New York CIty Council Member Ben Kallos

ABC7

ABC7 New tool could help crack down on loud cars, dirt bikes in NYC by Crystal Cranmore

New tool could help crack down on loud cars, dirt bikes in NYC

ATVs and dirt bikes have been spreading loud noise throughout communities as they weave between NYC traffic.

As a result, compounding the problem, raging motorists lean into their horn.

Some residents say it disrupts their sleep and it's like having a nightmare when you're woken up abruptly.

The nightmare is a reality for residents on the Upper East Side and across the city, but relief could be coming soon.

"Whether it's people blasting music, New Yorkers have had it," NYC Councilman Ben Kallos said.

Eyewitness News spoke exclusively with Kallos who introduced a bill Thursday that would bring acoustic monitoring systems to the city if approved.

ABC7 Partial balcony collapse in Chelsea is latest in rash of structural failures in NYC by Jeremy Murn

Partial balcony collapse in Chelsea is latest in rash of structural failures in NYC

CHELSEA, Manhattan (WABC) -- The latest in a rash of recent structural failures throughout New York City, a balcony partially collapsed in Chelsea Friday.

Firefighters were called to a five-story building on West 15th St. just after 7 p.m.

They determined that a partial collapse occurred from a third floor rear balcony.

The metal cladding underneath the balcony became dislodged, falling into a backyard.

No injuries were reported.

The Department of Buildings was investigating.

Thursday afternoon, one person was killed and at least three others were injured after scaffolding collapsed at a building on East 36th St.

Authorities say it appeared workers were doing facade restoration on the roof level of the 11-story building when a rigging platform gave way.

The incident sparked a call from City Councilman Ben Kallos to pass laws for stricter inspection of scaffolding and requiring building owners to maintain their buildings.

ABC7 1 dead, 3 injured in Manhattan scaffolding collapse by Josh Einiger

1 dead, 3 injured in Manhattan scaffolding collapse

The city mandates maintenance of building facades to prevent catastrophe. But in this case, it was the work itself that was the danger.

No members of the public were hurt in the collapse.

Officials say the contractor is Edras Group Corporation of Belleville, New Jersey, which has no open violations, but has been cited 43 times for safety violations in the past 10 years.

Council member Ben Kallos released the following statement:

"We cannot keep watching bricks fall, scaffolding collapse, injuring and killing New Yorkers. These bricks should never have been allowed to deteriorate to the point that they fell and the scaffolding should never have collapsed. We must pass a law forcing the inspection of every inch of scaffolding as soon as possible. We must pass a law to require building owners to maintain their buildings or step in as a city and do the work ourselves. My deepest sympathies to the families of those killed and injured in this latest collapse and they have my pledge to keep fighting so no one faces the same threat."

ABC7 New York City unveils new plan to help workers save for retirement by Dave Evans

New York City unveils new plan to help workers save for retirement

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has unveiled a new retirement plan for people who work for private companies.

The mayor rallied at City Hall Monday for a retirement savings plan that President Trump and Republicans have tried to stop.

In New York City, more than 1 million people have no retirement plan other than Social Security. Most who do have a plan have only saved about $12,000.

So many are like Onza Lynch, a commercial carter who hauls tons of cardboard every day.

"I've worked every day since I was a teenager, now I'm 49 years old and I'm speaking to you today as someone who wishes they could've started saving for a retirement plan 30 years ago," said Lynch.

ABC7 New York City opens bike lane on dangerous section of 2nd Avenue by Rob Nelson

New York City opens bike lane on dangerous section of 2nd Avenue

"Trying to get past 59th used to give me great pause. I didn't know if I was going to make it because, in all honesty, it's a death trap ... not quite so anymore, and I was able to get here with protected bike lanes the whole way," said Ben Kallos, a New York City Councilman.
 

ABC7 New York City opens bike lane on dangerous section of 2nd Avenue by ABC7

New York City opens bike lane on dangerous section of 2nd Avenue

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN (WABC) -- The new bike lane through one of New York City's most dangerous intersections is now complete.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning celebrated the opening of the Second Avenue bike lane between 68th Street and 59th Street. This means the avenue now has an uninterrupted bike lane from 123rd Street down to 43rd Street.

Officials said finishing this segment of the bike lane at the foot of the Queensboro Bridge will dramatically improve the safety of thousands of cyclists every day. They hope to one day extend the bike lane down to 34th Street.

ABC7 NYC Councilman wants cameras on sides of school buses after incidents of sidewalk driving by N.J. Burkett

NYC Councilman wants cameras on sides of school buses after incidents of sidewalk driving

A New York City Council member is calling for cameras on the sides of school buses that can record drivers so impatient they drive dangerously, following two such incidents recently in Brooklyn.

ABC7 7 On Your Side Investigates: New York City losing control of sidewalk shed spread by Jim Hoffer

7 On Your Side Investigates: New York City losing control of sidewalk shed spread

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Since the collapse of a sidewalk shed in SoHo in November of 2017 nearly killed a young model, the construction of these sheds over New York City sidewalks has jumped more than 17 percent.

At the time of the SoHo incident, there were 7,000 sidewalk sheds. Through the Department of Buildings, 7 On Your Side Investigates has confirmed there are now 8,197 sheds adding another 30 miles of scaffolding hanging over the heads of New Yorkers.

ABC7 New bill requires GPS tracking on all New York City school buses by Stacey Sager

New bill requires GPS tracking on all New York City school buses

"It's pretty straightforward. We can do it for Uber. We can do it on MTA buses. We can do it even on subways, and listen, if the MTA can get this right, it's scary that the city hasn't been able to get it right with our yellow buses," said Ben Kallos, a Democratic City Council member.

The portion of legislation involving the GPS will cost about $3.6 million in the first year of implementation. There's an estimated $1.8 million cost in the years to follow.

Eliyanna Kaiser, a New York City mother, said she is ready to celebrate over this new legislative package.