NEWS

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 2, 2010
 
“NYC Students for Transportation Justice Protest MTA cuts"

New York, NY—UPROSE, joined by NYC Students for Transportation Justice, will hold a rally in front of the MTA Public Hearings at the Brooklyn Museum and Fashion Institute of Technology to demand that the MTA not make budget cuts or cut Student MetroCards.
 
When: 5:00PM Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Where: MTA Public Hearing, Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, NY

and

When: 5:00PM Thursday, March 4, 2010
Where: MTA Public Hearing, Fashion Institute of Technology, 7th Ave at 27th, NYC

Low-income communities rely on mass transportation to get our students to school, our parents to work, and community elders to much need services.  The proposed budget cuts by the MTA will take away the lifeline that many of us have to the resources we need to survive. In addition to the immediate economic and educational impact of the proposed cuts, we at UPROSE want to bring attention to the larger environmental and health related impact of the MTA proposals.

UPROSE Youth Justice is protesting to let the MTA know that the generation most affected by climate change is being denied access to mass transit, education, and a healthy future. The City and the State cannot plan for climate change and deny people access to mass transit.

We need and support affordable and efficient public transportation for students, the elderly, the disabled and low-income communities of color because we carry the disproportionate burden of the effects of an inefficient transportation system.  
 
In alliance with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, we ask the MTA to support our demands and proposed budget solution detailed below:
 
·    Reallocate 10% of direct stimulus aid to MTA operating expenses: $91.5 million
·    Use budgeted PAYGO capital funds for operating: $50 million
·    Reallocate 10% of additional stimulus transit aid to State to operating: $30 mil
·    Do not implement any actions without a meeting with NYC Students for Transportation Justice to hear our concerns specifically about Student MetroCards.
 
The proposed budget cuts are a burden on the poor, the working class, a burden on our health, and a burden on the the City's most vulnerable communities.  
 
We ask the media to join us in covering the many voices responding to MTA budget cuts.
 
Media Contact:
Joaquin Sanchez, Youth Organizing Coordinator
UPROSE
166A 22nd Street
Brooklyn, NY 11232-1106
(718) 492-9307
 
UPROSE, Brooklyn’s oldest Latino community-based organization is dedicated to developing intergenerational multi-racial, multi-ethnic, indigenous leadership committed to environmental and social justice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Young People Talk, People Listen!

 

MAS recently sat down with four young people from the Bronx and Brooklyn who are confronting neighborhood planning challenges head-on. Armed with information, enthusiasm and a supportive network of adults, these young people are taking the lead in addressing critical neighborhood issues. In Sunset Park, Brooklyn, Caesar Alcaite and Celeste Del Brey (pictured at left) have been working with UPROSE, a community-based environmental justice organization. When they came to UPROSE, neither had much knowledge of environmental justice issues. However, after spending more time at the organization and working with youth organizers, these teens quickly learned that there is a connection between their local environment and their quality of life. Since coming to UPROSE these teens have developed strong leadership skills — reaching out to neighbors to inform them of local environmental concerns; helping middle school students map neighborhood assets and burdens; and leading neighborhood environmental justice tours for city officials, other youth groups, and most recently, a group of 50 Columbia University graduate planning students.

Manny De la Cruz and Miguel Rodriguez (pictured at left) of the Kingsbridge neighborhood in the Bronx are part of Sistas and Brothas United, the youth affiliate of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, and the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA). For the past year, these teens have having been organizing alongside other young people in the Bronx to advocate for increased community benefits in the proposed Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment plan. The armory, which is approximately the size of three football fields, is slated to become a large-scale retail destination. Some Kingsbridge residents have expressed concern over the impact of this project and have advocated for changes to better align the proposal with the community’s vision for neighborhood redevelopment. Many young Kingsbridge residents have been at the forefront of the decision-making process — speaking at public hearings, creating literature and even helping to organize rallies and demonstrations. Both Manny and Miguel described this experience as “powerful” and have been inspired to continue working on behalf of their community well beyond the armory conflict.

For most of the teens, this is their first experience with neighborhood advocacy. Miguel describes it as “having the blindfolds removed from his eyes” once he became more aware of the planning-related issues in his neighborhood. Celeste shared this sentiment, noting that her learning experience at UPROSE has only complemented what she learns in school — helping her to think about topics such as civics and democracy in more practical terms.

In a city so young, where over 25 percent of the population is under the age 19, having young people participate in community decision-making is critical to creating a city that meets the needs and reflects the vision of its residents. Although young people are sometimes considered apathetic and disengaged, these teens prove that when equipped with information and a legitimate opportunity to participate; many young people are more than ready to rise to the occasion.

The following podcast is part of a series profiling youth and planning: In A City So Young, Where’s the Youth Voice in Planning? During this third and final installment, these young activists share stories about their experiences and explain what compels them to do the work they do.

 

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For Immediate Release!

 

January 28, 2010 

 

“NYC Environmental & Social Justice Youth Groups Protest MTA cuts” 

New York, NY—UPROSE, joined by environmental and social justice organizers from all over NYC, will hold a rally and press conference in front of the MTA Headquarters to demand that the MTA not make budget cuts or cut student metrocards. 

When: 1:00PM Monday, February 1, 2010

Where: MTA Headquarters, 457 Madison Ave (between 44^th and 45^th St.), NY, NY 

 

Low-income communities of color rely on mass transportation to get our students to school, our parents to work, and our senior citizens around our community.   The proposed budget cuts by the MTA will take away the lifeline that many of us have to the resources we need to survive.  In addition to the immediate economic and educational impact of the proposed cuts, we at UPROSE want to bring attention to the larger environmental and health related impact of the MTA proposal.

On behalf of our community and all students from low-income communities of color, our youth organizers are protesting to let the MTA know that the generation most affected by climate change is being denied access to mass transit, education, and a healthy future.

We need and support affordable and efficient public transportation for students, the elderly, the disabled and low-income communities of color because we carry the disproportionate burden of the effects of an inefficient transportation system.  

In alliance with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, we ask the MTA to support our demands and proposed budget solution detailed below: 

• Reallocate 10% of direct stimulus aid to MTA operating expenses: $91.5 million
• Use budgeted PAYGO capital funds for operating: $50 million
• Reallocate 10% of additional stimulus transit aid to State to operating: $30 mil
• Do not implement any actions without a meeting with NYC students to hear our concerns specifically about Student Metrocards.

The proposed budget cuts are a burden on the poor, a burden on our health, and a burden on the disadvantaged.   

 

We ask the media to join us in covering the many voices responding to MTA budget cuts. 

 Media Contact:

UPROSE

 

UPROSE (United Puerto Rican Organization of Sunset Park) is Brooklyn’s oldest Latino community-based organization. We work to achieve environmental justice in Sunset Park and Southwest Brooklyn. Our membership is multiracial and intergenerational, and we have dedicated years to fighting for green and open space and equitable transportation for people in Sunset Park and all of New York City.

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Landmark Environmental Justice Victory!

October 2009

 

On Thursday October 15, 2009, the New York State Public Service Commission released a statement detailing the approval of new programs-referred to as demand response-designed to reduce electricity demand and toxic emissions from power plants that operate during "peak" hours.  This landmark decision is a direct result of pressure initiated by UPROSE and supported by our allies over the course of several years.  Our goal: to address the critical issue of poor air quality in our community and other environmental justice communities throughout New York City.  UPROSE was instrumental in providing feedback to the Commission and Con Edison on how to design and implement these programs to reduce local burdens.  Sunset Park is home to two facilities-which together house a total of 48 peaking units-that will be impacted by this ruling.  This is a significant victory for UPROSE and the entire environmental justice movement.  To read more about this decision  click here.

 

 

For years, UPROSE has been an outspoken advocate for addressing the peakers because of their known adverse effects on local air quality and public health.  UPROSE became engaged in addressing the problems faced by environmental justice communities as the result of the disparate siting of power plants as early as 2002. In 2003, our organization spearheaded a massive organizing campaign to block a 520-megawatt power plant from being sited in our community (which would have been the third power plant within the span of only 10 blocks). After this victory, UPROSE continued to push for air quality improvements and began to formulate and submit our recommendations for alleviating the inequitable burdens in low-income communities of color to the City and the State. It is a result of these efforts that the peakers and the dangers they pose to environmental justice communities were included in the Public Service Commissions deliberations for achieving energy efficiency and reducing the demand for peak generating units.

 

UPROSE Youth Leaders protest siting of 520-megawatt power plant 

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  UPROSE is a member organization of Transit Riders for Public Transportation

 

 On Wednesday, April 8, 2009—The Transit Riders for Public Transportation (TRPT) national campaign was officially launched nationwide. From the buses and trains in Chicago to Atlanta to Los Angeles, TRTP is advocating for an 80% public transit and 20% freeway funding formula split in the next $500 billion Federal Surface Transportation Act (FSTA) currently under discussion in the House of Representatives. Since the 1950’s the FSTA has locked federal funds 80/20 in favor of highways... 

Read Complete Press Release

 

 

informational package here!

 

 

TRPT Website

 

 to check up on the progress of the campaign and read contributions from member organizations all over the country!

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 As part of NYC's EJ leadership, we helped pass NYS's first Brownfield legislation and the NYC Solid Waste Management Plan. We successfully persuaded the Public Service Commission to create a working group charged with coming up with recommendations to eliminate the peakers (older, more polluting power plants that are used during the most energy intensive days of the year) in our communities.

 

Our work on Brownfields contributed significantly to Sunset Park receiving $36 million towards our waterfront park for environmental remediation, Our community-led greenway design is now complete and we are working towards implementation. We have proposed a plaza and other community spaces throughout the neighborhood. The community is laced with baby trees planted through our urban forestry project. Over 100 young people were trained by our Youth Justice At The Table initiative and we have received the following awards:

• 2006 EPA Quality Award
• 2006 Urban Agenda: inaugural Urban Visionary Award
  
• 2006 Big Green Apple Inaugural NYC Council Environmental Leadership Award
  
• 2006 Ordinary People: Extraordinary Acts Award from Turning Point