NYC NOW - July 11, 2024: Evening Roundup

Episode Date: July 11, 2024

Protesters are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to unfreeze the MTA's congestion pricing plan. Plus, city records show staff at a Brooklyn juvenile jail recovered contraband stuffed into a ceiling vent this week. Also, a century old West Village recreation center is in such bad shape that New York City officials are considering tearing it down. And finally WNYC’s Michael Hill talks with reporters David Brand and Jaclyn Jeffrey-Willensky about the city’s Link5G towers and why they’re not actually providing 5G.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. I'm Jene Pierre. Here now, elevator now. Protesters are calling on New York Governor Kathy Hockel to unfreeze the MTA's congestion pricing plan, which was supposed to fund major accessibility upgrades in the transit system. They rallied at the Nostron Avenue subway station in Brooklyn this week, which is inaccessible to riders in wheelchairs. The station was supposed to get new.

elevators. But when the governor paused congestion pricing last month, the MTA decided to delay the project, as well as billions of dollars worth of other construction work. State Senator Jabari Brissport was at the rally. I say to Governor Kathy Hokel, you do not speak for Brooklyn, you do not speak for Best Side. We want our elevators, we want our service. And we want it now. Hockel caused the pause temporary. She says all the planned projects will move forward, although she hasn't said how the state would pay for them. City records show staff at a Brooklyn juvenile jail recovered contraband stuffed into a ceiling

vent this week. WNYC's Baha Ostadon has the details. Perkissette, weed, razor blades, and a screwdriver. According to an incident report obtained by WNYC, all of these things were found in a search at the Crossroads Juvenile Detention Center in Brownsville. And it's not the first time. Last year, WNYC, reported through jail sources that staffers at all levels, including leadership, smuggle in drugs, alcohol, cash, and weapons. Last month, federal prosecutors charged a handful of employees with bribery after they allegedly smuggled in contraband in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars. The city's administration for children's services, which runs these jails, says they're investigating. New York City's massive link 5G towers aren't actually providing five.

G just yet. Why? That's after the break. NYC. You may have noticed three-story metal tubes popping up around the city lately, especially in parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. They're the next generation of Link NYC kiosks, which are a place to charge your phone, pick up Wi-Fi, and even make calls. The kiosk also provides storage space for companies like Verizon and T-Mobile to put 5G signal boosters. These link 5G towers aim to help boost mobile internet access in underconnected neighborhoods. But new reporting from WMYC finds that of the 200-plus towers installed since 2022, only two of them actually have 5G equipment.

For more, my colleague Michael Hill talks with WNYC reporters David Brand and Jacqueline Jeffrey Walensky. David, tell us about Link NYC. How does it work? And how are these 5G towers any different from? previous versions. Listeners are probably familiar with the first version of Link, NYC, these electronic billboards, mostly on sidewalks in Manhattan. They're showing ads.

They have limited range Wi-Fi, places for people to charge their phones. These new Link 5G towers look a lot different. They're these 32-foot-tall poles, kind of like a giant metallic Q-tip. There's been some backlash from community groups because of their ominous-looking appearance. but the company that makes them, City Bridge, says they're actually a great design for their intended purpose of transmitting 5G service. So there's hollow chambers at the top where companies can rent space to put their 5G equipment. The idea is that this will lead to better service for customers, and it'll also help the company and the city make some money from rental fees. Jacqueline, Internet access has become a major topic since the start of the pandemic, forced schools to shut down in,

Children had to learn from home. Internet connectivity is more important than ever, as we know. What did you find through your reporting? So we found that of the Link 5G towers, they are providing Wi-Fi, but most of them aren't doing 5G. So that top part of the towers where the 5G equipment goes, they're mostly empty. We asked Citibridge, the company that makes Link 5G and Link NYC, they did say that one of the carriers, one of the cell phone carriers has signed on, but we don't know which one, where they're located, or even how much they're paying for the privilege.

Shraglin, what's the hold up here? Why does the company, what does the company have to say about all this? Yeah, we talk to experts and the company, and it's complicated. You know, some of the experts said it might be an issue of incentives. Like companies might be choosing cheaper places to put their 5G cells, like rooftops, for example. there's also a very complicated process for getting the towers approved. So neighborhood groups give public feedback, and there's been a lot of public feedback because of that ominous appearance that David described. Also, some mobile companies don't want to install their equipment until they see that there's a lot of towers up and running around the city.

Still, though, experts said they didn't see why City Bridge would go ahead and build the towers without commitments from the cell phone companies. though City Bridge does say that they expect more towers to be up and running soon. Jacqueline, I have to ask, is this costing taxpayers anything? So it actually isn't. City Bridge has a franchise agreement with the city, by which they actually have to pay the city a share of their revenue or a flat percentage each year, whichever is higher. They make money through advertising and we're supposed to make money

through renting out these 5G spaces. City Bridge does say that the missing rental income won't affect their ability to fulfill that agreement. But I will say they did have to declare bankruptcy in 2019 because advertising revenue fell below what they expected. David, I'm wondering, what do the mayor? What do other city officials? What do they say about these link 5G polls? Well, just over two years ago, Mayor Adams unveiled the first of these polls on a sidewalk in the Bronx.

And he was joined by his chief technology officer. And they were really pumping these up. Adams called it an amazing tower and said it would close the digital divide. This new Link, NYC, 5G kiosk, is going to expand and improve mobile technology coverage all over the city. Accessible broadband and foam service, it's just not a luxury. It's a necessity. Two years later, Link 5G towers really haven't lived up to the hype there. The city's Office of Technology and Innovation does say they still expect carriers to start using these towers to expand high-speed coverage at some point.

And David, what are members of the part? public saying about these towers? The reception was mixed. I visited two of the towers in Morris Heights section of the Bronx, and I saw people using the Wi-Fi, people charging their phones. But Angel Medina is an investigator for a law firm, and he doesn't like them. I think there's a waste of space. It's blocking view. It's blocking whoever has a window that looks out to the city. And now you've got this big tower just right in front of your window and it's empty space. I think it's a waste.

He was annoyed to learn they don't even do what they're supposed to do in their name, providing that 5G coverage. But just a few blocks away, Gennaro Solis was using a tower to charge his phone. It's beneficial for me because I can plug in wherever I'm at. You know, I like them. I actually love them. So these towers are supposed to serve that other purpose,

5G expansion, and time will tell if they actually end up doing that. That's WNYC's David Brand and Jacqueline Jeffrey Walensky, talking with my colleague Michael Hill. You can read more of Jacqueline and David's reporting on the Link 5G towers and see a map of where they are on our new site, Gothamist. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WNYC. Catch us every weekday, three times a day.

I'm Jenae Pierre. We'll be back tomorrow.