Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Hello!
Déjà Vu Parker: Mayor Mamdani, it's Déjà Vu, from WBLS, how are you?
Mayor Mamdani: I'm doing well, Déjà. How are you doing? How about them Knicks?
Parker: Listen, c'mon. 105-95, it is crazy.
Mayor Mamdani: It was incredible. Last night was incredible, truly.
Parker: You were actually hanging out with one of our DJs at our sister station, Mike Medium. He's one of the DJs at one of the parties that you were popping into. We were all excited because we were like, "Oh, you're rocking with us." So yeah, it was fun.
Mayor Mamdani: Always, always.
Parker: All right, so what's going on? I heard we're getting ready for the World Cup. We've got summer youth programming. Talk to me.
Mayor Mamdani: Yes. So, we want New Yorkers to know about what this summer is going to look like. And as you know, we're going to be hosting the largest sporting event in the world. And it's kicking off in a little over a week for us here in New York City. And so what we want New Yorkers to know is that during the eight match days over the course of the next month, the official New York-New Jersey Stadium shuttle buses, are going to provide nonstop express service for ticket holders to and from Manhattan and the New York-New Jersey Stadium in New Jersey via the Lincoln Tunnel. These buses are going to make pickups and drop-offs at three different Manhattan locations: Port Authority Bus Terminal, Midtown North at Columbus Circle and Midtown East near Grand Central.
Now, for the many who are listening who do not have tickets to the game, the reason that this is important for all of you to know is that on each match day, to reduce traffic and facilitate mass transit, we as a city are going to do a few things. The first, convert 42nd Street into a bus and shuttle corridor from 1st Avenue to 12th Avenue. The second is we're going to dedicate the two eastern most lanes of traffic along 6th Avenue as bus and shuttle lanes from 42nd Street to 59th Street. The third is that we're going to utilize the two existing bus lanes along 5th Avenue from 42nd Street to 59th Street. And the fourth thing is that we're going to convert West 40th Street between 8th Avenue and 11th Avenue and West 41st Street between 8th Avenue and 10th Avenue, into bus and shuttle blocks.
So, what all of this means is that if you are going into Midtown on World Cup match days to expect increased congestion as well as delays, and know that we are planning to try and expedite the movement of people as much as we can. We encourage everyone, if possible, to either walk, bike or use public transit if they are coming into Midtown during match days.
Parker: That's going to be crazy, Mayor Mamdani, as a driver. I'm talking as a driver here. I understand. So how are you going to do it for people who can't walk or bus or bike at that time?
Mayor Mamdani: So, if you are a New Yorker who needs to come into Midtown Manhattan, especially we're talking about really between like 40th Street and 59th Street, specifically on game days, you will still be able to. We just ask that you prepare for a longer commute on those days. This is similar to what we're talking about during UN General Assembly or the marathon - these kinds of large-scale events that we put on - just what it's going to mean for Midtown. And we just want people to know in advance because some people might have to go in on that day. Others might be able to choose between that day, the day before, or the day after. We want to make sure they have all the information they need.
Parker: Got it. So, we can make plans and get our minds right when you're going to Midtown on those game days. But it will make for smoother transitioning for everybody who's trying to go out to the games, right?
Mayor Mamdani: Absolutely. That's exactly what it is because we want people to be able to enjoy this. And we also know that this is a summer that we want people to remember. And part of that is to make sure we can move them as quickly as possible to wherever they want to go.
Parker: Awesome. Awesome. Alright so now, what about the kiddos? Because school is about to be out. We are ready. We're ready to play and have fun. What do we have for the kids, the youth of New York City?
Mayor Mamdani: We are so excited at what this summer could mean for the kids of our city. We've created a website, nyc.gov/summer. It's a free interactive map that connects New Yorkers to hundreds of free programs available all summer long. These are programs for soccer, for basketball, for gardening, for photography. Honestly, almost anything you can imagine. And kids can use the website to sort by their age, by their ZIP code [or] by their interests.
Because we want to make sure that this summer, when kids are out of school, they have more free time [and] that we're actually engaging them with ways that they can pursue their interests and explore what they're passionate about. And so, this is all going to be done alongside our Office of Neighborhood Safety, implementing a coordinated summer safety plan focused on preventing youth violence.
Parker: I saw the website for nyc.gov/summer and I love it. I love the activities. I'm like, "Where was this when I was a kid?" Like, for real? But it really is cool. It's a really cool tool for kids to be able to use to do fun things this summer.
Mayor Mamdani: Oh, I'm so glad. Thank you for sharing that.
Parker: So, Mayor Mamdani, talk to us about what's next for the stretch for the city. We have done a lot of things with Pre-K. We're seeing we're doing things with transportation. What's the next big initiative that you're working on?
Mayor Mamdani: Well, I think first and foremost, we are going to keep watching the Knicks and keep praying and enjoying this run. It's incredible. And also, just to say that, you know, it's not just something meaningful for the spirit of the city, but even for the economy of the city. Every home playoff game going forward generates $90 million in economic activity. And the Knicks going all the way could generate up to $465 million in economic activity. So, this is a true moment for the city measured no matter how you want to.
And then alongside that, we're also planning for our future. So, we're very excited to have rolled out 2-K applications for free childcare for two-year-olds. These are for children who are living in Washington Heights and Inwood and Fordham and the Rockaways [and] Canarsie. And New Yorkers who are interested can sign up by visiting myschools.nyc. That will be an opportunity for them to save up to $20,000 a year on what would otherwise be childcare they'd have to pay for.
Parker: Awesome, awesome. Mayor Mamdani, thank you for checking in with us.
Mayor Mamdani: Thank you so much, Déjà. Have a lovely day.
