Should there be more enforcement on “e-bikes gone wild”? The City of Yes — yes or no? Should the city scrap the artist conversion tax in Soho and Noho? End outdoor dining? Modify the remaining half of the East Side Coastal Resiliency project? Do more to combat fentanyl overdoses? Do more to help migrants?
The Village Sun will be having a brief one-on-one interview with Mayor Eric Adams during which we will have the chance to ask him four questions.
The interview is being set up through the Mayor’s Office of Ethnic and Community Media, of which The Village Sun is a member.
So, what questions would Village Sun readers like to see the mayor be asked? Please respond ASAP in the reader comments section below or send an e-mail to news@thevillagsun.com.
How much is the city paying the Catholic Church to use their old school as a migrant intake center ? Since the city and the Parks Department knew that large amounts of migrants were at St. Brigid’s School with almost no access to toilets, why did they only have 3 of them in Tompkins Square Park and allow the NY Post to make anti-migrant propaganda that went national because the city had not added more toilets and the 3 toilets were overflowing ?
The lawless and dangerous chaos on every street in this city caused by the e-bike and Citibike free-for-all is the number one issue for any citizen who walks anywhere in this city. The absence of any enforcement of existing laws is not only inexcusable but very dangerous, with injuries galore. This is the most important quality of life issue we have faced and we need action. Write tickets. Impose fines. Collect fines. Publicize the enforcement to let the Trans Alt fanatics know that their party is over. They are not the majority on this issue. We pedestrians are. And we are fed up and very angry. Ask the Mayor to take a walk on Eighth, Ninth and now the ruined Tenth Avenue and tell us what he plans to do. He talks and talks and talks and the streets just keep getting worse. His Department of Transportation has drunk the Trans Alt Kool-Aid as well. Is it money or just incompetence? Probably both.
Why aren’t restaurants being charged at today’s RE values for our valuable and expensive PUBLIC street/sidewalk real estate in outdoor dining? $4/sq ft over several years is more than absurd. The restaurants have had 3-4X+ gain in their profits since 2021. They are not mom and pop establishments. They are not doing poorly. They are wealthy groups of investors taking advantage of everyone in the city with your blessing. Money is needed in our budget for children, families and other valuable services for people and infrastructure the city needs funding for. Stop the steal — in this case a giveaway by City Council and the Mayor. This is not an unreasonable ask. It is a fair and just source of funding.
Why can’t we have multiple Loading Zones on every block? This will eliminate double parking, crosswalk blocking, bike lane blocking, endless honking and unnecessary stress.
Also, echoing the first commenter: Why not meter all parking spots?
Why is there no enforcement of existing laws on ebikes, motorbikes and scooters speeding and running red lights? Why not install speed bumps in bike lanes or other measures to slow down the bikes?
Why is there no enforcement of existing laws against excessive noise by outdoor restaurants, sheds, and “boom cars.” These are easy targets for enforcement by patrol cars because they can hear the noise as they drive. Write a ticket and move on.
Why aren’t more proactive measures taken to stop the busing of migrants into NYC? The City should announce a boycott of any state that transports migrants here. End all City contracts with companies headquartered in states like Texas and encourage local businesses to do the same.
Why doesn’t the City prioritize which laws it enforces? We have teams of law enforcement going after farebeaters and pot shops. Why not focus the NYPD — and the justice system — on punishing violent criminals and leave the rest to aggressive ticketing?
Bonus question:
Why do the people living in one area have to carry the burden of congestion pricing? Why not get rid of alternate side parking and make all streets metered parking? The City can sell monthly or yearly parking permits for residents who want to park overnight.
All of the questions you suggest are good. Also:
1) Can he look into and see about implementing the Chinatown working group rezoning plan?
2) Can he look into a reevaluation of the ESCR because it needs oversight and revision to save existing parts of the park and include amended plans that will help with heavy rainfall?
3) Can he ensure a new and home for the Lower East Side Ecology Center if the boathouse in East River Park needs to be demolished?
will – & how soon – will the mayor appoint LPC commissioners who have actual knowledge & care about preservation issues….. and eliminate the current crop of real estate industry individuals who occupy the LPC seats ??? developers do not belong on this commission!
I am most concerned about the loss of tax base from the post-pandemic WFH trend and commercial property vacancies, and how that aligns with the affordable housing shortage. What is going on with the effort to tax luxury pied-a-terres, converting commercial properties to residential, and helping residential small business needs in converted commercial zones (markets, cleaners, etc.), like what happened post-9/11 near the WTC? Instead of bitching about what Albany and Washington aren’t providing, focus on what NYC (Mayor with and without Council) is empowered to do. I’d bring up hospitals, but that’s state, not within his control.
What are the Mayor’s priorities for quality of life-
That gives an opening for all of the Village Sun issues noted. Thank you for the forum.
I am deeply troubled by the current state of affairs at this time.
Why are guardrails protecting historic districts subject to “work-arounds” in the name of affordable housing?
The City of Yes is nothing more than a plot hatched by the developers and the realest industry to finally put zoning laws in the trash bin. There will be NO AFFORDABLE housing coming from City of Yes. If there was any real desire to create affordable housing it would already be here but instead we are the city no housing regulations. If you want your city to look like Hudson Yards, then sit back and wait for the wrecking ball arrives outside of your building. NO to the City of Greed.
Totally agree with you. It’s absurd. If the mayor truly wants affordable housing, then the city would demand affordable housing, which it is not. Don’t destroy our neighborhoods with this ruse.