Queens News - Local News

As legitimate dollar van operators get priced out by high insurance rates, off-the-books competitors are taking their place.   This article originally appeared in The City. By  Jose Martinez QUEENS - Even as licensed “dollar vans” all but vanish from city streets, unregulated commuter carriers remain obstacles to MTA buses in parts of Brooklyn and Queens. The number of Taxi and Limousine Commission–affiliated commuter vans in service has shrunk by 93% since 2015, TLC data shows, with just 39 such vehicles still licensed to operate as of this week — down from 215 a decade ago. But MTA officials and union representatives for the agency’s bus operators say the official dollar van downturn has given way to a boom in unlicensed commuter vans that clog bus stops and bus lanes, further slowing buses that poke along at an average citywide speed of 8.1 mph. “You have to stop short of the bus stop or in the middle of the street, because the dollar vans are ever...

Mayor Eric Adams holds an in-person media availability. City Hall. Monday, December 9, 2024. -Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. By Mayor Eric Adams Queens Voice December 10, 2024   NEW YORK - Since day one, this administration has been committed to making New York City a safer, more affordable city. And we have fought to ensure that New Yorkers can pursue their dreams by improving quality of life.   New Yorkers have raised their concerns about public safety across the five boroughs — they asked for more cops on our streets and for us to address the issues that affect their livability. We listened and went to work. We have prioritized the safety issues that communities have raised with us and taken decisive action. We have hired 4,000 new cops this year alone and are taking on issues like illegal vending, retail theft, public substance use, the mental health crisis, scaffolding, and unlicensed cannabis shops. This week, we released our public ...

An MTA 1 train operator 1 pulls into the 50th Street station, Dec. 6, 2024. -Photo by Alex Krales/THE CITY Following alarming break-ins and attacks on conductors and operators, agency heads promised action at the beginning of the year — but there’s little to show for it.  This article originally appeared in The City.  By Jose Martinez Follow @x NEW YORK - Nearly a year after the MTA pledged to make quick fixes to prevent vandals from breaking into train crew cabs, subway cars on only three lines have upgraded locks on worker compartments, according to the agency. Agency numbers reveal that among the entire subway fleet of more than 6,400 train cars, only those that run on the 1, 3 and 6 lines have upgraded locks for train operator and conductor cabs. Meanwhile, lock upgrades for worker cabs on the troubled No. 7 are undergoing a “continued review” in the wake of recent incidents along the line, said Kayla Shults, an MTA spokesperson. ...