Navigating NYC as a disabled person became more difficult again

Also, the Brooklyn Library's 'Book of Hov' exhibit is extended. [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [MTA puts limits on ‘life-changing’ taxi service for disabled riders]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by Emily Nadal]( Weather: ☀️ Finally, some relief from the rain! The sun is out, and suddenly all of my problems have gone away. Expect a high of 66 degrees. It’s Wednesday morning in New York City and [the MTA is limiting a “life-changing” taxi service for disabled New Yorkers.]( Before 2017, people with disabilities relied heavily on Access-A-Ride vans to commute. But those vans have to be booked in advance, and are often a hassle to deal with. So when the MTA piloted a program that allowed 1,200 disabled New Yorkers to order on-demand, wheelchair accessible taxi rides for just $2.75, it was a game changer. The MTA has since limited the service, citing the high costs, and users are frustrated with the agency’s lack of consideration for how difficult navigating the city is as a person with a disability. Here’s what else is happening: - The Brooklyn Library’s “Book of HOV” exhibit all about Jay-Z was [extended to December 4th and is still going strong, despite early criticism](. While Hyperallergic magazine called it “a shrine to a billionaire’s glamorous life,” that hasn’t stopped thousands of people from checking it out, and becoming library card holders in the process. - If you have yet to read the whole 39-page indictment against Sen. Bob Menendez, don’t worry, [we’ve summed up the five most Jersey aspects of it for you.]( - Nick Offerman is [coming to The Greene Space on Oct. 14 for a LIVE broadcast of All Things Considered]( with host Sean Carlson where he’ll discuss his New York Times bestselling book, Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Likes to Walk Outside. - A judge ordered the city to stop using a former Catholic private school on Staten Island as a migrant shelter on Tuesday. City Hall officials say [the ruling threatens the city’s ability to continue to address the migrant crisis]( and plan to appeal the decision. - Meanwhile, a Manhattan state Supreme Court judge recused herself from the city’s right-to-shelter mandate case in a surprise announcement Tuesday. Judge Erika Edwards said she was [recusing herself immediately from presiding over the case]( to “avoid a potential appearance of impropriety.” - The Empire State Building is honoring Hispanic Heritage Month [with a showing of the movie Selena on Oct. 15.]( - City data shows teachers are [calling in sick more often since the pandemic](. Last school year, 19% of NYC teachers used more than their 10 allotted sick days, up from 14% pre-pandemic. - Paterson, New Jersey’s police department is [undergoing a serious reform effort]( which includes the use of artificial intelligence and tasers, after the state took over the department earlier this year. - The City Council wants to hold the Department of Transportation accountable for slow progress on street repaving projects with [a bill that would set deadlines on street resurfacing to two weeks](. But City Hall officials say the bill would lead to sloppy work. - One of the men who is accused of robbing a well-known Brooklyn pastor at gunpoint during a live-streamed church service last year [signed a plea deal, and then withdrew it on Tuesday]( creating what Judge William F. Kuntz II called an “awkward” situation in the pursuit of justice. - Only two cities in the tri-state area made it to the list of [top 50 best cities for women in the U.S.]( The WalletHub study named Yonkers 9th best and Jersey City 12th best. New York, however, came in at number 56. In case you’re wondering, the number one spot goes to Columbia, Maryland. - Police have arrested the [husband of Grei Mendez, the woman who owned the Bronx day care]( where a 1-year-old died after being exposed to fentanyl, in Mexico on Tuesday. - Mr. Commander Biden, the First Family pup, [can’t seem to stop biting Secret Service agents](. The German shepherd attacked his 11th victim on Monday night. - Los Tacos No. 1, Cafe Nube, and Birria- Landia are three NYC taco spots that [made the list of top 100 in the country]( according to Yelp. “It was just like, how could you make these changes? I don't think they realize that people with physical disabilities are active in the community, and we have lives, we have families, we work every day.” - Christy Cruz-Cullins, a wheelchair user, [DISCUSSING THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE MTA LIMITS ON AN ON-DEMAND TAXI SERVICE FOR DISABLED NEW YORKERS.]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [NYC Council plans to fight loud streets with 'noise cameras']( The City Council is proposing a package of bills to redefine unreasonable noise and implement a noise camera program to dish out fines. [NYC will pay to house low-income residents outside the 5 boroughs]( For the first time, the city’s social services agency says it will allow people with CityFHEPS vouchers to find and rent apartments anywhere in New York state. [We Rely On Your Support]( [NJ's Booker and NY's Gillibrand call for indicted fellow Sen. Bob Menendez to resign]( Booker stressed their strong relationship and and Menendez's "extraordinary work and boundless work ethic," even as he said the senior senator should step aside. [NYC to tackle street harassment with a day of action, survey]( The survey and day of action aim to track the prevalence and impact of street harassment on New Yorkers and could inform the city on what can and should be done about it. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 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