Latest news with #ThomasDiNapoli
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
How accessible are New Rochelle's city buildings? NYS comptroller releases audit
New Rochelle was one of 20 municipalities included in a recent state audit of accessibility in public, government-owned facilities, and the only one in the Lower Hudson Valley. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and the New York State Division of Local Government and School Accountability identified 171 accessibility components in New Rochelle city buildings that needed improvements. They released their report May 6. The state recommended updating items like interior signs with raised lettering and Braille, wheelchair accessible lavatories in restrooms, elevator doors that reopen automatically when obstructed by an object or person, and more. Physical accessibility has been an important aspect of public facilities since the federal Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990. Title II of the ADA banned discrimination based on disability by state and local governments, including in their buildings. In 2010, when the ADA Standard for Accessible Design was released, it established a set of requirements for newly designed local government facilities and accommodations. Structures built on or after March 15, 2012 had to comply with the regulations, further underscoring the importance of having accessible public facilities that accommodate people with disabilities or limited mobility. The state report used the Standard for Accessible Design to 'help identify where New Rochelle city officials could consider taking additional steps to increase physical accessibility to programs and services.' Overall, the state recommended 171 accessibility improvements out of a total 895 physical accessibility components that were examined across these four city-owned locations in New Rochelle: The Hugh A. Doyle Senior Center located at 94 Davis Ave. Fire Department Headquarters located at 90 Beaufort Place City Court and Police located at 475 North Ave. City Hall, located at 515 North Ave. New Rochelle has reviewed the 171 improvements recommended by the state and said the city plans to start making updates right away. Things like adding Braille to signage and replacing door knobs could be updated 'immediately,' City Manager Wilfredo Melendez said in a letter responding to the report. 'The city of New Rochelle is committed to improving accessibility at all city-owned facilities,' Melendez said in the letter. 'We will continue to advance strategies for identifying and addressing potential accessibility barriers and make necessary changes to comply with the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.' The city said it plans to use the state's findings to continue making accessibility improvements in the coming years. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: New Rochelle NY's city buildings need accessibility upgrades: state
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Food prices in NYC soared over last decade, outpacing income growth
Food prices continue to soar in the Big Apple, with more New Yorkers facing the risk of going hungry — a situation that could worsen amid federal funding cuts and the implementation of tariffs, according to a new report. Over the past decade, the cost of dining out or eating in has risen by more than 56% in the New York City metropolitan area — approximately 10% higher than the national average — according to a report on the cost of living in the city released Thursday by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. By comparison, the average annual pretax income in the region only grew approximately 52% during that same period, between 2012–2013 and 2022–2023, according to the most recent available data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The report also found that food prices in the five boroughs, Long Island, and surrounding counties have jumped more than 25% since 2019, with low-income households now spending significantly more on food than before the pandemic. In 2022–2023, households in the New York City metropolitan area spent about $11,288 annually on food, accounting for 12.5% of their total expenses — the fourth-largest portion of household spending. Nationally, food spending averaged $9,664 per year, making up 12.9% of total household expenditures and ranking as the third-largest share. Over that same period, households in the city earning less than $15,000 spent nearly 70% of their income on food — a 16-point increase in just four years, compared with a mere 0.7-point rise for households earning $200,000 or more. 'My office is closely monitoring the factors driving affordability issues in the city and state, and it is clear that higher food costs are putting pressure on household budgets in New York City, with price increases outpacing income growth,' DiNapoli said. While food price growth in New York City slowed between 2023 and 2024 — with a 1.8% increase in the city's food price index compared with the nation's 2.3% growth — recent sharp increases have still left many lower-income households struggling to afford groceries, even as inflation concerns have eased. From 2021 to 2022, the city's food price index surged by 8.8%, marking the highest increase in over 40 years. 'Food prices rose sharply during the pandemic, putting more New Yorkers at risk of going hungry,' DiNapoli said. 'Now the implementation of tariffs and potential cuts to federal food and other support programs may exacerbate the problem.' Last month, a new poll commissioned by the nonprofit No Kid Hungry New York found that 53% of New Yorkers have taken on additional debt in the past 12 months as they struggle to feed their families, with Black and Hispanic New Yorkers — and especially women of color — being hit the hardest.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lower Hudson Valley's poor condition bridges: Take a look at some of the worst rated
Just over 10% of New York's locally owned bridges were rated in poor condition in 2024, according to data from the Federal Highway Administration's National Bridge Inventory. Federal highway officials rate a bridge's ability to carry vehicles using a zero-to-nine scale — nine is perfect, zero is disastrous. A bridge rated in poor condition means at least one of its three major components — deck, superstructure and substructure — has received a score below four, according to a report released by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli in July 2024. A bridge in "poor condition" doesn't mean it's unsafe to drive on — if it was, it would be closed to traffic. But bridges labeled in poor condition may be posted with certain capacity restrictions like load or speed limits. The scores are reevaluated at least every two years by the New York State Department of Transportation. Here's a look at some of Rockland, Westchester and Putnam counties' worst-rated bridges. The following bridges have all been rated in poor condition as of 2024, but one or more of their major components have received a rating of four or below: Sparkill Creek: A state-owned bridge built in 1955 and located on Route 340 in Orangeburg. The bridge's lowest major component rating is a three. Tributary to Pascack Brook: A county-owned bridge built in 1975 and located on Lawrence Street in Spring Valley. The bridge's deck and substructure received a score of four. Doodletown Brook: A state-owned bridge built in 1929 and located on Route 9W in Stony Point. The bridge's deck received a score of four. Minisceongo Creek: A county-owned bridge built in 1925 and located on Gagan Road in Haverstraw. The bridge's superstructure received a score of four. Route 17: A state-owned bridge built in 1967 and located on Route 17 in Sloatsburg. The bridge's substructure received a score of four. CSX Transportation/River Line: A county-owned bridge built in 1989 and located on Snake Hill Road in West Nyack. The bridge's deck received a score of four. CSX Transportation/River Line: A county-owned bridge built in 1992 and located on Mountain View Avenue in Orangeburg. The bridge's superstructure received a score of four. Ramapo River: A county-owned bridge built in 1992 and located on Washington Avenue in Sloatsburg. The bridge's superstructure received a score of four. Hundreds of NY bridges are in bad shape: Why it's so tough to get them fixed The following bridges have all been rated in poor condition as of 2024, but one or more of their major components have received a rating of four or below: Annsville Creek: A county-owned bridge built in 1927 and located on Highland Avenue in Peekskill. The bridge's substructure received a score of two. Saw Mill River: A state-owned bridge built in 1927 and located on Saw Mill River Parkway in Dobbs Ferry. The bridge's substructure received a score of two. Croton River: A county-owned bridge built in 1930 and located on Quaker Bridge Road in Croton-on-Hudson. The bridge's deck and superstructure received a score of four. Route 907K Ramp to Saw Mill River Parkway: A state-owned bridge built in 1940 and located at the junction between the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Cross County Parkway, also known as Route 907K, in Yonkers. The bridge's deck and superstructure received a score of four. Route 119: A state-owned bridge built in 1934 and located on Route 119 in Elmsford. The bridge's deck and superstructure received a score of four. I-87 Northbound: A state-owned bridge built in 1970 and located on Route I-87 in Yonkers. The bridge's superstructure and substructure received a score of four. Metro-North Railroad Harlem Line: A state-owned bridge built in 1927 and located on the Metro-North Railroad Harlem Line in Hawthorne. The bridge's deck and superstructure received a score of four. Taconic State Parkway: A state-owned bridge built in 1968 and located on the Taconic State Parkway, or Route 987G, in Millwood. The bridge's superstructure and substructure received a score of four. NY infrastructure: Can washing bridges help delay expensive repair projects? Here's what we found out The following bridges have all been rated in poor condition as of 2024, but one or more of their major components have received a rating of four or below: Canopus Creek: A county-owned bridge built in 1935 and located on Sprout Brook Road in Philipstown. The bridge's deck, superstructure and substructure received a score of four. East Branch Croton River: A county-owned bridge built in 1978 and located on Doansburg Road in Southeast. The bridge's superstructure and substructure received a score of four. Peekskill Hollow Creek: A county-owned bridge built in 1964 and located on Oscawana Lake Road in Putnam Valley. The bridge's deck and superstructure received a score of four. Ludingtonville Road: A state-owned bridge built in 1969 and located on Ludingtonville Road in Kent. The bridge's substructure received a score of four. Metro-North Railroad Beacon Line: A state-owned bridge built in 1968 and located on the Metro-North Railroad Beacon Line in Southeast. The bridge's superstructure received a score of four. Metro-North Railroad Maybrook Trailway: A state-owned bridge built in 1968 and located on the Metro-North Railroad Maybrook Trailway in Southeast. The bridge's superstructure received a score of four. Haviland Hollow Brook: A county-owned bridge built in 1938 and located on Brimstone Hill Road in Putnam Lake. The bridge's substructure received a score of four. Peekskill Hollow Creek: A county-owned bridge built in 1940 and located on Peekskill Hollow Road in Adams Corners. The bridge's superstructure received a score of four. Peekskill Hollow Creek: A county-owned bridge built in 1959 and located on Peekskill Hollow Road in Lake Peekskill. The bridge's superstructure received a score of four. Emily Barnes reports on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network's New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on X and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@ This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Lower Hudson Valley's poor condition bridges: Here's some of the worst
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New York state pension fund commits $2.4B to climate-focused investments
This story was originally published on ESG Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily ESG Dive newsletter. The New York State Common Retirement Fund announced Monday it has committed around $2.4 billion to three funds focused on climate and sustainable solutions. The pension plan made the investment through its Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions Program, pledging $2 billion to the FTSE Russell TPI 1000 Climate Transition Index, $250 million to the Oaktree Power Opportunities Fund VII and $150 million to the Vision Ridge Partners Sustainable Asset Fund IV, according to the release. The investment builds on the state pension plan's broader goal of committing $40 billion toward sustainable funds and efforts to address climate risk by 2035. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who oversees the pension plan, set the target last year after the fund met an initial goal of $20 billion in sustainable investments. The New York State Common Retirement Fund is the third largest state pension fund in the U.S., with approximately $273.4 billion in assets, and has deployed over $26.5 billion to climate and sustainability-focused investments thus far, per the release. This financing has been offered across various asset classes including public equity, private equity, fixed income and credit financing, according to the fund. The three funds that the pension plan invested in this week all focus on either the climate transition or supporting green infrastructure. The FTSE Russell TPI 1000 Climate Transition Index weighs global companies based on their carbon emissions, exposure to fossil fuels and green revenues, and the Oaktree Power Opportunities Fund VII targets investments that boost renewable energy and infrastructure projects like solar and water systems in North America. Vision Ridge Partners' sustainable asset fund focuses on climate mitigation and adaptation efforts across the energy, transportation and agriculture sectors in North America. The New York pension plan says on its website that it incorporates ESG factors within its investment framework 'because they can influence both risks and returns.' The fund's investment philosophy also states it will 'keep focusing on long-term climate resilience in line with fiduciary duty.' In 2020, DiNapoli announced that the retirement fund had set a goal of net-zero portfolio emissions by 2040, which built off a Climate Action Plan introduced in 2019. The climate action plan sets minimum standards for the fund to determine if a company is prepared for a low carbon-transition. Last year, the fund said it was divesting holdings worth approximately $26.8 billion from eight oil and gas companies after reviewing their strategies to shift to a low-carbon economy. These companies included ExxonMobil — which represented the bulk of the divestment — Guanghui Energy Company, Echo Energy, IOG, Oil and Natural Gas Corp., Delek Group, Dana Gas and Unit Corp. The state comptroller said in his April 21 update that the fund has also completed its annual review of fossil fuel companies, as part of its broader evaluation of companies that face significant climate risk and their readiness to incorporate a low-carbon transition. DiNapoli said the fund will continue to restrict investments in 39 coal, gas, oil sands and shale oil companies and has newly added eight companies to this list. These include Kinetic Development Group, NLC India, PT Petrindo Jaya Kreasi Tbk, Yancoal Australia, Civitas Resources, Peyto Exploration & Development, Texas Pacific Land Corp. and Viper Energy Inc. 'Climate change poses a real threat to our investments, but the actions announced today will help position the Fund to address those risks and seize on opportunities generated as the world transitions to a low-carbon economy,' DiNapoli said. 'The fund is a leader on addressing the investment challenges posed by climate change and our efforts continue.' Recommended Reading New York pension fund to divest $26.8M from 8 oil companies, including ExxonMobil
Bloomberg
21-04-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
New York Pension Adds $2 Billion to Climate Index-Fund Stake
The New York State Common Retirement Fund is boosting its investment in an equity index focused on reducing the risks of climate change and accelerating the transition to cleaner energy. The $273.4 billion pension fund, the third-largest in the US, is committing another $2 billion to the FTSE Russell TPI Climate Transition Index fund as part of a goal of having a net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions portfolio by 2040, comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a news release.
