Remembering 9/11: Addendum

The 9/11 Memorial at St. George, Staten Island

Staten Island To See World's Largest Ferris Wheel; But What About Transit?

Staten Island will soon become home to the world's largest Ferris Wheel, when a 625 foot tall wheel will be installed adjacent to the Richmond County Ballpark (home to the Staten Island Yankees) in St. George. Accompanying the amusement ride will be new retail development, plus a hotel. The location is ideally located for tourism and visitors will be treated to stunning views of New York Bay, including the Statue of Liberty, Lower Manhattan, and the rest of the New York City metro region.

The New York Wheel is coming to Staten Island, along with a retail and hotel complex featuring designer outlet shops that will pump nearly $500 million in private investment into the St. George waterfront and spur economic development, tourism and job growth into the future.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday is set to announce that the world's tallest observation wheel and an outlet mall will be built on 14 acres next to the Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George, transforming the North Shore waterfront.

"Our administration has made major investments all along the North Shore of Staten Island, because we know this area is full of potential for economic growth," Bloomberg said. "But this newest plan is the most exciting of all -- it's a once-in-a-generation opportunity for economic development."

At 625 feet, the $230 million New York Wheel will exceed the height of the Singapore Flyer, currently the world's tallest observation wheel, and will also eclipse the London Eye and a "High Roller" wheel planned for the Las Vegas Strip.

The ride is also expected to exceed a wheel planned for the New Jersey Meadowlands Xanadu/American Dream project. Critics are busy blasting the plan because of a lack of transit options - and most notably a lack of parking.

The new plan would clear existing parking lots to make way for the amusement ride, and there's no clear indication of where those spots would be relocated (if at all). The lots are used by commuters who park there because of a lack of transit options to commute to Manhattan by means other than the Staten Island ferry or express buses.

Staten Island has long been a backwater when it comes to transit options, and a new MTA plan to build a park-n-ride and new station in Tottenville isn't going to solve the problems either. The new station will be ADA compliant and have intermodal links with a bus stop, but it will replace two nearby stations that will be shuttered.

Staten Islanders need more transit options, and bus rapid transit is seen as one option, but more must be done to make commuting to Manhattan and the rest of the city easier. That would include more subway access, or light rail - particularly over the Bayonne Bridge to link up with the Hudson-Bergen light rail that includes a terminus at Hoboken (with links to PATH and ferries). It's not exactly a one-seat ride, but it would better integrate Staten Island transit options with the rest of the region and reduce pressure on the already overcrowded bridges.

Sadly, the Bayonne Bridge reconstruction to permit bigger ships to pass will not include a light rail option, and the construction has been expedited to make sure the Arthur Kill channel is ready for super Panamax shipping. Transit options take a back seat to other projects.

Some local residents are complaining about the lack of transit options and increased vehicle traffic that would result from the new amusement ride, but with most visitors expecting to arrive by ferry, the impact is seen as being minimal. The problem will be what to do with those cars hoping to park near the ferry terminal for their daily commute and there's no easy answer for that.

UPDATE:
A map of the area:


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Politicians Jumping All Over Cross-Hudson 7 Line Expansion

The stupidity is strong with some local politicians who are quick to jump ugly with Mayor Mike Bloomberg's proposal to extend the 7 Line to Secaucus. Apparently some have never seen a map before and think that the 7 Line should somehow be extended to Hoboken. That amazingly stupid idea comes from New Jersey Assemblyman Harold Ramos, who represents the city.

Here's that map:

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No one bothered to ask Ramos how that passes a cost-benefit analysis - and why anyone would spend billions of dollars to run a subway line from Manhattan to Secaucus and then to Hoboken. That's a massive duplication of service and doesn't make sense even if the money was available to do such a boondoggle.

Hoboken already has a well used PATH terminal and has NJ Transit's terminal as well. It is well situated with ferries and buses. There's no reason for extending the line except to grab attention for himself. At the same time the ARC project that he mentioned was never going anywhere near Hoboken.

Then, you've got Staten Island residents and local politicians complaining about Bloomberg ignoring the plight of Staten Island residents who lack a direct mass transit connection to the rest of the City.

Here's I'm far more sympathetic. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was designed and built by Robert Moses who was notoriously opposed to mass transit and isn't capable of running mass transit. There has been talk of including mass transit on the rebuilt Goethals or raised Bayonne Bridge, but that's taken a back seat to other projects. Neither would provide a direct connection with Manhattan or Brooklyn, which leaves most Staten Islanders driving or taking the ferry to get to work.

That has to change, but that wouldn't come cheap. A cross-harbor tunnel to Manhattan would be prohibitively expensive and could potentially run into competing plans for a cross-harbor rail tunnel linking Brooklyn with New Jersey that has been a long-cherished proposal that raises its head from time to time.

A tunnel across the Brooklyn Narrows to connect with the R train in Bay Ridge would be prohibitively expensive, even though it would likely service hundreds of thousands of people a day and finally incorporate Staten Island Rail into the rest of the MTA subway network. It would be cheaper than a direct link to Manhattan, but would likely run to $10 billion or more and there's no indication that anyone has the money for that proposal either.

Port Authority Commits To Raising Bayonne Bridge By 2016

These are busy and tough times for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Chris Ward, the head of the agency is being forced out to make way for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's choice, Patrick Foye, the agency has taken serious flack for its massive fare and toll hikes, and claims that it misspent money on the rebuilding at Ground Zero that has left its capital funds depleted and key infrastructure projects go undone.

One of the projects that has to get done is raising the height of the Bayonne Bridge. The bridge, which straddles the Kill Van Kull between Staten Island New York and New Jersey is an engineering masterpiece and was at one time the longest arch bridge in the world. However, it's height is a major problem considering that new super Panamax shipping is expected in the next few years as the Panama Canal expansion is completed in 2014 means that a new generation of ships wont be able to pass underneath and access the area's container shipping ports for at least two years.

Thus, it's critical that the height of the bridge roadway be raised to allow for the new class of shipping. The Port Authority is now saying that the bridge will be raised by 2016. Setting a date is a good start, but that means that other ports along the northeast will be able to benefit from shipping until the project is completed.

The project would require the roadway be raised within the arch itself, and approaches adjusted accordingly.

The Port Authority can't delay this project and in reality, it should be expediting the project to complete it by 2014 because of the importance to the local economy. Tens of thousands of jobs are in the balance here, and delays will put those jobs at risk.

UPDATE:
NJ.com has an overview of the process to raise the road deck to the 215 foot level above the water. The Port Authority has also put together a video.

Missing the Real Story About the Port Authority Easter Traffic Jam Response

Much is being made in the Star Ledger and the Staten Island Advance about the Port Authority's failure to provide sufficient cash lanes for traffic entering Staten Island during the Easter weekend. The traffic jams meant some people waited hours to go over the Outerbridge Crossing or the Goethals Bridge and the Port Authority held public hearings for people to vent their complaints about the problem.

Port Authority Chairman Christopher Ward was contrite in how the Port Authority will handle the situation going forward, and while commuters were calling for his head and the firing of those responsible for not having sufficient toll collectors on hand, Ward's response is instructive:

"Without a doubt, it was a management failure and I take full responsibility for it," Ward told angry commissioners during a morning meeting of the Port Authority’s operations committee.

Later in the day, addressing reporters after the full board’s regular monthly meeting, Ward apologized to the public, acknowledging Sunday’s traffic nightmare was not up to the Port Authority’s usual performance standards.

Ward said the agency plans to fill eight vacant toll collector positions. In addition, he said, agency managers will be given the authority to open E-ZPass lanes to all traffic. To minimize revenue losses, the agency would use cameras already in place to photograph license plates of non-E-ZPass users and then mail them a bill for the toll, Ward said.

"We consider this unacceptable," Port Authority Chairman David Samson said of Sunday’s problem. "We’ve got Mother’s Day coming up. We’ve got Memorial Day coming up. We’ve got the 4th of July. It’s unthinkable that we would have these problems."

Cedric Fulton, the agency’s director of bridges, tunnels and terminals, said the normal contingent of toll collectors for the three Staten Island crossings — the Outerbridge Crossing and Bayonne and Goethals bridges, is 39. But because of the vacancies, there are now 31 collectors, just four above the normal weekend staffing level of 27, Fulton said.

Read that part in bold again.

That's a program that would eliminate the need for toll collectors altogether, not just during peak time periods. If that program were instituted, it could eliminate the need for the toll barriers at those Port Authority bridges and tunnels - and eliminate the traffic jams created when commuters cross the bridges. Eliminating the toll barriers completely would smooth traffic flow and reduce congestion, emissions from idling vehicles, and improve air quality.

The switchover to the system that Ward proposes cannot come soon enough, and should be vastly expanded to include all the Port Authority bridges and tunnels - precisely because it eliminates the need for toll barriers that are a regular source of congestion and air pollution.

EZ Pass violators are already ticketed and fined with a camera system (that works to some extent). Ward's proposal expands on this system, but doesn't go nearly far enough. The Port Authority needs to move in the direction of the MTA, which is converting to a cashless toll collection system on the Henry Hudson Bridge linking Manhattan with the Bronx.

Staten Island's 9/11 Memorial Vandalized: CORRECTION: No Vandalism Occurred

CORRECTION: The earlier reports indicating that vandalism occurred were wrong. The Advance reports, "Borough Hall apologized to 9/11 families today, saying that the five missing panels on the “Postcards” World Trade Center memorial were not the result of new vandalism, but were removed for repairs by the city." (Two of the plaques were the ones damaged last year by the homeless woman.) Molinaro said, "I jumped the gun. We all thought it was vandalism... Nobody took any anger out on them."

My post as it originally ran:

Someone has again taken to vandalizing the 9/11 Memorial on Staten Island. This isn't the first time it's been vandalized, but the damage is more significant this time.

The "Postcards" memorial contains 274 plaques in honor of Staten Islanders who perished in the 1993 and 2001 terrorist attacks on the trade center.

Officials say five granite plaques were torn off, leaving gaping spaces in the soaring sculpture. The damage was first detected this week. No arrests have been made.

Borough President James Molinaro says the names of the victims whose plaques were removed will not be released out of respect for their families.

Molinaro says the missing plaques will be replaced from molds in time for this year's 9/11 service at the Postcards site.

Last year, two memorial plates were smashed. Another was smashed and thrown in the nearby harbor in 2007.

The memorial is adjacent to the Richmond County Ballpark where the Staten Island Yankees play, and is along the waterfront with a commanding view of New York Harbor and Lower Manhattan.

This is another photo of the memorial (taken by Frank Ritter), which looks like outstretched hands when viewed from some angles.

Staten Island Pastor Withdraws Support of Convent Sale To MAS

This may very well put an end to the possible sale of a convent on Staten Island to the Muslim American Society, which has ties to various terrorist groups, including Hamas.

The embattled pastor of the Midland Beach church considering the sale of a former convent to the Muslim American Society has withdrawn his support, and asked Archbishop Timothy Dolan to stop the sale from going forward.

In a letter to Archbishop Dolan, St. Margaret Mary R.C. Church Pastor Rev. Keith Fennessy wrote "I have concluded that the contemplated sale would not serve the needs of the parish. As a result, as Pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish, I wish to formally withdraw my support for the sale, and request that it not take place."

If the Church isn't going to sell the property, then this sorry chapter ends for the moment. The local community has been up in arms over the potential deal ever since it came to light. In particular, it was the shady background of the Muslim American Society that caught my attention unlike the proposed mosque near Ground Zero (Cordoba House).

Local Politicians Avoiding Mosque Fray On Staten Island

They tried to avoid the situation with the Cordoba House. They again are doing so in the case of a proposed sale of a convent and church on Staten Island to the Muslim group Muslim American Society.

This isn't merely the sale of a parcel of property between two religious groups, but the sale between a religious group, the Roman Catholic archdiocese and a group that has noted ties to terror organizations and the group that spawned the likes of Hamas and al Qaeda.

Further complicating matters is the fact that the church didn't send representatives to the meeting, and there's some dispute over whether they were invited or requested a presence there.

Focusing on land use and development issues is a cop-out for the local politicians.

State Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) said Wednesday’s night’s focus should have been more on the land-use issues, such as traffic and parking, and that the tone should have been less accusatory. He added that a residential developer, who would have put just two or three houses on the property, would have put less strain on the area.

“I’m not voting against a mosque,” he said. “Whether it’s a CVS, a Duane Reade, a church or a mosque, you’re going to have lots and lots of traffic that street can’t handle anymore.”

Assemblywoman Janele Hyer-Spencer (D-East Shore/Brooklyn), said it’s not up to her to intervene.

“I think myself and other government officials realize that this is a private sale between two religious entities and, as such, our role is really limited to maintaining peace and stability in the community,” she said.

Still, if the deal went through, Ms. Hyer-Spencer said she was confident the residents and MAS would eventually mesh. She said she’s already seen it happen in Bay Ridge, where a mosque was built about seven years ago. Though it took about five years, the clashing communities finally appear to be getting along.

If the group has ties to terrorist organizations, it shouldn't be getting any kind of support whatsoever and it certainly shouldn't be able to purchase land for a new mosque or community center. It should be shut down.

A Mosque Purchase In New York That Should Raise Questions

Unlike the sound and fury surrounding the Cordoba House project that would build a community center a mosque facility in a building two blocks from Ground Zero that has gotten some folks outraged, there is a proposed mosque project in Staten Island in Midland Beach that should raise eyebrows because of the group and individuals involved and their connections with Islamic terrorism.

While the Cordoba House project needs more transparency about who will be funding the project beyond those that have already been identified, this Staten Island project raises red flags.

The group, Muslim American Society, is proposing building a mosque on the site of a former convent that the Catholic Church has shuttered. The proposed sale had caught the local community off guard and this meeting was supposed to clear the air. The archdiocese did not have a representative at the meeting.

For those who aren't familiar with the Muslim American Society, they do have links with the Muslim Brotherhood, which is a worldwide movement that has spawned the likes of al Qaeda and jihadi groups that have attempted the overthrow of the Egyptian government, engaged in terrorism against Israel and the US, and which supports the likes of Hamas and Hizbullah. The Muslim Brotherhood's committed to the globalization of Islam through a variety of means, including violent jihad. Residents have a right to be wary.

MAS is Rejected at Mosque Hearing in Midland Beach

Needless to say, the meeting didn't exactly go as planned as it turned into a shouting match and the sponsors had to end the community meeting early.

One of those asking questions, Robert Spencer, repeatedly sought an answer to a simple question - "Do you denounce Hamas and Hizballah?" and eventually got a response that "MAS denounces any act of terror in the United States or outside."

What was so tough about answering that question? The response, however, does leave the door open to some interpretation because MAS would likely see Israel's actions to defend itself as terrorism, and wouldn't see the furtherance of jihad as an act of terror because it is a legitimate use of force under Islamic law.

The Muslim American Society does have strong links with pro-terrorist groups and supports an ideology that is antithetical to peaceful coexistence with those who don't support their ideology. The Investigative Project has a full dossier on the MAS.

Then, there's the positions previously taken by the people in charge of the MAS, which rallied in support of Hamas and Hizbullah:



Those spokespersons for the MAS at the meeting attempted to deflect the issue, but fell short of a proper explanation. They could not sufficiently answer questions on the group's ties to the Muslim Brotherhood remain or the group's ongoing support for groups that include Hamas and Hizbullah.

This is a situation that bears continued examination.


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Messy Osprey Landing On Staten Island Injures 10

The US Marine Corps uses the Osprey tilt-wing aircraft to ferry Marines into battle, but they can be quite tricky to operate. The Marines were on Staten Island at Clove Lake Park near the Lake House showing off the aircraft as part of the Memorial Day commemorations when one of the Ospreys caused tree limbs to shatter and go flying injuring 10 people in the process:

New York City Tax Dollars At Work

Even though New York City is facing a massive deficit and the proposed budget includes thousands of teacher layoffs and other measures to close the budget, idiocy still abounds throughout the City's vast bureaucracy.

On Staten Island, that translated into the Department of Transportation painting reflective line markers on a pothole and rutted stretch of highway that was slated to get milled and paved... starting next week.

Fresh off the pointless labor of putting lines on a Dongan Hills street, the city Department of Transportation was painting the town again yesterday, this time laying reflective white stripes down the center of the West Shore Expressway.

Only problem is, the new paint was dropped right down the pothole-riddled center of the crumbling highway, which is itself slated for milling and repaving starting Monday night.

Many of the new hashmarks were actually painted inside the potholes, which had the comical effect of accentuating their depth and craggy edges.

The state DOT, which runs the road, entrusts the city with its maintenance.

The two agencies typically coordinate their projects, to make sure both are on the same page, said state DOT spokesman Adam Levine.

The impending milling and repaving of the northbound right lane of the West Shore has been in the works for awhile, and an article about the project has appeared in the Advance. It was expected to be completed in late April.

But the work was delayed a few weeks when the contractor, InterCounty Paving Associates, was backlogged with other projects after the hard winter, and the city may not have been aware that the paving was since expedited to start on Monday.

How much money and time was wasted on that nonsense? New York City taxpayers have a right to know what this nonsense cost them, and why no one is going to make sure that it doesn't happen again. Did no one on that paint crew notice that they were simply painting into the potholes? They didn't question why they were not first fixing the potholes before painting?

I suspect that they were merely going through the motions to collect a paycheck, and didn't want to expend the effort to find out that their services should be directed elsewhere.

Port Authority Considers Replacement Bridge For Goethals

The Goethals Bridge, which was completed in 1928 to span the Arthur Kill between Staten Island and New Jersey, has been obsolete for years. There have been plans to build a parallel span or a replacement span in the works, but it would appear that the Port Authority is finally getting around to going forward. The Port Authority has released renderings of the new bridge along with a tentative completion date.

Put simply, the Goethals is a dangerous bridge to cross, regardless of the improvements done to the span over the years. The lanes are simply too narrow at 10 feet and there are no breakdown lanes so that any accident or breakdown on the bridge can lead to massive backups in short order. It is a harrowing experience under normal conditions, but can be downright dangerous when it is dark, raining, or snowing because there is little margin for error.

The mockup of the new bridge is a sleek cable stayed bridge with three 12 foot wide lanes in each direction, plus space for a light rail that could be built at a later date. There would be a breakdown lane in either direction as well.

The plan is generally sound since it would reduce traffic and congestion concerns and incorporates mass transit, although if they're going to build the bridge, do so with the light rail at the outset, since it is more cost effective than building it down the road. The Port Authority's experience in watching costs soar through the roof on the Ground Zero construction should indicate the need to build the bridge already incorporating the mass transit option.

I have no doubt that Staten Island residents are going to complain about the traffic and additional congestion on the Staten Island Expressway, but this bridge is a bottleneck on I-278. Further, the new bridge would enable larger ships to navigate the Arthur Kill, which is a major shipping lane in New York harbor.

The Port Authority had been mulling several options, including a no-build option, but their latest engineering reports indicated that the span's bridge deck would need a full replacement within 10 years, making the no-build or parallel span options unworkable.

For a change, the Port Authority is actually considering a plan that would benefit the Port and fulfill its mission to the region. Contracts would be let beginning in 2011, with completion in 2015.