Courtesy NYC.gov

New York City officials have removed over 73,000 illegal vehicles, including “ghost cars” and unregistered motorized scooters, since 2022, as part of a broader public safety crackdown.

MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

New York City officials proudly announced the removal of more than 73,000 illegal vehicles, including “ghost cars” and unregistered motorized scooters, bikes, and all-terrain vehicles , from city streets since the start of Mayor Eric Adams’ administration back in 2022. This major cleanup effort, led by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and Department of Sanitation (DSNY), continues as part of the city’s ongoing commitment to public safety.

“Ghost cars,” vehicles with altered or fake license plates designed to evade detection by traffic cameras and toll readers, have become a growing concern in the city. These vehicles are increasingly linked to criminal activity, including shootings, robberies, and hit-and-runs, while also evading millions of dollars in unpaid tolls and fees.

“Our kids, families, and all New Yorkers must feel safe and be safe in our city, but ghost cars contribute to the feeling of disorder, and that’s why our administration has pumped the brakes on the use of these illegal vehicles,” said Mayor Adams. “While outlaws use fraudulent, defaced, or non-existent license plates and other illegal vehicles to commit and evade accountability for serious crimes, including shootings, robberies, and hit-and-runs, thanks to our partnership across city and state agencies, we have taken more than 73,000 ghost cars and illegal vehicles off New York City’s streets since the start of our administration. We are not going to stand by while people break the law, defraud our city, and endanger the public.”

The crackdown has intensified since the launch of a joint city-state task force in September. In just 12 weeks, the task force has removed over 5,000 ghost cars. To date, more than 7,500 ghost cars and 27,000 illegal motorized vehicles have been seized this year alone.

“Ghost plates and the vehicles that use them have long been a plague on the streets of New York City,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “But the days of motorists getting away with it are over. When you are caught driving or parking a ghost vehicle, you will be stopped and, when necessary, arrested. Your vehicle will also be impounded. I assure everyone that all of our interagency task forces are fully dedicated to this critical work of ensuring public safety.”

Governor Kathy Hochul, who has worked closely with Mayor Adams and law enforcement agencies to address the issue, highlighted the financial impact of toll evasion.

“Ghost plates and toll evasion cost our state millions each year, which is why we launched a city-state task force to crack down on these offenders and worked with the legislature this year to strengthen enforcement actions,” said Governor Hochul. “Working in partnership with Mayor Adams and law enforcement, we are prioritizing the safety of all New Yorkers by removing these vehicles from our streets and ensuring these brazen actions do not go unchecked any longer.”

The removal of ghost cars and illegal vehicles has been a key element of New York City’s broader crime-fighting strategy. The NYPD has significantly ramped up efforts to remove these vehicles, contributing to a decline in overall crime rates in the city. Index crime, including vehicle theft, burglary, and shootings, has decreased this year, partly due to the elimination of vehicles that could otherwise be used to evade law enforcement.

The multi-agency task force has made significant progress, with more than 58 operations since its formation in March, resulting in 700 arrests, over 32,000 summonses, and the impounding of nearly 3,200 vehicles linked to unpaid tolls and taxes.

“The MTA is conveying to anyone who still hasn’t gotten the message on toll evasion: forget it. We will catch you, stop you, fine you, and we’ll seize your car,” said Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chief Security Officer Michael Kemper. “We have the tools, training, and technology to catch toll evaders; just ask the 3,200 people whose cars have been impounded or the 700 people who’ve been arrested in one of our toll evasion operations this year. We’ll remain vigilant on toll evasion because there’s zero tolerance for scofflaws or for criminals stealing millions from New Yorkers, and we thank Mayor Adams, the NYPD, the Port Authority, New York City Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, and all of our other partner agencies for working with us on this important effort.”

The removal of ghost cars and illegal vehicles has also cleared parking spaces and improved quality of life for residents, especially in neighborhoods heavily impacted by illegal vehicle activity.

Local leaders also praised the efforts to improve public safety, noting the positive impact on their communities.

“Ghost cars, illegal motorized scooters, and other unregistered motor vehicles present a multitude of risks to public safety and have no place on our city’s streets,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “I applaud the NYPD, DSNY, and their partner agencies for being extraordinarily responsive to the many complaints Queens residents have made about these vehicles. This important and necessary enforcement work is doing a great deal to make our streets safer for all who use them.”

The initiative builds on previous efforts, including the creation of a dedicated task force in September with 15 NYPD officers assigned to focus specifically on ghost cars. In the past three years, more than 20,000 ghost cars have been removed from New York City streets, along with tens of thousands of illegal motorized vehicles.

As the crackdown continues, city officials are reinforcing their message: the time of illegal vehicles evading consequences in New York City is over.

“Untraceable ghost cars with defaced, forged, or fraudulent license plates have no place in Brooklyn or New York City, where they are often used during the commission of various crimes ranging from robberies to hit-and-runs to dodging tolls,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “They make the streets unsafe for pedestrians and other drivers. I commend Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul for the outstanding work of this city-state task force which is having a meaningful impact on public safety.”

The ongoing effort, which has seen significant reductions in crime, is backed by a multi-agency task force aimed at eliminating these vehicles linked to criminal activity and toll evasion.

Alice Moreno

The vast parking lot at Citi Field has been temporarily converted into an illuminated fantasy world, a rainforest filled with exotic animals hanging about with bright-colored herbage and flora decorating the scene. None of it is real, of course — in fact, they’re all handmade lanterns.

The Tianyu Lights Festival has arrived for the first time in New York City this year, bringing their dazzling traveling show to Flushing, Queens for two months. Running through January 19, the festival offers not only a plethora of brightly lit lanterns in all shapes and sizes but also a variety of meals from around the world; cultural merchandise made by artisans; and most importantly, interactive exhibits where children and adults alike can entertain themselves.

This time, however, Tianyu Arts and Culture Inc. decided to take a different route with their lights by combining two different cultures: Chinese lanterns, which is a custom that started over 2000 years ago, mixed with a Peruvian folkloric story about a young boy named Koda who ventures to the forest with his father.

“It sounds really fun if it’s an exotic place, going […] somewhere that’s entirely different,” said Huiyuan Liu, Tianyu’s special programs manager. “So we picked Peru as the background of the whole story.”

Koda’s story began in the rainforests of Eastern Peru, where he begins his adventure with his father. While struggling to fall asleep, Koda would sketch images of his experience, detailing their day-to-day lives while exploring the Amazon. The park is filled with whimsy and wonder as you traverse through Koda’s imagination: you witness fairies flying about, dragons spitting fire, and even realistic-looking statues of animals such as gorillas and tarantulas. Many of the lanterns even move — using animatronic technology, guests can witness these animals peek out of the greenery or even make noise, immersing them into Koda’s vivid imagery.

Koda’s story doesn’t end here Tianyu Arts and Culture Inc. hopes to expand his story further, turning it into a series where he travels to various places in the world.

“The key is that this allows us a lot of room to play with our imagination,” said Liu. “He can go to the rainforest, but next year, he might be going to somewhere with a big ocean.”

The fun doesn’t stop with Koda’s adventure. This year, Tianyu made an effort to make the experience more immersive, as if guests were stepping into a video game. Guests were able to interact with the exhibits, where they could play a variety of mini games such as a ball maze and air hockey. In addition, the festival hosts live shows, which are all centered around different cultures. Audience members can witness Chinese acrobats floating through the stage on certain nights, and every hour, traditional Chinese string instruments can be heard playing throughout the park.

The Tianyu Lights Festival is a joy for people of all ages that not only provides an Instagram-esque backdrop for your pictures, but also shows guests the different intricacies of Asian and Latin-American cultures. Each exhibit is unique, thoroughly showcasing Koda’s inquisitive mind and creativity as you venture into the vividly colorful, LED-lit lantern rainforest.