CITY OF YONKERS ATTAINS PERFECT SCORE FOR SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR ON MUNICIPAL EQUALITY INDEX

December 3, 2020/in News /by Generation Yonkers

Yonkers Rated as One of the Top U.S. Cities Exhibiting LGBTQ Inclusion in Municipal Law & Policy

YONKERS, NY – December 3, 2020 – The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, in partnership with the Equality Federation Institute, this week released its ninth annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI www.hrc.org/mei), the only nationwide rating system of LGBTQ inclusion in municipal law and policy, scoring the City of Yonkers with a perfect 100 for the sixth consecutive year. Yonkers was one of five cities in New York to receive a perfect score and one of 94 nationally out of 506 surveyed.

“Our administration continually works toward full equality amongst our residents and employees,” said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. “We are once again extremely proud to be part of the growing list of communities with a perfect score on the Municipal Equality Index. Our rating reflects diversity as Yonkers’ greatest strength and the respect we have for one another, regardless of who you love.”

Yonkers was specifically recognized for the following categories on its 2020 MEI Scorecard (https://bit.ly/33GuCyi):

Ø Non-discrimination Laws

Ø Municipality as Employer

Ø Municipal Services

Ø Law Enforcement

Ø Leadership on LGBTQ Equality

Michael Sabatino, Yonkers Director of Constituent Services/Former City Council Majority Leader stated, “I am proud to know that Yonkers was one of 94 cities nationwide to score a perfect score on the Municipal Equality Index. We can attribute this to the hard work of Mayor Spano’s administration and the Mayor’s LGBTQ advisory board. Yonkers is truly a diverse city where our residents are respected and embraced regardless of their ethnicity, religion or their sexual orientation. We promote a safe environment that allows everyone to co-exist and creates an atmosphere that allows all to contribute to the betterment of the City of Yonkers. Congratulations to all.”

Anthony Nicodemo Chair of Mayor Spano’s LGBTQ Advisory Board stated “The fact that Yonkers has earned a 100% shows how the city has embraced the spirit of inclusion. Mayor Spano and the City Council has made a concerted effort to embrace and support the LGBTQ community. Yonkers is a terrific place for LGBTQ people to live work and play.”

The 2020 MEI reveals that cities across the nation are not waiting for their states to extend vital protections to the LGBTQ community, nor are they intimidated by some state elected officials threatening to deny cities the ability to extend fully-inclusive protections to their residents and workers. This year, 94 cities earned perfect scores for advancing fully-inclusive policies and practices — at a time when the nation has been seeing a record number of anti-LGBTQ measures proposed by state elected officials bent on promoting discrimination.

Yonkers renter moved from Manhattan, during the pandemic

November 10, 2020/in News, News & Events, Press Release /by Generation Yonkers

Tanya Gonzalez moved from the Upper West Side of Manhattan, to her rental apartment building, River Tides in Yonkers.

Watch the full video here: LoHud

Yonkers Business Community Embracing Back-to-Business Campaign with Series of Events

August 19, 2020/in News /by Generation Yonkers

The Yonkers business community is embracing the City’s new Yonkers Is Back to Business! campaign with a series of events designed to generate excitement and spur business activity throughout the City.

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New Campaign Celebrates City of Yonkers Getting Back to Business

August 19, 2020/in News /by Generation Yonkers

The City of Yonkers is celebrating its reemergence from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic with an exciting new marketing campaign featuring prominent business leaders telling why they enjoy doing business in Yonkers.

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#YonkersBack2Biz with the Yonkers Downtown BID

August 14, 2020/in News /by Generation Yonkers

Yonkers is Back to Business

Dolphin Restaurant
Free dessert with $50 minimum purchase
*Dine in only

Francey Brady’s
10% off food with $20 minimum purchase
*Dine in only | *Excludes drinks

La Bella Havana
Free dessert with $50 minimum purchase
$20 Bucket (includes five) of beers from 11am to 4pm
*Dine in only

Guapo Restaurant
10% off food with $20 minimum purchase
*Dine in only | *Excludes drinks

Dos Marias
10% off food with $50 minimum purchase
*Dine in only | *Excludes drinks

X20 Xavier’s on The Hudson
Free glass of sparkling wine with any dinner

Zuppa Restaurant
Free dessert with $50 minimum purchase
*Dine in only

Bougie Brews
Free Brownie with any drink or food purchase

Giovanni’s Restaurant
15% off food with $20 minimum purchase
*Takeout or Dine in (must mention when ordering)
Offer valid until August 31st, 2020

CITY OF YONKERS TAPS BIRD TO LAUNCH NEW YORK STATE’S FIRST EVER ELECTRIC SCOOTER PILOT PROGRAM

July 31, 2020/in News /by Generation Yonkers

Bird e-scooters to Launch in Yonkers in Early August
(Photo Credit: Bird)

YONKERS, NY – July 31, 2020 – Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today announced the city has partnered with Bird to launch New York State’s first-ever electric scooter pilot program. Beginning in early August, as part of a one-year pilot program, Bird will deploy up to 200 scooters in southwest Yonkers, including the Downtown-Waterfront area, with the potential of expanding up to 500 scooters to meet demand.

“Yonkers is pleased to once again lead the way as a progressive city in offering smart, emission-free transportation solutions for our community,” said Yonkers Mayor Spano. “Partnering with Bird will provide residents and visitors the opportunity to travel our city with ease and convenience all while being affordable, reliable and fun.”

“Yonkers’ dedication to micromobility is unparalleled, and Bird is honored to serve in the first e-scooter pilot program both here and in New York State,” said Rebecca Hahn, Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, Bird. “Like so many New Yorkers, Yonkers residents are adopting more socially-distant transportation habits in the wake of COVID-19. We’re looking forward to providing a safe and sustainable way for them to stay mobile and support local businesses as the city continues to recover and rebuild.”

Through the Bird smartphone app, riders can see the closest Bird scooter on a map, unlock it, complete the safety tutorial and ride directly to their desired destination. Upon ending their trip, riders simply park the scooter safely along the side of a sidewalk or on-street next to an unmarked curb and take a photo of the scooter through the app to ensure proper parking.

The cost for a Bird ride is $1 to start and 30 cents per minute. Bird also offers low-income access plans that include unlimited 30-minute rides for $5 per month for anyone enrolled in or eligible for a state or federal assistance program.

In compliance with the recently enacted New York State law, e-scooters must be used on streets with a posted speed limit of no more than 30 mph. Riders may also use scooters in bike lanes, but must offer the right of way to bicycles. Riders must be 18 years of age to use a Bird scooter in Yonkers.

Yonkers’s partnership with Bird marks the second of its kind with a dockless transportation sharing company. The city was the first in the New York City area to embrace dockless bike sharing in 2018, and now will become the first in the state to welcome shared electric scooters nearly three years after the first Birds were launched in Santa Monica in September 2017.

The announcement comes less than a month after another notable micromobility first when the United Kingdom officially approved Bird One electric scooters for use in city trials, paving the way for Bird’s first UK launch since its scooters were first ridden in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2018.