Rollerskating Rink Opens at the High Line
A rollerskating rink debuted at the High Line Park on Thursday. Open through Sept. 26, the 8,000-square-foot open-air rink occupies a plaza beneath the High Line Park at 30th Street and 10th Avenue. Entrance is free to the first 500 visitors for the first three days courtesy of Japanese clothing maker Uniqlo. Theme nights are in the works. Admission is $10 for children and $12 for adults and includes a pair of rental skates. The rink is part of a public plaza called The Lot, which includes an assortment of food trucks, a beer and wine bar, as well as public events.
More New Yorkers Are Commuting By Bike
An increasing number of New Yorkers are using bicycles to commute, according to an announcement by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Thursday. Commuter bike ridership has increased by 14 percent since last spring, 62 percent since 2008, and 262 percent since 2000. The trend is attributed to the city’s efforts to build more bike lanes and increase biker safety. The city constructed over 390 miles of bike lanes since 2002. “More and more New Yorkers are choosing to get around town by bicycle, and by creating more bike lanes, we’re giving New Yorkers the option to safely chose to bike,” stated Bloomberg in a press release. Fifty-nine percent of New Yorkers expressed support for the new bike lane improvement in a Quinnipiac University poll released on Thursday.
U.S. Attorney General to Meet With 9/11 Families
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has agreed to meet with families of 9/11 victims following allegations that their phones may have been hacked by Rupert Murdoch’s now closed News of the World offices, according to the Associated Press. The allegations sprang from a tabloid report stating that a private investigator and former NYPD officer was approached by News of the World staff, who offered to pay him to acquire private phone records of 9/11 families in the United States. News Corp., the parent company of Murdoch’s empire, stated, “We have not seen any evidence to suggest there was any hacking of 9/11 victims’ phones, nor has anybody corroborated what are clearly very serious allegations.” The meeting is scheduled for Aug. 24.
Sen. Adriano Espaillat Calls For Sewage Dumping Notification System
State Sen. Adriano Espaillat raised concerns about the city’s ongoing practice of dumping untreated sewage into the Hudson River at a press conference in Riverbank State Park on Wednesday. Sen. Espaillat was joined by environmental activists following a recent explosion at the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant, which caused millions of gallons of untreated sewage to be dumped into the Hudson River. “In the absolute worst-case scenarios when the quality of our water ways is compromised, we must implement an effective system to issue appropriate warnings and ensure that residents are aware of the presence of hazardous elements in the water,” stated Sen. Espaillat in a press release.
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