Latest news with #PaulMartinka
New York Post
10 hours ago
- General
- New York Post
Tallest subway platform in NYC among 60 stations set to finally get elevators: ‘They're climbing Mount Everest'
For Brooklyn subway riders, it's only up from here. The Big Apple's tallest subway station is finally set to get elevators, putting an end to straphangers' 90-foot hike that officials have likened to 'climbing Mount Everest.' The century-old Smith-9th Street subway station in Gowanus – one of the tallest in the world – is slated to finally get elevators and bring relief to huffing-and-puffing F and G train riders under the MTA's 2025-29 capital plan, state Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Brooklyn) said. 5 The Big Apple's tallest subway station is finally set to get elevators, putting an end to straphangers' 90-foot climb that officials have likened to 'climbing Mount Everest.' AP '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 in an Aug. 8 announcement. 'And if you use a wheelchair, push your child in a stroller, travel with luggage or simply struggle climbing the stairs, forget about it,' he said. 'With elevators coming to the Smith-9th Street station, that's finally going to change.' It's not clear when the installation is set to take place or exactly how much it will cost. The funding will come from the MTA's approved $68.4 billion capital plan, which budgets to add elevators at over 60 subway stations. The 92-year-old Smith-9th Street station underwent a complete overhaul a decade ago, but it still only has escalators — which have a 'long history of breaking down,' said state Assembly member Jo Anne Simon. 5 The century-old station is slated to finally get elevators, bringing relief to huffing-and-puffing F and G train riders under the MTA's $68.4 billion capital plan, Sen. Andrew Gounardes said. Paul Martinka 5 The Smith-9th Street station elevated platform in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Paul Martinka At the time of the revamp in 2013, 'the MTA would not budge on its refusal to install elevators,' said Simon, whose district covers Gowanus. 'Climbing the tallest station in the system shouldn't be an endurance test,' the said. 'I commend the MTA for making accessibility a priority in the Capital Plan, especially at tough stations like Smith-9th that present greater challenges than most.' Other Brooklyn stations set to get elevator access include Court Street, Hoyt-Schermerhorn, 36th Street and 4th Ave–9th Street, Gounardes said. 5 'Every day, New Yorkers hike the stairs up this station like they're climbing Mount Everest,' Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Brooklyn) said. AP The planned upgrades will expand accessibility across the subway system, with more than 50% stations at ADA compliance. The MTA must meet a 95% ADA-accessible station benchmark by 2055, according to a 2023 court settlement. 5 Despite the 92-year-old station having undergone a complete overhaul decade ago, the station still only has escalators which have a 'long history of breaking down,' said Assembly member Jo Anne Simon. Paul Martinka 'No station better demonstrates the need for accessibility than Smith-9th St, the highest point in the entire subway system,' said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo, 'and we're excited to start work there and throughout the borough soon.' Francis Brown, president of the Red Hook Houses East Resident Association, noted the project will greatly benefit seniors living in nearby public housing buildings. 'This station is our connection to the rest of the city, and to our jobs, our schools, our doctors, and so much more,' Brown said, 'but right now, that climb to the subway platform can be a barrier, instead of a connector.' Karen Blondel, the president of the Red Hook Houses West Resident Association, added: 'For NYCHA residents in Red Hook, Smith and 9th is the only nearby subway station—and without elevators, it's a daily struggle.'
New York Post
07-08-2025
- Business
- New York Post
New NYC Council proposal will tie up businesses in red tape, additional costs to post job notices: critics
Groups representing New York City industries are sounding the alarm about a new City Council proposal aimed at businesses, saying it will tie up firms in unnecessary red tape and additional costs when posting job notices. The bill introduced by Queens Councilwoman Selevena Brooks-Powers would go way beyond the law that took effect in 2022, requiring companies to reveal salary ranges on job postings, aimed at helping close the gender wage gap. The new measure, Intro 808-B, would force employers to document the reason for offering a job applicant a salary amount outside the listed range — and retain such records for three years. Advertisement 3 Groups representing New York City industries are opposing Council legislation, saying it will tie up firms in unnecessary red tape and additional costs when posting job notices. Bloomberg via Getty Images 'New York already has one of the nation's most heavily regulated business environments and most expensive litigation environments,' business advocates said in an Aug. 4 letter to the Council, obtained by The Post. 'Continuing to impose legal and regulatory burdens without regard to their impact on employers will have significant consequences for economic activity in the city.' Advertisement The legislation would require that job listings, aside from providing a description of the position, also detail information on promotions or transfer opportunities, along with the benefits available for the gig. Compensation information required to be included in the posting would also include bonuses, benefits, stocks, bonds, options, and equity or ownership, if any. Employers would be forced to disclose compensation information to current workers annually and upon request, for any equal or substantially similar positions to their current one, according to the bill. 3 The bill introduced by Queens Councilwoman Selevena Brooks-Powers would require companies to reveal salary ranges on job postings, aimed at helping close the gender wage gap. Paul Martinka Advertisement 'Many small businesses do not maintain formal job descriptions and, in industries like restaurants, employees are often expected to perform multiple roles based on daily needs,' the letter said. 'It is unclear how these mandates would advance gender pay equity,' the missive continued. 'All of these requirements would be impossible to implement without human resources professionals and legal counsel. Many small businesses have neither, and requiring them to consult these professionals is cost-prohibitive and unrealistic.' Advertisement The letter was signed by the chambers of commerce, the NYC Partnership, NYS Restaurant Association, Hotel Association of NYC, Real Estate Board of NY, the Building Congress, and the Retail Council, among others. Nonprofit employers oppose the bill as another unfunded government mandate, sources said. The legislation is scheduled to be voted on in September, a source briefed on the measure said. Brooks-Powers defended the bill and intends to pass it after getting input from the business community and others. 3 Brooks-Powers defended the bill and intends to pass it after getting input from the business community and others. Dan Herrick 'We've spent the past several months engaging a broad range of stakeholders to carefully shape and revise Introduction 808. Our goal has always been to strike the right balance: advancing pay equity for workers while ensuring the bill is clear and implementable for businesses of all sizes,' Brooks-Powers said. 'We have made numerous amendments to address concerns raised by the business community, and the current version of the bill includes specific provisions designed to ease compliance for small businesses.' Advertisement She said the legislation builds on the city existing wage transparency law and 'moves us closer to closing racial and gender pay gaps that persist in our economy.' The councilwoman thanked the Partnership for New York City for hosting roundtable discussions to get input from business interests as well as advocates for their support. 'We are proud of the thoughtful, collaborative process that brought us here, and we are committed to moving this bill forward,' Brooks-Powers said.
New York Post
10-07-2025
- New York Post
NYC woman haunted by horrifying July 4th rape on Coney Island — where she says bystanders laughed and filmed ‘like it was a movie'
A Brooklyn woman said she was raped by a stranger while boozing it up on Coney Island on the Fourth of July — while bystanders laughed and shot video 'like it was a movie.' Melissa Harris, 25, told The Post she was at the Brooklyn beach to meet a pal who never showed up — so she stayed to celebrate the holiday with a group of strangers into the early morning. That's when things took a horrible turn, Harris said. 4 Brooklyn woman Melissa Harris says she was raped on Coney Island while attending a July 4th celebration last week. Paul Martinka 'All of a sudden, this dude came out of nowhere,' she said Thursday. 'I kept looking at him. Is he drunk? I don't know. It was a lot on my mind when that person was approaching me because he was a complete and total stranger. 'He was holding on to me. Every time I pushed him off, he grabbed me harder,' Harris said. 'He grabbed me harder. He had strength.' She said she fell onto a mat on the ground and he jumped on her, sexually assaulting her while she screamed for help. 'There were people around,' Harris recalled. 'I started hearing people laughing. They sat across and watched like it was a movie.' At one point during her ordeal, the light from a golf cart — presumably driven by beach security — shone on the group during the attack, but simply drove off and left her behind, she said. 4 Harris claims bystanders laughed and filmed her 'like a movie' during the horrifying assault. Paul Martinka 4 A screenshot from a video of people standing around a bonfire during the alleged rape. Melasia Harris But the nightmare didn't end there. Harris said after she broke free the creep followed her, threw her into a nearby fence and raped her, all while she called for help. 'People were there,' she said. 'He had my face in the sand. He had my face in the bushes. I was screaming.' Bizarrely, she said her attacker then followed her to the West 8th subway station and sat next to her, 'like we were a couple.' When she was finally able to break away from the man, she ran home and said she was later taken to the hospital by ambulance, where a rape kit was done. According to police, a rape was reported at the southeast corner of Boardwalk West and Stillwell Avenue around 3 a.m. on Saturday — the same time Harris said the attack occurred. The attacker was described as a man in his 20s, who remains on the loose, according to an NYPD spokesperson. For Harris, it was a horrific turn in what started out as a 'super good night' when she arrived at the beach around 11 p.m. on Independence Day — even though she missed the fireworks. 4 The alleged attacker followed Harris to the subway when she finally escaped and left for home. Paul Martinka Now, she remains haunted by the vicious assault — and was back at the hospital Thursday after suffering a panic attack. 'I'm not having a good time,' Harris said. 'Every day I wake up at 6 a.m. on the dot. I have panic attacks. 'I feel crazy every single day, like I'm still there,' she added. She said she's sharing the story in the hopes it will help police nab the brute.
New York Post
03-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Uganda-born Zohran Mamdani ID'd himself as Asian and African American on Columbia application: report
Democratic socialist New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim immigrant, identified as both Asian and African American on his college application, a report claims. The 33-year-old checked both 'Asian' and 'Black or African American' on his Columbia University application, which was ultimately rejected, when he applied to the elite institution as a high school senior in 2009, the New York Times reported Thursday. Zohran Mamdani holds a rally with union leaders on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. Paul Martinka for NY Post Advertisement Mamdani, born in Uganda, told the outlet he doesn't identify as either race but rather 'an American who was born in Africa.' 'Most college applications don't have a box for Indian-Ugandans, so I checked multiple boxes trying to capture the fullness of my background,' the Queens lawmaker said. This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.
New York Post
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
NYC July 4th fireworks returning to East River after last year's display on Hudson
New York City's Fourth of July fireworks show will be returning to the East River next month to dazzle revelers after the display had moved across town to the Hudson River for last year's celebration, city officials said. The 49th annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show will launch thousands of shells from the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and four surrounding barges in the East River near Manhattan's Seaport District as part of the Big Apple's 400th birthday, according to the mayor's office. 'The Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show is one of New York City's most iconic traditions, drawing thousands from across our city, the country, and the globe to witness a world-class celebration of America's birthday,' Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. The Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show will be back in the East River this year. Paul Martinka Last year's display was in the Hudson River for the first time in nearly a decade. James Keivom 'As we celebrate 400 years since New York City's founding, we're thrilled to welcome the crowds, once again, to experience an unforgettable Independence Day at our world-famous Brooklyn Bridge and East River skyline,' Hizzoner added. The display was moved to the East River nearly 10 years ago, with officials saying more New Yorkers could see them — however last year's show went back to the Hudson river off lower Manhattan. While the location shake-up may have delighted New Jerseyans and West siders, the sudden change left residents in Brooklyn, Queens, Roosevelt island and Manhattan's East Side feeling dumped. Public viewing this year will be available from any area with an unobstructed view of the sky above the lower East River, officials said. Additional details on viewing locations, live broadcasts, and a city-sponsored lottery for free public viewing tickets will be announced in the coming weeks, the mayor's office said.
