Dear Neighbor,

Happy October!



Halloween is just around the corner, and the East Side is getting into the spirit! Between the decorations appearing on stoops, the changing leaves in Central Park, and the return of sweater weather, this has always been one of my favorite times of year in New York. I'm especially looking forward to seeing all the costumes our youngest neighbors come up with this Halloween.



Growing up on the East Side, I learned early that New Yorkers have strong opinions about their neighborhoods. And now, representing those same neighborhoods in the City Council, I get to hear them firsthand! I appreciate how fiercely our neighbors care about the places we call home.

We've had a busy and exciting month at City Hall and across the East Side, with some big wins and plenty more in the works! From securing a historic $25.6 million investment in mental health care at Bellevue Hospital to holding Big Tech accountable on AI, introducing legislation to tackle seaplane noise, and pushing for safer streets, we've been hard at work on the issues that matter to our neighborhoods.

In this month's newsletter, I'm also sharing updates on our fight to save the Kips Bay movie theatre, new housing legislation, and some wonderful constituent service wins that show how much the little things matter. Plus, we've got some exciting community events coming up on COGE ballot proposals and e-bike safety. I hope to see you around the neighborhood before October is over!

If my office can ever be of assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out at District4@council.nyc.gov or call us at (212) 818-0580. And if you find this newsletter helpful, please share it with your neighbors and encourage them to subscribe:bit.ly/VMaloneyNewsletter.

Happy Halloween, and I hope to see you around the neighborhood!

Sincerely,

Virginia

$25.6 Million for Bellevue: A Historic Investment in Mental Health Care

We delivered $25.6 million, the largest City Council investment in NYC Health + Hospitals history, to modernize Bellevue’s adult inpatient psychiatric units and expand access to care for New Yorkers experiencing serious mental illness.



The mental health crisis touches every part of our city. When people experiencing psychiatric emergencies cannot access timely care, the consequences are felt in our streets and subways. Expanding inpatient treatment is an important part of addressing our city's mental health crisis, improving public safety, and ensuring that New Yorkers in crisis receive medical care. For nearly three centuries, Bellevue has been there for New Yorkers during their most difficult moments. This investment will expand inpatient capacity by approximately 40 beds, helping more people receive the treatment, dignity, and support they need to recover.

I'm grateful to Speaker Julie Menin, the Manhattan Delegation, my Co-Chair Carmen de la Rosa, and the dedicated Bellevue staff who care for New Yorkers every day. Together, we're strengthening our public mental health system and making our city healthier and safer for everyone.

For more on Bellevue's plans to expand and modernize psychiatric care, read the feature in Bellevue Magazine

Remembering October 7 and Confronting Antisemitism

Three years after the October 7 attacks, I joined Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun along with UJA to remember the victims and hear from survivors, first responders and people who helped save lives. We hold the families forever changed by that day close and stand with Jewish New Yorkers confronting antisemitism.

As a member of the Council's Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, I've worked to put resources behind that commitment. This year, our office secured $701K in direct funding for Jewish organizations across District 4 and New York City, including $545K for the Simon Wiesenthal Center and its work teaching young people to confront anti-semitic hate online. We also funded food assistance through the Met Council, Park Avenue Synagogue, and Temple Shaaray Tefila, as well as JASA, Hebrew Home at Riverdale, and the Blue Card, organizations serving older adults and Holocaust survivors.

The Council also invested more than $7 million citywide in combating antisemitism, Holocaust education and Jewish community organizations. My first bill, Int 0297, now law, supports emergency planning for houses of worship and nonprofit institutions. Every New Yorker deserves to worship and gather without fear.

I will always confront antisemitism wherever it appears, and work to ensure Jewish New Yorkers can live openly, safely, and proudly in our City.

A Historic AI Oversight Hearing: Protecting New Yorkers and Holding Companies Accountable

On October 5, the City Council held a first-of-its-kind hearing that brought OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta before all 51 Council Members to answer questions about the risks AI poses to public safety, the safeguards companies have in place, and what more City government can do to protect consumers.



I introduced landmark legislation Int 1116 to give New Yorkers a private right of action when an AI company fails to take reasonable precautions against foreseeable harmful misuse of its models.

During the hearing, I also asked how City agencies are using AI to improve services, what we're doing to prepare workers for changing jobs, and whether the RAISE Act's reduced penalties are enough to persuade major technology companies to change their behavior. As I said at the hearing, a fine of $1 million to $3 million can be little more than a business expense for these companies.

This hearing was an opportunity to ask the questions New Yorkers deserve answered and examine the rules, oversight, and enforcement needed as these systems become more widely used. Although the federal government has adopted a more laissez-faire approach to AI, there are plenty of examples throughout history where New York has been a leader, and I see AI being no different. SpaceXAI skipped the October 5 hearing and will now testify under oath today.

Check out a few highlights from the hearing:

IN THE COMMUNITY

Making Our Streets Safer: E-Bikes, Pedestrians and School Crossings

The tragic death of 15-year-old Stuyvesant Town resident Daria Serkov, who was struck by a truck while riding a Citi Bike at First Avenue and East 14th Street, has devastated our community and renewed urgent concerns about street safety.

With e-bike crashes up 28% from last year and 20 lives lost in crashes involving e-bikes, mopeds, and e-scooters in 2026, the City Council is taking action. On September 30, we held a comprehensive oversight hearing on a 23-bill legislative package addressing speed limits, illegal high-powered devices, registration, enforcement, street design, and safety education.

Following the hearing, I met with Community Board 6 at Waterside Plaza to hear directly from neighbors about dangerous intersections, reckless riding, and pedestrian safety concerns.



I'm continuing to push this legislative package forward, including measures to improve intersection safety and protect students near schools. Whether walking, cycling, driving, or making a delivery, every New Yorker deserves to travel safely.

Protecting a Neighborhood Staple: AMC Kips Bay 15

For years, AMC Kips Bay 15 has been a place where neighbors gather, families spend an afternoon, and New Yorkers enjoy a movie close to home. Its pending closure has prompted understandable concern about what our neighborhood could lose.

I've been working with Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Assembly Member Keith Powers, and fellow elected officials to press NYU Langone about the site's future and explore ways to preserve a cinema in Kips Bay.



I've been clear that I will not support a rezoning that eliminates a movie theatre. As our neighborhood grows and changes, families should continue to have access to the businesses, cultural spaces, and everyday amenities that make Kips Bay a place to call home.

Making Privately Owned Public Spaces Work for New Yorkers

Did you know that New York City's privately owned public spaces, known as POPS, add up to the equivalent of nearly nine Bryant Parks? Since 1961, developers have been permitted to construct larger buildings in exchange for providing publicly accessible plazas, gardens, and seating areas.

Yet across East Midtown, residents have raised concerns about spaces designated for public use being closed off or restricted. These include privately owned public spaces as well as City-owned properties subject to public-access agreements.



I joined Council colleagues in sending a letter to the Department of Buildings calling for stronger enforcement of public-access requirements.

These spaces were promised to New Yorkers, and those commitments must be honored. I'll continue working with residents and City agencies to restore access and protect the public spaces our neighborhoods deserve.

Constituent Wins: Following through on the Small Things

Need help with a City agency? My office can assist with constituent service requests and help you navigate common issues involving housing, sanitation, street conditions and other City services. Contact District4@council.nyc.gov or (212) 818-0580.

Over the past several weeks, I've introduced and advanced legislation addressing some of the concerns I hear most often from constituents, from housing affordability and pedestrian safety to seaplane noise and public health. As Chair of the Committee on Economic Development, I'm also focused on ensuring New York remains a city where families can afford to stay, businesses can thrive, and residents can enjoy a better quality of life. Here's a look at some of the legislation we're moving forward.

Creating More Housing Options for New Yorkers: The Shared City Act

Anyone who has searched for an apartment in New York knows how difficult it can be to find a place that fits both your needs and your budget. Young professionals and single New Yorkers often share two- and three-bedroom apartments to make rent manageable, competing for the same limited housing that families need.

My legislation, Intro. 0066, the Shared City Act, would expand housing choices by allowing newly built and converted residential buildings to offer private bedrooms with shared kitchens and common spaces, subject to modern safety standards and tenant protections.

The goal is simple: give New Yorkers who want to live with roommates more options, while easing competition for the larger apartments that families need to stay and grow in our city. 

I'm continuing to work with my colleagues to move it forward. I recently joined Bradley Tusk on his Firewall podcast to discuss how shared housing could help put underused office space to work, as well as economic development and the City's use of AI.

Addressing Seaplane Noise Along the East River

For years, East Side residents have raised concerns about seaplane noise disrupting their daily lives. Yet the City lacks consistent public data on just how loud and frequent that noise is.



I've introduced Intro. 1115, which would require sound monitors near active seaplane bases and publicly report the noise levels they record.



When New Yorkers tell us something is affecting their quality of life, City government should have the tools to measure the problem and take informed action.

Making Broadway Safer: Pedicab Hearing

On October 7, the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection held a hearing on my bill, Intro. 0064, to prohibit pedicabs from stopping, parking, or picking up and dropping off passengers within 50 feet of Theatre District entrances and exits. Pedicabs clustering outside theatres have created congestion and led to repeated complaints of aggressive solicitation and harassment of theatregoers and workers as they leave performances. This legislation would give audiences, performers, and theatre workers the room they need to exit safely, while requiring DOT signage or markings so operators and passengers know where the restrictions apply.

Strengthening Sexual Assault Prevention at Large Public Events

Concerts, festivals, parades, and sporting events bring thousands of New Yorkers together, and organizers have a responsibility to keep attendees safe. My legislation, Intro. 1087, would require events with more than 1,000 attendees, or 500 when alcohol is served, to have trained personnel and clear, trauma-informed protocols for preventing and responding to sexual harassment and assault. Survivors should know where to turn for help, and event organizers should have a plan in place before the gates open.

Holding FIFA to Its $1 Million Commitment to NYC

I am also proud to co-sponsor Council Member Thomas-Henry's resolution 0655 calling on FIFA to honor its promised $1 million legacy contribution to New York City for hosting the 2026 World Cup. Our city welcomed fans from around the world and helped generate billions in regional economic activity. FIFA should follow through on its commitment and ensure New Yorkers receive the investment they were promised.