DOT considers Ridge ferry

By Matthew Lysiak
The Brooklyn Paper

One resident’s against-the-tide crusade to return ferry service to the 69th Street pier may finally be hitting smoother waters.

On Oct. 1, transportation activist Heather McCown sent Mayor Bloomberg a 1,400-signature petition that demanded a ferry from the 69th Street pier to Lower Manhattan — and last Wednesday, the mayor’s office responded with a message of its own: Give us eight weeks.

The Department of Transportation told McCown that a final decision would be made “by the end of December, 2007.”

McCown’s effort got another boost from Community Board 10 last Monday, when the board voted unanimously in support of a city-subsidized ferry service.

“Bay Ridge is one of the most underserved neighborhoods in Brooklyn,” said McCown, who began circulating the petition in July, despite working full time and taking night classes.

Her crusade faces an uphill climb, since she is looking to succeed where local pols have already fought and failed.

Earlier this year, Councilmen Vince Gentile (D–Bay Ridge) and David Yassky (D–Brooklyn Heights) secured $500,000 to transform the 69th Street pier into a ferry-ready dock. But the Department of Transportation has not spent the money to do the job — yet.

New York Water Taxi, the company that operates “taxi” boats all over the city, is warm to the idea of providing that long-dreamed-of 12-minute ride from Bay Ridge to Manhattan.

“We would certainly consider the possibility,” said company rep Robert Pandolfo.

Inspectors in scooters to hit the street

By Matthew Lysiak
The Brooklyn Paper

Mayor Bloomberg has unleashed a fleet of satellite-guided, scooter-driving inspectors on city streets to target trash, potholes, and other banalities of urban living, City Hall announced last week.

These roving investigators, called the Street Conditions Observation Unit Team (or SCOUT), ride around with Blackberry-like devices to transmit reports on litter, graffiti, potholes and other quality-of-life problems directly into the 311 system.

The teams started fanning out on Aug. 6 — about 10 days before the mayor unveiled the $1-million program at a press conference last week.

“The program will give the mayor’s office an opportunity to see first-hand the quality-of-life conditions that impact every neighborhood in the city,” said Jeff Kay, director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations. “With inspectors in the field, we can provide city agencies with a real-time snapshot of those conditions, and ensure they take appropriate action.”

Local pols lauded the idea of more eyes on city streets.

“I look forward to working with the teams,” said Councilman Vince Gentile (D–Bay Ridge). “Street inspectors are good because they are an extra set of eyes and ears. Before, the city would rely on citizens to report potholes, dangling street signs, graffiti, overflowing street garbage, etc. Now the city taking a proactive role in keeping the streets clean.”

The 15 inspectors, on loan from other city agencies, are expected to each cover 20 miles and make up to 200 reports per day, according to the mayor’s office.

The busy teams don’t have the pleasure of handing out fines; City Hall says the goal is simply to hold agencies accountable to their customers, the public.

Local politicians praised the initiative, but a handful of civil-liberties-minded residents questioned the logic of having more eyes on the street, not to mention the increased congestion that would be caused by the scooters.

“This is an awful idea,” said resident Phil Millard. “First, the mayor pushes a commuter toll to decrease congestion, and now he is sending scooters out on the streets to drive around all day looking at things.”


©2007 The Brooklyn Paper