Lower Speed Limits, Traffic Cameras in School Zones Aim to Reduce Traffic Deaths

The City plans to expand the number of speed traffic cameras through 2021. On September 1, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that through a coordinated effort between the Administration, the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the NYPD, speed limits will be reduced by five miles per hours on 25 miles of major streets, adherence to speed limits will be more strictly enforced, and speed cameras have been activated in all 750 school zones Citywide.


Appellate Division Provides Major Win for Two Bridges Developers

Two Bridges development gets Appellate Division ruling but two lawsuits remain pending. On August 27, 2020, the First Department’s Appellate Division unanimously ruled in favor of a Lower East Side development that would consist of four towers, 11,000 square feet of retail, and over 2,700 residential units. Of the 2,700 residential units, approximately 700 units will be dedicated to affordable housing and 200 units will be set aside for senior housing. The project’s development group … <Read More>


Outdoor advertising charges upheld

Building owner advertised his personal law firm on residential buildings that he owned through separate corporations. Attorney John. J. Ciafone has part ownership in four different real estate corporations that own five residential or mixed-use buildings in Queens and Brooklyn. At each of his five residential buildings, Ciafone installed signage on which he advertised his personal law firm. The law firm was separate from the real estate corporation that owned each building.


City Awards Nonprofits Over $200,000 to Help People with Disabilities Access Affordable Housing

On August 17, 2020, The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, along with Citi Community Development and Investment, awarded nine community-based organizations over $200,000 to help disabled New Yorkers apply for affordable housing. This assistance is provided through the Department’s Housing Ambassador Program, which connects nearly two million users on Housing Connect with community organizations that assist with the housing application process.


Parks Dept Announces Completion of Portion of Shore Road Bike Path Renovation

The portion is part of a larger reconstruction project. On August 19, 2020, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation announced the completion of a portion of the Shore Road Bicycle Path in Bath Beach, Brooklyn. The newly repaved path was completed four months ahead of schedule, and spans approximately 2100 ft between Bay 8th and Bay 14th Street. The $575,000 in funding for this project was secured by City Council Member Justin … <Read More>


Governor Announces Dedication of State Park to LGBTQ Civil Rights Activist Marsha P. Johnson

First ever state park dedicated to a LGBTQ person. On August 14, 2020, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the dedication of East River State Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to LGBTQ activist Marsha P. Johnson. The dedication comes on Johnson’s seventy-fifth birthday and marks the first state park dedicated to LGBTQ person and a transgender woman of color. Marsha P. Johnson State Park is a seven-acre waterfront park located along the East River. It … <Read More>