Jan. 13, 2019 Your Neighborhood — Your News®
LOCAL
CL ASSIFIEDS
PA GE 15
BY BILL PARRY
Mayor Bill de Blasio and City
Council Speaker Corey Johnson
held a joint appearance Jan. 4 to
roll out the city’s fair fare program
and its efforts to address
poverty through the development
of a half-priced MetroCard
for low-income New Yorkers.
The program is launching
in phases and initial eligibility
is open to New Yorkers at or below
the federal poverty line who
are receiving cash assistance
of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
from the city’s Department
of Social Services.
“New Yorkers shouldn’t have
to choose between a ride on the
subway or bus and their next
meal,” de Blasio said. “Our partnership
with the Council for fair
fares will make our city stronger
and fairer for low-income
New Yorkers whose lives depend
on mass transportation.”
The Fair Fares NYC Metro-
Card will allow participants to
purchase unlimited weekly and
monthly passes at a 50 percent
discount at MTA vending machines.
The cards can be used
on any New York City subway or
non-express bus.
The city is working with
the MTA to phase in a pay-perride
option, which it expects to
launch in April.
“Fair Fares is a groundbreaking
program that will help
New Yorkers who need it most,”
Johnson said. “Fair Fares will
open up this city and its promise
to people who currently are being
shut out because they can’t
afford a swipe. It will change
lives for the better.”
Last spring, the Mayor and
the Council announced a plan
to fund $106 million for the Fair
FIGHTING FOR THEIR HOMES
Citylights residents hold up signs urging the city to help them stay in their co-ops.
See story on Page 3. Photo by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech
BY MARK HALLUM
Councilman Francisco Moya
says that he had shown concern
for the construction site which
was involved in a partial street
collapse, leading to a gas line
break that sent debris all over
Northern Boulevard in East
Elmhurst on Jan. 4.
An active stop work order
on the property and thousands
of dollars in fines did not stop
the construction from charging
ahead for the developers at 112-
51 Northern Blvd., and Moya
said he had issued a letter to the
city Department of Buildings
(DOB) in May to encourage enforcement
action.
Moya expressed concern for
the safety of workers at the jobs
site and indicated that they over
$10,000 in fines racked up at the
time of the letter.
“As you know, the development
has already been issued a
partial stop-work order and has
been hit with at least eight violations
issued related to unsafe
working conditions as of March
St. Francis Prep gives
back to community BY BILL PARRY
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
At St. Francis Prep, the holidays are always
a time to focus on those in need — and the
Fresh Meadows school community gave a helping
hand this holiday season with two major
charitable events.
Brown won’t seek re-election
VAo Cl.N 8G.8G NPou.PNuob.b 2li l1ication cation Vol. 7 No. 1 UPDATED EVERY DAY AT TIMESLEDGER.COM
Queens District Attorney
Richard Brown
announced Wednesday
that he will not seek an
eighth term in the office
he has held since Gov.
Mario Cuomo appointed
him in June 1991.
In the ensuing years,
Brown elevated the Queens
district attorney’s office to
be “without a shadow of a
doubt … the best prosecutor’s
office in this great nation,”
but at age 85 and in
failing health, he had been
rumored by court-watchers
to step away for some
time.
“After almost six decades
in public service,
the last 27 years spent
as District Attorney of
Queens County, and after
Queens District Attorney Richard careful thought and con-
Brown. File Photo
Gas main break
wreaks havoc
in E. Elmhurst
City offi cially launches ‘Fair Fares’
Program offers half-priced MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers
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/TIMESLEDGER.COM