tion Authority and other
government agencies to better
the transit system.
One major component of
that plan, which Dinowitz
had called for in January,
was improved and redesigned,
Bronx bus routes.
Specifi cally, Dinowitz is
particularly interested in
accelerating both the installation
of Transit Signal Priority
at intersections along
all bus routes throughout
the northwest Bronx and
the implementation of alldoor
boarding on local bus
routes.
Some of his other transit
driven incentives for 2019
are: improving multi-modal
transit accommodations,
such as the addition of bicycle
parking at MetroNorth
and subway stations with
a particular focus on terminal
stations at Van Cortlandt
Park-242nd Street on
the #1 IRT, Wakefi eld 241st
Street on the #2 IRT; and Nereid
Avenue on the #5 IRT,
and Metro-North stations at
Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil,
Wakefi eld and Woodlawn;
re-implementing express
subway service along the
#1 IRT to reduce commute
times into Manhattan.
At the top of the the assemblyman’s
transit priority
list now is making all
subway and Metro North
stations in his district handicap
and ADA accessible.
15 BRONX WEEKLY April 28, 2019 www.BXTimes.com
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Diaz sends 2nd scathing letter
to de Blasio on MH jail site
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Borough President Ruben
Diaz, Jr. continues to
demonstrate his adamant
opposition to the plan to
build a 26-story jail in Mott
Haven.
Diaz called out the city
for what he described as
“its lack of any real commitment
to community
input in its ongoing proposal
to build a new jail in
the Bronx,” in a letter to
Mayor de Blasio on Thursday,
April 18.
This is the second letter
of desention the borough
president has penned
about the jail to the mayor
in six weeks.
Previosuly, he and fellow
borough president
Melinda Katz of Queens
sent the mayor a scathing
letter on his handling of
the planned phase out of
Rikers Island on Friday,
March 8.
This time, Diaz took issue
with the administration’s
formation of a Design
Advisory Group, that
is tasked with developing
a plan for the current,
NYPD-utilized tow pound
at 320 Concord Avenue.
That proposed jail site,
along with sites in Manhattan,
Queens and Brooklyn,
is undergoing a Uniform
Land Use Review Procedure,
despite Diaz’ vehement
opposition, which he,
along with dozens of protesters,
expressed to the
mayor on the steps of City
Hall on Sunday, March 26.
“The timing of this announcement
makes it crystal
clear that your administration
has no desire to
even pretend to take community
input into account
during the siting process,
and in fact views the outcome
of the ULURP as a
fait accompli,” Diaz wrote.
“Rikers Island must be
closed,” Diaz continued.
“However, your administration
should not abandon
the principles of criminal
justice reform for reasons
of political expediency,” he
stated.
The borough president
added that the new jail is
being built in the wrong
location, and should be
moved to a site adjacent to
the Bronx Hall of Justice.
Mott Haven
is the wrong
location for a
new jail in the
Bronx.
Ruben Diaz, Jr.
Borough President
Along with the letter he
sent the city visual maps
that outlined the distance
from 320 Concord Avenue
to the Hall of Justice on
East 161st Street while
pointing out the limited
transit options in the proximity
to the Mott Haven
spot.
The map highlighted
the line of civic centers
on East 161st Street, from
family courts, to the DA’s
Offi ce in addition to others.
Diaz and many other
Bronx elected offi cials support
moving the jail to a
property adjacent to the
Hall of Justice. A report by
Judge Jonathan Lippman’s
Commission, indicated
that the best locations for
jail facilities are next to or
near civic centers.
“Mott Haven is the
wrong location for a new
jail in the Bronx. An obviously
better location exists
for this jail,” Diaz said. “If
you truly value community
input on this issue you
would be wise to recognize
this fact,” the borough
president continued on.
Community Board 1,
which would be the unlucky
recipient of the jail
focused its Thursday,
April 25 meeting around
the ongoing debacle.
Arline Parks, the CEO
of Diego Beekman Mutual
Housing, called out
the city for disrupting her
group’s own plan for the
grounds of 320 Concord
Avenue, at the meeting.
D i e g o - B e e k m a n
wanted to acquire the tow
pound from NYC to construct
a large-scale affordable
housing complex that
would split the superblock
into two sections, providing
community amenities
such as a supermarket.
Parks and Diego-Beekman
presented that plan
to CB1 last year on Thursday,
May 31, which the
board overwhelmly supported.
A map that Diaz sent to City Hall indicating the transit diffi culties
associated with the Mott Haven jail.
Photo courtesy of Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.’s Offi ce
Dinowitz wins Henry Hudson
Bridge toll rebate for Bronxites
The Henry Hudson Bridge. Schneps Media/ Alex Mitchell
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