riverside Park is horrifying The Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks show has been a tradition since 1976 This year’s display will feature thousands of shells and an array of effects from barges positioned along the Hudson River Usher served as a “curator” for the spectacle putting together the event’s soundtrack and performing on the televised broadcast This year’s display will again be accompanied by a curated musical score presented alongside live performances The event will air on NBC but if you’d like to see it live from special viewing locations Mayor Eric Adams announced that 10,000 free tickets will be available to the public on Wednesday The tickets will be distributed on a first-come first-served basis and will let people view the fireworks from Pier 45 (at West 10th Street) or Pier 84 (between West 43rd and 44th streets) There is a two-ticket limit, and reservations can only be made for one pier. More info can be found here For those who are unable to score a ticket the event will be viewable all along the West Side Highway The following entry points will be accessible to the public and managed by the NYPD: As history repeats itself with the holiday landing on a Thursday and the fireworks display once again taking place on the west side, it’s likely that spectators will be able to enjoy the show from well north of 41st Street, as they did in 2013 in Riverside Park Upper West Siders gathered along the Greenway facing south towards the Manhattan W 59th Street Transfer Station you agree to receive occasional messages from our sponsors Patricia Youngquist is known to keep her eye and ear on the birdie! She is the author of the well-received three volume book series, “Words In Our Beak” where the stories are set in her rooftop garden and told from the perspective of a female cardinal who visits it When Youngquist is not documenting the antics of avian creatures visiting her garden you will find her appreciating our feathered friends in Central Park as well as Riverside Park Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal NewsSpencer Heath SAN ANTONIO – Two men died after a head-on collision involving a wrong-way driver Several people called 911 to report a black pickup truck traveling east in the westbound lanes of Highway 90 another person reported a crash between the black pickup truck and a grey SUV police said officers had located a head-on collision involving the black pickup truck Authorities pronounced both drivers — one man in his 30s and another man in his 40s — dead on the scene It’s unclear if alcohol played a factor in the deadly crash The highway was shut down for several hours following the crash They might be missing one in a month!” May 31, 2024 • Nosy Neighbor, Parks Sonia Stock sent a note: “Strange — pineapples are growing alongside Goldman Sachs and Brookfield pathway And I thought — ’til now — only for the tropics It took a bit of toggling around via email to find the right folks — at first I thought they were the work of Tribecan and landscape architect Ken Smith, who did the Goldman gardens, and then I figured it was the BPCA — but in fact that is Brookfield property and the communications head there, Laura Montross, sent me to Mark Mini of John Mini Distinctive Landscapes a 50-year-old firm based out of Congers and Long Island City that provides landscaping and garden design services for Brookfield Place His explanation is thoughtful and thorough so I will let him take it from here in Q&A form Brookfield has the most beautiful gardens all year long and all the other beautiful interesting designs all year long We are lucky to have such a generous neighbor There has been lots of conversation around congestion pricing since the tolling program began on January 5 But unless you frequent 60th and 61st streets on the Upper West Side (vehicles that go south of 60th Street are subject to the new toll) or routinely drive downtown you might not have seen what the program’s new enforcement cameras look like in the neighborhood The cameras record licenses on vehicles entering the zone; vehicle owners with E-Z Pass are billed through that system There are now five sets of congestion pricing cameras on the Upper West Side: Here are photos of the new Upper West Side cameras You might ask why there are congestion pricing cameras on the northbound side of Broadway and West End Avenue even though cars traveling north are not tolled the MTA still wants to collect data on how many vehicles are entering and exiting the Manhattan congestion zone The Rag has reached out to the MTA about the trailer underneath the congestion pricing cameras along Amsterdam Avenue it is unclear if the structure is connected to the new tolling infrastructure or a nearby construction project Would like to see more cameras on basically every intersection to issue tickets for speeding You got 2,000 speed cameras and you are still not happy What’s the argument against more speed cameras exactly Summonses issued from cameras do not target the driver since they can’t prove who was driving That means no points on the driver’s license (and no suspensions for repeat offenses and no insurance surcharges) and lots of folks consider that part of the cost of living and driving in NYC And how would a camera detect “excessive noise” anyway We have the technology to take pictures of drivers through windows if we wanted to issue points (which we should) There are noise cameras already in the West Village The cameras are triggered when the sensors are tripped when cars hit a certain decibel and takes a photo of the license plate It is a “mini” and looks notably different from the others is actually a massive surveillance program You’re being tracked every inch of your trip My favorite fun fact is that if your car is detected on the West Side Highway or another Excluded Zone and then suddenly disappears from the detection system So if your car breaks down and a flatbed tows it to your mechanic in the Bronx vehicle and any blue tooth device on you already does that The trailer underneath the Amsterdam cameras is affiliated with the elevator installation construction at PS 452 and has nothing to do with the cameras we need more cameras and cops to catch actual crimes It seems there were enough cameras to track every move of the guy who shot the UnitedHealthcare executive That quick apprehension made me wonder why other brutal crimes are not so readily solved with so much surveillence in Manhattan Maybe it is more a lack of will (and a lack of “status” of the victims) than a lack of cameras So if you have EZPass you are docked immediately when you pass the congestion pricing pont personnel to handle the payments as they pour (or trickle) in Somehow the economics of this part of the plan don’t seem to make sense I’m also curious to know what happens to drivers If you are billed by mail you pay more than if you have EZpass If an out of State driver doesn’t pay the Congestion Pricing Toll they will not be able to renew their vehicle registration in the State where the vehicle is registered I believe there is reciprocity between all States for tickets NY State also has a deal with Canada regarding tickets Same thing that happens if they don’t pay a bridge Software scans the image to get the license plate data and looks up the associated address Automated equipment prints the bill and envelope and sorts the envelopes by zip code for faster delivery I’d expect that the majority of tolls are paid online so any manual processing of envelopes and checks is minimal That additional cost is more than covered by the $4.50 surcharge paid by non-EZPass vehicles Bet some of the many out-of-state drivers around the city will not consider the bills a priority (Not to mention NYC residents whose cars have Florida or Carolina plates.) I approve of the program but think it needs some fine-tuning that is the exact same system if someone goes over the GW Bridge and doesn’t have EZ Pass or West Side Hwy Are you worried they won’t pay either It looks like the camera on West End is actually at the corner of 61st (so not really at 60th which is what’s supposed to be the case) you were going to Starbucks or the sushi restaurant or Heschel (and never going past 60th Street at all) you’d still have to pay $9 Doesn’t that effectively expand the congestion zone by a block Do you intend to do an illegal U-Turn between 60 and 61 so nothing special about West End Ave.’s placement So 60th street is completely in “the zone” Whether that is what the language intended or whether it was a sneaky expansion is something lawyers could figure out Those of us who take the subway to the doctors still pay for it every time That is one of the worst places for traffic in the city both coming into NYC and leaving through the Lincoln Tunnel It is a poster child of why we need congestion pricing If congestion pricing can change some of that it would be wonderful All those exemptions would defeat the purpose of the congestion pricing program Those are some of the highest congestion areas in the City and would remain that way according to your ideas Just curious…how would you validate that people are visiting their doctors at NYU And why just NYU…there are lots of other medical facilities all over town @Barry are you proposing that if you go sputh on WEA to 61st then make an illegal U trun and head north on WEA you shouldn’t be charged $9 a U-turn on West End Avenue is legal (unless in front of a school) unless it’s in a business district easy just to turn left on 61st Street and then head up Amsterdam Avenue If you turn left on 61st St and head up Amsterdam you aren’t being charge by the congestion pricing cameras There are a number of tweaks that it might make sense to implement but the initial setup was very straightforward But if you could access the SB West Side Highway for free you’d still have to pay if you exited anywhere on the west side They’d have to work out a way to refund the toll if you entered either NJ tunnel right away That would involve getting the Port Authority to cooperate Wait…we’re celebrating fewer people coming in to work and spend money I thought the idea was to shift people from cars to mass transit Where did you read that fewer people are coming to the City I read that there are so many people using the LIRR that the parking lots are full and it’s taking a lot of time to find a spot Wait till you see how many cars are altering their license plates to avoid the toll It’s already such a problem that there are vigilante committees that scour neighborhoods to re-alter the plates so they will be actually charged I’m waiting for the first murder over this issue how exactly would one join one of those vigilante committees The prices of everything will go up — in supermarkets wealthy who can easily afford and not care and regular middle class who cannot easily afford the extra expense Why in the world would theater tickets go up Not from the local theatregoers who don’t drive Not from the suburban couples that pay $500-$800 for tickets dinner and parking and might love paying another $9.00 to save time And if somehow fewer people went to the theater A large delivery truck carrying $10,000 worth of food for Trader Joe’s can tack on $15.00 or so to cover the toll Parking garages – with fewer drivers coming into the zone Out of the zone – they should go up Tolls were supposed to pay for a capital project then be over As soon as the technology was developed to hit a license plate in transit with a toll I knew it was only a matter of time until the state turned New York City into an ATM What’s wrong with levying tolls to help pay for the enormous expense of building and maintaining roads take your cameras up to 96th and Amsterdam!! All your traffic came up here and made a mess I cannot turn on 60th because the camera already caught me at 61st Was this intentional or designed to trick us I live on the UWS and my car’s service center is below 60th street – so I have to pay $ 9 to get my car serviced Also people who live on the UWS should not have to pay the toll in order to get to the Lincoln tunnel – what is the alternative – to drive an extra 10+ miles to get to the GWB There should be an exception made for people who live here Most of the vehicles clogging midtown streets are Ubers and Lyfts and they got their way to the detriment of other drivers i hope they keep police at the gantries to make sure that everyone is paying! <3 i love this and i hope we increase the prices because only the rich people should be allowed into the luxury zone didn't you watch justin timberlakes movie in time jersey should set up their own cash grab system this one belongs to us and i never visit jersey oh no no no i can't wait for the summer to start and they start canceling your trains in the scorchng heat… thats your fault… create your own industry and work in your neighborhood… Despite opposition, congestion pricing has arrived in New York City. Commuters will be charged a $9 toll upon entering most parts of Manhattan below 60th Street. That toll is set to increase to $12 in 2028 Road warriors: Can you avoid NYC congestion pricing? And other frequently asked questions The congestion pricing zone impacts the areas of Manhattan as seen in the map above The following routes are not included in the congestion pricing plan: NYC congestion pricing map: See alternate route info for Manhattan commuters Passenger cars and small commercial vehicles entering the "congestion relief zone," including SUVs, pick-up trucks and small vans, will be tolled between the peak periods of 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, unless granted an exemption These vehicles will be charged $2.25 during overnight periods NYC uses a cashless "toll by plate" system so drivers can expect to receive a bill in the mail (sent to the address the vehicle is registered to) or be charged via their E-ZPass account E-ZPass customers receive a discounted rate All Metropolitan Transit Authority bridges and tunnels utilize cashless tolling.