Community Magazine February 2014

94 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Pay-By-Phone Parking Headed To NYC New York City drivers will soon be able to pay for parking at meters by phone, online or via a smartphone app, CBS NewYork reported. Driverswill be able toenter anumber on the meter that will identify their location, eliminating the need for paper receipts. Traffic enforcement agents will be able to determine if parking has been paid using a handheld device. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city is looking for a company to offer the pay-by-phone service, which is expected to be introduced citywide in 2015. “Innovative solutions like these are making it easier for everyone to get around New York City and will be a boost for business across the five boroughs,” Bloomberg said. Drivers will be able to sign up for accounts that will be linked to their license numbers, plate numbers, and credit card information. The driver’s card will be billed directly when the information of the nearest meter is entered. The app will include a feature that alerts drivers when their time is about to expire, and minutes can be added remotely. Asuccessful pilot project with similar technologywas conducted last year along Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. The Bronx program included a real-time parking map available on nyc.gov. Data was collected from vehicle sensors embedded in the roadway. Brooklyn Public Library to Redevelop Brooklyn Heights Branch The Brooklyn Public Library has received seven proposals for redeveloping the site of the Brooklyn Heights Branch Library. The proposals were presented at a meeting on December 12, in order to hear feedback from the public, the Brooklyn Eagle reported. All the designs include about 20,000 square feet of library space insidemultipurpose buildings that are about the same height as 1 Pierrepont Plaza next door, which is 19 stories tall. Some other design features include glass-covered facades, ground floor retail, rooftop gardens and affordable housing. The Brooklyn Heights Branch would be rebuilt on the tower’s ground floor and basement; the Business Library would relocate to Grand Army Plaza. The Library says the sale of the Heights’ property is intended to generate capital funds to help address $300 million in deferred maintenance in all 60 libraries across the borough. The project has been met with criticism from those who say the city is selling off public libraries for private development. Opponents also say the Library has exaggerated the amount it would cost to repair the existing library building’s air conditioner and facilities. Deborah Hallen, president of The Friends of the Brooklyn Heights Branch Library, said residents should use this opportunity to address the needs of the community. The community needs a state-of-the-art library, and the existing structure is plagued by leaks in the ceiling and shoddy construction. Hallen added that she wants developers to devote space to a new pre-K and kindergarten. Public comments were also accepted on the library website, which provided photos and details about each proposal. Greenfield Pushes for Warning Lights at Midwood Underpasses Councilman David G. Greenfield is requesting that the MTA install flashing yellow warning signals at all railroad underpasses in Midwood to prevent incidents of trucks and large vehicles becoming stuck and causing traffic accidents and backups. In a letter to MTAActing President Carmen Bianco and Brooklyn Department of Transportation Commissioner Joseph Palmieri, Councilman Greenfield asked that these signals be installed along avenues that cross beneath the railroad tracks, which run between E. 15th Street and E. 16th Street and serve the B and Q trains. Currently, there are only small white and black signs indicating to oncoming traffic the maximum height of vehicles that can safely pass under the tracks. As a result, there have been numerous incidents of drivers, especially of tractor trailers, not noticing or disregarding the signs and becoming stuck. These accidents often occur along busy commercial corridors such as Avenue J and Avenue P as truck drivers unfamiliar with the area travel through while making deliveries to local businesses. To help prevent these incidents, Councilman Greenfield is requesting that the MTA install flashing yellow lights at each bridge fromAvenue J south towards Sheepshead Bay. “This is a simple and inexpensive step that the MTA can take to improve safety and help prevent traffic jams throughout our community,” the Councilman said. “Aside from causing headaches for other drivers, these incidents of drivers ignoring the existing signs and becoming stuck beneath the bridge can cause serious accidents or significant damage to the overpass. With that in mind, I hope the MTA will agree that it makes sense to install clearer, more visible flashing signals at those locations.” New York City Municipal Schedule Occasion Day Date Alt Side Garbage Collection Parking Banks & Post Offices Lincoln’s Birthday Wednesday February 12 Suspended Suspended Normal Open Presidents Day Monday February 17 Suspended Suspended Normal Closed Observance Wednesday March 5 Suspended Normal Normal Open Life in the Big City