Council Member Ben Kallos

Open Issues: 25 • Closed Issues: 344 • Acknowledged Issues: 157
Watching issues created after: 2014-02-18

NYC District 5

Notified About

  • 577-579 Main St New York, NY - Roosevelt Island

    I am writing to request your assistance with an issue of child safety on Roosevelt Island. My daughter recently started kindergarten at PS/IS 217
    in the Gifted and Talented program. She is one of 20 students who ride
    daily from our home in Jackson Heights, Queens to the school in a van chartered and paid for by the families of the children. Despite the high numbers of enrolled students from our neighborhood at the school, the
    NYC Dept of Education rejected our request for DOE-funded bus service to
    PS/IS 217 - because we see promise in the Roosevelt Island school, we each
    pay $65 per week for the van service to and from school each day.

    We are troubled to learn that our van, which is chartered solely to bring
    students to and from school on Roosevelt Island, is not allowed to park in
    the bus loading area in front of the school. The Public Safety officers
    are insisting that our drivers find regular parking spots in a location
    remote from the school and then walk the children to the school - from
    wherever they are able to find parking. Our drivers are wonderful, and we
    trust their ability to drive our children safely to school - but to then
    ask them to park potentially far away from the school and to walk 10
    children each over to the school is too much.

    It is common sense to let these two vans stand in the bus-loading area
    while the drivers bring the chidren to and from their classrooms - safer
    for the children, the van drivers and the other drivers in the area.
    Please work with the Public Safety Department to let our chidren be dropped
    off and picked up from school in a safe manner, at the loading location
    where all of the other student transportation is allowed to stop.

    Thank you for your help with this issue - I look forward to hearing back
    from you.

    Julie Nymann

  • Motorgate elevators Acknowledged
    688 Main Street Roosevelt Island, NY - Roosevelt Island
    The elevators on the north end haven't be working for years. There are many people who need to park on that end and require an elevator, especially handicapped. If you are handicapped or have health issues you are forced to try to get a space at the south end which is extremely difficult or park and walk inside the garage which is dangerous to the elevators and then walk back on the sidewalk to the building you are going to. The garage is in such disrepair. The lights in the north stairways are out many nights and there is garbage and debris all over
  • 405 Main Street NY, NY - Roosevelt Island
    the disabled and elderly are not able to take a bus to the new and much publisized South Point Park on Roosevelt Island...much of the island is disabled and cannot walk the almost mile down and back home to the new park. I have called, emailed bot the MTA/Mr. Silverman, and Mr. Fernando Martinez at RIOC also have asked at the RIRA meetings Mr. Katz and even to the RIOC office last Friday in person to request a bus stop to be placed at the entrance. I have been told many times when the park opens the buses would all be re routed down to the park. I cannot walk without horrible pain and as others on the island would love to be able to get out and enjoy the park as others are able to. What will it take for RIOC to live up to it's promise to have the buses go to the park? Ignoring the disableds request is not only harsh, rude and not polite, but it speaks volumes of the people working at RIOC .... I am shocked...I hope the colleges that are bidding for the property here heed my warning in what I am saying. They have lied, told un truths and really have not regard to the this request. I have been told that people that live in Southtown do not use the Red Bus, that more disabled people live farther north...that is also not true. South Point and Southtown has a number of disabled, a lot to be honest and this request should be honored. What will it take?
  • F D R Dr New York NY - North Sutton Area

    The Greenway is still incomplete from 41-60 streets on the East Side. 9 cyclists have been killed in 12 years (1995-2007). Close the Gap and save lives!

    *** Update ***
    The extension to Glick Park now extends the esplanade to 41 Street, or a bit beyond. The extension to Andrew Haswell Green Park on the northern end of the gap, will soon extend the esplanade south to 60th street. So, there are only 19 blocks left to Close The Gap!

  • Red Bus Stop At Gristedes/ Motorgate New York, New York - Roosevelt Island
    Next to bench is two broken glass window panes broken by a man in a wheelchair parked there all day. Dangerous for kids and dirty as well. He discards food and garbage as well as feces onto the floor all day. This is a serious health and safety hazard.
  • Dog poop Acknowledged
    609 Main St Roosevelt Island, New York - Roosevelt Island
    The cherry tree grove along the river behind 609 Main St (just south of PS 217) is full of dog poop from inconsiderate people unwilling to clean up after their pets. It is no longer possible to sit in the area. This is probably exacerbated by the fact that no one has their dogs on leashes anymore because the pet owners know no one will do anything about it.
  • Tram Acknowledged
    577-579 Main Street New York, NY 10044, USA - Roosevelt Island
    PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! When its hot can you PLEASE have the tram operators leave the doors open when docked? We really need the cross ventilation. Some operators do this - and say it's common sense. Others refuse. PLEASE make it a policy! Thank you.
  • Pot smoking Acknowledged
    West Road New York, Ny - Roosevelt Island
    It has become difficult to walk along the River with children due to the open and incessant pot smoking. I've even seen adults smoking in the play area behind 580 Main. Public safety sees these groups and does nothing about it - they drive right by without stopping.
  • Roosevelt Island Subway Station New York, NY - Roosevelt Island
    This morning's rush hour was even more chaotic and congested because there was only ONE DOOR to enter and exit the subway.
  • Roosevelt Island Tram New York, NY 10044 - Roosevelt Island
    If RIOC creates a feed according to the specifications on this page (http://maps.google.com/help/maps/transit/partners/participate.html), the tramway will be included when users search for public transit directions. This could make more people aware of the tramway as a public transit option!
  • 573 Main St New York, NY - Roosevelt Island
    The garbage "cage" used by M&D Deli is a pigsty, with rotting garbage on the ground attracting vermin. It should be cleaned up and maintained.
  • Heat Danger Acknowledged
    Main St New York, NY - Roosevelt Island
    Because it is dangerously hot in the tram on warmer days (in fact, I
    wouldn't be surprised if someone passes out on the tram one day), I have
    suggested to a couple of the operators and to one of the guys in the control
    station that they place some industrial strength fans at the tram station to
    blow air through the tram while it is stationary and people are waiting
    inside. This will help remove some stale air and keep people a little cooler
    before it takes off. They could easily turn it off while the tram is in
    motion and turn it back on when it docks. Just a humble suggestion. Thanks.