NYC NOW - November 25, 2024: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: November 25, 2024

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: The long-awaited redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory is moving forward after a new labor agreement secured union jobs for the $200 million project, funded by the city and state. Meanwhile, Jessica Tisch will be sworn in Monday as New York City’s new police commissioner, becoming the second woman to lead the NYPD. WNYC’s Phil Corso reports. Plus, NYC Ferry ridership has hit a record 6.9 million rides this year.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Monday, November 25th. Here's the morning headlines. I'm Junae Pierre. The long-awaited redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory is gaining momentum. A new labor agreement ensures union jobs for the project, which is backed by $200 million in funding from the city and state. Community advocates say the plan promises jobs and resources.

sources for Bronx residents and marks a significant step toward transforming the historic site. Officials say they believe the effort signals progress after decades of stalled redevelopment attempts. The Armory in Kingsbridge Heights is owned by the city's economic development branch and has set mostly empty since 1996. Jessica Tisch is being sworn in today as New York City's new police commissioner becoming only the second woman to lead the NYPD. Here's WMYC's Phil Corso. Mayor Adams announced Tisch's appointment last week while highlighting her recent work as sanitation department commissioner. She previously led the mayor's war on rats and the city's composting program. Tish will now return to police headquarters, where she once worked in information technology

and played a major part in the rollout of body-worn cameras. Her appointment comes after years of leadership turmoil at the NYPD. Her predecessor left under an FBI investigation, and Adams' first pick for the role resigned amid claims of sexism in the department. ridership on the New York City ferry has reached an all-time high, clocking nearly 6.9 million rides so far this year. That's the most ever in a calendar year. The service launched in 2017, taking over East River ferry routes and adding connection to the rockaways. Several more routes have been added since then. Still, critics point out the ferry system is highly subsidized.

Taxpayers spend far more money for each one of its rides than other forms of mass transit like the subways. But NYC Ferry Deputy Director, Frannie Sivitano, says that's changing. NYC Ferry's subsidy has come down 30% since its peak. As we continue to break ridership numbers, it's really proof that New Yorkers see a value in NYC Ferry. Sivitano says the service is helpful for many New Yorkers who do not live near a subway line. Forecasters are warning of another round of winter weather that could complicate travel leading up to Thanksgiving. A low-pressure system is forecast to bring rain to the southeast of the country early Thursday before heading to the northeast. Areas from Boston to New York could see rain and breezy conditions with snowfall possible in parts of northern New Hampshire, northern Maine.

And forecasters say if the system tracks further inland, there could be less snow and more rain in the mountains. Travelers heading home Sunday can expect good driving conditions, though. It's 42 degrees. You can expect sunny skies today with a high around 52. 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. See you this afternoon.