West Side calls for phone booth removal answered
BY GABE HERMAN
Phone booths may seem to many like
just an antiquated memory of New
York City’s past, but there are still
many of them on the city’s streets.
However, there will be fewer of them in
Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen in the coming
weeks, after complaints from residents
and Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who
represents the area, about the booths being
poorly maintained and taking up valuable
space.
After residents’ complaints, Speaker
Johnson wrote a letter in November 2019
to the commissioner of the Department
of Information, Technology and Telecommunications
(DoITT), requesting that the
city agency immediately remove several pay
phones along Ninth Avenue, between 42nd
and 57th Streets in Hell’s Kitchen.
Johnson also requested in the meantime
that the agency work with the franchisee of
the booths, the consortium CityBridge, to
“better maintain the cleanliness of the pay
phones along Ninth Avenue.”
Johnson added in the letter, “My office
has received numerous community complaints
from local residents about these antiquated
pay phones, which present public
safety and quality of life issues. Additionally,
they take up sorely needed sidewalk
space that could better serve people with
disabilities, families with strollers and ease
sidewalk congestion.”
DoITT plans to eventually remove all
antiquated pay phones in the city, Johnson
noted in his letter, but asked that removal
of the Ninth Avenue booths be made a
A phone booth along Ninth Avenue. PHOTO BY GABE HERMAN
priority.
A new commissioner of DoITT, Jessica
Tisch, was appointed in December, and
Tisch responded to Johnson in a letter in
mid-February. In the letter, Tisch wrote
that after looking into the phone booths,
“it’s apparent that CityBridge has not
maintained PPTs public pay phones to the
service level agreement required. Based on
your observations and advocacy, I have directed
CityBridge to remove approximately
30 PPTs along this 9th Avenue corridor.”
Until removal of the booths, Tisch
added that CityBridge has committed to
maintaining them and that DoITT will be
monitoring their maintenance.
The current schedule for phone booth
removals along Ninth Avenue, according
to Speaker Johnson’s office, includes six
booths being taken out in the next one to
two weeks, including at West 35th, 38th,
39th, 40th, 43rd and 45th Streets. City-
Bridge has agreed to remove another 23
booths by the end of March, ranging from
West 23rd to 57th Street.
“Antiquated and outdated payphone
booths are an eyesore and take up muchneeded
public space,” said Speaker Johnson
by email. “Removing these booths from
our already busy streets in Hell’s Kitchen
is a victory for the community. I want to
thank the Department of Information,
Technology and Telecommunications for
working hand in glove with my office and
community residents to address and solve
this particular quality of life issue. This is
an example of how government and the
community can work together to achieve
goals that benefit all New Yorkers.”
Bottcher officially running to replace Johnson in Council
BY GABE HERMAN
With Council Speaker Corey
Johnson set to move on
from his job representing
Manhattan’s District 3, both because
of term limits and his anticipated run
for mayor, Johnson’s chief of staff Erik
Bottcher has filed his candidacy to take
over the spot.
Bottcher has been Johnson’s Chief
of Staff since 2015. The upstate native,
who moved to the city in 2001 and has
also been an advocate for gay rights and
tenant rights, is vowing not to accept
contributions from real estate developers,
lobbyists or from corporate political
action committees.
Bottcher told this paper that in mid-
February his campaign met the requirements,
based on number of in-district
donors and amount of money raised,
to qualify for the city’s Public Finance
Program.
“Serving the people of Council District
3 these past five years has been the honor
and privilege of a lifetime,” said Bottcher
when his candidacy was filed. “I’m excited
by the opportunity to continue this work –
and take it to the next level. Over the next
year and a half I look forward to speaking
with thousands of residents about what
they want for their neighborhood, our
community and the city we love. I firmly
believe that no problem is too big to solve
when you give communities a voice and a
seat at the table.”
Council District 3 runs along the
West Side and includes Hudson Square,
Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen and the Garment
District. Along with Bottcher’s intentions
to hear what residents want for the area,
he noted in his announcement certain
key issues that require attention and
Erik Bottcher
solutions, including homelessness, income
inequality and lack of affordability.
Johnson has thrown his support behind
Bottcher, saying, “Erik is hardworking,
smart, kind, funny, compassionate and
has the biggest heart. He has dedicated
a better part of his life to public service
and has helped countless New Yorkers.
The City of New York and the West Side
of Manhattan can’t do better than Erik.”
There are already other possible candidates
for the District 3 seat, as noted by
The City, including community activist
Marni Halasa, district leader Arthur
Schwartz, as first reported by The Village
Sun, and an expected Republican candidate.
Bottcher has also gotten support
thus far from President of the NYCHA
Elliot-Chelsea Tenants Association Darlene
Waters, who said that Bottcher cares
about the community.
“Erik is always there for us,” said
Waters in a statement. “I’m supporting
him because he really cares and he has
always delivered. I can’t wait to have him
as our Council Member and I’m excited
to help him get elected.”
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