The Journal News reports that Nyack’s taxi services are overcharging for local fares to try to keep pace with rising gas prices. And the village is considering a fare increase to help out.

In Nyack, the local government that wants to talk about a fare increase, Mayor John Shields said. That is because the village Board of Trustees is sick of getting reports that cabdrivers are charging riders more than the $3 fare they’re allowed to charge, he said.

He said many of the reports come from people who do not want to file a police report.

The cab companies, AA Nyack Taxi and Nyack Taxi Service, have not been willing to present their business records to the board so the board can consider an increase in fares. Managers at the two taxi companies could not be reached last week.

Shields said the board has been receiving complaints for several years and he does not have a feel for whether the illegal charges have become more common recently as gas prices have surged past $4.

Source: Journal News

Marine units from Rockland and Westchester joined helicopters combing the Hudson above and below the water yesterday looking for one or boaters after a 38 foot $300,000 “cigarette boat” was found capsized near the Hudson River IAO Rockland Lighthouse Sunday morning. The rescue operation was called off after the sheriff’s department determined that the boater had swum ashore and walked home.

Lennon Duffy, 26, of Upper Nyack was taken to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla for treatment of head and face injuries

Source: EMTBravo, Journal News, News12 photo

Urban planning can be alot like fashion: what was once old is now new, again.

Transit Villages are designed to build shops, housing, and offices together in areas that are well served by public transportation, much like older downtown districts. An alternative planning approach which avoids urban sprawl, transit villages uses past experiences building towns and cities before automobiles created the suburbs we know today.

The updated transit village version, moderate- to higher-density development is directed to areas within an easy walk of public transportation with special attention is given to the needs of pedestrians.

The main benefits of transit villages stem from more efficient land use and more compact building. Building up uses far less land than building out and allows for growth without using open space. Building more compactly means there are more destinations at each transit stop within easy walking distance. As a result transit can run more frequently and thus be more convenient for more people.

This LoHud story talks about using the transit village concept to incorporate some of the ideas mentioned in the Riverspace Downtown project, especially as it pertains to increased density and a friendly pedestian enironment.

Sources: Sierra Club, NJDOT, Federal Highway Administration (Bay Area Fruitvale Transit Village Project

Youthfest opens The Friends of The Nyacks “Mostly Music” series on Tuesday, June 24th, 2008. Everyone is invited to Memorial Park will host an evening of fun, games, food, and music featuring local bands and free burgers from 6p to 9p.

Scheduled events include:
6:00pm – FREE burgers and hotdogs for kids
6:30pm – Jeffrey Friedberg, the Bossy Frog
7:00pm – Illegal Rock
7:15pm – Aqua Mellon
7:40pm – Damsels
8:30pm – Sons of an Illustrious Father (recently featured as one of Rockland’s Idols in Rockland Magazine

For more information, visit The Friends Of The Nyacks.

LoHud presents a weekly video podcast, Rockland Week In Review, covering the top stories from the week ending June 20, 2008. Nyack stories include

• Nyacks Seeks Anti-Gang Funds from Other Nyacks
• Steelworker Hurt at Rt 59 Shoprite

The Village is in the process of updating its zoning ordinance. It is a pithy 164 page document. It is currently open for your comments. The cover page of the document, written by the Nyack Zoning Code Revision Committee, says that “EACH and EVERY comment received by the Committee, whether incorporated or not in the final draft, will be appended to the draft for the Village Board’s review and consideration.”

All comments are due by August 1, 2008. You can email your comments to the Village Building Department.

View the proposed ordinance and maps:

• Zoning Ordinance
• Zoning Map
• View Protection Corridor Map

Starting Monday, June 23, Transport of Rockland (TOR) buses in Nyack will pick up and drop off on South Franklin Street instead of Cedar Street during the rebuilding of Artopee Way and the parking lots in Nyack’s business district. The temporary bus stop will be on South Franklin Street between Burd Street and Depew Avenue, one block south of Main Street. TOR buses will not stop at the normal Cedar Street location during construction, which is expected to last about two weeks. Continue reading →

I’m attaching the text of an ode I adapted/modified for the Hudson from an ‘Ode to an Irish river’. I have hopes the ode could be disseminated as part of Nyacks contribution to the planned 2009 Hudson-Champlain celebration. Copyright is under application. Feedback would be welcomed.

Continue reading →

Deck replacement work continues this week on the Tappan Zee Bridge Wed-Sat (June 18-21) this week as part of a planned project to replace 40 percent of the deck, focusing on the two right outside lanes in each direction from the Rockland County.

• Wed June 18: At 8p, the two right northbound lanes and an additional right northbound lane closing at 9p
• Thu June 19: At 10p ,the three right northbound lanes will be closed.
• Fri June 20: At 10p, the two right northbound lanes will close. An additional right northbound lane will close at midnight.
• Sat June 21: At 11p, the two right northbound lanes will be closed, with an additional right northbound lane closing at midnight.

Source: NYS Thruway Authority, June 16

Nyack Mayor John Shields is asking Orangetown, South Nyack and Upper Nyack to contribute funds to a community gangs-prevention program for The Nyacks at The Nyack Center. The funding will double the number of participants who can join the program. The program is in response to the April 16 mini-riot in South Nyack. Shields said the village would only contribute if the other communities agreed to chip in, too.

The Rockland County Youth Bureau has contributed $46,000 to fund 20 participants in the Youth Outreach gang-prevention program.

Source: Journal News, April 17