NYC NOW - June 13, 2024 : Evening Roundup

Episode Date: June 13, 2024

New York City is getting $27 million for programs to stop young people from vaping. Plus, WNYC's Rosemary Misdary reports on an effort to weaken a climate law that restricts emissions from New York City’s biggest polluter. And finally, WNYC’s Michael Hill and Matt Katz discuss why mo-peds have suddenly become the vehicle of choice.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City. From WMYC, I'm Jenae Pierre. New York City is getting an infusion of $27 million for programs to stop young people from vaping. The money comes from a larger settlement New York and other states reached with Jewel last year for its role in promoting youth vaping. Here's New York Attorney General Letitia James. We're taking an important step to help our kids. stop vaping and to prevent future generations from getting caught up in the same problems. And we don't have to divert much-needed educational funds for that purpose.

The money will go toward vaping education in schools and services to help kids quit. It will also help fund the city's ongoing effort to enforce vaping laws. Flavored vapes are officially banned in New York City, but are still sold in many stores. A landmark climate law restricts emissions from New York City's biggest polluter. buildings, but co-op and condo owners say they can't afford the necessary upgrades. WNYC's Rosemary reports on an effort to weaken the law. The Queensview co-ops in Astoria have 726 apartments, most of which are owned by retirees. By 2050, buildings like this must stop using fossil fuels and become emissions free.

To meet that goal, Queensview must replace their gas, boilers, and stoves. The total price tag? than $60 million. Here's the co-op's treasurer, Alicia Fernandez. There's no possible way that we could raise the 60 million. She says under the city's climate law, local law 97, it makes more sense for co-op owners to each pay an annual fine that could exceed $1,000. The renovations to come into compliance would cost $51,000 per unit. It's really promoting paying the fines. The easy way out for all of these buildings is, all right, let's just pay the fine. A city council bill could create loopholes for homeowners, easing emissions requirements and reducing fines for those who do not meet the goals.

The bill would allow buildings like Queensview to factor in green space when calculating emissions. Environmental advocate Pete Sucora says the amendment defeats the purpose of the law, cutting carbon pollution. So buildings that previously would have been required to cut pollution on paper will look like they are below the pollution cap that the law sets. So it makes absolutely no sense. Currently, the bill has 25 sponsors, one vote short of the minimum to pass. Rosemary, WNYC News. Mopeds are all over New York City streets and some sidewalks,

and complaints about these speedy vehicles are racking up. We'll hear about how the two-wheelers got so popular after the break. If you feel like you've been seeing more gas-powered mopeds blazing past you on the street, bike lane, or sidewalk, you're not alone. City officials say more people are using the speedy vehicles, especially delivery workers, who rely on them to bring many of us our meals. My colleague Michael Hill talked with WNYC's Matt Katz, who has been looking into why mopeds have suddenly become the vehicle of choice. Let's get some clarity here, Matt, first. What's the difference between a moped and an e-bike? I know it sounds simple, but what's the difference?

Yeah, this is the key question to understanding the whole issue, really. So essentially, the moped is like a small motorcycle, usually gas-powered, and by law it's supposed to be registered, driver's supposed to have a license, but police say these laws are now just being widely violated. NYPD has confiscated 42,000 illegally operated mopeds and other motorized vehicles like it since 2022, so that's a lot of mopeds, and that's what a moped is. That's a description of moped. Now, e-bikes, they look like souped-up bicycles. They often have a removable battery that you can plug into the wall, and they're slower, maxing out at 25 miles an hour. They're lighter than

mopeds. And experts say that that makes e-bikes safer for riders and pedestrians and cyclists if they crash. E-bikes are even allowed in bike lanes. During the pandemic, these e-bikes, boomed in popularity among delivery workers, we call it deliveristas. But there's this problem with e-bikes, and that's their batteries. Many of the batteries that are circulating out there for the e-bikes have been found to be big fire hazards. We've reported time and again over the last couple of years on fires caused by e-bike batteries. What is the city doing about that? This is the issue.

The FDNY says 25 New Yorkers have died from fires caused by these lithium-isers. on batteries that e-bikes use over the last couple of years. These batteries are poorly constructed. They're not certified with safety standards. They can explode while charging. And the fires can be really sudden. It's hard for firefighters to extinguish them. And these deaths and the hundreds of injuries we've seen over the last few years,

they often come when the batteries are charging in residential buildings and then explode. So you asked what the city's been doing about this. They've announced a lot of initiatives. There's city council passed a law, first and foremost, forbidding the sale of uncertified batteries in the city. And the result has been retailers like Best Buy and Amazon have been cited. The FDMI is also cracking down on some small e-bike shops for this violation. They've even filed criminal charges against owners of the shops for selling uncertified, unsafe batteries. So that's the enforcement side.

But in terms of the proactive approach to making sure delivery workers have access to safe batteries, the legal ones and places to charge. This is the rub. I talk to delivery workers and industry experts, safe street advocates, and these days they say that deliveries are unable to find affordable safe batteries and places to safely charge them around the city while they're making deliveries. So instead of the e-bikes, some are buying cheaper mopeds. They're cheaper and it's also, you know, they're not always aware that you need a license

and registration. And they're gassing them up, which is easier to do than finding a place to charge. And they're powering these vehicles through bike lanes and on sidewalks. And they're creating what's become a whole other public safety issue. Matt, you're saying the city had one issue related to fires from e-bike batteries. And that led delivery workers to instead use mopeds, which creates a whole other danger on the streets of the city. What could the city be doing to promote e-bike use with safe charger? Really just implementing the plans that they've already announced.

We have a piece of tape here from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last June. This is a year ago. And he's announcing a $25 million, quote, emergency federal grant to create a couple hundred e-bike charging units throughout the city at public housing developments. And this grant was announced as a way to allow workers to safely charge their batteries and fire safe outdoor facilities overnight or while taking a break in the way. work day. I have called both the White House and the relevant cabinet officials and said, we need this grant, and being the majority leader ain't too shabby, we got the grant because it's so,

so important. So important, but a year later, Michael, and nothing from the $25 million is so far been spent. City officials had the time that we'd start seeing charging stations constructed early this year. Nothing's happened yet. And that's not the only government program in this area that hasn't come online. There's also a city council program created last year to trade in faulty lithium ion batteries and e-bikes for safe certified products. And that program also hasn't started. The city did not tell me when it would. We're also waiting on the creation of a new New York City Department of Sustainable Delivery to coordinate these sorts of issues. Mayor Adams announced that new department in January, nothing yet. And his spokesperson did not answer my questions about when.

this department would open. There's also the plan to turn unused newsstands into e-bike charging hubs. That's been discussed for years. What's the status of that? Yeah, I mean, that has been pushed aggressively by the city, but it's faced opposition in the communities where it's been proposed. I spoke to Leah Gwalpa of the Workers Justice Project, who's been advocating for such hubs for two and a half years now. And she told me she's hopeful that the first one will open at City Hall at the park there by early next year. It's currently an environmental review. Guelpa says policymakers have been proactive they've been doing. She says, you know, best they can in terms of trying to push this issue. But creating new infrastructure with new technology takes some time. That's WMYC's Mattcats, talking with my colleague, Michael Hill.

Thanks for listening to NYC now from WMYC. Catch us every weekday, three times a day. I'm Jenae Pierre. We'll be back tomorrow.