In NYC: New Child Ed Centers, Fund Board, Housing Insurance Program, Trash Containerization, E-Bike Battery Cabinets, Visiting Bronx Center With President Obama, Upgrade Bus Lanes, Opening Formerly Vacant Child Center: Mayor Mamdani

Mayor Mamdani Announces Seven New Early Childhood Education Centers Opening This Fall 

Seven previously vacant sites will add 240 new 3-K seats, bringing programs closer to families  

Additional seats for community-based providers to be announced in coming weeks

NEW YORK— Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced seven new early childhood education centers will open this fall, adding about 240 new 3-K seats across the city. The sites, previously vacant, are part of the first phase of the 3-K expansion announced last month for the 2026–27 school year.   

The new centers will meet community demand, make full use of existing space and expand access to early childhood education closer to where families live.    

The City also announced an expansion of capacity among existing contracted providers, adding seats across current programs. Additional center-based seats will be announced following the evaluation of the Request for Information (RFI) issued earlier this year, along with planned increases in family child care network capacity.   

“Today, we are opening doors that should never have been closed to our families — safe, nurturing spaces where their children can learn and grow, in their own communities,” said Mayor Mamdani. “For too long, truly accessible child care was just out of reach. By bringing these sites online, we’re making clear that no amount of red tape will get in the way of delivering the free, universal child care New Yorkers deserve.”   

“We have been deliberate about how we approach early care and education and are taking meaningful steps to put more seats closer to the families that need them most,” said Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels. “These are more than just additional seats. They are the foundation every child needs to thrive, and we are committed to making sure no family in our system has to look too far to find a high-quality program for their child.”    

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The following sites will be open for the 2026–2027 school year:   

• District 11 – 1107 East Gun Hill Road   

• District 15 – 274 Atlantic Avenue   

• District 22 – 1326 East 57th Street   

• District 24 – 63-57 Fresh Pond Road   

• District 24 – 104-72 Roosevelt Avenue   

• District 24 – 47-00 76th Street   

• District 25 – 18-31 131st Street  

Site selections were based on community demand, seat availability, site readiness and the ability to open for the upcoming school year.   

New programs will be listed on MySchools. Families who have already applied will receive email instructions on how to update their applications. Families who missed the deadline can still join program waitlists.    

The Mayor’s Fund will be chaired by Chief of Staff Elle Bisgaard-Church, who will steer its efforts to further the administration’s affordability agenda   

The administration will also launch a Child Care Action Fund, with a goal of raising $20 million by the end of the year

NEW YORK – Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced a new Board of Directors for the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that partners with 50 City agencies and offices, philanthropic organizations and community leaders to invest in the most urgent challenges facing New Yorkers. The fund will play a key role in advancing the Mayor’s signature affordability agenda.   

Elle Bisgaard-Church will chair the board, joined by six additional members. Kate Smith will continue to serve as Executive Director.   

Under Mamdani, the Mayor’s Fund will look different from past administrations — centered not on corporate leadership, but on working New Yorkers and advocates who organized and fought for bold and progressive action on picket lines, protests and public forums in their communities. From Christina Cover, a Bronx public school teacher to Tony Perlstein, a UAW union organizer who built a career as a longshoreman, the board reflects the working people at the heart of this city — and the center of this administration’s mission.

The administration views the Mayor’s Fund as a complement to, not a substitute for, public investment. While advancing major government-led efforts to lower costs – including the first municipal grocery stores and a historic expansion of free child care – the Mayor’s Fund will help accelerate progress on core commitments to the movement that brought them to City Hall.  

“I am honored to appoint my Chief of Staff, Elle Bisgaard-Church, to lead the Mayor’s Fund into a new era, one where philanthropy is not about who has money, but about whether that money delivers for working people,” said Mayor Mamdani. “We have assembled a team of principled, focused leaders who will build on the work this administration is doing to lower costs, keep New Yorkers safe and make our city’s public infrastructure the envy of the world.” 

“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Mayor Mamdani for the opportunity to embark on this new era for the Mayor’s Fund,” said Chief of Staff Elle Bisgaard-Church. “The Mamdani administration has received a mandate to change the relationship between New Yorkers and their government, and build an affordable city where everyone’s needs are met. We are excited to partner with the philanthropic community to deliver an optimistic and bold vision for our city to deliver on this mandate.”

“On behalf of the entire team at the Mayor’s Fund, we welcome our new Board of Directors, chaired by Chief of Staff Elle Bisgaard-Church,” said Kate R. Smith, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. “We’re thrilled to have a Board of Directors representative of the wide range of our city’s perspectives. The Board is responsible for taking all necessary steps to carry out the purpose of the Mayor’s Fund, and ensures the Fund’s work remains aligned with the Mayor’s policy goals and major initiatives. We’re excited to collaborate on advancing our mission in serving all New Yorkers across the City.” 

Below are the members of the Mayor’s Fund Board of Directors:   

Elle Bisgaard-Church serves as Chief of Staff to Mayor Zohran Mamdani and managed his successful mayoral primary campaign. She previously served as his Chief of Staff and Legislative Director in the State Assembly, where she helped lead winning campaigns to deliver debt relief for taxi drivers, secure historic investments in the MTA through #FixtheMTA and defeat a proposed fracked gas plant. She holds a master’s degree in social policy from the London School of Economics and Columbia SIPA, and has worked on issues including incarceration, homelessness and adult literacy.  

Julie Chen is the Institutional Giving Manager at CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, where she supports efforts to build Asian immigrant and tenant power in New York City communities. Her previous work includes fundraising for an immigration bond fund, researching labor conditions for Chinese fast fashion workers in Italy and advocating for parents in the family policing system. She also serves in leadership roles with the Neighborhood Funders Group (NFG)’s Democratizing Development Program and the Resource Development Committee for Right to the City (RTTC). 

Christina Cover is an English Language Arts teacher and the Literacy Coordinator at a Bronx public high school. She previously worked as a fellow with Seek Common Ground, served as Communications Coordinator for Assembly Member Khaleel M. Anderson and participated in AmeriCorps through City Year. She earned her B.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from CUNY Queens College, an M.A. in Intellectual Disabilities/Autism and dual teaching certification in English Language Arts and Special Education (7-12) from Teachers College, Columbia University and an Advanced Certificate in Reading Science and Literacy (All Grades) certificate from CUNY Brooklyn College.   

Shawn V. Morehead is a philanthropic leader and legal advocate with over two decades of experience advancing equity in education, civil rights and social justice. She currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Program Officer at The New York Community Trust, where she oversees a $60 million annual grant making program supported by more than $1.5 billion in endowed funds. Prior to her current position, Shawn held several roles at The Trust, including Vice President for Grants and Program Director, where she spearheaded transformative programs such as securing $35 million to improve reading instruction in New York City public schools and launching multimillion-dollar initiatives to support immigrant communities. Before entering philanthropy, Shawn built a legal career focused on civil rights and education reform. As Litigation Director at Advocates for Children of New York, she led federal class-action cases to protect the rights of students with disabilities and those facing disciplinary proceedings, negotiating landmark settlements that improved educational services and accountability. A committed community leader, Shawn has served on numerous boards and advisory councils, including EdFunders, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, and the Rivendell School.  

Rickke Mananzala (he/him) has spent more than 25 years working alongside grassroots leaders, community organizations and movements advancing racial, economic and gender justice. He currently serves as President of the New York Foundation, which supports community organizing and advocacy to help build a more just and inclusive New York City. Previously, he was Vice President of Programs at Borealis Philanthropy, helping bring funders together to support grassroots leaders and organizations building power for lasting social change in communities across the U.S. Rickke’s work in philanthropy is grounded in his roots as a community organizer. He began as an organizer and later became Executive Director of FIERCE, a New York City organization led by LGBTQ youth of color that organized campaigns to reduce youth criminalization and build leadership and power among young people. He currently serves on the boards of the Public Welfare Foundation and Philanthropy New York. Rickke holds a B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University and a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, with a focus on urban policy.  

Javier H. Valdés is director of the Civic Engagement and Government program. He supports grant making to strengthen representation, participation and leadership in US democracy so that communities can shape their futures, with dignity, inclusion and equitable access to economic resources. Javier joined the foundation in 2021 after previously serving as co-executive director of Make the Road New York (MRNY) and Make the Road Action. He has spent decades advocating for policy reforms, including limiting the local presence of federal immigration enforcement, improving the quality of affordable housing, expanding translation and interpretation services at government offices, and reducing biased policing. Javier has held positions at the New York Immigration Coalition, Synergos Institute and United Nations Capital Development Fund. In 2013, President Barack Obama awarded Javier the White House Champions of Change Cesar Chavez Award. Javier has a masters degree in urban planning in community and economic development from the NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and a bachelor of arts in international studies and environmental design and architecture from Texas A&M University.  

Tony Perlstein brings decades of experience as a union and community organizer and a lifelong commitment to working people, community empowerment and public service. Born in the Bronx and raised in Brooklyn, he is a New Yorker with a deep dedication to the communities that shaped him. He currently serves as a director in the organizing department of the United Auto Workers (UAW), having previously been the union’s national co-director of education. As a former longshore worker in the port of New York and New Jersey, he was elected Secretary-Treasurer of his local union and helped lead a successful national effort to raise wages and assure new technology did not hurt workers’ standard of living. Prior to being a longshoreman, he organized New York City restaurant, warehouse, lumberyard and other industrial workers to advocate for improved conditions. 

City-backed insurance program will reduce premiums for approximately 100,000 homes by 2030, specifically affordable and rent-stabilized housing

Mayor Mamdani Takes Major Step Toward Citywide Trash Containerization, Announces Six New Districts

Six new districts containerized by end of 2027, with at least one fully containerized district in each borough; all trash off the streets by end of 2031  

 High-density buildings will place their trash into stationary on-street containers known as Empire Bins

NEW YORK – Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Sanitation Commissioner (DSNY) Gregory Anderson announced today that six new Community Districts across the city will have 100% trash containerization by the end of 2027. This announcement means that eight of the city’s 59 districts will have zero trash bags on the streets next fall, with the administration committing to full citywide trash containerization by end of 2031.  

“In the wealthiest city in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, no New Yorker should have their sidewalks covered in garbage. By finishing the job on containerization, we will ensure New York City’s streets remain the envy of the world,” said Mayor Mamdani. “We have the plan, we’re investing the money and we’re delivering on the promise of clean, healthy streets for every neighborhood.”  

“Containerization is a long overdue step in bringing our city’s trash collection into the modern era, putting an end to the piles of garbage that have become far too common across our city,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson. “We will be hard at work rolling out this program throughout the five boroughs, keeping our public realm clean, safe and enjoyable for all New Yorkers.” 

“Neighborhood by neighborhood, we are ending the decades-long era of trash bags on the streets of New York City,” said Sanitation Commissioner Anderson. “Others have talked a lot about containerizing the city’s trash, but we are actually getting it done, delivering cleaner streets and sidewalks, and fewer rats, to every corner of the city.” 

Businesses and low-density residential buildings, including single-family homes, are already required to put their trash into smaller “wheelie bins.” Today’s announcement covers trash from higher-density residential buildings, whose building managers will put their trash into stationary on-street containers known as Empire Bins. These Empire Bins are assigned to individual buildings and accessible only to building managers. They will be serviced by North America’s first automated side-loading trucks.  

Medium- and high-density residential buildings in the following districts will receive Empire Bins by the end of 2027:  

• Brooklyn Community District 8 (Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Weeksville)  

• Bronx Community District 2 (Hunts Point, Longwood)  

• Bronx Community District 5 (University Heights, Mount Hope, Morris Heights, Fordham Heights)  

• Manhattan Community District 2 (West Village, SoHo, Little Italy, Greenwich Village, Nolita)  

• Queens Community District 2 (Sunnyside, Hunters Point, Woodside)  

• Staten Island Community District 1 (North Shore)  

During the course of the next year, DSNY will assign Empire Bins to all buildings in these districts with more than 30 units. Buildings with 10 to 30 units will be given an option — after extensive one-to-one outreach — to either have an Empire Bin assigned to them or use smaller “wheelie bins,” as all properties with one to nine units are already required to do citywide. This mirrors the successful operation in the first containerized district, Manhattan Community District 9.  

The Department of Sanitation is expecting that this expansion will use more than 6,500 Empire Bins for more than 3,500 medium- and high-density buildings.  

Trash in Manhattan Community District 9 (West Harlem) has been fully containerized since last June, creating noticeably cleaner streets. Brooklyn Community District 2 (Downtown Brooklyn, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Fulton Ferry, DUMBO, Vinegar Hill, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Brooklyn Navy Yard) is scheduled to receive Empire Bins this fall.  

While the initial West Harlem pilot has performed well for the last 10 months – including during a cold, snowy winter — the previous administration refused to fund or plan for expansion. Today’s commitment lays out a path to full, citywide containerization of trash in just five years.  

The initial West Harlem pilot utilized roughly 1,100 Empire Bins to store trash from schools and high- and some mid-density residential buildings. The Empire Bins are serviced by automated side-loading trucks, which DSNY was able to have built years ahead of schedule by developers from Torino, Italy and Hicksville and Brooklyn, New York.  

“Last year, the City Council passed my bill, the Rat Act (Int. 1123), to expand containerization citywide and finally get those unsightly heaps of trash bags off our sidewalks,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson. “I am thrilled for Mayor Mamdani and DSNY Commissioner Anderson’s announcement today to expand containerization to community board districts in every borough, including Community Board 8 in my district. It is encouraging to see this work begin to scale across the city. Containerization is a critical tool in addressing our rat crisis and improving street cleanliness. I look forward to continuing to work with the Mayor and Commissioner to build on this momentum and ensure this effort is fully realized citywide in the coming years.”   

“It’s a great win for Lower Manhattan to be prioritized in the expansion of containerization. Community Board 2 has chronic sanitation issues that clog busy streets and create real quality-of-life problems for residents, workers and visitors,” said Council Member Christopher Marte. “Containerization makes a world of a difference in making sure our sidewalks and streets are designed for people to thrive, not rats. I look forward to working with the Department of Sanitation, CB2, and our neighbors to implement cleaner streets, and further beautify the neighborhoods we love.”  

“Residential containerization is a mandatory citywide initiative, and our office will be working hand in glove with the administration and DSNY to make sure this rollout makes sense for Staten Island and goes as smoothly as possible for our communities,” said Council Member Kamillah Hanks.  

“I am excited to see the expansion of residential containerization in the Bronx. This is a first step in resolving the longstanding issue of rats and illegal dumping in our streets,” said Council Member Oswald Feliz. “Our community deserves cleaner spaces, and I applaud Mayor Mamdani for taking the initiative to continue to improve the quality of life of our neighbors.”

Mayor Mamdani Invites New Yorkers to Weigh in on Locations for E-Bike Battery Swapping Cabinets Across New York City

Portal seeks input on 25 locations proposed by NYC DOT and allows for the public to suggest additional locations 

NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn today launched a public portal for New Yorkers to help determine the locations of roughly 25 e-bike battery swapping cabinets across the city.  

E-bike battery swapping cabinets provide safe charging stations where electric micromobility users can plug in dead batteries and pick up full ones. The infrastructure, which is available to all New Yorkers, is essential for delivery workers, who — without access to battery swapping — often have to carry multiple heavy batteries to last a full shift.  

“We’re building a city around the people who live and work here — their jobs, their dreams, their lives reflected in the infrastructure we invest in,” said Mayor Mamdani. “These e-bike battery swapping cabinets are about supporting workers, making our city safer and embracing the kinds of transportation New Yorkers are already turning to in growing numbers. I’m proud to help bring New Yorkers’ voices into this citywide rollout, and I’m eager to see how people shape it through the public portal.”  

“E-bikes are an efficient, sustainable way to get around the city — and thousands of delivery workers rely on them every day,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “These battery swapping cabinets will make charging safer and more accessible on the job. We’re also inviting New Yorkers to weigh in through a new portal to help us place them where they’ll work best and have the biggest impact.”  

The City’s battery swapping cabinets are designed to mitigate the risk of fires caused by lithium-ion e-bike batteries, which are often linked to the use of uncertified or low-quality batteries, improper charging in residential buildings, lack of safe storage spaces and educational gaps around safe battery handling  

Each cabinet will include batteries that meet the highest fire safety standards set by the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), encourage the use of certified batteries and build confidence in the safety of e-bike charging across the city. Cabinets will be weather-resistant, theft-proof and fire-proof structures as well as include battery health monitoring and fire suppression systems.   

NYC DOT and the FDNY will work in tandem to ensure all cabinets and batteries are properly certified to applicable UL standards and that all sites meet required clearances prior to installation.  

To support this effort, the FDNY is extending the filing deadline for the outdoor installation of grandfathered charging cabinets under the Letters of No Objection program through September 2026.  

The extension gives more time for cabinet installation application submissions and allows more Nationally Recognized Certified Labs to come online for UL 1487 testing.    

“Public safety is at the core of everything the FDNY does,” said FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore. “As part of this effort, the Department is extending the filing deadline for the outdoor installation of grandfathered charging cabinets under the Letters of No Objection program through September 2026. From a fire prevention standpoint, this additional time is critical: it allows more Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories to come online for UL 1487 certification and will ensure these cabinets meet the highest safety standards. This measured approach supports the safe expansion of charging infrastructure, reduces the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries, and works to protect both delivery workers and the public.”  

In 2024, NYC DOT conducted a successful six-month public e-bike battery charging pilot, which concluded that the cabinets were safe, well-used and convenient for delivery workers. Pilot participants reported that the battery-swapping services allowed them to complete more deliveries during a shift.  

The battery-swapping cabinets will be owned and operated by a vendor, or vendors, selected through an RFP process later this year and accessed by users through that vendor’s membership program.   

The new battery swapping cabinets are part of NYC DOT’s Public E-Bike Charging (PEC) program. NYC DOT identified a focus area of Manhattan, Inner Queens, Inner Brooklyn and the South Bronx, the areas having the highest concentration of delivery activity and with a large portion of those delivery trips made on e-bikes. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Clean Mobility Program is supporting this program by funding the electrical connections required to install the battery-swapping cabinets.  

The sites NYC DOT identified for public feedback also meet clearances set by the agency and by the FDNY and are informed by NYC DOT’s Pedestrian Mobility Plan to maintain walkways that keep our sidewalks accessible.     

NYC DOT will review the public’s comments on the preliminary sites, refine the list of locations based on this input and develop a prioritized list of approximately 25 locations to initiate the project’s design phase. NYC DOT aims to bring power to the finalized locations with cabinets available for use starting in 2028.  

“NYSERDA has provided support for flexible, accessible and affordable mobility choices throughout New York City,” said NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris. “NYC DOT’s new online portal will allow residents to submit recommendations on where they think safe, effective battery charging should be located in neighborhoods — which is essential to ensure that e-bike use is as effective as it can be for those living and working each day in those communities.” 

NEW YORK – Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and former President Barack Obama visited an early childhood education center in the South Bronx, where they read a children’s book to a group of toddlers and met with families.  

In between singing wheels on the bus, the two leaders discussed the Mayor’s vision for this City, and the importance of giving New York’s Cutest have the strongest start possible. 

Pooled video from ABC7 is available here.  

Official photos can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/nycmayorsoffice/.   

Mamdani Administration Announces New Bus Lanes, Infrastructure Upgrades Along Linden Boulevard to Deliver Faster Buses, Safer Streets in Brooklyn High-crash Corridor 

Redesign of Linden Boulevard between Fountain Avenue and Conduit Avenue will speed up buses and improve reliability for 60,000 daily riders

Project will improve safety and reconnect neighborhoods with new bus boarding islands, expanded pedestrian medians and crossings  

Mayor Mamdani, NYC Children Open Seven Formerly Vacant Early Childhood Education Centers    

Atlantic Avenue center among seven sites opening this fall, adding 240 3-K seats to meet community demand   

Administration to add about 450 more 3-K seats at community-based sites in first phase of expansion