By Plotting Journeys, Providing a Glimpse at Citi Bike Ridership

By Plotting Journeys, Providing a Glimpse at Citi Bike Ridership - NYTimes.com

Since its introduction last May, the Citi Bike program has attracted 100,000 annual members but far fewer daily subscribers than expected, a combination that has contributed to the system’s precarious finances as operators look to expand.

The math is simple: Regular riders strain the system through repeated use, leading to higher costs. A new data visualization project demonstrates this phenomenon, and makes clear the degree to which the bike share system has become interwoven into the city’s transit network.

Using system data, the team behind the project — Sarah Kaufman of New York University’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management, Jeff Ferzoco of linepointpath, and Juan Francisco Saldarriaga — plotted rides as point-to-point journeys, independent of the street grid, for Sept. 17 and 18.

The weather was mild, with highs in the 60s and no rain. Roughly 75,000 total rides were taken on the two days.

Some trends to watch: the bustle near major transit hubs like Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station during the morning rush; the heavy use from annual members in Brooklyn; and tourist rides across the Brooklyn Bridge and throughout Midtown.

Little Italy is on the brink of extinction. Arriverderci.

Little Italy is on the brink of extinction | New York Post

(Excerpt)

A piece of New York City history is bidding arrivederci.

Rising rents and changing demographics have driven Little Italy to the verge of extinction. Once a teeming neighborhood stretching 50 square blocks, it now barely covers three blocks of Mulberry Street — and even that strip is under threat.

“You can’t rebuild Little Italy,” said Robert Ianniello Jr., owner of the famed Umbertos Clam House. “If we go away, it will never be here again. You can’t build an Olive Garden and say it’s Little Italy.”

Ianniello is battling a rent increase from a new landlord who bought the building last month for $17.5 million. He recently got a rent bill for $34,000 a month — more than double what he used to pay.

“It’s a landlord problem,” said Ianniello, who heads the Little Italy Merchants Association. “They think this is Fifth Avenue.”

Eight eateries have shut down in the past year.

waiting for new growth on the Ocean Parkway malls

An entire block on Ocean Parkway between Neptune and Oceanview Avenues are waiting  for replacement trees.  Stumps of the removed trees still remain. Trees were taken down because of salt poisoning when ocean water surged up Ocean Parkway during Hurricane Sandy.

Charter challenge

http://brooklyn.news12.com/news/protest-against-co-location-of-charter-school-held-at-i-s-281-in-bensonhurst-1.7528220

posted from Bloggeroid

Russell Crowe Confronts Life’s Nasty Weather in ‘Noah'

Russell Crowe Confronts Life’s Nasty Weather in ‘Noah’ - NYTimes.com

(Excerpt)
 But Darren Aronofsky, in his ambitious fusion of Old Testament awe with modern blockbuster spectacle, dwells on the dark and troubling implications of Noah’s experience. “Noah,” Mr. Aronofsky’s earnest, uneven, intermittently powerful film, is both a psychological case study and a parable of hubris and humility. At its best, it shares some its namesake’s ferocious conviction, and not a little of his madness.

Insane Video Of BASE Jumpers' 1 World Trade Center Dive

Insane Video Of BASE Jumpers' 1 World Trade Center Dive: Gothamist  <====Click for video

Police Commissioner Bratton said “These men violated the law and placed themselves, as well as others, in danger. These arrests should send a message to anyone thinking about misusing a landmark this way. They will be tracked down and they will face serious charges. Being a thrill-seeker does not give immunity from the law."
Their bail was set at $3500 cash or bond each and they must surrender their passports.

Update: The Port Authority's Chief Security Officer Joseph Dunne issued a statement, "The Port Authority joins the NYPD in condemning this lawless and selfish act that clearly endangered the public. One of the jumpers worked construction at the WTC and violated the spirit of respect and reverence for this sacred site that almost all connected with the WTC project feel. It should be clear that the PAPD and NYPD will go to any length to bring those who defile the WTC site to justice."

Screwed on the Boardwalk: Boardwalk bathrooms may be relocated away from Oceana condominium.

Screwed on the Boardwalk: Boardwalk bathrooms may be relocated away from Oceana condominium.

As Job Creation Increases in February, Economists See Signs of a Spring Thaw

As Job Creation Increases in February, Economists See Signs of a Spring Thaw

Citibike: Broke and in Disrepair

In Addition to Being Broke, Citi Bike is Falling Into Disrepair | Brooklyn Magazine

After news last week that Citi Bike is “hemorrhaging” money in spite of its general success, more bad news for the program: the Daily News reports that its operating company Alta Bike share has fallen way behind on cleaning and repairing the bikes and docks, violating its contract with the city.

Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg told the paper, “There have been significant financial and operational issues, including redistribution of bikes to where the riders are, and technology, resulting in malfunctioning stations and failed credit card transactions.” And the data (provided by Alta) isn’t great:

The number of broken docks repaired within 48 hours fell from a lackluster 64% in August to just 50% in January and to 56% in February, even though Alta’s six-year contract demands a 99% repair rate, according to monthly reports filed by company with the city’s Department of Transportation.

Every bike is supposed to receive a mechanical check once a month, but in January only 45% of the nearly 6,000 bikes in the fleet received a once-over, and in December only 34% were examined, Alta’s self-reported numbers show.
There have also been problems cleaning up vandalized bikes and stations—98 percent of bikes are supposed to be cleaned within four days of a problem, and the going rate is more like 37 percent—and in February, only 8 percent of damaged stations were repaired within the appropriate time frame.The city has been particularly bothered by recurring issues with the system’s credit card machines, and problems re-distributing bikes to stations throughout the city. And they won’t be throwing money at the problem any time soon: de Blasio explicitly stated last week that the city will “ collaborate with them to help them find ways to be more efficient and more effective,” but won’t be giving them cash to stay afloat in the early years, as they have with the East River Ferry. Still, Trottenberg stated, “We expect the system’s operator, NYC Bike Share, to resolve these issues so the system can perform effectively and ultimately expand.”

And we expect to hear news about a forthcoming fare hike sooner rather than later

9/11 memorial museum opens May 21 in New York City

NYC museum dedicated to 9/11 victims opens May 21 - Connecticut Post
NEW YORK (AP) — A long-awaited museum dedicated to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks will open to the public at the World Trade Center site on May 21, officials announced Monday.
The opening will follow a May 15 ceremony and a six-day dedication period during which the museum will be open around the clock for 9/11 family members, rescue and recovery workers and others directly affected by the 2001 attacks, said Joe Daniels, president of the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
"We want to make sure that our doors are open for them to see it before the public does," Daniels said.
The museum includes two core exhibitions at the foundation of the trade center complex.

Storm Damaged Their Art, Now It May Take Their Studio Space

Storm Damaged Their Art, Now It May Take Their Studio Space - NYTimes.com

(Excerpt)

Christina Maile has lived at Westbeth, a massive artists’ complex in the West Village, for more than 40 years. For about half that time, she worked out of the building’s sculpture studio, a yawning space with whitewashed brick walls and a soaring ceiling that sits just off a large interior courtyard. There, Ms. Maile and a dozen other sculptors used table saws to slice wood and pipe benders to manipulate metal, creating large-scale pieces for galleries and museums.

But the tools have been cleared away, and the only indications that this once was a working studio are a half-peeled sticker on the window and an iron winch hanging dejectedly from the ceiling.

“This was such a magical place,” said Ms. Maile, 69, as she stood outside her former work space, peering wistfully through the glass windowpanes. “With artists, it isn’t just the affordable apartment, you also need an affordable studio — a place to call your own, to misquote Virginia Woolf.”

Ms. Maile and her neighbors at Westbeth, a rent-regulated building whose tenants are required to be practicing artists when they move in, had used the sculpture area and the adjacent labyrinthine basement as subterranean studios and rooms to store their art.

During Hurricane Sandy, these spaces were submerged in as much as 16 feet of water, destroying nearly all of their contents. Over the past year and a half, the landlord closed off much of the area as part of $5 million in repairs, leaving artists who had worked there unable to gain access to their spaces and anxious over their fate.
After months with little news, the tenants learned recently that the building owners had hired a real estate broker to rent out the basement and sculpture studio to a commercial tenant.

Photo

Neo-Nazi symbols cover Avenue K in Midwood (VIDEO)

Neo-Nazi symbols cover Avenue K in Midwood - News 12 Brooklyn
Numerous neo-Nazi markings are covering walls and sidewalks along Avenue K, between East 12th and East 16th streets, a neighborhood with a very large Jewish population. 

Some residents say the images, which include spray-painted graffiti and stickers, have been there since November, despite complaints. 

Related:

Simon Wiesenthal Center Denounces Neo-Nazi Symbols in Midwood

Tuesday March 25, 2014 3:18 AM - 3 Comments

The Simon Wiesenthal Center has strongly condemned the recent propagation of hate symbols in Midwood, where numerous Neo-Nazi markings were found covering walls and sidewalks along Ave K, between East 12th and East 16th Streets.

Rabbi Steve Burg, Eastern Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center said: “Seeing something so closely aligned with Neo-Nazi symbols in the heart of a Jewish community, it is clear to us that whoever is responsible was trying to send a very strong message of hate. We condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms and urge that all efforts be made to fully investigate this incident and put an end to such hateful actions. 70 years after the Holocaust, it is very scary to see these symbols in America. Our fight against Anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry is far from over. Actions like we saw today make that abundantly clear.”

Queer New World: Meet Brooklyn's Severely Mame

Queer New World: Meet Brooklyn's Severely Mame
Huffington Post, March 24, 2014
(Excerpt)
This is the twenty-first installment in an ongoing series that explores drag culture and the nightlife scene in Brooklyn, N.Y. Over the past several years, following the large-scale exodus of artists across the East River and into northern Brooklyn, those engaged in drag culture in this outer borough have created a new, queer world entirely their own. Accompanied by a larger movement to understand drag culture outside of the pageant circuit, many individuals engaged in the drag community in this borough approach drag culture through a nontraditional lens of "alternative" drag or performance art, enabled largely by the malleable and queer nature of this part of New York. Visit HuffPost Gay Voices regularly to learn not only about the individuals involved in Brooklyn's drag community, but more about the culture of the community itself.

Inside A Hangar Full Of Vintage Aircraft At Floyd Bennett Field

Photos: Inside A Hangar Full Of Vintage Aircraft At Floyd Bennett Field: Gothamist

I'm on my hands and knees pulling myself over the wing's spar and doing my best not to snap off any of the ancient knobs and switches that line the plane's interior. Former Navy Reserve Airman Bob Weiss is waiting for me in the aft. Fifty years ago, at the height of the Cold War, Weiss and the rest of the crew of this Lockheed P-2 Neptune patrol plane were charged with hunting Russian subs. "It was boring work," Weiss says.

The threat of a Soviet invasion required meticulous, monotonous vigilance. In shifts of ten to fourteen hours, Weiss and his crew dropped magnetic detection buoys into the Atlantic Ocean up and down the eastern seaboard through the trapdoor where he's now sitting. Weiss, now retired from his medical equipment company, is part of a group of fellow volunteers at Hangar B based at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, the base where he took to the skies back when he was in the Navy.

These volunteers are the ground troops of The Historic Aircraft Restoration Project (HARP), which operates under the National Park Service. The "Angels of HARP" gather three days a week at Hangar B to research and bring back to life historic aircraft and other military artifacts as faithfully to their original design as possible or as their literature says, "Just short of airworthy." They also interpret aviation history for visitors like me.

Kingsway Theatre in Brooklyn, NY - Cinema Treasures

Kingsway Theatre in Brooklyn, NY - Cinema Treasures

Read the comments in the above link to get a real feel for nostalgia of those times.

Avalon movie theater on Kings Highway

Blog Archive Of Government Hypocrisy: Part 1 Of 2 - Sheepshead Bites

Sheepshead Bites » Blog Archive Of Government Hypocrisy: Part 1 Of 2 » Sheepshead Bay News Blog

New Parks Dept. Leader Will Address Inequities in City's Parks

New Parks Dept. Leader Shares de Blasio’s Goal of Addressing Inequities - NYTimes.com

(Excerpt)
Mr. Silver said a park system is “vital to a healthy and prosperous city.” He pledged to work with “all New Yorkers in all boroughs in all neighborhoods.”

In his remarks, the mayor addressed a bill introduced in Albany last year that would force the largest conservancies to give away some money to needier parks. Mr. de Blasio called the legislation “creative” and “productive.”
But he stopped short of endorsing specific requirements of the bill, which was introduced by State Senator Daniel L. Squadron and would divert 20 percent of the budgets of the biggest park conservancies and alliances to a new Neighborhood Parks Alliance Fund.

Families Denied Traffic Crash Reports

Families Denied Traffic Crash Reports

De Blasio Still Wants Conservancies to Share Money With Poorer Parks | Politicker

De Blasio Still Wants Conservancies to Share Money With Poorer Parks | Politicker

(excerpt)
Mayor Bill de Blasio and his new parks commissioner today threw their weight behind the idea of getting wealthy, privately-funded parks conservancies to help subsidize parks with less green–but stopped short of endorsing making such an arrangement mandatory.

Citi Bike, Needing Millions of Dollars, Looks for Help - WSJ.com

Getty images

Citi Bike, Needing Millions of Dollars, Looks for Help - WSJ.com
By LAURA KUSISTO, ELIOT BROWN and ANDREW TANGEL
March 20, 2014 10:08 p.m. ET

(Excerpt)
Leaders of Citi Bike are moving quickly to raise tens of millions of dollars to rescue the popular bike-share program as it loses money, according to people familiar with the matter.

Leaders of New York's Citi Bike are moving quickly to raise tens of millions of dollars to rescue the popular bike-share program as it loses money. Andrew Tangel reports on the News Hub.

Citi Bike's bright blue bicycles have become a seemingly indispensable part of some city neighborhoods, but its managers don't believe it can survive if it doesn't become more appealing to tourists and expand to new neighborhoods, the people familiar with the matter said.

The program's leaders have approached officials in Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration about raising Citi Bike's rates, the people said.

Mayor de Blasio’s Brooklyn housing plan is building big worries

Mayor de Blasio’s Brooklyn housing plan is building big worries  - NY Daily News

(Excerpt)
Mayor de Blasio's ambitious housing plan is now towering over the city — and after the approval of a massive development in Brooklyn, some advocates and preservationists are cowering in its shadow.

Their concern is this: Will de Blasio's promise to let developers build larger and taller in exchange for creating affordable housing overwhelm neighborhoods with hulking buildings that hurt the quality of life?

"Hopefully new affordable housing can be created without necessarily requiring a massive scale of construction to do so," said Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation

Brighton Beach Bathroom Plans Revised, Community To Weigh In Thursday » Sheepshead Bay News Blog

Sheepshead Bites » Blog Archive Brighton Beach Bathroom Plans Revised, Community To Weigh In Thursday » Sheepshead Bay News Blog

Boardwalk bathrooms may be relocated away from Oceana condominium

City considers moving futuristic modular boardwalk bathrooms after residents of nearby luxury Oceana Condominiums complain - NY Daily News

(Excerpt)
The de Blasio administration is considering moving flashy modular boardwalk bathrooms to appease peed-off residents of the luxury Oceana Condominiums just off Coney Island.

At least two new locations on opposite ends of the boardwalk are being eyed for the futuristic loos following a lawsuit filed in September by the residents.

Citibike wheels coming off

@NYMag: Citi Bike is in trouble, and needs cash quickly. Here are its four huge problems: http://nym.ag/1ilPlbH http://twitter.com/NYMag/status/447010334113820672/photo/1
Shared via TweetCaster

posted from Bloggeroid

Millions of people a month use smartphones to track NYC buses

Millions of people a month use smartphones to track NYC buses | New York Post

Bus Time, which was brought to all citywide routes on March 9, lets waiting riders track where their next bus is using GPS and cellular data.
Buses send their location and route information every 30 seconds to a central server, which sends the info to riders through the website bustime.mta.info.
Users can also get information by texting a bus stop code to 511123.

Safety City for Children by Department of Transportation

Safety City Home Page

De Blasio’s Approval Dips

De Blasio’s Approval Dips, Though His Personal Marks Remain High - NYTimes.com

(excerpt)
More than twice as many voters, 34 percent, now disapprove of Mr. de Blasio’s job performance than did in mid-January, when 13 percent disapproved, according to the survey, by Quinnipiac University.

De Blasio’s Approval Dips

De Blasio’s Approval Dips, Though His Personal Marks Remain High - NYTimes.com

(excerpt)
More than twice as many voters, 34 percent, now disapprove of Mr. de Blasio’s job performance than did in mid-January, when 13 percent disapproved, according to the survey, by Quinnipiac University.

De Blasio’s Approval Dips

De Blasio’s Approval Dips, Though His Personal Marks Remain High - NYTimes.com

(excerpt)
More than twice as many voters, 34 percent, now disapprove of Mr. de Blasio’s job performance than did in mid-January, when 13 percent disapproved, according to the survey, by Quinnipiac University.

Amid Mayoral Missteps, Irish Eyes Are Rolling in New York City

Amid Mayoral Missteps, Irish Eyes Are Rolling in New York City - NYTimes.com

(excerpt)
"The Irish of New York City, long accustomed to an outsize role in political life, are feeling left out in the cold. And the mayoral affronts, according to Irish officials and civic leaders, have quickly added up.

When Mr. de Blasio, citing animal cruelty, pledged to ban carriage horses from Central Park, many Irish-Americans were aghast, calling it a threat to an industry that has been a deep source of pride for the many Irish immigrants it employs (even the Irish actor Liam Neeson registered his protest).

Mr. de Blasio with Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan. Credit Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
When the mayor skipped a St. Patrick’s parade in the Rockaways, a regular stop for city officials, he erroneously suggested that the event excluded some groups, angering residents still recovering from Hurricane Sandy.

And when Mr. de Blasio’s team failed to send out invitations for the yearly St. Patrick’s Day breakfast at Gracie Mansion, a cherished tradition for the city’s Irish elite, widespread alarm set in, leaving Irish leaders anxious at the prospect that Mr. de Blasio might cancel the annual event."

Related story:
ST. PAT'S FESTIVITIES KICK OFF AMID TENSIONS

Anxiety Builds as New York City Parks Await a Leader

Anxiety Builds as New York City Parks Await a Leader - NYTimes.com

(excerpt)
...the department running New York City’s parks has stood on the sidelines, waiting its turn with growing anxiety. Now, nearly two and a half months after the mayor’s swearing-in, the lack of a parks commissioner is taking a toll on the department’s functioning and morale, parks officials and advocates say.

“It doesn’t affect the day-to-day operations, but it affects the bigger picture,” said one park administrator who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the interview was not authorized by the department’s press office. “It kind of makes us feel like we’re not all that important.”

Harlem Explosion Kills at Least 3

Harlem Explosion Kills at Least 3 - NYTimes.com

New Roller Coaster Promises Coney Island a Return of Thrills

New Roller Coaster Promises Coney Island a Return of Thrills - NYTimes.com

(excerpt)

Its 2,233 feet of track, rising 115 feet, will take shape next to the B&B Carousell, the antique merry-go-round that underwent an extensive restoration and reopened last summer. City officials said the roller coaster should be ready by Memorial Day.

The Thunderbolt will serve as a modern counterpoint to the Cyclone, the beloved, clattering, wooden roller coaster — and New York City landmark — that opened in 1927. It will feature three cars, each with a capacity of nine passengers.

Biggest New York City Parks See Increase in Felonies

Biggest New York City Parks See Increase in Felonies - WSJ.com

Major Crimes Up Nearly 18% in 2013 Compared With Previous Year in 31 Parks

Brooklyn Residents Want a Discount on Verrazano Tolls, Too

Brooklyn Residents Want a Discount on Verrazano Tolls, Too
(excerpt)
"Under Golden's proposal, drivers who cross the Verrazano at least three times a month would get a 58 percent discount, similar to a discount currently in place for Staten Island residents crossing Port Authority-owned bridges to New Jersey."

De Blasio flip - flops on pre-K

http://politicker.com/2014/03/de-blasio-shifts-tune-on-pre-k-funding-would-now-accept-state-cash/

posted from Bloggeroid

Citibike Hike Likely

@Brokelyn: Citi Hike: Bike share rate hike on the table http://t.co/JU8fLyUx2F

Shared via TweetCaster

posted from Bloggeroid

Charter schools face rent standoff

NYTimes: In Rent Plan for Charters, Mayor Faces a Hard Road http://nyti.ms/1eiiYq6

What's Going On in Ukraine? An Up-to-Date Guide - ABC News

What's Going On in Ukraine? An Up-to-Date Guide - ABC News

Temporary boilers will replace temporary boilers in Red Hook

City to Install New Temporary Boilers in Red Hook Houses, Officials Say - Red Hook - DNAinfo.com New York
(excerpt)
At a special City Council hearing last week, NYCHA officials said it would take another two years before permanent boilers could be installed in NYCHA properties and would cost a projected $1.8 billion, according to reports.

The current boilers reportedly break down regularly and one even caught fire after an oil spill in Red Hook last year.

The installation of permanent boilers is contingent on funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which the city has not yet received.

Rising Rents Leave New York Artists Out in the Cold

Rising Rents Leave New York Artists Out in the Cold - NYTimes.com
By CARA BUCKLEYMARCH 7, 2014
(Excerpt)
It’s been over six months since some four dozen artists lost their studios in Industry City, a sprawling factory complex on the Brooklyn waterfront. Many had spent decades hopping from studio to studio, from borough to borough. But according to interviews with over two dozen of the displaced, that practice of alighting in new, ungentrified neighborhoods has, at least for them, ground to something of a halt, hampered by a common refrain in New York: Rents are rising too fast.

Buddy, can you spare a dime? Not on the E train.

NYTimes: Arrests of Panhandlers and Peddlers on Subways Triple Under Bratton
http://nyti.ms/1e3Rzbx

posted from Bloggeroid

(Excerpt)

"In the first two months of the year, arrests of peddlers and panhandlers on subways have more than tripled over the same period last year, with the police recording 274 such arrests as of March 2. By this point last year, they had made 90 such arrests."

Controversial Beach Bathrooms Increase by $8.5M

Cost of Controversial Beach Shacks Increases by $8.5M - Rockaway Beach - DNAinfo.com New York

Bklyn boro pres sought donations to fund non - existent non-profit

Read the full New York Post article here.

(Excerpt)

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams shocked some local business and community leaders at a Borough Hall meet-and-greet recently, hitting them up for cash to fund pet projects — with the money to be funneled through a nonprofit that doesn’t even exist.

“If this is how Eric is starting out, the borough is really in trouble,” said a business leader who attended Thursday’s event.

The right way of the right of way

Post by The view from Ocean Parkway.

Top 5 social moments of the 2014 Oscars: Jared Leto, Matthew McConaughey - CBS News

Top 5 social moments of the 2014 Oscars: Jared Leto, Matthew McConaughey - CBS News

(Excerpt-for more stories click above)
Host Ellen DeGeneres had some funny bits throughout the night, but probably one of her best moments involved a pizza delivery. And last night proved, even celebrities get excited about impromptu pizza.

Earlier in the night, DeGeneres mentioned how she would be getting some pizza delivered -- and it turns out a little while later, a pizza delivery guy arrived with several pies from Los Angeles-based Big Mama's & Papa's Pizzeria.

"Guess what?" DeGeneres said. "Pizza's here." "Is it hot?" she asked the delivery guy.(Excerpt)

Domenic Recchia Officially Launches Congressional Campaign To Unseat Grimm » Bensonhurst's News Blog

Bensonhurst Bean » Blog Archive Domenic Recchia Officially Launches Congressional Campaign To Unseat Grimm » Bensonhurst's News Blog

Murrow chess kids become state champs...looking to Nationals

Brooklyn chess kids become state champs with Saratoga Springs tournament win, eye Obama invite - NY Daily News

(Excerpt)
The 14-person Brooklyn team became state champs for the 17th time after prevailing at the Saratoga Springs tournament — and will compete next month to repeat the national championship they won last year.

Only left turn lanes in De Blasio's vision

NYTimes: De Blasio Picks More Liberal Activists Than Managers for City Posts
http://nyti.ms/1csPqWf

posted from Bloggeroid