Bay Ridge

IDNYC program comes to Bay Ridge

City urging residents to apply for identification cards

August 19, 2015 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Councilmember Carlos Menchaca sponsored legislation to create the municipal ID card program. Eagle file photo by Paula Katinas
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The city’s municipal ID card program is setting up shop in Bay Ridge.

Starting on Thursday, Aug. 20 and running for the next two weeks, the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Affairs will have a pop-up center at the Bay Ridge Library at 7223 Ridge Boulevard for residents to apply for municipal ID cards under the de Blasio Administration’s IDNYC program.

The IDNYC site will be open six days a week and will house three enrollment stations, according to the Mayor’s Office. It is the first enrollment site in Bay Ridge.

All New York City residents ages 14 and above with proof of identity and residency can apply for an ID card through the IDNYC program. The program is open to all regardless of immigration status.

But residents must make an appointment before coming to the Bay Ridge site. To make an appointment, visit the city’s website at www.nyc.gov/idnyc. Residents can also make an appointment by calling 311.

The hours of operation are Monday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On July 27, Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announced that more than 400,000 New Yorkers, 5.5 percent of eligible residents, applied for IDNYC cards in the first six months of the program.

Councilmember Carlos Menchaca (D-Sunset Park-Red Hook) sponsored the legislation that paved the way for the creation of the IDNYC program.

“Although IDNYC has presented opportunities for residents of all experiences, for some recipients, this ID represents their first validated interaction with government — including our immigrant friends and neighbors,” said Menchaca, who is the chairman of the council’s Committee on Immigration.

The IDNYC program offers users the chance to obtain free year-long memberships at museums and other cultural institutions and more than 30,000 New Yorkers have taken advantage of the offer, according to the Mayor’s Office. The list of cultural institutions taking part include 33 museums, performing arts centers, libraries, concert halls, botanical gardens and zoos.

Eligible New Yorkers are also using their IDNYC cards to open bank accounts, enter city buildings such as schools and as recognized identification for interacting with the NYPD for issuance of summons and desk appearance tickets.

The ID card has had a positive psychological effect on residents, according to Randolph Peers, CEO of the nonprofit organization Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow.

“The ability to attain recognized municipal identification goes a long way toward empowering people to participate in everyday life activities, including accessing formal banking and applying for government services that they were previously shut out from,” Peers said.

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