"If These Allegations Are True, The Adams Administration Takes Bribes; New Yorkers Die": Statement from Transportation Alternatives on the Alleged Corruption Charges
Ingrid Lewis-Martin is allegedly facing corruption charges after working with the Argento family to stop the McGuinness Boulevard street redesign.
NEW YORK — Today, Transportation Alternatives released the following statement after news that Ingrid Lewis-Martin, Gina Argento, and Tony Argento are expected to face corruption charges. Gina and Tony Argento own Broadway Stages and were behind the push to stop safety improvements along McGuinness Boulevard.
McGuinness Boulevard, a corridor in North Brooklyn, has historically been dangerous. After local teacher Matthew Jensen was killed crossing the street, community members started the grassroots group “Make McGuinness Safe” and began to fight for street safety improvements along the boulevard.
NYC DOT agreed the street needed change, and spent years studying data and traffic patterns in and around McGuinness Boulevard and running a robust public engagement process before presenting a redesign plan. That plan proposed to slim the road from four moving lanes to two, while maintaining parking on the boulevard and adding a protected bike lane.
The Argentos fought back, forming an astroturf group to stop the safety upgrades. With the vocal support of Ingrid Lewis-Martin, the Argentos managed to stall the redesign, but a scaled-down version of the initial plan ultimately moved forward after needless delays.
Statement from Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives:
“Decisions about street design must be based on data — not on special interests and tens of thousands of dollars worth of campaign contributions. Greenpoint families, grieving neighbors, and safe streets activists were clamoring to improve the safety on this corridor for years. It’s deeply disturbing that McGuinness remained dangerous for so long. If these allegations are true, the Adams administration takes bribes; New Yorkers die.
“McGuinness isn’t this administration’s first or only stalled street safety project, and it’s time for investigations into the sudden reversals or stalling on Fordham Road, Ashland & Navy, Bedford Avenue, and everywhere the safety of New Yorkers is an afterthought.”
Statement from Bronwyn Breitner, Parent Leader for Make McGuinness Safe:
“Thanks to Eric Adams, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, and the Argento family’s interference in the city’s redesign of McGuinness Boulevard, half of the roadway remains dangerous and confusing today. We demand that Mayor Adams immediately direct the Department of Transportation to complete the full road diet — a plan that should have been protecting our community for the past two years.
“The grassroots campaign to Make McGuinness Safe was born from grief, led by families determined to protect their children. Those same children have now seen firsthand how power and money can corrupt the public good — but they have also seen how a community can unite with grace, resilience, and resolve. Many of them already cross a safer McGuinness Boulevard on their way to school; to deny the rest of the boulevard the same safety would be unthinkable.”
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