Transit News And Changes -CONTINUED FROM PG. 20- at the corner of Lorimer Street and Metropolitan Avenue. Station Renewal Comes To A Line The Ozone Park/Far Rockawaybound platform at the 88th Street station and the Ozone Park-bound platform at the 101st Street station on the A line remain shut through September as part of an ongoing station renewal project. For service to the 88th Street station, take the A train to Rockaway Boulevard, then transfer to a Manhattan-bound A train. For service to the 101st Street station, take a Lefferts Boulevard/Ozone Parkbound A train to 111th Street, then transfer to a Manhattan-bound A train. For service from these stations, take the A train to either Rockaway Boulevard or 80th Street, then transfer to an Ozone Park-bound or a Far Rockaway-bound A train. For a complete list of service changes and last-minute updates, visit the MTA’s website at www.mta.info or call 511. Senate Passes Bill On Cemetery Desecration Makes It A Religious Freedom Violation Legislation sponsored by Rep. Grace Meng to make the desecration of cemeteries—including Jewish cemeteries around the world—a violation of religious freedom passed the Senate last week. City Urges Residents To Prepare For Hurricanes ahead, making our buildings far more resilient inside and out, leading dozens of staff trainings and resident outreach efforts, and working closely with our partners in OEM and other city agencies to make emergency preparedness a priority for the tens of thousands of New Yorkers who live in public housing,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye. “For New Yorkers who have medical, physical, cognitive or sensory disabilities, emergency situations can be a serious challenge. In order to protect themselves and their families, it is imperative they are prepared,” said Victor Calise, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. “Persons with disabilities should talk with family members, care attendants, and friends to come up with a plan that works for everyone. Knowing what your abilities are will help you to prepare. Each individual should have a ‘GO BAG’ ready that includes proper medications, medical supplies, and appropriate durable medical equipment for 3-5 days or longer. Be safe—and be prepared.” “DFTA works hand-in-hand with the Mayor’s office and our fellow city agencies to ensure the safety and well-being of all of New York City’s seniors during a public health crisis, natural disaster, or citywide emergency,” said Department for the Aging Commissioner Donna Corrado. “Red Hook, in particular, was among those communities hit hardest by Sandy. Today’s initiative helps to better prepare our City when faced with these potentially catastrophic events.” The city encourages residents to take three key steps to prepare for hurricane season: • Know Your Zone: Find out whether you live in one of the city’s six hurricane evacuation zones. • Make a Plan: Make a plan, so you know what to do, how to find family members, roommates, or neighbors, and how to communicate during an emergency. • Stay informed: Sign up to receive emergency updates and information online and via e-mail, text, phone, and Twitter through the city’s free Notify NYC program at NYC.gov. The city also has the “Ready New York: Hurricanes and New York City” guide, available in print, audio format, and translated into 13 different languages. The guide offers instructions for preparing a disaster plan, and features a map of the city’s six hurricane evacuation zones and a list of hurricane evacuation centers in all five boroughs. New Yorkers are encouraged to visit www.nyc.gov/knowyourzone to download the guide or call 311 to request a copy. While 84 percent of hurricanes form during the peak of the hurricane season from August through October, the city plans and prepares yearround for coastal storms. New York City has a comprehensive Coastal Storm Plan that includes detailed procedures for evacuating and sheltering residents. In a major coastal storm, the city has the capacity to shelter up to 600,000 people with a shelter system that consists of 64 evacuation centers and more than 450 hurricane shelters, including special medical needs shelters. To supply and staff the shelter system, the city maintains an emergency stockpile of essential supplies and a database of thousands of city employees and volunteers who would be called upon to manage evacuation centers and emergency shelters. The city is also moving forward PlaNYC, its comprehensive sustainability and resiliency blueprint, including a number of coastal protection, building resiliency, and infrastructure improvements that are already in place for this hurricane season. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 19- Traffic News And Changes -CONTINUED FROM PG. 20- eastbound to be closed at all times between 128th and 134th streets. All existing traffic lanes will remain open and are shifted to the left. Lane Closures On Grand Central Pkwy. One lane of the Grand Central Parkway in each direction will be closed between 82nd and 111th streets on weekdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. on weekdays. Lane closures will also take place from 10 p.m. Fridays to 7 a.m. Saturdays and from 10 p.m. Saturdays to 3 p.m. Sundays. Two lanes of traffic in each direction may be closed on weeknights from 12:01 until 5 a.m., Saturdays from 1 to 6 a.m. and Sundays from 1 to 9 a.m. Additionally, up to two lanes in both directions on the Grand Central Parkway may be closed under 44th Street and 47th Streets weeknights from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. through September to allow for bridge repainting. Exit Ramp Closed Near Whitestone Br. The Third Avenue exit on the northbound approach to the Whitestone Bridge is closed to all traffic as part of a $109 million reconstruction project. Separate car and truck detours will be in place while the exit ramp is closed. Signs will be in place and traffic agents will be on hand when the detours begin. The closure is expected to remain in place for approximately two years. Passenger vehicles driving from the northbound Cross Island Parkway will have to exit at Utopia Parkway (exit 34); those driving from the northbound Whitestone Expressway will need to exit past the 20th Avenue exit and merge onto the Cross Island Parkway. For additional closures, visit the city DOT’s website at www.nyc.gov/dot or call 311. TIMES, THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2014 • 56 The House of Representatives passed in May the The Protect Cemeteries Act (H.R. 4028), which would amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to include the vandalizing of cemeteries as one of many infringements on the right to freedom of religion. The legislation now heads to President Barack Obama for his signature. The bill, which was suggested by some of Meng’s constituents in the Jewish community in Queens, New York, would have a significant impact on Jews in the U.S. and around the world since many have ancestors buried in their families’ homelands. In many cases, there are few relatives left in those distant communities to protect and preserve the graves, so it's important that there be laws to protect the graveyards there. “This legislation would be a new and important tool in our fight against the desecration of cemeteries,” said Meng in a May press release. “It would combat religiously-motivated vandalism of cemeteries and also prevent developers from building over cemeteries, a new and emerging threat in places where there are no Jewish communities left to protect burial grounds. It is essential that we increase preservation, tolerance and respect for cemeteries across the globe, and this legislation would go a long way towards accomplishing that critical goal.” The International Religious Freedom Act, which combats religious persecution across the globe, sets forth acts against religious freedom that the United States officially condemns, including the impeding of religious assembly, sponsoring slander campaigns, and prohibiting the pursuit of education or public office, among others. Under the 1998 law, the U.S. can impose penalties on countries that obstruct religious freedom. These include slashing foreign aid, public condemnation, cancelling official visits and cultural or scientific exchanges, imposing trade sanctions and prohibiting import and exporting agreements, among others. Meng introduced the Protect Cemeteries Act this past February and it was the fourth piece of legislation that the freshman congresswoman has passed in the House since she was sworn into Congress last year.
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