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110 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Bikes Need More Accommodating A lack of secure bike park- ing was the biggest reason people don’t cycle to work, according to a study reported in the Gothamist. The DOT (Department of Transportation) is planning with Cooper-Hewitt, Google and Transportation Alternatives to initiate an inter- national design competition for the next generation of city bike racks, with more than $50,000 in prize money being put up. Contestants are asked both to submit designs for sidewalk bike racks and to generate new concepts for bicycle parking inside commercial and residential buildings. The contest is intended to replace the standard U-shaped ‘CityRack’ seen all over town. New York City currently has nearly 4,700 CityRacks and will continue adding at least 500 a year. Tracking Stray Voltage in NYC With pedestrians and puppies getting electrocuted all over the city, a website has finally launched that maps hot zones. InfraShock.com hosts tips such as alerts for bikers (don’t chain your bike to anything electrical), and an up-to-date map of dangerous areas. They also have news on the latest efforts by the city and Con Ed to stop these stray voltage accidents. Earlier this year the father of Jodie Lane, who was killed by stray voltage in 2004, spoke at a public hearing about how the problem persists today. City Landlords Can Now Be Sued for Harassment Mayor Bloomberg signed on the city’s first lawenabling tenants to sue landlords in Housing Court for system- atic harassment. Previously, tenants had to take landlords to court for each and every violation, such as failure to provide hot water or let- ting so much water leak that floors collapse. The Tenant Protection Act is primarily aimed at landlords who are trying to force tenants out of rent-regulated apartments in order to bump the rent up to higher market rates. The civil penalties for harassment are from $1,000 to $5,000. The new law allows landlords to be compensated for their attorney’s fees when cases are deemed frivolous. City Sees Decline in Homeless Mayor Bloomberg and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Commissioner announced that street homelessness in New York City is down 12 percent since last year, and down 25 percent since 2005 – the first year the city conducted the Homeless Outreach Population Estimate. The survey is conducted annually in January to produce an accurate estimate of the total number of unsheltered individuals on the streets and in the subway system. The City and the MTA also unveiled a new public education cam- paign, called ‘Give Real Change’, which reminds New Yorkers that the best way to help homeless individuals on the streets or in subways is to call 311 to have an outreach team sent to help. The city attributes the decline in street homelessness to stepped-up strategies undertaken over the last two years. These include the Homeless Encampments Initiative, through which DHS and more than a dozen city and state agencies partnered to clear 70 targeted encampments and “hot spots” throughout the five boroughs, and the NYC Street to Home outreach program – a major overhaul of the city’s approach to outreach efforts citywide. In addition, the introduction of innovative housing options like Safe Havens and a partnership with the MTA positively impacted this year’s results. Does the 30-Day Pay? Council Member Simcha Felder blasted the MTA for implying that the 30-day unlimited Metrocard is cheaper than paying per ride for commuters, and proposed commuter-friendly 5-day or weekday-only Metrocards to appeal to commuters in the outer boroughs who do not use the subway on weekends. Thanks to a string of hikes targeted at unlimited cards, but not individual rides, the 30-day unlim- ited Metrocards are no longer a cost-effective solution for many New Yorkers who use the subway solely for work. In fact, for many outer- borough commuters, the 30-day unlimited Metrocard, which now costs $81, will be more expensive than the pay-per-ride when the bonus is factored in. “To imply that it is cheaper for outer-borough commuters to pur- chase the 30-day unlimited Metrocard versus paying per ride is distort- ing the truth,” Felder said. “We’re encouraging drivers to leave their cars at home and take subways and buses to work, but the MTA is erasing the incentives to do so. Let’s stop talking out of both sides of our mouths.” With an average of 21 work days in a 30 day period, it would cost riders $73.05 get the $84 worth of rides needed to make two trips each work day when the 15% bonus is factored in, nearly $8 less than the $81 it costs for a 30-day unlimited card. For outer-borough commuters who do not use the subway on the weekends, it is more expensive to use the 30-day unlimited Metrocard. Felder then reiterated his disappointment that the MTA was saving the $2 base fare at the expense of average New York City commuters who use the 30-day unlimited Metrocard. Life in the Big City