WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC thecity THE CITY .THE CITY SCOOP: The FDNY Failed to Follow an E-Bike Battery-Check Law Before Deadly Chinatown Fire

 

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If you know anyone who might like this newsletter, send it to them. If this was sent to you by someone else, subscribe here — it's free!  Dear New Yorkers, When firefighters fought a blaze sparked by a lithium-ion battery in Chinatown early Tuesday that killed four people and injured two others, it wasn’t the first time the FDNY had arrived at the HQ E-Bike Repair shop. On May 9, department inspectors visited the shop to follow up on safety violations issued in 2022. The FDNY had earlier cited the store for illegally using extension cords to charge bikes — an especially dangerous way to power the volatile lithium-ion batteries that give e-bikes and other electric vehicles their zip. On their return visit, FDNY reps looked around and didn't see any batteries being charged, and so deemed the store cleared. Yet the FDNY did not check out the store’s many batteries in stock, the department acknowledges, even though a new law had recently gone into effect banning the sale of reconditioned or second-use batteries. Such batteries, modified by installing powerful cells inside old batteries that have deteriorated due to wear and tear, are particularly dangerous, fire officials say. While the FDNY has cited e-bike batteries as the cause of yesterday’s deadly blaze, they have yet to determine the exact cause or whether second-use batteries were involved. Read more here. Some other items of note: Fires caused by the lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes, scooters and other mobile equipment are on the rise in New York City. THE CITY put together a guide on how to safely charge, store, and monitor your e-bike and batteries. If you want to help out fellow New Yorkers who rely on this equipment for work or transit, the guide includes printable information fliers in both English and Spanish that you can post in your communities to help people stay safe. Every Sunday from June to October, Tompkins Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant is flooded with attendees of its Open Streets festival. People pack the pavement, dance, play hopscotch and shop from local vendors. But many residents told THE CITY that there can be an uglier side to the festivities, which range from noise complaints to impeding elderly and disabled residents’ ability to access parking or transit. Over the past year, Bed-Stuy residents have brought their concerns to the organizations in charge of the festival at several public meetings. But they say the problems still persist.  Candidates backed by an advocacy group for testing-based admissions to city schools have won nearly 40% of seats on parent councils, according to reporting by Chalkbeat. Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum and Education (PLACE) supports the status quo when it comes to academic screening policies that have resulted in one of the nation’s most segregated school systems, including keeping the Specialized High School Admissions Test and expanding gifted and talented programs. It generally opposes lottery-based admissions and paring back screened school admissions. In the latest episode of the FAQ NYC podcast, the hosts discuss fire deaths, train killings and more from a man-stabs-dog week in NYC.  Early voting is underway for City Council primary elections, in redrawn districts. Election Day is next Tuesday, June 27. Look up your local races in our Know Your District tool, which includes candidates as well as information about how redistricting shaped your area. Did you know? The Bronx’s District 12 — which includes Wakefield, Edenwald, Eastchester, Williamsbridge, Barychester and Co-op City — has a competitive primary this year. The incumbent Council member is facing a challenge from a candidate with close ties to the district’s former Council representative. For the latest local numbers on COVID-19 hospitalizations, positivity rates and more, check our coronavirus tracker. Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Wednesday's Weather Rating: 8/10. Enjoying one more decent day before the unsettled weather arrives. High temperatures in the upper 70s, partly cloudy skies and a nice breeze. Clouds and humidity increase later tonight, with showers possible by Thursday morning. The vibes are good (for now)! THE KICKER: For audio lovers — or just fans of WNYC’s Radiolab podcast — a pay-what-you wish event called “Mixtape” tomorrow night promises to tell “the story of how we ended up so intellectually fragmented and the role the cassette tape played in it.”    Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Wednesday. Love, THE CITY P.S. If you liked something about today's newsletter, or didn't, let us know at zshah@thecity.nyc

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