WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY. By the WPCNR ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER. August 23, 2010 UPDATED 9:05 P.M.E.D.T.: 

Today's Photographs are the first-ever looks at the Department of  Transportation massive reconfiguation of the Exit 7 Westbound I-287 entrances to I-287 and the Central Westchester Parkway. Monday afternoon rush hour showed traffic flowing smoothly at the three lanes into one merge at 5 P.M.

Westbound traffic on I-287  wishing to access Route 22 to North White Plains and the Taconic Parkway  should take the new Exit 7 (just after exit 8 coming from Connecticut.

WPCNR THE PARKING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. August 21, 2010:

White Plains residents can no longer count on "automatic" permission from police to park overnight on White Plains Streets between 2 and 6 A.M, simply by calling in the car's license number to the police.

The White Plains Department of Public Safety is no longer guaranteeing that residents who call the Police Department requesting  permission to take advantage of the long-standing practice requesting permission for overnight guests or whatever reason to park a car on the street overnight will have their requests granted, Police Chief James Bradley confirmed in a written statement to WPCNR Saturday morning.

The Chief in a statement, said the new policy  is due to “overwhelming” requests for a waiver of the No Parking between 2 and 6 A.M. experienced by the police lately.

WPCNR COMMUTER COURIER. From Westchester County Department of Transportation. June 24, 2010:

Service on two Bee-Line shuttle routes will be eliminated and reduced on nine other routes, including the Westchester-Manhattan express bus, on Monday (June 28) when the county’s Department of Transportation implements its summer service changes.  
           

 Shuttle Loop E that serves the Manhattanville Road area in Purchase and Loop T that operates along White Plains Road in Tarrytown will be discontinued.  The Department of Transportation estimates that these schedule changes will save approximately $1.7 million in operating costs this year and over $3 million in 2011. 
            Other changes include:

·       The Westchester-Manhattan express bus will run only peak hour service; all service on weekends and weekday midday and evening hours will be discontinued.  

·       Route 7 trips during off-peak midday hours will be reduced.

·       Route 14 buses will terminate in downtown White Plains instead of Bloomingdale Road.

·       Routes 18 and 31 trips serving the Peekskill railroad station will be reduced.

·       Route 42 weekday evening and Saturday trips will start and end at White Plains Road and East 241st Street in the Bronx instead of East 233rd Street.

·       Some Shuttle Loop B, D and F trips will be discontinued.

·       Route 6 trips on Sundays between White Plains and Valhalla will be discontinued.

·       Routes 75 and 91 daily service to Playland will start on Tuesday, June 29.  However, Route 92 daily summer service between Playland and White Plains will not be offered this year.

New schedules and a brochure explaining the schedule changes are onboard all Bee-Line buses.  Information is also available by calling the Bee-Line hotline at 914-813-7777 or by logging on to www.westchestergov.com/beelinebus. 

WPCNR THE PARKING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. June 23, 2010:

The Lyon Place parking garage is closed indefinitely the the City of White Plains reported today when asked by the CitizeNetReporter why the Lyon Place Garage (corner of Waller and Lyon Place) was "closed for emergency repairs."

Antoinette Biordi, city Communications Director said the five story garage owned by the Esplanade senior care facility was closed due to emergency repairs on the top three floors that were begun last night (when torrential rains pelted the downtown). 

Overnight parkers who park on the first two floors of the garage which the city leases from Esplanade, Biordi said, should park at the Chester and Maple Garage where their city permits would be recognized. The city leases approximately 160 spaces from the garage.

Asked what the repairs were being conducted, Biordi referred WPCNR to Esplanade, the senior assisted living facility adjacent the open level 5 story garage (now closed).

Biordi said the city asked the Esplanade management if they could guarantee the safety of parkers on the first two floors that the two floors would be safe while construction was being conducted, but the Esplanade would not, "so we had no choice but to close the garage," Biordi said.

WPCNR MR. AND MRS. AND MS. WESTCHESTER-ROCKLAND-Connecticut  POLL. May 23, 2010: Recently one of the WHITE PLAINS WEEK anchors attended the lastest in planning sessions the Department of Transportation is holding on the Westchester transit corridor in connecteion with the new Tappan Zee Bridge project and establishment of a rapid transit BUS system which would feature frequent, lane dedicated bus service from Rockland County to Tarrytown Elmsford, Greenburgh, White Plains (stopping at the County Center), and then on to a stop on the Miracle Mile of corporation headquarters on Westchester Avenue, and on to Harrison and Port Chester.

What has not been discussed is, if the state puts this into place -- will the public consider using it?

Why don't you -- if you live in Rockland,  and Connecticut along the Cross Westchester Expressway (I-287) corridor where the new DOT BRT is supposed to run -- in a timely manner -- tell us if you'll leave your cars and get onto the bus?

The reason we ask is I have not seen any such polls other than assurances that BRT attracts riders. What do you think, Mr. and Mrs. Rockland-Westchester-Connecticut (near I-287)?

WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. March 14, 2010: The Mayor's Office has swung into action Sunday evaluating the city situation after the devastating weather event of Saturday and Sunday morning. The Mayor, Adam Bradley, and Council President Tom Roach were in city neighborhoods this morning.

Moments ago Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong told WPCNR that North Street is closed both directions from Ridgeway to the Hutchinson River Parkway. He reports most of Soundview Avenue is closed, and motorists will be forced to detour in the Old Mamaroneck Road and Albamarle Road area of Ridgeway. The Commissioner said about 6,000 to 8,000 are without power "in grids" at the 12 noon hour.

John Callahan, City Chief of Staff, announced the Mayor and his Commissioners will hold a news conference at 3 P.M. to discuss the state of the city.

Commissioner Chong said police would be out massively in the Monday morning rush hour to expedite the commute in the morning.

Con Edison storm center reports the number of customers without power at this time as holding at 69,326. Con Edison figures show 7,125 White Plains customers without power.

Don Clendenen of Con Edison on WCBS Radio said this storm is the worst storm in terms of power loss since Hurricane Gloria in 1985.

WPCNR IN TRANSIT. By John F. Bailey. March 11, 2010: The backbone of the new Rockland-Westchester County mass transit system of the future -- the Bus Rapid Transit line -- is envisioned by officials as traveling east-west on Hamilton Avenue in downtown White Plains, the Council of Neighborhood Associations learned Tuesday night. For many it was the first they had heard of the plan to go through White Plains.

The route the DOT feels is the most efficient at this time is to dedicate two lanes for Bus Rapid Transit, on Hamilton Avenue, one eastbound, the other westbound, with dedicated buslines coursing from 119 East onto Hamilton and down North Broadway eastbound to Westchester Avenue, and a dedicated bus line westbound coming up North Broadway Westbound off Westchester Avenue, connecting with Hamilton Avenue out to Route 119. It was the first time the Hamlton solution had been presented to the general public.

2 Plans to access Hamilton. Via Main Street, or a Tunnel

WPCNR BLACK DENIM TROUSERS AND MOTORCYCLE BOOTS. November 11,2009: The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles introduced the new look of New York State License Plates today. The changeover to the new plates will be required of all motorists in April 2010 when all 12 Million New York State automobile owners will need to purchase new plates at the cost of $25 per set of two per car. A family with three registered cars would pay $75 for three vehicles they own, (with new license numbers), $135 to keep the same license plates with the new design.

The new New York State Plate introduced today by the DMV. If you wish to keep your old plate number, it costs you $45 per set, and this would mean $90 for two cars.  The DMW will sell the plates, by mail through the automatic mailed registration renewal.  Previously New York State Plate Sets for new vehicles sold for $15 per 2-plate set.

The legislation introducing the new plates and fees was included within the 2009-10 New York State Budget, and will raise $120 Million for the 2010-11.

Here is the official news release from the DMV introducing the new plate, edited:

WPCNR FREEWAY FLYER By John F. Bailey. August 25, 2009: The ongoing construction at the Exit 6,7,8 area paralleling and above the Cross Westchester Expressway is taking shape. Gregory Kisloff, Community Liaison for the I-287 Stage III Reconstruction Project put together a graphic explanation of how the project, the Department of Transportation hopes will eliminate the criss-cross traffic patern at the Exit 7 area that has plagued the area for decades. The new Exit 7, taking shape between the North Street bridge and the Westchester Avenue cross-over, is scheduled to open in the spring of 2009. Here’s how it works.

New I-287 Exit 7 Ramp "I" is being positioned  under construction  under Westchester Avenue Westbound Overpass  leading into White Plains, and beginning about halfway between the North Street cross over ramp (railing in photo) and the Westchester Avenue Overpass (background) ( The scene of the new ram is shown at a distance above, and closeup below)

WPCNR BUMPER TO BUMPER.. By John F. Bailey. July 29, 2009: Greg Krisloff, the liaison and spokesperson for the Department of Transportation for the ongoing Exit 8 project that White Plains commuters have been weathering the last three years reports that by next spring the cross-exit/entrance traffic flow pattern should be relieved when the new Exit 7 opens.

Krisloff says  the new Exit 7 will allow traffic westbound on I-287, desiring to exit to North White Plains via the Central Westchester Parkway will be able to shuttle off on their own private ramp connecting to the Central Westchester Parkway northbound.

The Exit 7 Connection -- making its way under the Main Street Bridge. Ebersole Rink is at right of Picture.

This improvement will eliminate the current bottleneck resulting for decades which had traffic exiting to North White Plains  via the Central Westchester Parkway crossing traffic wishing to enter I-287 westbound.

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From Department of Public Safety. June8,2009 UPDATED 5:15 P.M. E.D.T.: White Plains Department of Safety has  issued this statement on this morning's pedestrian accident at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and Quarropus Street:

A 77 year old woman was struck by a vehicle and pronounced deceased later at Westchester Med. Center.

The Vehicle involved was a Honda Element operated by a 71 year old woman from Tarrytown.

The accident is under investigation and the victim identity is not being released at this time pending notification of family.

WPCNR BUMPER TO BUMPER. Special to WPCNR. March 23, 2009: Motorists should use caution traveling under the Lake Street overpass over I 287. A White Plains Fireman reports to WPCNR:

John , Stone debris is falling from the Lake St. overpass deconstruction zone eastbound. My vehicle windshield has been hit twice in one week. Had to have it repaired once. 

WPCNR THE PARKING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. March 12, 2009: Paul Wood, City Executive Officer told WPCNR Wednesday evening the city is discussing a lease sale of the Galleria and Library parking garages to any of four parking management companies, for an estimated $30 Million. Wood described  one of the firms as the managing company for all Chicago parking garages and New York City’s leading parking garage operator (which would be Central Parking Systems). CPS, based in Nashville did not return WPCNR calls for confirmation.

Paul Wood, City Executive Officer Exploring the leasing of City Municipal Garages for Cash

Galleria Municipal Parking Garage, being eyed for lease to private operators.

WPCNR THE TAXI NEWS. By John F. Bailey. February 21, 2009: The Common Council was offered a draft of the Recommendations of the White Plains Taxi Industry Review Committee Thursday evening. The Common Council reserved comment with plans to hold considerable discussion on the measures that if adopted will change the ad hoc, loosely administered, and much publicly maligned taxi industry in White Plains.

The Traditional White Plains Taxi Chaos -- Note Taxis in queue (yellow vehicles) -- August 2007. WPCNR News Photo Archive

The measures of key interest recommend taxi stands be established at the Westchester Mall, Fortunoff, Wal-Mart (on Main Street), and City Center with bus shelters as taxi stands when buses end their runs for the day;  Parking Officer jurisdiction over non-White Plains taxi drivers’ unauthorized use of taxi stands and a $1,600 fine for each interloping taxi caught using a taxi stand illegally; Sale of medallions at auction to drivers using alternative fuel vehicles; A deadline for all licensed drivers to switch to alternative fuel taxis; An “800” Number dispatch system; and a metered system with base fare beginning at $5, and a "uniform" look to all cabs.

Melissa Lopez, Director of Economic Development and Coordinator of Public Information, Chairperson of the Taxi Industry Review Committee issued a copy of the Committee recommendations to WPCNR: