Latest news with #JoAnneSimon
Time Out
5 days ago
- Business
- Time Out
This is the tallest subway station in New York City—and it's finally getting major accessibility upgrades
If you've ever trudged up to the Smith–9th Streets station in Gowanus, Brooklyn, you know it's not for the faint of heart—or the bad of knees. Perched nearly 90 feet above street level, the city's tallest subway stop (and one of the tallest in the world) offers sweeping skyline views and a daunting staircase workout. Now, after 92 years of vertiginous climbs, the MTA says relief is on the way: Elevators are coming. The upgrade, announced on August 8 by State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon and the MTA, is part of the agency's $68.4 billion 2025–2029 Capital Plan. More than 60 subway stations are slated for accessibility improvements, including Brooklyn's Court Street, Hoyt–Schermerhorn, 36th Street and 4th Avenue–9th Street. 'Every day, New Yorkers hike the stairs up this station like they're climbing Mount Everest, struggling to catch the train on time,' Gounardes said. 'With elevators coming to the Smith–9th Street station, that's finally going to change.' The station, which serves the F and G lines, opened in 1933 and has never had elevators—just escalators with a 'long history' of breaking down, as Simon put it. That's meant decades of headaches for wheelchair users, parents with strollers, travelers lugging suitcases and anyone who finds the daily climb more punishment than cardio. The MTA hasn't given a completion date yet, but officials say the work will push the subway system past 50-percent accessibility. It's also a step toward meeting a court-ordered settlement requiring 95-percent of stations to be ADA-accessible by 2055. 'No station better demonstrates the need for accessibility than Smith–9th Street, the highest point in the entire subway system,' said Quemuel Arroyo, the MTA's chief accessibility officer. 'We're excited to start work there and throughout the borough soon.' For riders, that means the city's most sky-high commute will finally be an option for everyone, not just the stair-sturdy and escalator-lucky. Until then, you can still enjoy the panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline from the platform, just make sure to leave a few extra minutes for the climb.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Breaking down new gun laws in New York: Converters, warnings, and credit card sales
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed three gun control bills on Thursday. The bills ban certain gun mods, make gun shops post clearer warnings, and change how gun sales are tracked. S744/A436 bans pistol converters from semi-automatic pistols. The law adds pistol converters to the list of devices—like bump stocks, trigger cranks, burst trigger systems, and binary trigger systems—that make guns fire faster. More Local News 'New Yorkers are sick of weapons manufacturers ignoring their role in the gun violence epidemic,' said Democratic Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, who sponsored the bill in the Assembly. 'Glock has known that its pistols can be easily and cheaply converted into illegal fully-automatic machine guns. It's time to put people over profit.' S745/A439 changes how credit cards categorize gun vendors, requiring the companies to use new merchant codes for gun sellers and shops. The bill drops ammo dealers from the law and covers only dealers of firearms. New York joins lawsuit over Trump's executive order on elections 'By requiring the use of merchant category codes for firearm and ammunition purchases, we are equipping financial institutions with a critical tool to help detect suspicious activity before it becomes a tragedy,' said Democratic Assemblymember Michaelle Solages, the Assembly sponsor. S743/A437 changes the warning that gun dealers selling rifles and shotguns have to post and give to buyers. It requires bigger, clearer, and more specific signage at the entrance and at the register. New York law already required a warning sign about the risk of suicides, injuries, accidents, and deaths, but the new law replaces the word 'weapon' with 'rifle, shotgun, or firearm.' Lobbying hits record in New York state politics 'Education and information are key to responsible gun ownership, which will prevent injury and improve public safety,' said Senate Deputy Majority Leader Gianaris, who carried the bill in the State Senate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
