NYC NOW - May 12, 2023: Midday News

Episode Date: May 12, 2023

24-year-old Daniel Penny, responsible for the fatal choking of Jordan Neely, is now in police custody, freshman Representative George Santos evades prosecution in Brazil, a proposed bill by state regu...lators may soon allow Long Islanders access to pot bars, and in sports, the Carolina Panthers have ousted the New Jersey Devils in Game 5, with the Knicks playing Miami tonight in Game 6. Also, as the MTA's 'congestion pricing' plan draws near, the agency has released an updated report on the program to charge drivers a fee to enter Manhattan below 60th Street. WNYC's Michael Hill sits with transportation reporter Stephen Nessen to discuss the changes. Finally, the Netflix hit series “Bridgerton,” which captures a 19th century British family during high society’s social season ,is inspiring a new immersive experience in New York City, bringing fans of the show together. WNYC’s culture and arts reporter Precious Fondren has more.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Friday, May 12th. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill. As you've been hearing, 24-year-old Daniel Penny, who put Jordan Neely in a deadly chokehold, went to court this morning after surrendering, and he's been facing a charge now of manslaughter, if convicted, that could land him in prison for 15 years.
Starting point is 00:00:34 The charge comes 10 days after visiting. you will capture nearly his death aboard an F train last week. Freshman Representative George Santos is avoiding prosecution in Brazil just as he faces it in the USA. Republican New York Congress member signed a non-prosecution deal yesterday to steer clear of a trial in Brazil. Santo must pay about $5,000, which will go to charities and the shopkeeper. He defrauded with stolen checks a decade ago. An attorney for Santos and prosecutors in Rio de Janeiro both declined to comment. Long Islanders looking for a place to smoke a joint with friends soon could visit a pot bar.
Starting point is 00:01:12 State regulators proposed cannabis retailers needing special licenses to open a section of the store to use their products. Another option allowing on-site consumption for stores that don't sell cannabis. So far, only Babylon, Brookhaven, Riverhead, and Southampton have opted to allow cannabis lounges in their towns. The New Jersey Devil scored the first goal of game five last night, but the Carolina Hurricane scored the last of the game in overtime to win 3-2. The loss ends the devil's NHL playoff run and their season. The Knicks, by the way, face elimination
Starting point is 00:01:44 tonight and potentially the end of their season in game 6 against the heat in Miami to tip off there at 7.30. 82 and mostly sunny and 87 today. It's going to be a warm one. 83 tomorrow with a slim chance of showers and then cooling off on Sunday at
Starting point is 00:02:00 73. The MTA is getting closer to the final federal approval of its congestion pricing plan. This morning, the agency released an updated report on the program to charge drivers a fee to enter Manhattan below 60th Street. WNYC Stephen Nesson was at MTA headquarters yesterday to learn about the changes, and he joins us now. Stephen, good morning.
Starting point is 00:02:31 Good morning, Michael. Congestion pricing was approved way back in 2019. The MTA released a plan last year to charge drivers $9 to $23 during peak out. What's new now? Today, the MTA released an updated version of its environmental assessment. That's the review it was required to do by the federal government in order to win approval. It contains all the possible scenarios for how much drivers might pay, and what the impact of that on the environment through increased or decreased traffic
Starting point is 00:03:03 in the surrounding 28 counties might be. So the feds reviewed the MTA's work and added some further mitigation measures to protect New Yorkers and ensure the program meets its goals. Let me go over a few new items they added, which the MTA is now required to do. The first one, the MTA has to offer low-income drivers or people who make up to $50,000 a year, a congestion pricing discount for five years. Those drivers will get 25% off the toll rate after making 10 trips a month. The MTA estimates about 16,000 people would qualify for that.
Starting point is 00:03:38 Another new addition, taxis and for hire vehicles can only, be charged once a day. And the third new thing I want to bring to your attention, one final requirement from federal officials is that the overnight charge from midnight to 4 a.m. must be below 50% the peak hour toll, or they could possibly charge nothing at all at that time. Save a reminder us, why is the MTA doing this? What's the purpose of congestion pricing? Well, the state law that created congestion pricing requires the MTA to raise $1 billion a year, the MTA will then use that to generate $15 billion through bond sales. All of that money, all of it, goes to the MTA's capital plan, buying new train cars, adding
Starting point is 00:04:21 elevators, and finally, replacing those World War II era signals that direct trains on some lines. And some of the money will go to the commuter railroads. Congestion pricing will also, of course, reduce pollution and ideally our reliance on automobiles to get around. You know, the MTA estimates there could be a 15 to 20 percent reduction in vehicles. entering Manhattan if congestion pricing is successful. Bronx residents and lawmakers were outraged last year when they learned that under all the tolling scenarios, there would be more truck traffic in the Bronx where asthma rates are high.
Starting point is 00:04:55 Does the updated plan address this at all? Yes, sort of. Let me explain. One way the feds addressed it is by requiring the MTA to spend more than $207 million of congestion pricing revenue to reduce pollution through a variety of programs. many of which would benefit the Bronx. I'll name a few. One is spending $15 million to replace the diesel-burning refrigeration trucks at the Hunts Point produce market with electronic ones. That's a big source of pollution. Spending $10 million to install air filters in schools near highways and spending $25 million
Starting point is 00:05:30 to renovate parks in the so-called justice communities or low-income neighborhoods impacted by congestion pricing. But increased truck traffic, specifically up to 704 extra trucks a day on the cross Bronx Expressway, those drivers avoiding tolls, that hasn't changed. New Jersey elected leaders have not been happy about this as we've reported Stephen. Governor Murphy says he's looking at legal options. There's even a congressional caucus created to destroy this program. Will any of these newest updates calm their concerns? Probably not. Although I think they should take heart that 90% of people from New Jersey who travel to Manhattan do it on mass transit. They're not driving.
Starting point is 00:06:13 But this week, New Jersey Congress member Josh Gottheimer, who's been one of the most outspoken critics of the program, said he'll write a stern letter to federal officials opposing the program. You know, one reason the MTA and federal government are so careful with this environmental assessment that I reviewed and talking about is they wanted to stand up to scrutiny. Here's MTA Chair, General Lieber speaking yesterday, voicing his confidence that the program would hold up in court. There probably will be some lawsuits, but this has been the most extensive review process. Maybe in history, certainly for a project of this kind, we studied the intersections all the way down almost to Philadelphia. We studied the air quality impacts. We studied all the social justice impacts. I'm confident that this 4,000-page document will stand up to scrutiny.
Starting point is 00:07:02 There's no lawsuits yet. should say, but the MTA is always sued when something new comes out. So what's next? Well, this document will be available for the public to review for 30 days. Then the federal government will give their absolute final approval. Then the MTA has 310 days to get it up and running. During that time, they will have a lot to do. They have to install easy pass readers on lamp posts.
Starting point is 00:07:26 And maybe the most contentious hurdle left is to figure out exactly how much to charge people. Right now, they have a range that's as low as full. $5 at night and as high as $23 during peak commuting time. There's also a group that will choose these final costs. It's called the Traffic Mobility Review Board, and they will have open meetings where they debate this issue. And once they've settled on a fee structure, there will be public hearings, and finally, the MTA board itself must approve it.
Starting point is 00:07:52 WNYC Stephen Nesson on the updated congestion pricing plan. Stephen, thank you. Thank you. The Netflix hit series Bridgeton, which captures a 19th century. British family during high society's social season is inspiring a new immersive experience in New York City and it's bringing fans of the show together to celebrate what they love. WNYC's precious Fondren has more. Something funny happens during the Queen's Ball of Bridgeton Experience, which just
Starting point is 00:08:26 opened at Media Pro Manhattan Studio on 37th Street. As performers recreate the look and feel of Regency era London, attendees pull out cell phones to capture the moment when dancers spin on a chandelier. It's one of just a few moments during the night when guests remember they do in fact live in the 21st century. Otherwise, for almost two hours, they lose themselves in historic fantasy. Greg Lombardo is vice president of live experiences at Netflix. The Bridgeton experience is really a chance for people who love the show. to immerse themselves in the world that Shonda Rhymes created.
Starting point is 00:09:10 So it's a reimagining of a regency-era London. The event is hosted by Queen Charlotte, who's inviting us to be her guests for a ball. Welcome, dear and gentle friends, to the Queen's Ball. The immersive experience, based on the show, has been described as a grown-up prom night. A string quartet plays modern pop songs. Performers encourage guests hit the dance floor
Starting point is 00:09:35 and even teach them some moves. Props like Queen Charlotte's gown and throne are on display. Wisteria, a stunning flower that serves as a motif of the show, is everywhere, from the entry tunnel to the ceiling. But for some fans, the appeal of Bridgeton is the racial diversity of its cast. Serena Martinez binge watched the series after she found TikTok videos of fans explaining the show. She's come to the Queen's Ball from New Jersey with her best friend
Starting point is 00:10:03 wearing a floor-length light purple ensemble with the tiara to match. This book originally was written by a white author featuring white characters, and as a woman of color, being able to see black princesses and Hispanics set a show. Being able to be dressed from the 9s, it's just amazing. And I'm like, I am fully dedicated to the show, and I want to be able to experience it the same way. Danielle D.G.
Starting point is 00:10:26 Danielle Degg attended a Bridgeton experience in Washington, D.C. last year. Now she's back for more. Like Martinez, Degg became a fan, because of the diversity she saw on screen. Obviously, we can do period pieces and just have it be historically accurate, which is just whiteness, and that's fine technically. But being able to watch a show where you can see yourself as the queen is kind of awesome. Dake says she loves coming to theme nights like these
Starting point is 00:10:54 because they offer a chance to connect in real life with like-minded people and not be judged. It's always good to be amongst people with, like, mutual. experiences and these type of events are always really welcoming. I mean, I dance with a woman I don't even know already. So, you know, it's this idea where similar to like a pride parade or a Comic-Con, like you go and people are just open. The Queen's Ball of Bridgeton experience will run Wednesdays through Sundays throughout the summer. Precious Fondren, WNYC News. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WNYC. Be sure to catch us every weekday, three times a day, for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. More this evening.

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