Congestion Pricing Returns + Hell Gate Interviews Zohran
No. 401 (last week was 400 and we misnumbered!) | Monday, November 18, 2024
The NYC Thorn is a weekly roundup of local political news compiled by members of NYC-DSA.
Local News
Governor Hochul announced that the congestion pricing program to toll cars entering Midtown and Downtown Manhattan would commence on January 5, two weeks before Trump takes office. The new toll would be reduced to $9, but would slowly reach $15, the initial price set before Hochul abruptly postponed the plan in the summer. It remains unclear if the plan will survive regulatory actions taken by the Trump administration and further other lawsuits from its opponents.
Mayor Adams implied that his administration would consider increasing cooperation with ICE when Trump takes office.
The City Council passed the FARE Act, which largely bans tenants from paying brokers fees, with a veto-proof majority. The bill was sponsored by Council Member Chi Osse (District 36, Bed Stuy).
Council Member Lincoln Restler is proposing a mandate for landlords to keep apartments cool once the outdoor temperature reaches above 82 degrees, similar to existing rules that require landlords to provide heat in the winter.
Recent brush fires in Prospect Park and Inwood Hill Park put a spotlight on the Adams administration’s defunding of forestry and gardening staff.
The New York State Clean Slate Act, which enables certain misdemeanor and felony criminal records to be sealed after a waiting period, went into effect over the weekend. The law was passed in 2023 with the sponsorship of State Senator Zellnor Myrie (District 20, Central Brooklyn) and Assembly Member Catalina Cruz (District 39, Corona).
All A train service to the Rockaways will be paused for 17 weeks from January to May, causing severe inconvenience to tens of thousands of Rockaway residents.
Election News
Hell Gate interviewed Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani (District 36, Astoria) about his campaign for Mayor of New York City.
Long time Westchester resident Andrew Cuomo recently moved to and registered to vote at an upscale apartment on the East Side of Manhattan as he leans towards a rumored NYC mayoral run.
Disgraced former Congress Member Anthony Weiner is considering running for City Council District 2 (East Village), joining a busy race for an open seat against Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, and local activists Andrea Gordillo and Sarah Batchu.
Virginia Maloney, the daughter of former Congress Member Carolyn Maloney, filed to enter a crowded race for City Council District 4 (Upper East Side).
The NYC Local
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