New York Legalizing Gay Marriage? - The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell - msnbc

Human Rights Activists Celebrate word of Senator Addabbo and Senator Huntley changing their positions to YES votes on the Marriage Equality Act in New York State

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Man Hit By Car on Crossbay Blvd and Liberty Avenue - April 29th...

Click here to view these pictures larger

I took the above photos on Friday evening, April 29^th at about 6:15 pm, as I was going to the Ridgewood Democratic Club for the monthly meeting.

I observed a man who was hit by a black sedan lying on the ground at the intersection of Crossbay Blvd and Liberty Avenue in front of the former OTB.

The EMTs from Jamaica Hospital and cops from the 106 Pct showed up while I was still there. The driver remained at the scene.

Witnesses told me that the driver of the car was impatient and jumped the red light striking the man as he entered the crosswalk and dragged him a about 10 feet before coming to a complete stop. The driver of the car was a middle-aged black woman, she was accompanied by a male passenger.

The pedestrian seemed to be injured and in shock. He remained on the ground until the EMT's arrived and placed him on a back board and a neck brace. I heard him complaining of back and neck injuries while he was on the ground.

9/11 Flag Project for the Rotary Club of South West Queens at Prima Pasta on April 26th

A firefighter from the FDNY will be doing a presentation on the 9/11 Flag Project for the Rotary Club of South West Queens. 


 To get more info on the 9/11 Flag Project log onto:  http://national911flag.org/

What: Presentation on the 9/11 Flag Project

When: Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 7:15 p.m.

Where: Prima Pasta Cafe, (back room)

161-50 Crossbay Blvd., Howard Beach, NY

Hosted by: Rotary Club of South West Queens

Pasta dinner will be served.

Open to the public on a 1^st come, 1^st served basis however,

you MUST R.S.V.P. by email: reachfos@aol.com or

by calling: 718-845-1429

Feel free to pass this on to others.

Ozone Park Traffic Pattern Bad For Business, Merchants Say by CeFaan Kim - NY1.com

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NY1 VIDEO: It was meant to improve safety, but instead Ozone Park merchants say a new traffic pattern at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard is starting to hurt their bottom line.

Liberty Avenue Stores Struggle to Survive by Anna Gustafson - Queens Chronicle

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Mukesh Patel, left, and Joseph Bruno say the new traffic pattern and subway construction, inset, has deterred customers from frequenting their shops. Photo by Anna Gustafson

 

A city plan meant to curb accidents and prevent pedestrian deaths has instead left business owners struggling to survive on a commercial strip in Ozone Park that will soon be gasping for its last breath if the Department of Transportation does not make changes to the area, store owners and employees say.

“It’s affecting us so badly,” said Abdul Alawdi, owner of Fine Food Market and Deli at 93-10 Liberty Ave. “Three places have already gone out of business because of this. Who’s next? It’s going to be a ghost town here.”

The DOT in November made Liberty Avenue a one-way eastbound street between Crossbay Boulevard and 93rd Street as part of its plan to address congestion and injuries and deaths from accidents at the Liberty Avenue and Woodhaven, Crossbay, and Rockaway boulevards intersection.

DOT officials noted between 2004 and 2008 there were 207 injuries for pedestrians, bicyclists and individuals in motor vehicles at the Rockaway Boulevard and Liberty Avenue intersection between 94th and 96th streets.

Shop owners, however, said city officials need to figure out a way to change the intersection without settling for what has become a death sentence for stores in the area. A 99-cent store, laundromat and fast-food chicken restaurant have all gone out of business since the plan was implemented, and the shops that are left have seen a drastic drop in customers.

“How many more stores do they want to close?” asked David M. Quintana, a member of the Ozone Park Residents Block Association. “A major commercial strip can’t survive on a one-way street.”

Kalish Pharmacy, which has been in the neighborhood for 100 years, has experienced at least a 30 percent drop in business, according to pharmacist Joseph Bruno.

“Businesses are closing, people are out of work, it’s terrible,” Bruno said. “I grew up in Ozone Park, I have ties to this neighborhood, and I want to stay here.”

Ram Stationary and Cards owner Mukesh Patel said his business has dropped about 50 percent, and Alawdi said he has seen a decrease of about 40 to 45 percent.

“Business has gone down unbearably,” said Patel, who has owned his stationary store for the past 21 years. “We’re losing $600, $700 a day. It’s a terrible situation.”

On top of the one-way street, business owners have had to deal with reconstruction on the subway stairs leading to the A-line, which has temporarily closed off the entrance to Liberty Avenue from Woodhaven Boulevard.

Shop owners and employees said they would like the DOT to make Liberty a two-way street again. That, Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton said, is unlikely, but she did note that the DOT reversed its decision and said it will remove the back-in angled parking spaces on Liberty between Crossbay and 93rd Street after business owners complained they was too difficult for customers to use.

“We’re looking at that whole intersection and all the ramifications, and we’re engaged in ongoing discussions with DOT to see if there are further modifications that can be done,” Braton said.

DOT spokeswoman Nicole Garcia said the agency is incorporating community input to develop further plans for the area.

“Safety is our top priority, and the project implemented in this area is designed to boost safety for all street users,” Garcia said in an e-mailed statement.

Kimberly Liverpool, manager at Tommy’s Pizzeria, said she hopes the city seriously considers input from shop owners, especially since her store is losing about $200 to $300 a day because of the traffic change.

“Customers don’t even come this way anymore,” Liverpool said. “Even on a Friday and Saturday it’s horrible. I had four people working here, and now I’m down to two.”

Terranova Bakery manager Maria Monzon said her daily average customer count has dropped from about 200 to 150.

Businesses Along Liberty Avenue In Ozone Park Struggling To Survive by Stephanie Tsoflias- WPIX

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Businesses on Liberty Avenue in Ozone Park are dying for a lifeline.

A portion of the street went from two way to one way and now, shop owners say people have stopped coming to their shops.

"Liberty was the busy area, it was the busy side street now it's Rockaway Blvd.," said Kimberly Liverpool a store manager.

Liverpool has managed a pizza shop on Liberty Avenue for four years. She says since the traffic pattern changed, she has gone from having four employees to two.

"Honestly, how many stores on the block have to go, I don't want to be next," said Liverpool.

Four months ago, the Department of Transportation put concrete barriers up on Rockaway Blvd.

The DOT said it made the street on way back in November because of safety concerns. The intersection near Liberty Ave and Rockaway is notorious for accidents, the agency said. Last year, a young boy was killed crossing the street.

But it has been a disaster for businesses.

The bakery on the block now advertises breakfast sandwiches for $1.95 just to attract customers -- and even that is not enough.

"We only sold one muffin today....business is down about 25 percent and we are not sure how much longer we will last," said Maria, the bakery manager.

The DOT said it will work with businesses but had no immediate plans to reopen both lanes to traffic.

Parking spots were put in to make it more conducive to shoppers but drivers say it just has caused more congestion.

BREAKING NEWS: Ozone Park Shooting Sends One to Hospital; Cops by Anna Gustafson - Queens Chronicle -

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One man was sent to the hospital after a man opened fire on a car on Cross Bay Boulevard in Ozone Park, police said.

Three men were involved in a midday shooting Friday on a busy street packed with pedestrians, sending one elderly person to the hospital and leaving residents shaking, police said.

“I was right next to the man when he started shooting,” said a delivery woman who was unloading goods from her Little Debbie truck outside of C-Town at the intersection of Cross Bay Boulevard and Sutter Avenue when the shots rang out around 12 p.m. “I was so close I saw the smoke from the gun. I was just hoping he wouldn’t turn around and shoot me.”

The shooter, who was described as a man in his early 30s, fired five shots at a car by the intersection of Cross Bay and Sutter, according to the witness. The man in the car was reportedly not hurt, but an elderly man across the street was shot in the hand, police said.

The bystander was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was in stable condition Friday afternoon, police said.

The shooter and the two men with him, also described as being in their 30s, fled the scene by foot on Sutter Avenue, the witness said. Police said they have not made any arrests.

“I heard one of the guys ask another guy, ‘Is that him? Is that him?’” said the Little Debbie employee, who did not want to give her name for fear of retaliation. “When he says yeah, the guy pulls out a revolver and starts shooting, right there in broad daylight on Cross Bay.”

Other residents who did not witness the shooting but heard about it said they felt nervous allowing their children to walk around the area.

“You think you’re safe when it’s the middle of the day and you’re in a busy place,” said Roberta, a mother of two who did not want to give her last name. “I just want to get my kids in the house and stay there.”

Not Business as Usual for Liberty Avenue by Bryan Yurcan - Queens Chronicle

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s owners on Liberty Avenue between 93rd Street and Cross Bay Boulevard say the changes implemented by the DOT in October have discouraged customers from coming to the area.

The city Department of Transportation in October implemented a plan designed to ease traffic on several intersections on Liberty Avenue and make them more pedestrian friendly.

But for some businesses in that vicinity, the project has hurt the bottom line.

The DOT’s plan to reduce congestion at the complex Woodhaven Boulevard, Crossbay Boulevard, Rockaway Boulevard and Liberty Avenue intersection included converting Liberty to a one-way eastbound street between Crossbay and 93rd Street and providing room for back-in angle parking spaces on that block.

A concrete barrier was also placed along Crossbay to prevent Liberty traffic from crossing through the intersection. The northbound lane for left turns onto Rockaway were extended and signal timing was adjusted to improve traffic flow.

But for some Liberty businesses, specifically those on the block that was converted to a one-way street, the changes have meant fewer customers coming through the doors.

Uncle Steve Discount Bargain Outlet, which is located on Liberty between 93rd and Crossbay, has a makeshift banner hanging in front of the store indicating that it is going out of business.

The owner, Steve, who didn’t wish to give his last name, said that the shops’ closing is about 50 percent due to the new traffic patterns.

“It has absolutely killed business,” he said. “So many less people come around here now.”

The owner said that many people who used to wait by the Rockaway Boulevard A train stop to pick up friends or spouses used to pop into stores on the block while they waited.

But with the concrete barrier now preventing access from the block to Crossbay, most people don’t do that anymore, he said.

Tommy’s Pizza & Restaurant, which sits a few storefronts down from the bargain store, also has seen a decrease in business since the new traffic plan was implemented.

Kimberly Liverpool, a manager there, said the business has seen a drop of around $200 a week in sales since the changes.

She said customers find it “a hassle” to come to the area now, and that the back-in parking added when the street was converted to one-way hasn’t even added that much extra parking space.

“A customer told me he feels like this is out of his way now,” Liverpool said.

An inquiry to the DOT was not returned as of press time.
cb1-

Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton said this issue “is absolutely on the radar” of the community board.

Braton said she has a meeting scheduled with DOT officials next week to discuss the concerns of business owners and see if modifications to the current plan are possible.

Braton said the DOT has been helpful in working with CB 10 on the matter.

“They reached out to us and are trying to address some concerns,” she said.

Police Give Tips for a Crime-Free Holiday by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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Leaving your car keys in your vehicle will almost certainly spoil your holiday, as one unlucky motorist found out last week when three perpetrators stole her car. Luckily for the owner, police recovered the vehicle a week later.

Notwithstanding that happy ending, many other car owners were not so lucky.

Capt. Thomas Pascale, commanding officer of the 106th Precinct, told members of the Precinct Community Council at its meeting last week in Ozone Park that 30 percent of the reported car thefts in the 106th occurred when owners left their keys in the car.

He said last week’s car theft could have easily been prevented had the owner not left the keys in the vehicle. Pascale urged residents not to leave their keys, as well as purses, wallets, packages and other valuables in plain view in their cars when they go shopping. He suggested putting items such as these in the trunk.

Precinct Conditions Unit Supervisor Sgt. Donna Nugent reported that in response to residents’ complaints of cars speeding on Crossbay Boulevard and Pitkin Avenue, police had conducted targeted enforcement in the area, setting up checkpoints and giving out summonses. She noted that one arrest was also made at a checkpoint, but did not specify the charge.

Nugent further said the park at PS 232 in Lindenwood is receiving additional police attention. She said officers now patrol the park with their car’s turret lights on when in that area, and they go into the park on foot and issue tickets to individuals found to be there after closing time.

In other news from the meeting, a Howard Beach resident reported that several manhole covers in the area are missing and presumed stolen for the value of the metal. She said the locations were near PS 207, at 158th Avenue and 87th Street and 88th Street and 158th Avenue.

“I’m afraid someone’s going to fall in,” said the resident.

A coordinator of the after school program at JHS 226 on Rockaway Boulevard in South Ozone Park advised Pascale that youngsters under 15 years old are wandering the street during school hours. The captain said he would notify the precinct’s truancy officers.

The 106th Precinct Community Council meets on the second Wednesday of the month, except for August and February, at the precinct station house, located at 103-51 101 St. in Ozone Park.

Senator Addabbo Says "Enough!" To Parking Meter Rate Hike By DOT Effective January 3, 2011...

Showing solidarity with the stance taken by The Woodhaven Residents' Block Association in their December 7 press release, NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., whose district includes Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, Howard Beach, Forest Hills, Ridgewood, Glendale, Middle Village, Maspeth and parts of other Queens areas all having commercial strips, now adds his strong objection to the upcoming increase in parking meter rates. Starting January 3, 2011, a quarter will buy 15 minutes at a parking meter, rather than 20 minutes, the second time in less than two years that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has increased meter rates. As recently as spring of 2009, a quarter bought 30 minutes at a parking meter.

"I expect this rate increase will hurt the businesses on Jamaica, Liberty, Myrtle, Metropolitan, Grand and Continental Avenues, Crossbay and Rockaway Boulevards, all lined with parking meters. It will also result in more parking tickets for residents and other consumers who, instead of boosting their local small businesses, will drive out of these areas to malls with parking lots to avoid such parking harassment.

"This is a bad decision by DOT that will hurt working families and the middle class the most, like my district residents, who already are being nickel-and-dimed enough at the gas pump, the grocery store, on mass transit and the post office, and who must park on our streets as they drive around Queens, the largest New York City borough," said Addabbo.

"How do all the parking ticket and meter fees collected by DOT get spent -- do New Yorkers get any benefit out of all the money that's collected from parking offenders? If DOT will not reconsider this rate hike being imposed right after the holiday season, I would urge the agency to at least post signs this time, informing everyone of the change," added the Senator. In 2009, after the last rate increase, many drivers were caught by surprise because the DOT did not post any warnings of the price hike.

"At a time when everyone feels their wallets can't take any more hits, does the city and DOT really want to punish small mom-and-pop shops and hurt local commercial strips already reeling across New York City? I'd like to work with other local electeds, other local BIDs like Woodhaven's, more civic organizations and block associations in Queens -- to take our borough's opposition to such an annoying parking meter increase right to the doorstep of City Hall in Manhattan. That’s a much smaller borough, where vehicles and their drivers have not been welcome for some time," commented Addabbo.

FBI Seeks Public Help to Thwart Attacks by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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An FBI program designed to help keep the city’s infrastructure safe from future terrorist attacks needs your help.

Special Agent James Capozzi of the FBI’s New York field office explained to Community Board 10 last Thursday that the program, named InfraGard, a collaboration for national infrastructure protection between the FBI and the InfraGard National Members Alliance, seeks to share information with the public in an effort to prevent future attacks.

“We’ve got to be vigilant,” said Capozzi, coordinator of InfraGard for the New York field office. “We need extra eyes and ears. By raising your awareness you are better positioned to let us know what you might see that we should respond to.”

Though still not widely known, InfraGard has been in existence since 1996. The Department of Homeland Security took over responsibility for it in 2003.

According to infragard.net, the effort is an information-sharing agreement between businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies. It was designed to harness private-sector expertise for investigative efforts in the cyber and physical security arenas.

Today, InfraGard’s protection efforts involve a close working relationship between the FBI and the private sector, as well as other agencies, including DHS, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Small Business Administration.

Each InfraGard chapter is geographically linked with an FBI field office. Information is shared to mitigate threats to the nation’s critical infrastructures and key resources.

Membership in the InfraGard program, which is free, is, according to a published pamphlet, “a unique opportunity for both industry and government to unite in a cooperative effort of national security.”

To join, or for further information, contact infragard at team@infragard.org or go online to infragard.net.

Also discussed at the meeting was that the development of affordable senior housing in Howard Beach is on track.

Board members were advised by CB 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton that Bernard Fineson Senior Housing developer Catholic Charities is now expected to close on the building by the end of the year and break ground shortly thereafter. Construction is projected to take 18-months. The affordable housing is to be located on Crossbay Boulevard in Howard Beach.

The new complex will have 96 apartments. Twelve of the units will be set aside for the developmentally disabled. There will be 83 apartments for seniors, 27 studio apartments and 56 one-bedroom apartments. Seniors living in the Community Board 10 area will get priority for these apartments with half of these units being set aside for them, Braton said.

Rents are determined based on income. Braton said the studio apartments require applicants to have an income of no more that $30,800. The estimated rent for those units is $550 to $650 a month. For the one-bedroom apartments the applicant’s income is required to be no more than $49,280. The estimated rent is from $600 to $1,050 a month.

Catholic Charities has stated that six months before completion of construction it will advertise that applications will be accepted. Those interested must write a letter requesting an application, which will be reviewed for age, disability and income eligibility. Braton the community board and area elected officials will help in writing letters and filling out the applications. The CB 10 chairwoman noted that seniors should be aware there will be a deadline for filing the application.

A group of Aqueduct flea market vendors concerned about their fate also came to the meeting to ask for the board’s help.

Darrel Sukhdeo, a spokesman for the group, said the vendors would like to coexist with Genting’s racino.

“We believe that they can help us and we can help them,” he said, adding his belief that the flea market shoppers would go to the casino complex after shopping.

Not everyone, however, would be sorry to see the flea market close. Some local residents consider it a source of garbage and crime.

In with the New at Ozone Park Kiwanis Club - Queens Chronicle

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The Kiwanis Club of Ozone Park conducted its installation dinner and swearing in of new officers last week at Prima Pasta on Cross Bay Boulevard.

Here Kiwanis Queens West Division Lt. Gov. Joe Aiello, left, hams it up with Jonah Cohen, the newly minted Kiwanis president for the Ozone Park chapter. The service organization has chapters throughout the borough.


Photo by: Nick Beneduce

Businesses Hopeful for DOT Traffic Proposal by Bryan Yurcan - Queens Chronicle

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With the city Department of Transportation days away from starting work on a project designed to ease traffic on several intersections on Liberty Avenue and make them more pedestrian friendly, many area businesses and residents are taking a wait-and-see approach as to how effective the changes will be.

The DOT announced in June that it would implement several improvements to that area, specifically the complex Woodhaven Boulevard, Crossbay Boulevard, Rockaway Boulevard and Liberty Avenue intersection.

The DOT plans several major changes, including converting Liberty Avenue to a one-way eastbound street between 93rd Street and Cross Bay Boulevard, which will provide room for back-in angle parking spaces on that block.

A concrete barrier will also be placed along Cross Bay Boulevard to prevent Liberty Avenue traffic from crossing through the intersection. The northbound lane for left turns onto Rockaway Boulevard will be extended and signal timing will be adjusted to improve traffic flow.

Three transit loading zones, or “bus plazas,” will also be installed along Liberty Avenue: between 93rd and 94th streets and east of 96th Street on the north and south sides of Liberty Avenue

The DOT said the areas were selected both because they are pedestrian-oriented and rife with storefront commercial property. Also, the DOT said the changes are further based on complaints the agency received regarding congestion levels, parking problems, trucks being ticketed while loading and unloading and a history of crashes and transit issues — the elevated A train runs above the majority of these intersections and myriad buses cross paths along the route.

Several business owners in that area of Liberty Avenue said something does need to be done, but are reserving their judgement of the plan’s effectiveness until they see it in action.

Wayne Zanatta, one of the owners of Midway Cabinets Inc. said he liked the idea of extending the left turn lane onto Rockaway Boulevard. He also supported any plans to make the area safer for pedestrians.

However, Zanatta said he hoped the DOT would also consider changing Rockaway Boulevard and 96th Street from a no standing zone. Currently, signs indicate there is no standing allowed in that area between 4 and 7 p.m.

“That’s a big detriment to business, but a great revenue raiser for the city,” he said.

Zanatta said he plans on attending a Monday walkthrough the DOT has scheduled to get a better idea of the project.

Deen Idross, an employee of the neighboring business, Venice Carpet, also said removing the no standing signs would be the biggest thing the DOT could do to help area businesses.

“Customers are getting ticketed every day, it makes the businesses suffer,” he said.

Shenny, an employee of Liberty Florist who did want to give her last name, said the DOT improvements are long overdue.

“The traffic out here is scary, it’s been bad for a while” she said. “Hopefully these changes will make it better, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Howard Kamph, president of the Ozone Park Civic Association, said “something had to be done” in the area, specifically to make it more safe for pedestrians.

“In the long run, if its safer for pedestrians and there’s less accidents, than it will certainly have been a worthwhile project,” he said.

Vishnu Mahadeo, president of the Richmond Hill Economic Development Corp., praised the DOT for reaching out to the Indo-Caribbean community in the area, which he says was ignored during the agency’s initial set of public meetings on the project.

“We were very open to working with them and giving our input,” Mahadeo said.

Betty Braton, the chairwoman of Community Board 10, said she was disappointed the DOT did not take into consideration the feedback proposed by the board.

Specifically, the board committee that reviewed the project expressed concerns with the back-in parking plan for 93rd Street and the concrete barrier that will close off traffic from Liberty Avenue to the intersection, and asked the agency to revise them. The DOT, however, is going ahead with its plans.

“We believed we had some good ideas, but we are not the traffic engineers, they are,” Braton said, while noting that the CB 10 committee that reviewed the plan did in fact contain one professional traffic engineer.

City Budget's Impact on Ulrich's District by Tonia Cimino - The Queens Courier

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After the passage of the city’s budget, and despite the proposed cuts to various agencies, City Councilmember Ulrich announced funding for dozens of local community groups and programs throughout the 32nd District, along with 18 capital projects totaling $4.2 million.

“Unlike Albany, the City of New York has once again passed an on-time, balanced budget that does not include any tax increases,” said Ulrich. “Thanks to years of responsible budgeting and smart planning, the city’s strong fiscal position has allowed us avoid drastic cuts to areas that would have had a devastating impact on the lives of nearly every New Yorker.”

Capital projects funded within District 32 include:

● Installation of guardrails along Cross Bay Boulevard’s southbound approach to Broad Channel;

● Improvements at London Planetree Park, including a skate plaza, fitness equipment and refurbishment of the old basketball courts;

● Resurfacing and new fencing at the Rockaway Beach handball courts;

● Fifteen security cameras at John Adams High School;

● Sidewalk repair and tree planting throughout the district totaling $1.2 million.

Ulrich has also secured funding for technology projects at the following public schools: John Adams H.S., M.S. 137, M.S. 202, M.S. 210, P.S. 108, P.S. 146, P.S. 317, P.S. 60, P.S. 63 and P.S./M.S. 47. In addition, electrical upgrades at P.S. 207 and funding for a new science lab at P.S. 232 are included in the budget.

Through discretionary spending allocations, funding is also earmarked for many community groups and programs that serve the district and borough, including Bridge to Life, Inc., Forest Park Trust, Franklin K. Lane H.S., Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation, Lindenwood Community Volunteer Ambulance Corps, New Hamilton Beach Civic Association, Point Breezy Volunteer Fire Department, Queens Symphony Orchestra, Woodhaven Intramural Soccer Club, Woodhaven Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Broad Channel Athletic Club, Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, Blessed Trinity Parish (for senior services), Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services (to support four local senior centers), Forest Park Senior Citizens Center, Jewish Association for Services for the Aged (JASA), Locust Grove Civic Association of Queens County, Bobbi and the Strays, Howard Beach Columbus Day Foundation, Nativity BVM Youth Basketball League, New York Families for Autistic Children, Our Lady of Grace (youth soccer camp), Ozone Howard Little League, South Queens Boys and Girls Club and Works Little League.

In addition, funding has been secured for SAT prep courses at John Adams, Franklin K. Lane, Scholars Academy, Channel View School for Research, Robert H. Goddard High School of Communication Arts and Technology and Beach Channel High School.

Other projects and programs include movie and family nights offered through the Parks Department, and 50 premium trash cans will be installed along 101st Avenue.

In all, Ulrich secured approximately $576,000 in discretionary funding to support local initiatives.

New York City's fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30.

Noise Complaints Again Dominate 106th Pct Meeting by Stephen Geffon - Leader-Observer

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Thunderstorms and heavy rain did not deter community residents from attending last week’s meeting of the 106th Precinct Community Council to voice their complaints and ask the police for help.

A resident asked police to look into an unusual situation - cars driving on Crossbay Boulevard with their out-of-town plates affixed upside down. “We’ll keep our eyes open for that,” Lt. Joseph Salvato, commander of the 106th Precinct’s Special Operations unit, told the resident.

Another resident complained about cars driving through the community with their radios blaring. Although conceding that this is tough to police, Salvato said that precinct officers have issued multiple summonses for this noise law violation.

Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis, commanding officer of the 106th Precinct, added that if residents can specifically zero in on the location where the loud music is coming from, such as that the car is parked in a neighbor’s driveway, police officers would respond and take appropriate enforcement action. He added that police would also respond if cars are stopped and blaring loud music at a traffic light near a resident’s home.

A South Ozone Park homeowner complained that neighbors living on either side of her were operating auto repair businesses in the driveways of their homes for the last four years. he resident added that when the car engines have been repaired they are tested by being revved up to ear-splitting sounds

She also alleged marijuana sales at the same location near 149th Avenue and 114th Street. “It’s just getting worse,” she said

The resident’s husband said he remembers that it was so bad one summer because of the carbon monoxide fumes that he could not breathe.

Courtesis told the homeowners that he would address their problem, however, he asked for their patience since he said it would take police a little time because of certain legalities that they must go through.

Margaret Finnerty, president of the Richmond Hill South Civic Association, expressed her appreciation to Community Affairs Officer Brenda Bratcher for her recent presentation before the group. Bratcher discussed the procedures that the precinct was using to send letters to chronic noise violators.

“It’s (the letters) working, it’s starting to make an impact, I wanted to thank you,” Finnerty told Courtesis.

The letters, which were sent out by police to the homeowners/residents of the previously identified 2009 chronic noise locations, state in part that their residence has been identified as a chronic noise location by the police department.

The letter notes that numerous complaints (five or more) have been received regarding loud music from the residence and adds that all chronic locations will be monitored nightly and any violations of the City of New York’s noise code will be enforced. The letter warns that violators will be issued summonses and/or arrested, adding that stereo speakers and related sound equipment may also be confiscated.

Precinct Community Council president Frank Dardani reminded residents of the council’s National Night Out Against Crime to be held on Tuesday, August 3, beginning at 6 p.m. at Joseph P. Addabbo Park located at 133rd Avenue between 81st and 83rd streets in the Tudor Village section of Ozone Park.

The 106th Precinct Community Council meets the second Wednesday of every month, except for February and August, at the 106th Precinct station house located at 103-51 101st Street, Ozone Park.

Queens is Trashiest Boro by Reuven Blau - NYPOST.com

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This NY Post story doesn't surprise me at all (in fact I was going to post an item on my blog with the photos below)...I have been noticing how filthy my community and others have become in Bloomberg's New York City so I began taking photographs of the corner trash cans near my home in early June...I think the intersections of Liberty Avenue and Crossbay Boulevard and the intersection of 101st Avenue and 94th Street/Woodhaven Boulevard are the worst I've seen in all my years living in the neighborhood - which is the late 1960's ...Take a look at the slideshow to see for yourself...The photos were all taken on three different days - June 3rd, June 7th and June 13th...I must say that every neighborhood I've visited recently in Queens and Brooklyn have looked terrible, but Manhattan still looks like the Emerald City...In King Bloomberg's NYC we have to keep the tourists happy - screw the tax paying residents...

Click here to view these pictures larger

What a waste!

Queens neighborhoods are at the top of the heap in garbage collection, leading the city with 160,000 tons of trash picked up by the city's Department of Sanitation last year.

The district encompassing Jamaica, St. Albans and Springfield Gardens swept the field, with an output of 82,124 tons of trash, followed by the district that includes Flushing, College Point and Whitestone, with 77,081 tons.

In third place, the district that collects from the south shore of Staten Island dumped 70,249 tons, while the Upper East Side weighed in with a close 69,744 tons. Borough Park in Brooklyn trailed in fifth place, with 67,869 tons.

New York City's population stands at 8,363,710 and is growing by some 30,000 to 60,000 a year, according to the American Community Survey.

Still, the city's overall refuse output continued to drop for the fourth year in a row, despite the increasing population.

In 2009, 2.5 million tons of trash was collected, down from 2.6 million in 2008.

"Its definitely recession driven," Turso said.

Unsafe Intersection Tops DOT's Concerns by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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Officials from the Department of Transportation are about to become very familiar with the streets and intersections of Ozone Park and Richmond Hill.

DOT visited Community Board 10 last Thursday to explain its planned safety improvements at the intersection of Crossbay Boulevard/Woodhaven Boulevard/Liberty Avenue/Rockaway Boulevard in Ozone Park and along Rockaway Boulevard from Atlantic Avenue to Sutphin Boulevard.

DOT Queens Borough Commissioner Maura McCarthy told CB 10 members that the rate of accidents at the intersection and along Rockaway Boulevard spurred its selection of this area for study. “The main purpose of this meeting is to improve safety,” McCarthy said.

A total of 207 injuries from accidents, which included 13 pedestrians, 6 bicyclists and 188 motor vehicle occupants, were reported at Rockaway Boulevard and Liberty Avenue between 94th and 96th streets from 2004 until 2008, according to DOT.

In 2009, a child was killed at the Crossbay Boulevard/Woodhaven Boulevard/Liberty Avenue/Rockaway Boulevard intersection.

DOT said the intersection, which contains seven bus lines, an elevated subway train, high traffic and pedestrian volumes and very complex intersection geometry, is congested and difficult to navigate for all road users.

“Through a series of road closures, signal timing changes, bus stop relocation, new turning lanes, new vehicle routing and expanded pedestrian space, this comprehensive redesign project aims to improve safety for all users, simplify the intersection, improve pedestrian crossings, relieve congestion for key movements and provide more public space,” DOT said in a statement posted on its website.

The agency plans to install sidewalk extensions and medians to shorten crossing distances and improve current bus stop locations. Traffic patterns at intersections would be redesigned and signal phasing would be modified and renewed to reduce vehicles/bus/pedestrian conflicts and create simpler more navigable intersections for drivers and pedestrians. New crosswalks would better accommodate pedestrians.

DOT’s proposal includes closing Liberty Avenue between Cross Bay Boulevard and 95th Street and expanding the greenstreets that currently exist in order to provide more public space. The agency has also proposed shutting off 94th Street between Rockaway Boulevard and Liberty Avenue and converting the street into a pedestrian plaza, similar to one that now exists on sections of Broadway in Manhattan.

DOT plans to provide 14 back-in angle parking spaces on the north side of Liberty Avenue between 93rd and 94th streets.

The four-mile study area along Rockaway Boulevard from Atlantic Avenue to Sutphin Boulevard is a wide corridor with multiple travel lanes and is located adjacent to eight schools. Excess capacity at off-peak hours encourages speeding, with approximately 59 percent of vehicles exceeding the speed limit along this roadway, the department said.

Long blocks, long signal cycles and low volumes also encourage jaywalking, the DOT said, adding that the proposed project would calm traffic by reducing lanes in some portions and adding left turn bays and wide parking lanes.

Agency officials said that traffic calming improvements along Rockaway Boulevard would involve removing one through travel lane west of 104th Street, as feasible, and two through travel lanes east of 104th Street, with the exception of those at junctions with the Van Wyck Expressway, Liberty Avenue and Woodhaven/Crossbay boulevards.

Flush center medians with left-turn bays would be installed to make turning easier and safer for drivers and improve traffic flows. According to the department, this will also improve pedestrian safety by shortening crossing distances and reducing speeding.

McCarthy stressed that she and her staff were at the meeting to get community input on the proposal.

“We will be making improvements to this corridor because it is a dangerous corridor,” she said. “I don’t know what the final product will be. We will get back to the board once we make our final design.”

Although DOT plans to start making the safety improvements in September, CB 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton asked McCarthy to wait until the developer for the Aqueduct Race Track racino project is selected and has an opportunity to thoroughly review DOT’s proposal. A bidder is expected to be announced in August.

Meanwhile, Braton appointed board member Anthony Cosentino, a professional engineer, to chair an ad hoc subcommittee to prepare comments about the plan to be submitted to DOT by the end of June.

Streetsblog New York City » Pedestrian Reclamation on Tap for Deadly Ozone Park Intersection

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Pedestrian plazas planned for 94th Street and Liberty Avenue. The elevated tracks of the A train run over Liberty Ave. Image: NYCDOT

One of the most dangerous intersections in Queens is slated for a DOT safety makeover. At a meeting of Queens Community Board 10 last Thursday, DOT presented a plan [PDF] to rework the chaotic intersection of Crossbay Boulevard, Woodhaven Boulevard, Rockaway Boulevard, and Liberty Avenue in Ozone Park by turning two full street blocks into pedestrian plazas and introducing a host of other safety improvements.

More safety improvements at the intersection of Rockaway Boulevard and Liberty Ave. Image: NYCDOT

With seven bus lines, a subway station, and major thoroughfares that are highly conducive to speeding when rush-hour subsides, this jumble of roads is a safety disaster. Between 2004 and 2008, 207 traffic injuries happened there, including three pedestrian fatalities, which makes the intersection one of the most dangerous intersections in Queens, according to DOT.

In response, the agency is proposing to turn one block of 94th Street and one block of Liberty Avenue into pedestrian areas. Also in the plan: installing pedestrian refuge islands and new crosswalks, lengthening pedestrian crossing times, and daylighting intersections by removing the parking spots nearest to the corner. According to the Queens Chronicle, DOT plans to begin implementation in September, although CB 10's chairwoman has asked to hold off until plans for the nearby Aqueduct Race Track are finalized.

DOT Discusses Ways to Improve Busy Intersection by Patricia Adams - Forum News

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The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) made a presentation to Community Board 10 last week regarding the intersection at Liberty Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard.

The project which is nearing the implementation phase is designed to address intersection safety and traffic improvements.

The original study for the problem area was launched after a child pedestrian fatality occurred at Crossbay Boulevard and Liberty Avenue. The intersection was also identified by NYPD as a challenging location. A request for review by the Queens DOT Borough Commissioner Maura McCarthy prompted the study which falls within the Woodhaven Boulevard Congested Corridors study area.

Representatives pointed out that the area has many existing conditions contributing to congestion and safety threats. Seven bus lines, the Rockaway Blvd. subway station and an elevated train which runs over Liberty Avenue all converge on the intersection.

Other major problems include a peak traffic volume of more than 2,000 vehicles an hour, complex physical geometry and very large pedestrian volume-- a large percentage of them children.

According to a scale of severity-weighted scale ranking Queens’ intersections, Rockaway & Woodhaven Boulevard ranks in the 99th percentile with nearby Rockaway Blvd. and 94th street close behind in the 89th percentile.

A total of 207 injuries were documented from 2004-2008 with two pedestrian fatalities included.

Following the conclusion of the study the DOT has made several recommendations to
address concerns. At Crossbay and Woodhaven Boulevards, two streets will be converted to plaza space, expansion in the north bound left turn lanes and added capacity at
Rockaway Boulevard.

At Rockaway Boulevard and Liberty Avenue proposed solutions include constructing a pedestrian refuge island,while expanding an existing one and installing a traffic signal at 96th street and a more direct crosswalk.

Among the overall benefits, according to the DOT, is the reduction of conflict between pedestrians, vehicle and bus traffic. All intersections will be more crosser-friendly at a rate of 3.5 feet/sec and more easily navigable for both drivers and pedestrians. The plan also offers reduced crossing distances, more public space and simpler, safer left turns.

Later in the week DOT Commissioner Maura McCarthy and other representatives from DOT made an additional presentation for community members and media to kick off a study to look at congestion along Liberty Avenue from Woodhaven Boulevard to the Van Wyck Expressway.

DOT Pitches Road No-Hitter by Victor G. Mimoni - The Queens Courier

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Propose Changes to Rockaway Boulevard, Liberty Avenue, More...

CB10 members had plenty of questions for DOT’s traffic change proposals. The Courier/Photo by Victor G. Mimoni

Local officials got an eyeful recently, when Department of Transportation (DOT) Queens Borough Commissioner Maura McCarthy and staffers presented their plans for sweeping changes to traffic patterns along Rockaway Boulevard and at the Rockaway/Woodhaven/Cross Bay Boulevard/Liberty Avenue intersection complex.

Citing pedestrian fatalities and auto accident clusters with serious injuries, Project Manager Rob Viola and Borough Planner Nathan Gray led the presentation at the regular meeting of Community Board (CB)10 on Thursday, June 3.

The two major proposals are for the four-mile Rockaway Boulevard from Atlantic Avenue to Sutphin Boulevard and for the intersections of Woodhaven/Crossbay and Rockaway Boulevards, Liberty Avenue, 93rd through 96th Streets.

DOT noted that the Liberty Avenue corridor is nearly in the top 10 percent of “severe injury corridors” in Queens, with about 59 percent of cars speeding.

The plan, with pedestrian-safe medians, left-turn bays and traffic lane reductions with wider parking/drop-off lanes in various areas – while shortening the period between light-changes to slow speeders and reduce jaywalking, was generally well-received.

More controversial was DOT’s proposal to close off several blocks of Liberty Avenue and also 94th Street in the intersection complex, move bus stops, enlarge pedestrian islands and widen some turns.

Several CB10 members voiced reservations about diversions they said would actually increase traffic close to a nearby school and library. They were assured that the plan was the result of long study, but that their concerns would be reviewed.

Longtime local resident David Quintana suggested that rather than close the block of 94th Street between Rockaway Boulevard and Liberty Avenue completely, it should be southbound for buses only.

The DOT delegation, clearly impressed with an idea which had admittedly eluded them, promised to take the suggestion back and consult with CB10 later this year, before a final plan is released.

The board set up a special committee to closely review and critique the proposals.

The plans as presented to CB10 can be found on the DOT web site - click here.