On Jackson Heights’ open street, ‘moped crisis’ is in full throttle

Plus: The best chef in New York [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [On Jackson Heights’ open street, NYC’s ‘moped crisis’ is in full throttle]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter is curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ⛅ Mostly sunny, with a chance of afternoon showers and highs in the upper 70s. It's Tuesday in New York City, where some Jackson Heights residents who cheered the creation of a car-free stretch of 34th Avenue back in 2020 are once again stressed about crossing the street safely. Fans of Paseo Park, as the 26-block stretch is known, say they're now contending with an explosion of e-bikers and moped drivers who ignore signs telling them to steer clear. Here's how elected officials, residents and advocates for delivery workers are [trying to keep pedestrians safe without criminalizing the people who need motorized vehicles to bring residents their dinner](. And here's what else is happening: - MTA Chair Janno Lieber on Monday vowed to move the agency forward by [reprioritizing and shrinking the agency’s list of planned infrastructure improvements]( following Gov. Kathy Hochul’s announcement of a "pause" to congestion pricing. - Gov. Hochul yesterday accused critics of her congestion pricing freeze of [lacking "imagination"]( about other ways to find $1 billion a year in MTA funding. - Meanwhile, new MTA data shows weekday subway delays during the first four months on 2024 were up 30% compared to the same period last year — and the bulk of those delays [were caused by "infrastructure and equipment" issues](. - For more coverage of congestion pricing and other transit news, [subscribe to our On The Way newsletter](. - The New York state education department yesterday [recommended phasing out]( the Regents exam requirement for graduation. - Port Authority officials said they plan to expand the use of license plate readers at crossings between Staten Island and New Jersey [to crack down on car theft and other crimes](. - The owner of a New Jersey trucking company told the jury during Sen. Bob Menendez's corruption trial yesterday that [he purchased a Mercedes Benz for the senator and his wife]( in exchange for help with two criminal investigations into his business. - The husband of a Bronx day care owner has pleaded guilty to federal charges after [a 1-year-old died from being exposed to fentanyl]( at the center last year. - Brian Lehrer is launching his own newsletter, featuring his exclusive column, new ways to share your stories online and on air, plus an inside look at the show each week. [Sign up here]( to get it in your inbox on Thursday. - The Amazon Labor Union, which represents workers at a Staten Island warehouse, is in the process of [merging with the Teamsters](. - [It's a party]( at the Seward Park ping-pong table. - The lavender fields [are popping]( on Governors Island. - If you're rich and have [sophisticated taste in architecture]( U.N. Plaza is the residential tower for you. - People had a good time at [the first annual doggy drag show]( at Singers bar in Bed-Stuy. - Freddie, a New Jersey goat that was supposed to be a wedding present but escaped right before the nuptials on Sunday, has since been [rescued and given to the happy couple](. - Elephants call each other by [their names](. - WNYC has a brand new app! Listen to WNYC radio live, catch up on podcasts and read stories from Gothamist and NPR. [Download it here](. [“Loving the MTA is not a 365 job for New Yorkers, but in the last week we have felt it.”]( - MTA Chair Janno Lieber on the support he's heard from transit riders [FOLLOWING GOV. HOCHUL'S DECISION TO PAUSE CONGESTION PRICING]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [James Beard Foundation announces Best Chef in New York]( Charlie Mitchell of Clover Hill, the Michelin-starred New American restaurant in Brooklyn Heights, was named best chef in New York Monday night at the James Beard Awards in Chicago. [1 week, 633,000 applications for Section 8 in NYC. What comes next?]( NYCHA officials said they'll use a random lottery to select the 200,000 applications that'll be put on the Section 8 housing voucher waitlist. [We Rely On Your Support]( [What makes a good queer hair salon? In Brooklyn, a battle over what’s inclusive.]( “Being a queer barbershop to us is more than just haircuts,” said one barber. “It’s about creating a space rooted in anti-oppression — and making decisions based on community over capitalism.” [Want to learn about the judges on the ballot in New York? There’s a tool for that.]( Using the new Scrutinize searchable database, voters can see judicial candidates' history of keeping defendants in jail before a trial, making rulings that get reversed by higher courts or issuing sentences that later get shortened. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.