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‼️Must-Reads
đź“ąMayor Says Flock Not Going Anywhere
City of Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham says the Flock surveillance cameras and automatic license plate readers are not going anywhere (NC34) despite pressure from the public (WBNG) and city council (WBNG).
Kraham, who retains the power to cancel the contract with the surveillance technology service, says privacy concerns are a serious concern, but that the cameras have helped solve crimes and have legitimate uses (NC34). He also says activist maps of license plate readers in the Greater Binghamton are inaccurate. Binghamton Police Department also recently received other high-tech devices such as drones, a 3-D laser scanner, and a mobile command vehicle thanks to state funding (NC34).
đźš„Passenger Rail? But when and to where?
The City of Binghamton has selected an engineering firm, GPI, to move forward with a comprehensive application to the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor ID program, the same program supporting Scranton's passenger rail expansion (Press & Sun).
City Council approved the study Wednesday. The end goal is a passenger rail line from New York City, which officials say can bring significant financial benefits (WBNG). However, the project remains a far way off. If passenger rail is to become operational again in Binghamton, even if all goes well, it is not expected to function for "the better part of a decade".
âť—Survey for Southside Needs
The City of Binghamton is asking residents of the Conklin Avenue corridor, on the eastern South Side of the City of Binghamton, what their biggest needs are (Press & Sun).
Officials are contracting with a planning firm to develop a revitalization plan for the area from South Washington Street to the border with the Town of Conklin. Mayor Jared Kraham says the most visible needs are more housing and more food access after the Conklin Ave. Weis supermarket closed in 2024.
Kraham says his administration will focus on developing improvement plans for a different Binghamton neighborhood each year, starting with the Conklin Avenue corridor.
The survey can be found here: tinyurl.com/ConklinAveSurvey
