Council will also vote on the Use of Voluntary Recycling Incentive Programs in Public Housing Developments and on the Online Publishing of Collision Reports by the NYPD

City Hall – Today, the New York City Council will vote on legislation to increase reporting on citywide reproductive health statistics. The Council will also vote to establish a carshare parking pilot program through the Department of Transportation. In addition, the Council will vote on the development of a voluntary recycling incentive program in public housing developments. The Council will also vote on requiring the NYPD to make collision reports available online. Finally, the Council will vote on landmark designation status for six locations around the city, and on recommended appointments to the Conflicts of Interest Board and the Equal Employment Practices Commission.

Increased Reporting on Citywide Reproductive Health Statistics

Introduction 1161-A, sponsored by Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to report to the Council, either as part of the Mayor’s Management Report or as a standalone report, data on immunization rates of New Yorkers for the Human Papillomavirus, often referred to as HPV. Data would be disaggregated by age group, series initiation, series completion, and age of the recipient.

Introduction 1162-A, sponsored by Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to report to the Council, either as part of the Mayor’s Management Report or as a standalone report, data on the use of contraceptive methods by city residents. Data would be collected annually for adults, and no less than biennially for high school students, and would be disaggregated by age group, education, race or ethnicity, and community district.

Introduction 1172-A, sponsored by Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to report to the Council on maternal mortality. This annual report would include maternal mortality numbers and rates, disaggregated by race and borough. It would also include recommendations on steps that could be taken by the Department and others to reduce maternal mortality.

“Collecting data on reproductive health is an important step toward tackling everything from STD transmission rates among teens to identifying common causes of maternal mortality,” said Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “Surveying New York City’s population will offer valuable insight to our health care providers and help ensure that they are equipped with the most relevant information as they make potentially lifesaving decisions.  I thank Council Member Elizabeth Crowley and the members of the Committee on Health for their work on this essential reproductive health initiative.”

“Too often in New York City, women’s health services are not prioritized. This can adversely affect our communities – because women’s health lends to the family’s health, which lends to our city’s health. These three bills will increase reporting to key pieces of the puzzle for a woman’s health. If the city is more transparent and we have information on vaccination rates, use of LARCs and maternal mortality, we can better determine how to move forward with the best resources for all New York City women. My thanks to Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito for her support, leadership and dedication to women everywhere,” said Council Member Elizabeth Crowley.

Establishment of a Carshare Parking Pilot Program

As short-term car rental services grow, carsharing is becoming more prevalent in New York City. Existing evidence suggests that carsharing reduces both the number of vehicles on the road and the total vehicle miles travelled – a difference that has the potential to reduce congestion and pollution and improve parking availability.

Introduction 873-A, sponsored by Council Member Mark Levine, would direct the Department of Transportation (DOT) to conduct a two-year carsharing pilot program, during which a limited number of on-street parking spaces would be reserved for carshare vehicles. DOT would be required to report to the Council on the results of the pilot, including its impact on the driving and car-ownership habits of drivers. Participating carshare companies would have to cooperate with DOT by sharing requested data.

“New York is home to more than a 1.4 million cars, and as anyone who’s ever looked for a parking spot in Borough Park, Forest Hills or anywhere in Manhattan knows all too well, it is a brutal and time consuming process,” said Council Member Mark Levine. “Car sharing programs have extraordinary potential to solve this problem while increasing quality of life by reducing road congestion and growing the number of people who have access to cars. The quality of life, economic, and even environmental benefits of these programs are significant. The research is clear that for every one shared car put on a city street, between 5 and 10 less fuel efficient cars are taken off.”

Introduction 267-A, sponsored by Council Member Rosie Mendez by request of the Manhattan Borough President, would require the Department of Transportation to include designated parking spaces in municipal parking facilities as part of the carshare pilot program.

“Car ownership comes with an average price tag of $9,000 a year, and for most New Yorkers, a lot of stress,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. “Car-sharing makes it easier for occasional car users to drop the expense, avoid the stress, and un-crowd our streets, but only if it’s easily accessible. I thank Councilmember Mendez, Councilmember Levine, and Speaker Mark-Viverito for their work on these bills, and look forward to seeing the Dept. of Transportation’s pilot programs give more New Yorkers access to car-sharing.”

Consulting on Incentivized Recycling in Public Housing Developments

Introduction 820-A, sponsored by the Public Advocate Letitia James, would require the Department of Sanitation to consult with the New York City Housing Authority on implementing a pilot incentives program to increase recycling rates in public housing. If the department concludes that such a program is feasible and would increase recycling rates, it must implement such a program by 2020. After two years, the department will be required to report on the pilot’s effectiveness and on whether it should be made permanent.

“Recycling is one of the easiest ways we can protect our environment and conserve precious resources,” said Public Advocate Letitia James. “This an opportunity to ensure that the largest public housing system in the country is playing a vital, simple role in preserving our planet. Utilizing incentive programs not only allow educates New Yorkers about the importance of adopting recycling, but they also supports small businesses by injecting money back into the local economy and saves our City millions each year.”

Online Publishing of Collision Reports by the NYPD

It is currently difficult for victims of automobile collisions to obtain necessary paperwork. The requesting party must appear at a particular police facility to obtain a copy of the report.  This process is burdensome and inconvenient, especially for people injured in an accident.

Introduction 1280-B, sponsored by Council Member Chaim Deutsch, would require the NYPD to make automobile collision reports available online to certain interested parties. Collision reports would be made available to persons named on the report that have provided their driver’s license number, date of birth, license plate number, and license plate state of issuance to the NYPD for preparation of the report. Reports would be accessible through a single web portal located on the NYPD website.

“Today’s passage of Introduction 1280-B is a victory for all New Yorkers, who will now be guaranteed online access to collision reports,” said Council Member Chaim Deutsch. “Prior to the launch of the NYPD’s Collision Report Retrieval Portal, drivers involved in car accidents were required to appear in person at their local precinct to obtain a copy of the report. This often made an already stressful situation even more aggravating. Now, motorists can conveniently print that report from the comfort of their home or office, without interrupting their busy daily schedule. I’m grateful for the support of my colleagues on this bill, as well as the NYPD Commissioner O’Neill, Deputy Commissioner Jessica Tisch, and Legislative Director Oleg Chernyavsky.”

The City Council will vote on landmark designation status for the following locations…

  • 183-195 Broadway in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
  • Barbara’s Roman Catholic Church in Bushwick, Brooklyn
  • Excelsior Steam Power Company Building in Downtown Manhattan
  • Bergdorf Goodman Building in Midtown Manhattan
  • 412 East 85th Street House on the Upper East Side of Manhattan
  • Brougham Cottage on Staten Island

The City Council will vote on the following recommended appointments…

  • Jeffrey D. Friedlander to the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board
  • Malini Cadambi-Daniel to the New York City Equal Employment Practices Commission

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