[UPDATE BELOW] Within the hour, the City Council will vote on a bill that would prohibit smoking in city-run parks, beaches, boardwalks, and pedestrian plazas. (Read the bill below.) Council Speaker Christine Quinn rarely calls a vote unless she has enough support for it to pass, so by summertime you should be able to call the cops on that inconsiderate jerk smoking upwind of you at the beach. City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. had proposed compromise legislation that would have set aside smoking sections in parks and beaches, but Mayor Bloomberg wants total smoking eradication. But don't worry smokers—there are still some places left for you to enjoy your "habit."
The bill gives smokers leeway to smoke in parking lots at parks, and sidewalks adjoining parks—at least for now; future bills are expected to restrict smoking to designated sidewalk "shame shelters" built by street furniture contractor Cemusa.
Update 4:37 p.m.: As expected, the City Council voted overwhelmingly to approve the prohibition. The vote was 36-12. The 12 Council Members voting against the bill were: Erik Martin Dilan, Lewis A. Fidler, Daniel J. Halloran, Vincent Ignizio, Robert Jackson, Brad Lander, Darlene Mealy, Rosie Mendez, James S. Oddo, James Sanders, Eric Ulrich, and Jumaane Williams.
