NYC NOW - Evening Roundup: MTA Plans for More Accessibility, Overall Crime Declines in NYC, Developers’ Role in NYC’s Affordable Housing and Cherry Blossom Season

Episode Date: April 4, 2025

Transit officials are touting a new plan to make Manhattan’s Delancey-Essex station accessible to people by adding new elevators. Plus, major crime fell by 11% and subway crime dropped 18% in New York City. Also, with the help of some real-estate developers, the city is moving homeless New Yorkers into new apartments. And finally, cherry blossoms are about ready to bloom and leaders at Branch Brook Park in Newark, New Jersey are set to welcome visitors.

The MTA plans for more accessibility. Overall crime declines in New York City. Real estate developers role in New York City's affordable housing. And cherry blossom season. From WMYC, this is NYC now. I'm Jinné Pierre. Transit officials are touting a new plan to make the Delancey Essex station on the Lower East Side more accessible to people by adding new elevators.

Dan Goldman represents the area. He says more accessibility is an example of how congestion pricing revenue can be spent. Without congestion pricing, this project would not begin. The Trump administration has ordered the MTA to turn off the congestion tolls. In fact, they've given the MTA a deadline to do so later this month. But both the MTA and Governor Kathy Hokel say the tolls will stay on until a judge orders they be powered down. That legal battle is making its way through the courts. as the governor continues to negotiate with President Trump.

In a previous episode, we told you about the NYPD's crime stats and how New York City just had its lowest number of shootings during the first quarter of 2025. WMYC's Charles Lane broke down those stats and reports the drop is part of an overall decline in crime compared to last year. The city also recorded the second lowest number of murders during the same period. Overall, major crime fell by 11%. and subway crime dropped 18%. This comes as NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch has focused the department's attention

on quality of life enforcement in the subway system, arresting people for fair evasion and taking up more than one subway seat. This is not a drag net. This is not harassment. This is about restoring a sense of safety and order in the system. It is also a response to New Yorkers telling us that unchecked disorder

makes them feel less safe on the district. train. Mayor Eric Adams credited the drop in subway crime to more officers riding the trains, including overnight. And it's thanks to that presence, the omnipresence that we talked about, that we're seeing, the numbers that we're seeing. Police also say that they're arresting a higher percentage of suspects in serious crimes like robbery and felony assault. But reports of rape rose 21 percent compared to the first quarter of 2024. Tish attributed the increase to changes in how rape is defined, and a new policy where detectives take reports at locations where survivors already receive legal and social services.

Charleston, WNYC News. New Yorkers are reacting to Mayor Adams' move to the Independent Party. June's Democratic primary is a thing of the past for Adams now. If the mayor wants to stay in Gracie Mansion, he'll have to win November's general election. Angela Ruth is a hairdresser in Soho. He says he's not sold on the... the mayor's maneuvers. I mean, he thinks he's going to run it as an independent. He used to be a Republican, and then a Democrat, now he's an independent. I mean, if that doesn't tell you

everything you need to know about this Eric Adams, come on. Adams isn't the first New York City mayor to go independent. Mayor Mike Bloomberg became an independent late in his tenure. And John Lindsey, who was mayor in the 60s and 70s, switched parties as well. Feels like a good time for a quick reminder, this weekend, be sure to check out our Saturday series looking into the political chaos swirling around the Adams administration. This week, NYC now explains his corruption case is gone. What's next for Mayor Adams? We've had a lot of big developments this week, so be sure to check it out. Hit play when you see us in your feed this weekend. New York officials are working to move homeless New Yorkers into affordable housing. More on that

after the break. You're going to listen to now. New York City officials have created a new way to encourage developers to build more affordable housing and keep it affordable. WMYC's Caring-Y reports on how the city is moving homeless New Yorkers into new apartments. Come on.

Shonda James Gavon smiles wide and shows me into her brightly lit one-bedroom unit. The moment I closed that door and locked it and put the chain on, it was just a wave and a weight. That was lifted. Just a month ago, James Gavan was living in a shelter in the Bronx with her 18-year-old son who has autism. But last month, she was able to move into a building that's just for people using a city-funded voucher that helps pay most of their rent. After six months, she finally left the shelter behind.

You don't want your kid to sit in the same car crash that you're in. You know, you want to be able to protect them, buffer them from it, and it was absolutely nothing that I could do. The new building is part of a city program that's helping developers create affordable housing for homeless residents by eliminating the biggest barrier to building, money. That has really been the unusual piece of it. Molly Wasso Park heads the city's Department of Social Services. Think about it in the context of like if you were getting a mortgage for a home, right? A bank is going to look at what stream of revenue do you have to pay back that mortgage? She says under the new plan, the city is helping affordable housing developers by guaranteeing them a stream of.

of tenants who can pay with city vouchers for the next 30 years. David Schwartz is with the developer Slate Property Group. He says nonprofits can then use that as leverage to unlock the financing they need to build, buy, or lease buildings. A lender comes and says, we feel comfortable that the payments are coming, and that will give us enough comfort to lend on the builder. So far, the city has created more than 460 units through the program, with another 500 coming over the next few years.

Developers say it's a cutting-edge tool that can help the city grapple with a growing affordability crisis and get people housed quickly in brand-new units. Usually, people with housing vouchers need to compete with other renters for apartments, and they can face discrimination for using a subsidy. For James Gavon, the program allowed her to provide stability for her family. Just a freedom feeling of just having your own again and privacy, peace. again and windows again. She says it's a relief to have a place to call her own,

where she can appreciate the little things again, like watching the rain fall from the window of her new apartment. That's WMYC's Karen Yee. We're at the start of cherry blossom season in our region. The trees are just about ready to bloom at both the New York and Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. But if you want to get a look at the trees in all their glory, visit Branchbrook Park in Newark, New Jersey.

It really is this ephemeral beauty and this blush of ink and white throughout the 360-acre landscape. That's Thomas Doherty, president of the Branchbrook Park Alliance. He says the park has over 5,300 Japanese flower and cherry blossom trees and 18 varieties. It's the largest collection of Japanese flower and cherry blossom trees since 1927. In fact, the park post has been in the park post. more cherry trees and varieties than even the famous tidal basin in Washington, D.C. Thomas shares another important tidbit.

What we call peak is going to be different than what Washington, D.C. calls peak. Because our collection is so varied, each of the varieties are in peak at a different time. We're predicting the peak bloom to be between April 6th and April 13th. Now, that all depends on Mother Nature. and the warm weather that we're expecting to see. And that's really going to help the trees continue on and moving forward in its blooming cycle. And the Okama variety is wide awake right now.

Branch Brook Park will host its Cherry Blossom Festival between April 5th and April 13th. That'll be the perfect time to catch them in bloom. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WMYC. Last plug, don't forget to check us out this Saturday as we discussed the big developments in the Adams saga. It's part three in our series looking into New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the chaos that has consumed his administration.

Trust me, you don't want to miss it. Have a nice weekend. I'm Jenae Pierre.