WORLD WORLDWIDE USA NewYork NY NewYorkCity thecity THE CITY News Journal Update - THE CITY SCOOP: Can an MTA Pilot Program Stop Subway Suicide Attempts?

 

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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, Can blue lights help stop subway suicide attempts? The MTA wants to find out. After a spate of reported incidents of people coming into contact with subway trains last year — 234 reported incidents, to be exact — the MTA is piloting a program to test blue lights that can have a calming effect and deter suicide attempts. The pilot program is being put to the test at two subway stations in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn where people have been most likely to go into the tracks. (Based on guidance from health professionals, THE CITY is not naming these stations or lines.) The new-look lights are being turned on in the wake of the nearly 25% increase in people coming into contact with trains from 2018 to 2022, according to MTA statistics. They follow the 2019 rollout of similar technology on the Long Island Rail Road, which now has 26 stations equipped with blue platform lights. But so far, some riders weren’t sure they noticed a difference. At a Brooklyn station where the lights have been installed, Will Martin, 23, sat on a bench near one of the blue lights and said he hadn’t detected the change in platform lighting, even after dark. “I never noticed it at night,” he said. “It can’t hurt to try this, I guess, but I feel like it might not do much.”   Read more here. Heads up: There’s an air quality alert in effect in the five boroughs — again. The wildfire smoke from Canada is doing a number on our atmosphere, and city officials put a pollution advisory in place through the end of today. That means that children, the elderly and people with medical conditions like asthma or heart or breathing problems should take particular care: Watch for short-term symptoms that could include irritation to the nose, throat or eyes as well as shortness of breath, coughing and sneezing. The city Department of Emergency Management says people with respiratory problems should reduce “prolonged and heavy exertion outdoors.” The city Department of Health recommends following updates via AirNow, the state’s air monitoring site where you can view pollution levels at multiple points within the five boroughs, and through air quality alerts from Notify NYC. Sponsor message Some other items of note: At a hearing this week, City Council and housing officials in Mayor Eric Adams’ administration were at odds over a package of bills that Council members say will deter landlords from leaving apartments vacant — but that the housing officials say will merely squander scarce government resources. THE CITY reported last year that nearly 90,000 rent-stabilized apartments were unoccupied in 2021, while more recent landlord registrations put the number at closer to 40,000 vacant units. Did you know that there are more than 500 community gardens in the five boroughs? Just in time for summer, THE CITY dug into the steps New Yorkers can take to start their own. In the latest episode of the FAQ NYC podcast, hosts Christina Greer, Katie Honan and Harry Siegel run down another jam-packed week in New York City, discussing everything from the Adams administration’s Rikers blackout to a self-policing experiment in Brownsville. City Council primary elections are coming later this month, in redrawn districts. Look yours up in our Know Your District tool, which includes candidates as well as information about how redistricting shaped your area. Did you know? Brooklyn’s District 41 — which includes Brownsville and parts of Weeksville and Bedford-Stuyvesant — looks a bit different after redistricting. It now covers most of Brownsville, but lost parts of East Flatbush. It also added about 4,000 more voting-age adults. 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: 4/10. A bit less smoky this morning, with partly cloudy skies. High temps reach the mid 70s later. Another round of dense, near-surface wildfire smoke approaches by mid-afternoon with horrendous air quality. The vibes are...sort of surreal out there. THE KICKER: The Public Theater’s annual Shakespeare in the Park season begins tomorrow, June 8, in Central Park with a production of “Hamlet” that runs through August 6. There are lots of ways to access these free tickets throughout the five boroughs — more information can be found here. 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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