NEWS YOU CAN USE
Notify NYC sends out 1000th messageThe New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) today announced that Notify NYC, the City’s official emergency public notification system, sent its 1,000th message to subscribers this week. Since the program launched citywide in May 2009 Notify NYC subscribers have received text messages, phone calls and/or emails about more than 875 incidents around the City.
Notify NYC is a free emergency notification service that provides ZIP-code specific information about significant events in all five boroughs. Subscribers can choose to receive notifications by e-mail, SMS/text, and/or recorded telephone calls. Notifications are also sent to OEM’s Twitter page and can be delivered to taxi drivers, or on electronic road signs operated by the Department of Transportation (DOT). To date more than 65,000 people have registered with Notify NYC.
For more information about Notify NYC or to register, visit www.nyc.gov/notify.
York College’s Fourth Annual Scholarship Benefit Concert
York College’s Fourth Annual Scholarship Benefit Concert will honor Borough President Helen Marshall and businessman, Vincent M. Albanese, Esq. on Monday, April 11.
The concert at the college’s Performing Arts Center will feature 3 Mo Divas performing music from across the genres. Television journalist, David Ushery of NBC 4, will serve as emcee.
The York College Foundation Scholarship Benefit gala has raised funds to support the college’s Merit Scholars for the past four years. The scholarship, established five years ago, has already had a full cohort of graduates who have gone on to graduate schools, medical school or are establishing busy careers in traditional business as well as in aviation management.
Lane closure on RFK Bridge ramp
Beginning Monday, April 11, the left lane will be closed on the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge’s Queens to Manhattan ramp and the closure will last until late fall.
The several months long, round the clock closure is necessary while old concrete is drilled and removed, repairs are made to steel rebar and a new roadway deck is installed, said the MTA.
In addition to the concrete work, contractors will be cleaning and replacing existing steel rebar as needed and repairing roadway joints.
The work involves about 1,200 feet of roadway and should only impact traffic minimally with traffic being reopened after the work zone, said the MTA.
Gas Prices
Gas prices in New York City are averaging $3.88 per gallon as of Sunday, April 3, an eight cent rise from last week.
Nationally the average is $3.65 per gallon.
The city’s average gas price is almost a dollar per gallon higher than at the same time a year ago and 15 cents higher than last month.
Tax Day April 18
Due to a legal holiday in the District of Columbia the deadline for filing taxes this year is April 18, not April 15.
Also, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has released a video “Avoiding Common Income Tax Error.” The video provides tips on identifying and avoiding common errors on tax returns that can delay your return and refund.
The video is available at https://www.youtube.com/user/NYSTaxDepartment#p/u/0/E-MVjnCE5gE
Job Expo at York College
Councilmember Leroy Comrie and Assemblymember William Scarborough are sponsoring the annual Queens Job Expo on Friday, April 8, at York College.
The college is located at 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, and the event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Representatives from the healthcare, retail, banking, insurance, aviation, transportation, non-profit sector, administration, utility maintenance, law enforcement and government fields will be present.
For more information, call Comrie’s office at 718-776-3700.
No. 7 subway weekend work scheduled
Due to switch replacement work, the No. 7 line will be out of service between the Mets-Willets Point and Flushing-Main Street stations during four weekends over the next two months, the MTA announced.
The No. 7 line will not be running between the times of 4 a.m. Saturday and 10 p.m. Sunday on the weekends of March 26 – 27, April 2 – 3, April 16 – 17 and May 14 – 15.
Free shuttle buses will be available to carry passengers between the Mets-Willets Point and Flushing-Main Street stations on these weekends.
Also, from March 23 to May 13, the last Manhattan-bound express train will leave Flushing-Main Street at 9 a.m. rather 9:55 a.m.
Transit personnel will be on hand during the weekends to provide assistance for those using the shuttle buses.
The No.7 line was also out of service on the weekend of March 11 due to heavy rains on the night before that damaged the signal system in the tunnel.
For more information, visit www.mta.info and click on “Planned Service Changes.”
Schedule changes on Metro-North
The Metro-North Railroad will implement minor changes to certain train schedule beginning Sunday, April 3.
Changes to the schedules are planned for Hudson, Harlem and New Haven line customers to accommodate various construction projects, to better reflect actual running times and to improve operational reliability.
A new Friday-only train will also be added to the New Haven line.
For more information and the schedule adjustments visit https://mta.info/mnr/html/serviceupdates.htm?story=685 and pick up a new timetable at Info Booths or ticket windows.
