Presenters: Leonard G. Townes, Commissioner, Westchester County Dept. of Social Services Blanca Lopez, Assistant Director of Operations for Westchester County Thursday, July 15th 11:00 AM -12:00 PM Register Now |
2020 Traffic Dropped to Lowest Level Nationwide in Urban Areas Since 1991
WPCNR TRAFFICA. Special to WPCNR from Texas & M Transportation Institute. June 23, 2021:
COVID-19 cut traffic delay to 1991 levels, but not for very long, TTI study shows
America’s worst public health crisis in a century flattened roadway congestion to levels not seen in 30 years. But the respite was short-lived, according to the 2021 Urban Mobility Report from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.
Study results will be posted online at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, June 29, at https://mobility.tamu.edu/umr/.
Last published in 2019, the research provides detailed traffic conditions for 494 urban areas across all states and Puerto Rico. The study was funded by the Texas Department of Transportation and the National Institute for Congestion Reduction.
As noted by this year’s UMR, Americans experienced four distinct traffic years in one during 2020:
- January and February, when things looked a lot like the year before.
- March through May, when the shutdown produced roadway congestion levels not experienced since the first George Bush was President and postage stamps cost a quarter.
- June through August, when the rush hours began to reappear, reminding us of what traffic was like at about the turn of the century.
- By September, delay conditions were creeping back toward normal (even if most everything else wasn’t).
As America emerges from the pandemic, 2021 promises to be another traffic year like so many others — worse than most of those that came before.
Jones of the 17th: “In this moment, the only path forward is to abolish the filibuster and pass the For the People Act with a simple majority in the Senate.” Introduces “Preventing Election Subversion Act of 2021”
Today, Congressman Mondaire Jones (D-NY) released the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked debate on legislation to protect voting rights and save our democracy:
“Our democracy is in crisis. From the armed, white supremacist-led insurrection at the Capitol, to Donald Trump’s baseless attempts to overturn last year’s presidential election, to the racist voter suppression laws being enacted in states across the nation, it becomes clearer every day that the crisis we face is existential.
“Democrats understand this moment and are united in our commitment to protecting our democracy. That is why we passed the For the People Act in the House and why every Senate Democrat voted to begin debate on this legislation today.
“Republicans, on the other hand, no longer believe in government for the people, by the people. They’ve wholeheartedly embraced authoritarianism. It comes as no surprise that they have once again moved in lockstep to block the Senate from even debating the For the People Act.
“Despite Democrats’ repeated efforts to seek a deal, and the fact that more than two-thirds of Americans support this legislation, Republicans in Washington have refused to engage in good faith. If our negotiating partners won’t even come to the table, there is no reason to compromise. We must instead do right by the American people. In this moment, the only path forward is to abolish the filibuster and pass the For the People Act with a simple majority in the Senate.
“My friend Chuck Schumer has said all along that when it comes to protecting voting rights, failure is not an option, and I couldn’t agree more. Today’s vote makes clear that the only way to avoid failure and protect the fundamental rights of all Americans is to abolish the filibuster.”
Today, Congressman Mondaire Jones (D-NY), along with Representatives John Sarbanes (D-MD), Nikema Williams (D-GA), Colin Allred (D-TX), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the Preventing Election Subversion Act of 2021, legislation to promote free and fair elections and actively combat the attempts by Republican-run states to subvert elections.
Currently, in states like Georgia, Republicans have been removing non-partisan local election officials, whose responsibilities include selecting precinct locations, establishing voting hours, and certifying elections, posing a threat to the integrity of our elections. The Preventing Election Subversion Act of 2021 will institute new federal safeguards that will help keep the foundations of our democracy strong by insulating state election administration from partisan pressure.
“This year, the right to vote has been under the worst assault since Jim Crow,” said Congressman Mondaire Jones. “Republicans in state houses across the country have gone to outrageous lengths to silence Black and brown voters, introducing over 400 racist voter suppression bills and removing non-partisan election officials who oversee and certify elections. Our bill would protect the independence of local election officials and ensure that future elections are free and fair.”
Specifically, the Preventing Election Subversion Act of 2021 would:
- Limit arbitrary and unfounded removals of local election officials by requiring a “for cause” standard to be met before suspension and provide a federal cause of action to enforce this standard;
- Allow a local election official who has responsibility for federal elections and who has been subjected to removal proceedings by a state board of elections to remove that proceeding to federal district court for redress;
- Make it a federal crime for any person, whether acting under color of law or otherwise, to intimidate, threaten, coerce, harass, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, coerce, or harass an election worker;
- Establish a minimum buffer zone to limit how close a poll observer may come within a voter or ballot at a polling location during an early voting period or on Election Day; and
- Require challenges to a voter’s eligibility to register to vote or to cast a ballot, other than from an election official, to be supported by personal knowledge with respect to each individual challenged.
JOHN BAILEY’S WHITE PLAINS REPORT ON WVOX AM 1460 THIS MORNING ON “THE DENNIS AND TONNIE GOOD MORNING WESTCHESTER PROGRAM” COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
REPORTS LIVE ON WVOC 1460 AM ON THE DENNIS AND TONNY GOOD MORNING WESTCHESTER PROGRAM 7:50 AM EDT WEEKLY LIVE AROUND THE WORLD AT WVOX.COM
“GOOD MORNING DENNIS AND TONNY FROM WHITE PLAINS NY USA WHERE IT IS 74 AND SUNNY WPCNR DEGREES.
HOW DO YOU LIKE THE NEW NORMAL DENNIS AND TONNIE? ARE THE GOVERNOR AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE GETTING ALONG? ARE WE ALL GETTING BEYOND COVID? STATE SENATOR SHELLEY MEYER TOLD ME IN AN INTERVIEW FRIDAY AFTER GOVERNOR CUOMO VIRTUALLY SAID “ANYTHING GOES” LAST WEEK. SENATOR MEYER TOLD ME AND I QUOTE:
“IT IS A FANTASTIC DEVELOPMENT THAT 70% OF NEW YORKERS HAVE HAD AT LEAST ONE SHOT AND THAT THERE IS A SENSE OF RELIEF AS WE SIT HERE IN WHITEPLAINS, THROUGHOUT MY DISTRICT YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE VERY HAPPY TO GO BACK OUT TO SHOP WEARING MASKS OR NOT WEARING A MASK THERE’S QUITE A MIX OF THAT. I THINK IT’S A VERY POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND I’M HAPPY WE’VE REACHED THE 70% ALTHOUGH, SENATOR MEYER TOLD ME, I’D LIKE US TO GET TO A HIGHER NUMBER, IN ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES IT IS STILL DISPROPORTUNATE IN ALL ZIP CODES. UNQUOTE.
WHAT’S AHEAD? SENATOR MAYER SAID “I THINK THE GOVERNOR HAS TOO MUCH POWER GIVEN WHERE WE ARE IN THE PANDEMIC AND THINK AS WE EBB I THINK IT’S APPROPRIATE TO LIMIT HIS EMERGENCY POWERS AND ALLOW HIM TO HAVE TRADITIONAL POWERS DURING AN EMERGENCY AND SOME KINDS OF HEALTH THING, BUT BEYOND THAT I THINK PEOPLE ARE READY FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO HAVE MORE OF AN EQUAL POWER AGAINST THE GOVERNOR . I’M IN FAVOR OF THAT.” SO WE WILL SEE WHETHER THE LEGISLATURE WHEN THEY RECONVENE WHENEVER THAT IS IF THIS EFFORT TO HAVE POWER TO OVERRULE THE GOVERNOR TAKES FLIGHT AGAIN.
YOU CAN SEE THE COMPLETE SHELLY MAYER INTERVIEW THURSDAY NIGHT AT8 ON WWW.WPCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG OR ON FIOS CHANNEL 45 COUNTYWIDE OR OPTIMUM CH. 76 IN WHITE PLAINS,
MEANWHILE DENNIS, THE PACE OF VACCINATIONS IN WESTCHESTER SHOW INTRIGUING INFORMATION– THE POPULATION OF WESTCHESTER HAS GROWN BY 200,000 PERSONS OVER A MILLION. 556,308 PERSONS ACCORDING TO THE STATE HAVE COMPLETED THEIR SECOND SHOT THAT’S 57% OF OUR ESTIMATE POPULATION OF 967,612 AND 614,700 MORE HAVE RECEIVED ONE SHOT WHICH MEANS 1,171,008 WESTCHESTER RESIDENTS HAVE GOTTEN SHOTS—THAT’S 203,000 MORE WESTCHESTER RESIDENTS THAN THE PREVIOUS CENSUS SHOWED. THIS IS GREAT NEWS FOR THE COUNTY IF THIS IS CORRECT.
WESTCHESTER AT THE PRESENT RATE OF SECOND SHOTS SHOULD BE COMPLETELY VACCINATED BY JULY 31, ASSUMING WESTCHESTER CAN ADMINISTER 15,000 SECOND SHOTS A DAY IT WOULD TAKE 40 DAYS TO VACCINATE 2ND SHOTS IN THE 614,700 NEEDING A SECOND SHOT AS OF MONDAY MORNING.
THE MID-HUDSON REGION THOUGH IS PROCEEDING AT A MUCH SLOWER VACCINATION PACE OF 39,000 2ND VACCINATIONS A WEEK OF NEW PERSONS STILL IN NEED OF A SECOND SHOT. IN THE MID HUDSON REGION AS OF MONDAY, 1,225,367 STILL NEED A SECOND SHOT OF THE MIDHUDSON 2.3 MILLION. OF THAT TOTAL WESTCHESTER HAS 1,074,633 STILL NEEDING A SECOND SHOT,MEANS 1,225,367 IN THE MID HUDSON REGION NEED A SECOND SHOT AT 39,000 SECOND SHOTS A WEEK, THE REGION WILL NOT BE FULLY VACCINATED UNTIL THE FIRST WEEK IN DECEMBER. THIS POSES THE POTENTIAL RISK IN THE 6 OTHER COUNTIES OTHER THAN WESTCHESTER OF A POSSIBLE THIRD WAVE OF INFECTIONS DURING THE SOCIALIZING OF FALL AND THE HOLIDAYS.
REMEMBER OUR 701 WESTCHESTER AVENUE DISPUTE LAST WEEK, DENNIS? THREE MEMBERS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL, NADINE HUNT-ROBINSON, JOHN MARTIN AND VICTORIA PRESSER CAME TO EDUCATION HOUSE LAST WEDNESDAY AND SAT DOWN WITH 5 MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND HEARD THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT MAYOR TOM ROACH’S PROPOSED PROCEDURE FOR CREATING A NEW MASTER PLAN FOR THE CITY.
THEY HEARD QUESTIONS FROM MIKE SANCHEZ OF THE NORTH STREET ASSOCIATION – THE DISTRICT WHERE I LIVE AND PHONED IN COMMENTS AND MOSTLY CRITICISMS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT NOW BEING DONE MOSTLY THAT THERE WAS TOO MUCH AND THE COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION WAS NOT LISTENING TO COMPLAINTS. COUNCILWOMAN NADINE HUNT-ROBINSON DISPUTED THIS POINTING OUT THAT WHEN RESIDENTS IN AFFECTED NEIGHBORHOODS CAME OUT TO PUBLIC HEARINGS, THE COUNCIL LISTENED TO THEM AND DIRECTED DEVELOPERS TO GO BACK AND WORK OUT COMPROMISES WITH THE NEIGHBORS.
JOHN MARTIN, THE 19-YEAR MEMBER OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OBSERVED THAT THE PREVIOUS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DEVELOPED IN A 2-1/2 YEAR PROCESS ENDING IN 1997 PRODUCED THE CURRENT PLAN ACTUALLY CALLED FOR MORE RESIDENCES TO BE BUILT IN THE DOWNTOWN AND TO PROTECT THE OUTER NEIGHBORHOODS. HE SAID THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAST 21 YEARS REFLECTED THIS.
THE CURRENT STALL OF PROJECTS LIKE THE WHITE PLAINS MALL AND THE SECOND HOLE IN THE GROUND THE WHITE PLAINS PAVILLION FORMERSITE AND THE STOPPING OF CONSTRUCTION ON THE MITCHELL ON MAMARONECK AVENUE DUE TO THE BUILDING CONTRACTOR HAVING FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE PANDEMIC EFFECTS ACCORDING TO THE CITY.
COMMON COUNCIL MEMBERS IN A VERY BOLD GESTURE SHOWED UP AND DEFENDED THE MAYOR’S PRESENT PLAN TO REVISE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WILL APPOINT A STEERING COMMITTEE VERY SIMILAR TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE THAT EXPLORED TOPICS OF CONCERN 25 YEARS AGO. THE PROCESS IS EXPECTED TO GO OUT 4 YEARS AND POSSIBLY 6 BEFORE THE NEW PLAN IS IMPLEMENTED WHATEVER THAT MEANS.
THE CONCERN I HAVE IS HOW CAN YOU PLAN WHEN YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT EFFECTS OF THE COMPLETED PROJECTS NOW APPROVED BUT NOT PROGRESSING WILL HAVE ON WHAT YOU THINK MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ANY VISION OF THE FUTURE
SPEAKING OF DEVELOPMENT, MARTIN GINSBURG THE DEVELOPER SHOWED OFF HIS NEW RENOVATION OF ONE MARTINE AVENUE LAST THURSDA AND THE APARTMENTS ARE UNIQUELY SPECTACULAR WITH NO APARTMENTS THE SAME ON ANY FLOOR, ROOMY LIVING AREAS SPECTACULAR SPREAD FROM NARROW ENTRANCE CORRIDERS OPENING TO BEDROOMS AND WIDE ANGLE LIVING AREAS WELL WORTH A LOOK.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT POSTPONED THE MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADUATION SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT AND MOVED IT TO THURSDAY…THE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION IS SUPPOSED TAKE PLACE WEDNESDAY EVENING AT 5.
IT’S BEEN A PLEASURE!