Borough President Vito Fossella and his fellow elected officials victoriously announced that the city will be removing the recently-installed fencing around the Martling Avenue Bridge.
Initially, they intended to announce plans to file a lawsuit against the city and the City Department of Transportation to remove the fence, but after a “reasonable and rational conversation” with the deputy mayor’s office, it was deemed that legal action was no longer necessary. “We got an early Christmas present because thanks to Mayor Eric Adams and the voice of this community, this fence will be coming down,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference at the site. “A true leader steps up when the people underneath him do something silly and the intention is just to cover their tracks and say tough luck, but Mayor Eric Adams overruled them and did what was right for Staten Island and for you.” The Martling Avenue Bridge bisects Clove Lakes Park between Slosson Avenue and Clove Road. When the fence was installed, nearby residents called it an eyesore which disrupted their views of the park. Last month, Borough President Fossella led a rally at the site calling upon the DOT to remove the fence as it did not fit in with the rule of the law they cited: The bridge doesn’t sit over a highway, railroad, or navigable waterway. “We all know that this is just a beautiful little spot, not just on Staten Island, but in the city,” said Borough President Fossella. “This bridge is iconic -- people take wedding photos here, people fish here, people make great memories here -- and then out of the blue one day, we saw this hideous, ridiculous-looking fence on top of both walls across the street. The people of this community rightfully stood up and protested and I applaud them for knowing what the right thing to do was. This is what happens when government works -- and it is because of you.” Borough President Vito Fossella and his fellow elected officials called upon the NYPD to investigate the recent wave of drone and unmanned aircraft sightings over Staten Island.
There have been reports of drones flying over key assets, including Fort Wadsworth, the bridges, and the ports, as well, as in residential neighborhoods in both Staten Island and New Jersey, for the last several weeks. “What if there were 3,000 reports of drones or unmanned aircraft sightings over the U.S. Capitol, or the White House, or the State House in Albany -- what would happen?” Borough President Fossella asked at a press conference at the Fort Wadsworth Overlook. “There would be an immediate and intense response to figure out what they were and how to solve the problem.” He said the residents of Staten Island and New Jersey are getting nothing but “don’t believe what you see.” “The people of Staten Island deserve answers, the people of this city, this state, and this region deserve answers about what the heck is going on,” said Borough President Fossella who received a video of a drone flying over his home last night from a neighbor. “It’s shocking to us that here we are almost a month later, 3,000 sightings -- drones, unmanned aircraft -- and our folks don’t have an answer.” Borough President Fossella recently wrote a letter to the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration asking for Staten Island to be included in any investigations. “They’re either lying or their incompetent -- or both,” he said. “How can we, in the United States of America, have this going on and we’re told ‘just look the other way, ignore it, it’s no big deal.’ Let’s be honest with the American people and treat them like adults and tell them what it is. If there is something that is classified or if there is something we shouldn’t be discussing, so be it, but say something along those lines -- ‘everything is under control, you need not be worried, it is us.’” Borough President Vito Fossella joined his fellow elected officials as Mayor Eric Adams announced the removal of 73,000 ghost cars and illegal motorized vehicles from the five boroughs since the start of the mayor’s administration in 2022.
Ghost cars are virtually untraceable by traffic cameras and toll readers because they have forged or altered license plates. They pose significant public safety risks and are increasingly being used in violent crimes, including shootings and robberies, as well as in traffic offenses such as hit-and-runs. “They have a very visible impact on public safety in a very negative way,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference at the 122nd Precinct in New Dorp. “The one thing about stopping something is you prevent them from growing, so if those cars are allowed to grow and be used more often, not just in evasion of tolls, but in crimes, we would see more and that’s why it’s so important to send a signal that enough is enough.” This year alone, the NYPD and the City Department of Sanitation removed more than 7,500 ghost cars and 27,000 illegal motorized vehicles from New York City streets. And since the launch of a joint task force between the two departments in September, more than 5,000 ghost cars have been removed. In March, a multi-agency task force was established, which included the NYPD, the MTA, the Port Authority, the New York State Police, the New York City Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the New Jersey Police Department. It resulted in 700 arrests, 32,244 summonses, and the seizing of 3,198 vehicles whose owners owed a total of over $27.3 million in unpaid tolls, taxes, and fees “Every time they don’t pay a toll, the people of Staten Island are forced to pay even more,” said Borough President Fossella. “So, the more we do to stop it, the better it is for Staten Island drivers.” Borough President Vito Fossella joined with the City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to announce an agreement allowing police officers and staff members of the 120th Precinct to park their personal vehicles in the long-vacant garage at the former New York Wheel site. This will open more street parking for residents and visitors to St. George.
Parking in the vicinity of the 120th Precinct has been a persistent problem for decades as employees must park their vehicles on the surrounding streets, taking away spots from the public. “To us, it was common sense all along,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference in Borough Hall. “It’s sitting there vacant and it’s right across the street from the police precinct. So, not only will it make it more convenient for the folks who work there, instead of having to scramble looking for a spot every day, but it will also, as you can imagine, free up those spots for the people of the St. George community and the people who are visiting.” The EDC, which owns the lot, will provide 100 spots for those who work at the precinct. Borough President Fossella praised Mayor Eric Adams and EDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball who have worked diligently for two years to put the plan into action. “It wouldn’t have happened without teamwork,” he said. Deputy Inspector Eric J. Waldhelm, commanding officer of the 120th Precinct, echoed Borough President Fossella in calling it an “early Christmas present.” “This is a nice morale boost for the men and women of the 120 who work tirelessly day in and day out to keep the North Shore safe,” said Deputy Inspector Waldhelm. “It’s also a tremendous quality-of-life win for the residents and employees who work in St. George.” |
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January 2025
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