Hello and Good Byford

The resignation of New York City Transit Chief Andy Byford has some advocates wondering if the slow but steady progress the system was making will come to a halt. Intertwined with that worry is the question: Who will they find to replace him?

Among other things, Byford's departure is a reminder that, while the media tends to focus on elected policymakers like mayors and governors, the people those officials appoint to run agencies play a huge role in shaping life in the city. Whether you agreed with their approach or not, people like Janette Sadik-Khan, Jack Maple, Thomas Frieden, Dan Doctoroff, Rudy Crew, Alicia Glen and Byford himself (among many others) have left an imprint on the city disproportionate to the profile they will have in the history books.

This week, City Limits' The Ride covered two key issues the next NYCT chief will have to deal with. One is the panoply of task forces that the governor has convened to chart policy for the agency, a double-edged bureaucratic blessing if there ever was one. The other is the idea—still at very formative stages-—to construct a new subway line along the Bay Ridge Branch, a 16-mile existing freight line that runs from Astoria to Bay Bridge.

- Jarrett Murphy, executive editor

Task Force Tally: The Many Groups Cuomo Has Convened to Fix the MTA
In the last three years, the governor—or the MTA, at the governor’s behest—has established expert groups to tackle issues like transit system homelessness, subway train speeds, repairing the L train tunnel and revamping Penn Station. Read more.

MTA Studies Adding Passenger Service to Rail Line Linking Brooklyn and Queens
The study will look at the potential of adding "subway, commuter rail, light rail or bus service" along the Bay Ridge Branch, a 16-mile existing freight line that runs from Astoria to Bay Bridge. Read more.

Among America’s Oldest, Opioid Overdoses Are On the Rise
In New York City, the number of fatal opioid overdoses among people ages 55-84 has been increasing for the last four years, reaching 29 percent of the total opioid overdose deaths in 2018. Read more.

Does NYC Have a Handle on Hate Crimes?
A top Jewish leader and the point-person for Mayor de Blasio’s response to bias attacks weigh in on Max & Murphy. Listen here.

Bill Would Make Brooklyn a Real Estate ‘Cease-and-Desist’ Zone
Advocates hoping to fend off aggressive investor interest think they might get a new defensive weapon: a cease-and-desist zone covering all of Brooklyn. Read more. 

What you need to know: Legal advice for immigrants in NYC
This is not an exhaustive list but offers a variety of opportunities that exist in the city. 
Read more.

State Officials Should Adopt Flexible Approach to Looming Bag Ban
‘If state officials and lawmakers truly care about protecting small business owners like me, and the working-class communities we serve, then they should consider our feedback and act with prudence.’

City’s Fair Housing Report Is A Start, But We Must Go Further
'The city released a thorough plan that outlines strategies to advance fair housing in NYC over the next five years. ... We believe the City has an obligation to go far beyond the measures proposed. '

City Limits en Español

Lo que necesita saber: Clases gratuitas de inglés en Nueva York
Para quienes vivan en Nueva York estas son algunas de las opciones en donde puede tomar clases gratuitas de inglés. Lee mas.

¿Es muy pronto para celebrar? Ley que incluiría a trabajadores agrícolas indocumentados pasa al senado
El panorama político que enfrentan los trabajadores agrícolas de Nueva York no es simple. Read more.
 

Fearing ‘Demise of a Nation’ Young Taiwanese in NY Flew Home to Vote
The uprisings in Hong Kong – triggered by the proposed extradition law – and a deteriorating relationship between Taiwan and Beijing in the months before Taiwan’s presidential election prompted the younger generation of Taiwanese in the U.S. to travel back home to vote. Read more.

City Health Program Expands to BK and Staten Island, Where Most Uninsured are Latinos
During its first phase in The Bronx, NYC Care reached its goal of 10,000 enrollments two months before its deadline. The city expects to offer coverage across the five boroughs by the end of 2020. Read more.

Samurais on Broadway: Recounting the First Japanese Mission to the U.S., 160 Years Later
In New York, the visiting samurais were so popular that there were theater performances and songs about them, samurai-inspired merchandise was being sold, and a cocktail named "Japanese" was born. Renowned American poet Walt Whitman even wrote a poem about the visit.  Read more.

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Audience Engagement Editor

City Limits, a award-winning nonprofit website that publishes in-depth and investigative policy news about New York City, seeks an Audience Engagement Editor to optimize site reach and reader engagement. This editor will play a critical role in creating a more vibrant and sustainable policy news source for New York City.

WIN (Women in Need)
Program Director - Transitional Housing

The Program Director is responsible for the day-to-day management of a transitional family residence serving families with children. The Program Director will ensure that the residence operates in accordance with the guidelines identified by the NYS Office of Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA), the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS), and Win.

WIN (Women in Need)
Housing Coordinator - Transitional Housing

The Housing Services Coordinator is responsible for supporting the permanent housing search of the families living in the shelter by coordinating all housing services activities which will lead to the successful placement of families in accordance to WIN’s and other agency contractual requirements.

The YWCA Brooklyn seeks a full-time College Access Coordinator for its leadership and college access initiative for low-income girls of color which prepares them for college success, community leadership and economic advancement. The program offers academic support, college inquiry and access, career exploration and financial literacy, leadership development, civic engagement, family support and college persistence services. The Coordinator works directly with program participants to help them with the college inquiry, application and enrollment process.

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Grants and Business Administrator

Join our non-profit digital news agency team in a key broad based business role that supports the growth of the organization by managing critical business administration functions including grant administration, bookkeeping, business administration.