To the Editor,
Last winter, I became one of the
25 percent of people aged 65 and
older who fall each year. It happened
because I slipped on a mound of frozen
snow left on a crosswalk on the
corner of Berkeley Place and Seventh
Avenue. Fortunately, I wasn’t
injured. However, the accident led to
my looking into what could be done
to make sidewalks safer for pedestrians
in the winter. I was pleased
to find that New York City has rules
and regulations intended to accomplish
this.
According to the New York City
Administrative Code, “every owner,
lessee, tenant, occupant, or other person
having charge of any lot or building
must clean snow and ice from the
sidewalk adjacent (i.e., in front of, on
the side of, and in back of their properties).”
If a snowstorm ends:
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walks must be cleared within four
hours.
-
hours.
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walks must be cleared by 11 am.
For example: If the snow stops
the following morning to clear adjacent
sidewalks of snow and ice.
The city’s rules and regulations
state that snow and ice should be
cleared from sidewalks in order to
create a path for pedestrians that is
at least four-feet wide. Corner-property
owners should clear paths to
their crosswalks, including any pedestrian
ramps, and, where the snow
has melted and created a puddle, disperse
water away from the crosswalk.
In addition, snow and ice must
be removed from sidewalks next to
bus stops and hydrants. “Snow may
not be thrown into the street. If the
snow or ice becomes frozen so hard
that it cannot be removed, the sidewalk
may be strewn with ashes,
sand, sawdust, or similar suitable
material within the same time limits,”
according to the code.
The Department of Sanitation,
which is responsible for enforcing
the code governing the removal of
snow and ice, can issue summons
for failing to clear sidewalks adjoining
private property within
the stated time frames. The fines
for failing to comply with the city’s
snow and ice removal regulations
are: $100–$150 for the first offense,
$150–$350 for the second offense
and $250–$350 for the third and subsequent
offenses.
Violations should be reported after
the snow has stopped falling and
the grace period for cleaning snow is
over. They should be reported to the
NYC 311 Customer Service Center either
by phoning 311 or by using the
short online form on the 311 website
www.nyc.gov/311. Complaints about
snow or ice on sidewalks in front
of public property, such as bus stop
shelters, park paths, or schools, can
be made at any time. Because much
of the enforcement of snow removal
regulations is complaint-driven, it
is important to report violations. If
you are aware of someone who frequently
ignores the regulations, you
should encourage your neighbors
to join you in reporting these violations
to 311.
Failure to comply with snow- and
ice-removal regulations poses another
risk to property owners. As advertisements
of law firms point out
at this time of year, anyone who has
been injured as a result of a fall on
a snow- or ice-covered sidewalk can
sue the party responsible for clearing
the sidewalk for damages.
The city has established a program
to assist resident homeowners
who are 60 or older, or are permanently
or temporarily disabled,
or homebound. The program connects
them with volunteers willing
to shovel snow in their zip code.
It should be noted that volunteer
matches are not guaranteed. Anyone
needing assistance or willing
to volunteer to shovel snow should
phone 311. John Casson
Park Slope
To the Editor,
The media is reporting that the
World Trade Center Victims Compensation
Fund is being depleted at
an alarming rate and may stop payments
to first responders by 2020.
What a sad occurrence, as all too
many brave souls from the police,
fire, EMS, transit, and construction
pitched in during these horrific
days, and now are experiencing debilitating
COURIER L 42 IFE, MARCH 8–14, 2019 M BR B G
diseases.
It is a wonder that the federal
government didn’t make the terrorist
homelands pay through the nose,
though, I guess, we Americans will
wind up footing the final bill.
In addition, let’s look into the
lawyers, circling like sharks, advertising
their “wins” in World Trade
Center cases. I know that millions of
dollars from payouts from this fund,
needed for responders, went into
their deep pockets.
I count my blessings that I am relatively
healthy, though, let’s push for
adequate funding for the responders,
to ease their and their families’
pain. Robert W. Lobenstein
Sheepshead Bay
To the Editor,
There are many flaws to proposals
by some elected officials to divide
the current R subway line service
into two sections (“R they serious?
Straphangers blast pols’ proposal
to again split Bklyn, Manhattan Rtrain
service” by Julianne McShane
online Feb. 26).
One would run from Continental
Avenue-Forest Hills in Queens
to South Ferry in Manhattan. The
second section would run from Bay
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enue to Court Street Downtown.
Thousands of Brooklyn riders
would have to transfer at Pacific
Street, Lawrence Street, or Court
Street stations to other subway
lines for connections to Manhattan,
Queens, the Bronx, and Staten
Island. Many of these other subway
lines are already operating at
100-percent capacity. Thousands of
Queens and Manhattan residents
Square stations in Manhattan to
reach Brooklyn. This transfer will
add several minutes to everyone’s
trip. Imagine the problems for those
coming and going to Staten Island
via the ferry if this connection is
severed. Those who count on connections
to the Staten Island Ferry
(which runs less frequently than
the subway) could be subject to even
longer commutes.
Work to repair and protect
against future flooding of the Montague
Tunnel used by the R line as
a result of superstorm Sandy in 2012
cost $250 million. It began in August
2013 and was completed in Septem-
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ule and under budget. Grant funds
from the Federal Transit Administration
Superstorm Sandy Recovery
and Resiliency program paid for this
work.
All federally funded assets have
a useful life. It was assumed that
this work would extend the useful
life of this 100-year-old tunnel by 50
years or more. The MTA at the start
of each federal fiscal year after Oct.
1 submits an Annual Certification
and Assurances to the FTA, which
maintains funding eligibility. This
document includes confirmation
that all previously funded federal
assets are being maintained and
continue to remain in transit service.
The MTA must also sign a Master
Grant Agreement upon receipt
of funding, which also documents
the same promise. Every two years,
MTA must also conduct a physical
inventory of all federally funded assets
worth $5,000 or more. This is
the basis for submital to the FTA of
a Bi-Annual Certification for all federally
funded inventory that is still
in use. If the MTA fails to keep any
federally funded asset in transit
service for the anticipated full useful
life, the FTA has a legal right to
ask for its money back. Reimbursement
cost is frequently calculated
on straight line depreciation of the
asset. In short, the MTA could end
up having to pay back Washington
more than $200 million if the Montague
Tunnel no longer remains in
active transit service.
If this is ever implemented and
the Montaghue Tunnel is no longer
used, don’t be surprised when
the respective Offices of Inspector
General for the MTA and FTA,
city Comptroller Scott Stringer, and
state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli begin
to take an active interest.
Sooner or later, they will initiate
their own respective review to see
if there has been any waste, fraud,
or abuse of taxpayers dollars. Their
respective audits and reports will
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ing the existing signal system and
providing more service might make
more sense. Perhaps those elected
officials who support this crazy
idea might be better off attempting
to find additional capital and operating
dollars to pay for improving
the full route of R-line service.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
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