Hits: 0
WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY. Photos ByPaula Piekos. March 14, 2010:
AVONDALE ROAD
SMITH AVENUE
SOUNDVIEW
Davis at Bryant
Soundview, Avondale, Smith Ave. Hard Hit. Beware of non-functioning traffic ligh
Hits: 0
WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. Special to WPCNR. March 14, 2010: WPCNR has pieced together sketchy reports from callers to WPCNR, and has learned that North Street continues to be closed south of Ridgeway and northbound past White Plains High School with Con Edison crews.
Ridgeway is closed at Mamaroneck Avenue. Police are out in force directing traffic what there is at intersections where traffic signals are not functioning.
Observers report Soundview Avenue, Avondale and Smith Avenues in the Highlands were hard hit with giant trees impacting two large homes, one of which was vacant on Smith Avenue. A tree was observed lying atop the hood of a vehicle on Soundview. During the night trees could be heard crashing in the woods along the Greenway as 30 to 50 Mile per hour winds screamed through the city.
Con Edison Calls In Aid from Other States to Repair Massive Power Out
Hits: 0
WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. From Con Edison Media Relations. March 14, 2010 8 A.M. EDT: Con Edison crews are working around the clock and against treacherous conditions to address downed wires and road closures as well as to restore power to customers affected by the powerful, slow-moving wind and rain storm that continues to pound the region.
In the storm’s wake: Powersaws were out humming as White Plainsians woke up to downed trees, debris everywhere. The Saturday-Sunday night storm was powerful enough to rip shutters nailed to the sides of homes. Photo by WPCNR>
The company will get mutual aid from utilities in several states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, starting today. The company also expects that it will be in a better position to assess and repair damage once the storm conditions become less severe. To date, the strong winds have made it unsafe in many instances for Con Edison workers to go up in bucket trucks, and felled trees have made many roads impassable.
Even with the efforts by Con Edison and the utilities providing mutual aid, the total restoration effort will continue through the week.
About 167,000 customers have been affected by the storm in the Con Edison service area in New York City and Westchester County. Currently, 138,000 are without power. Of that number, 72,000 are in Westchester County, 32,000 on Staten Island, and a total of 34,000 in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. The company has restored power to about 29,000 customers in its service territory.
Fierce winds and heavy rain have driven trees into power lines and knocked out electricity. Winds remain strong and further tree damage and outages are possible.
Con Edison has additional customer service representatives, electrical and construction crews, along with tree-clearing crews working around the clock to respond to customers and power outages that may occur.
Customers are urged to call Con Edison immediately to report any outages at 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). Customers can also report power interruptions or service problems as well as view service restoration information online at www.conEd.com and on their cell phones and PDAs. When reporting an outage, customers should have their Con Edison account number available, if possible, and report whether their neighbors also have lost power.
In the event of severe outages, primary distribution feeders are restored first, with the highest priority given to lines that supply the most customers out of service. Next, the crews restore secondary facilities, such as transformers and secondary cables, again with highest priority given to lines supplying the most customers out of service. Individual services, lines serving a single home, will be restored as crews become available.
Con Edison offers the following tips to prepare for a storm:
- If you see downed electrical wires, do not go near them. Treat all downed wires as if they are live. Never attempt to move or touch them with any object. Be mindful that downed wires can be hidden from view by tree limbs, leaves or water. Report all downed wires to Con Edison and your local police department immediately. If a power line falls on your car while you’re in it, stay inside the vehicle and wait for emergency personnel.
- If your power goes out, turn off all lights and appliances to prevent overloaded circuits when power is restored. Leave at least one light switch in the on position to alert you when power has been restored.
- Check to make sure your flashlights and any battery-operated radios or televisions are in working order. Use candles and oil lamps with care. Also, make sure you have a supply of extra batteries. Weather updates and news on restorations of electrical service can be heard on most local radio and television stations.
- Avoid opening your freezer to see if food is still frozen. Every time you open the door, room-temperature air enters and speeds the thawing process. Most fully loaded freezers will keep food frozen for approximately 36 to 48 hours; half-full freezers will keep food frozen for approximately 24 hours.
The company is maintaining close contact with the New York City Office of Emergency Management and the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services to coordinate storm response as necessary.
20% of County Con Ed Customers OUT as of 8 A.M.! Storm Causes Havoc
Hits: 0
WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. March 14, 2010 UPDATED 8:30 A.M. E.D.T.: The storm with no name continues to raise havoc in Westchester County as the number of Con Edison reported outages affecting 70,525 of the 346,452 Con Ed customer base as of 8 A.M.
In White Plains, 6,158 customers are without power with trees blocking driveways…and debris scattered through the streets.
Yonkers is hardest hit with 10,936 reporting no power. Greenburgh reports 8,585 outages, and New Rochelle, 7,399.
Though the powerful winds of the Saturday storm have subsided, the rain has not. Light posts are down, branches and debris are on roads, and bear in mind that the 70,525 customers mean many more thousands in people are affected.
WPCNR has received no word from the county or the City of White Plains on conditions. Only Con Edison is supplying any information through their website. The true extent of the damage the storm continues to inflict will be visible in daylight. Motorists should exercise extreme caution. Tree roots are saturated and subject to uprooting as their moorings are made less firm by the wet earth.
Parade, Friendly Gathering go on Despite Storm. Bradleys Appear. Ice Show Sunda
Hits: 0
WPCNR SATURDAY NIGHT. March 13, 2010:
At the Friendly Gathering at Good Counsel Saturday night, a crowd braved the stormy night, despite power being out to over 4,000 White Plains residents. The annual gathering honored Lorraine Buonocunto, of the Ecumenical Food Pantry of White Plains.
The Friendly Gathering was highlighted by an appearance by White Plains Mayor Adam Bradley, his wife, and their two children who attended the festivities and were greeted by many well-wishers coming up to their table.
At Ebersole Rink the ice show was scheduled to go on at the roofed facility which is protected from the elements. WPCNR has learned Sunday morning the show was postponed late Saturday afternoon and will be “iced” and rescheduled to go on Sunday evening at 6:30 P.M.
Westchester Airport Closed by PowerOut. Mam Ave, Parkview Court, Church OUT
Hits: 0
WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. March 13,2010: Con Edison reports Westchester County, has over 51,000 customers who have lost power due to the high winds and driving rain storm that has been scouring the county for over 15 hours.
The amount of customers exceeds the 35,000 outages experienced by the county in the snowstorm of February 27 by 15,000 and the number is growing. Yonkers, Greenburgh, White Plains, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, and Mount Pleasant are very hard hit.
In White Plains, Peter Katz reports that vast banks of homes down Mamaroneck Avenue south of the downtown appear to have lost power. He also reports that the area of Parkview Court and Church Street are without power at this time. Con Edison reports 4,390 White Plains customers are experiencing power failure as of 9 P.M. and they hope to restore power to those White Plainsians by 11 P.M. tonight.
Katz tells WPCNR that Westchester County Airport is closed because of a power outage, and the airport reports winds of 25 knots, gusting to 45 knots, and it is raining in White Plains.
Katz said Con Edison crews appeared be assembling on Mamaroneck Avenue as of 9 P.M. to deal with the darkout.
Elsewhere around the county, outages have grown since nightfall. Con Edison Storm Center reports Yonkers has 8,069 without power; Rye City, 2,308; Port Chester, 172; Peekskill, 144; North Tarrytown, 312; North Castle, 1,692; New Rochelle, 6,484; Mount Vernon, 2,775; Mt. Pleasant, 2,591; Mamaroneck, 696; Larchmont, 1,048; Irvington, 1,194; Hastings, 280; Greenburgh, 6,830; Elmsford, 527; Eastchester,1,659;Dobbs Ferry, 245; Briarcliff, 504; Bronxville, 1,216; and Ardsley, 578.
To find out Con Edison’s estimated time when they will have power restored go to the online Con Edison Storm Center at http://apps.coned.com/weboutageinfo/stormcenter/default.aspx
WIND, SHEETS OF RAIN RAMPAGE ACROSS WESTCHESTER COUNTY
Hits: 0
WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. March 13, 2010: As night fell across the city, howling east winds of gale force sounding like a fast freight train, blew limbs off trees, sent power wires singing, opened garbage storage bins and shredded branches, even blew nailed-down shutters off homes.
The close to the surface winds bent trees over as if they were palmtrees and have devasted Westchester communities with power outages and dangerous road conditions.
The outages are amazing: Con Edison Storm Center reports 1,101 customers powerless in White Plains; 1,803in Yonkers; 1,949 in Scarsdale; a staggering 4,329 without electricity in New Rochelle; 1,171 in North Castle (Chappaqua); 479 in Port Chester; 2,416 in Mount Vernon; 964 in Mt. Pleasant; 593 in Ardsley; 158 in Briarcliff; 959 in Bronxville; 119 in Dobbs Ferry; 1,588 in Harrison; 154 in Hastings; 534 in Irvington; 585 in Mamaroneck (where 10% of Con Ed customers are without power).
NORTH STREET CLOSED AT RIDGEWAY DUE TO DOWNED TREE & LIVE WIRES
Hits: 0
WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. Special to the CitizeNetReporter from Paula Piekos with WPCNR and Con Edison Sources. March 13, 2010:
As of 3:45 P.M. E.D.T. North Street (Route 127) was closed in BOTH DIRECTIONS due to a fallen tree on live wires. Utility vehicles were on the scene. Live wires are on the roadway. Motorists should avoid the area.
Police Department is very busy at this time, persons knowing of any other road closures in the city, please advise the CitizeNetReporter,914-997-1607
CON EDISON REPORTS 786 WHITE PLAINS CUSTOMERS ARE WITHOUT POWER IN THE CITY AS OF 4 P.M. DUE TO THE TROPICAL STORM WITH GALE FORCE WINDS CLOCKED IN THE 40 TO 50 MILE AN HOUR RANGE. GREENBURGH IS REPORTED BY CON EDISON TO HAVE 802 CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER.
ACROSS WESTCHESTER COUNTY 5,048 CON EDISON CUSTOMERS ARE REPORTING POWER OUTAGES.
CON EDISON AS OF 4:07 P.M. IS ESTIMATING POWER WILL BE RESTORED BY 10 P.M. SATURDAY EVENING.
TREE FALLS ON NORTH STREET, FELLING LIVE WIRES CLOSING NORTH STREET IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AS OF 4 P.M.
LIVE WIRES SMOULDER ON STONE WALL AT RIDGEWAY AND NORTH STREET
$11 Million Sales Tax Collection Gap Looms After 8 Months of City Fiscal Year
Hits: 0
WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. March 12, 2010:
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today reportes Sales Tax Collections for the first 8 months of the White Plains 2009-10 fiscal year are 22% behind the 2008-2009 pace, $7.1 Million off what was collected last year through eight months.
If the present 7 to 8% rate of decline does not turn up dramatically, City Sales Tax Receipts will lag $10 Million behind last year’s actual collections and possibly $11 Million short of forecast. The $11 Million sales tax gap alone would precipitate drastic budget cuts in 2010-11, or a property tax increase of 33%.
The February Sales Tax Receipts were down 7.3% from February 2009, according to figures released to The CitizeNetReporter by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
This is the third consecutive month sales tax receipts have declined in the
If the present 7 to 8% rate of decline does not turn up dramatically, City Sales Tax Receipts will lag $10 Million behind last year’s actual collections ($46.3 Million)and possibly $11 Million short of forecast ($47.3 Million).
The $11 Million sales tax gap alone could precipitate drastic budget cuts in 2010-11, or a property tax increase of 33% to make up the sales tax receipts gap.
The February Sales Tax Receipts were down 7.3% from February 2009, according to figures released to The CitizeNetReporter by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
This is the third consecutive month sales tax receipts have declined in the
By contrast,
State Proposes 2-Lane East West Bus Lanes for Hamilton Avenue for E-W Corridor.
Hits: 0
WPCNR IN TRANSIT. By John F. Bailey. March 11, 2010: The backbone of the new Rockland-Westchester County mass transit system of the future — the Bus Rapid Transit line — is envisioned by officials as traveling east-west on Hamilton Avenue in downtown White Plains, the Council of Neighborhood Associations learned Tuesday night. For many it was the first they had heard of the plan to go through White Plains.
The route the DOT feels is the most efficient at this time is to dedicate two lanes for Bus Rapid Transit, on Hamilton Avenue, one eastbound, the other westbound, with dedicated buslines coursing from 119 East onto Hamilton and down North Broadway eastbound to Westchester Avenue, and a dedicated bus line westbound coming up North Broadway Westbound off Westchester Avenue, connecting with Hamilton Avenue out to Route 119. It was the first time the Hamlton solution had been presented to the general public.
2 Plans to access Hamilton. Via Main Street, or a Tunnel
“The Hamilton Solution” has the eastbound Rapid Transit buses coming off the Cross Westchester Expressway at Exit 5, entering Route 119 and Westbound Rapid Transit buses entering the city via Westchester Avenue. The buses connect between Hamilton Avenue and Route 119 in one of two ways.
1. Tunnel: One way is via a tunnel under the Metro North Railroad, the Bronx River and the Bronx River Parkway, avoiding Main Street completely.
and
2. Eastbound and West bound buses swinging on or off Hamilton respectively on a bypass feeding them to Main Street and under the railtracks back to Route 119.
The Department of Transportation, Metro North officials, and traffic engineers who have been working on Westchester and Rockland County transit problems for three years in connection with the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement projection, unveiled their most detailed solution yet to how the East-West I-287 “Bus Rapid Transit Trunk Line” would access White Plains to the Council of Neighborhood Associations.
James Coyle of AECOM, the engineering firm working with the DOT, said the 2-Bus Hamilton Plan came out of a suggestion in the fall at a public meeting that a dedicated bus line East on Main Street in White Plains would cause too much congestion, and that placing two lanes, one eastbound and one Westbound, on Hamilton Avenue might make more sense, the DOT engineers examined this and put forth two ways it might be executed.
Coyle said the two-lane concept would work better because it would not disrupt the already-congested
The transit team presented the
The lively reception ended with two residents, Pat Casey, of the White Plains Times pointing out the double bus lane on Hamilton Avenue might be at odds with a downtown that has been envisioned by some, including the new administration as having more open spaces and walking plazas, and that the new administration in city hall was looking at those kind of urban “green amenities.”
This prompted another resident to say it was long overdue that the city overhaul its “comprehensive plan,” and should start immediately to create a new plan, decide what the city really wants and needs in its downtown. Various local traffic buffs dismissed the plan as not dealing with realities of traffic in
Naomi Klein, Principal Planner for the Westchester County Department of Transportation, said that the principle of mass transit was to move people into the center of destinations , eliminating the need for commuters to make multiple transfers, which increases congestion.
Asked by WPCNR if the state Bus Rapid Transit system as it grew would work with the
Russell Robins, the leader of the Department of Transportation entourage, assured the Council of Neighborhood Associations that “Nothing will be imposed on the city. This is going to be a participatory process. ” He said the public will have ample opportunities to weight in on the plan for Hamilton Avenue and that the alternative presented this evening will be fully explored in the Developmental Impact Statement being prepared over the next year.