Rep Joe Crowley Applauds Delta, US Airways Agreement that Will Create New Jobs in Queens

Airline Slot Exchange Paves Way for Delta’s $117 Million Investment in LaGuardia Airport

Congressman Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx), a chief deputy whip in the Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives, applauded the revised agreement reached today between Delta Airlines and US Airways to transfer takeoff and landing slots between LaGuardia and Washington Reagan National Airports. This agreement paves the way for Delta to move forward with its $117 million planned investment to build a new terminal at LaGuardia Airport, generating thousands of new jobs in Queens and increasing economic activity in and around the airport.

“This deal is a win-win for New York’s 7^th Congressional District. Not only will this deal improve air service and reduce noise pollution, it will also create thousands of new jobs for Queens,” said Congressman Crowley. “In today’s economic climate, we should do all we can to encourage private sector employers, such as Delta, to create jobs.”

Under the agreement, Delta airlines would operate an additional 110 slots at LaGuardia Airport, and would give up some of its slots at Washington Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. Subsequently, the airline would begin a multi-million dollar construction program at LaGuardia to connect the existing Delta and US Airways terminals. An estimated 6,000 new jobs would be created as a result of this agreement, including construction, airport operational and tourism-related jobs. Additionally, Delta would phase out use of older, loud turbo-prop planes for quieter jets – resulting in less air noise polluting the communities around the airport.

Since 2009, Crowley has led efforts in support of a deal, including spearheading a bipartisan letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that encouraged the department to quickly approve the transfer of slots.

Volunteers Needed for April 30th - Keep America Beautiful Planting in Farmers Oval, Glendale, Queens

On Saturday, April 30th, volunteers will come together starting at 10 AM at the corner of Shaler Ave. & 65th adjacent to NYC's Mafera Park to complete the second phase of a community beautification project in Farmers Oval. The project will transform this neglected NYC DOT property into a green streets project.


The April 30th event involves planting trees, shrubs, and other plants. Tools will be provided. individual volunteers and groups are cordially invited to participate. Volunteers are still needed. Scouts and students can earn volunteer service hours through their participation.

Volunteers should call CURES Co-Chair Mary Parisen at 718-772-6563.

There will be a third event on May 14th (rain date May 15th) when volunteers will complete any remaining cleaning and planting and celebrate the completion of the project adjacent to Mafera Park. Additional cleanup and planting later this spring will beautify the corner of Cypress Hills and Shaler. $6,000 in grant funds has been received for these projects: $1,000 from LOVE YOUR BLOCK/Citizens Committee for NYC, and $5,000 from Keep America Beautiful/Waste Management. The funding received is being used mainly for plantings that will permanently beautify the area.

The public-private partnership that is making these improvements possible includes the following individuals and organizations:

• CURES (Civics United for Railroad Environmental Solutions)
• FOCA (Farmer's Oval Civic Association)
• Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corp.
• Harry Muller (Master Gardner)
• Citizens Committee for NYC/LOVE YOUR BLOCK grant program
• NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
• NYC Department of Transportation
• NYC Department of Sanitation
• Grow NYC
• Waste Management/Keep America Beautiful grant program
• Glendale Volunteer Ambulance
• Anthony Tranchina Contracting Corp.
• LIRR/ MTA New York & Atlantic Railway
• NYPD
• Hunter College School of Social Work internship program

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

Watch original...

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

Read original...

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

Read original...

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.

Community News & Notes from NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio...

STATEMENT BY PUBLIC ADVOCATE DE BLASIO ON MAYOR BLOOMBERG’S DECISION TO DELAY HIRING OF POLICE CADETS - April 13, 2011

“I strongly condemn Mayor Bloomberg’s decision to delay the hiring of over 500 police cadets, a move that will put the safety of New Yorkers at risk. This decision coupled with proposed budget cuts to the NYPD risks taking our police force back to the historic lows of the early 1990s. The progress we have made on reducing crime in the years since makes it clear that taking our police force backwards would be a dangerous mistake.”

STATEMENT BY PUBLIC ADVOCATE DE BLASIO ON DECISION TO HALT BAY RIDGE PARKWAY BIKE LANE - April 12, 2011

“I commend the Department of Transportation for responding to community concerns by halting its plans to install a bike lane in Bay Ridge. This was an important step forward that shows a willingness to respect the input of residents and community leaders. I challenge the Department to make listening to New Yorkers standard procedure and to be willing to incorporate community feedback into its projects.”

PARENTS AT UWS HIGH SCHOOL SUE CITY TO STOP CO-LOCATION - April 10, 2011

Lawsuit over lost classrooms, programs has backing of all UWS officials, Public Advocate

Parents of students at the Brandeis Educational Complex have filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court to block the NYC Department of Education’s proposed co-location of a Charter Success Academy elementary school in their building. Parents have the backing of Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Councilmember Gale Brewer, Assemblymembers Linda Rosenthal and Danny O’Donnell, State Senator Adriano Espaillat, as well as Congressmen Jerry Nadler and Charles Rangel. Brandeis was recently reorganized from a single high school into four smaller, growing high schools. The plan to move an elementary school into the building would result in overcrowding and a loss of crucial science labs, classrooms, arts studios and music programs.

The lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court on Friday, alleges that the Department of Education:

• Used inaccurate enrollment figures at affected high schools
• Wrongly categorized spaces like science labs and dance studios as ordinary classrooms
• Violated its own procedures for public notification and consultation
• Failed to assess the environmental impact of car and bus traffic from Success Charter Academy

“We believe that the Department of Education has not followed its own guidelines nor State charter laws in co-locating this elementary charter school in the Brandeis High School Complex,” said Lisa Steglich, Frank McCourt High School parent and lawsuit plaintiff. “A separate entrance, separate screening procedures, and a costly new and separate cafeteria for charter school students are not ‘comparable and equitable treatment.’ As parents of Frank McCourt High School students, we seek only to see that our children are treated fairly and are not relegated to second class status in their own school building.”

“After months of trying getting through to the Department of Education, these parents have only one option left: sue the City. As a public school parent and a public official, I wholeheartedly support the Brandeis community’s lawsuit. While it’s clear the Administration is bent on proceeding no matter what parents, teachers and leaders in this community say, I am hopeful we will find justice in the court system,” said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.

“I am fiercely and righteously opposed to the imposition of this charter school on our community,” said Council Member Gale A. Brewer. “This is not just another heated dispute about schools. It is a reprehensible land grab. Not only does this charter covet the new facilities that we created for our students at a cost of millions. They intend to divide our school and our community physically and culturally. It is morally wrong and bad school policy, but they think they will get away with it because DOE says they can. This court action is about stopping them.”

“We will show that the decision of the Panel for Educational Priorities was arbitrary and capricious, and should be declared invalid,” said Marc A. Landis, a Phillips Nizer partner and an Upper West Side parent-activist. “The Department of Education failed to meet its legal obligations when it overlooked the consequences of the proposed co-location on the existing high schools, failed to provide a sufficient educational impact statement, and failed to provide any environmental impact statement.”

“The voice of the people of our district is loud and clear: Success Academy does not belong in the Brandeis Campus,” said Ric Cherwin, Global Learning Collaborative Parent Association President. “Two of our schools have a very high proportion of special needs students who by law need extra space to be successful. With UWSA, these schools will have less space and their education will suffer. As has happened at other co-located schools with Success Academy, it becomes the haves vs. have-nots. Why would the DOE want to foster such a viral atmosphere?”

“The voices of the parents, students and community have been completely ignored throughout every step of this process,” said State Senator Adriano Espaillat. “A legal challenge is the final opportunity to ensure that these voices are heard, and provide the students at the four other schools of this complex an uninhibited educational experience, which must be our first priority."

“I stand in strong support of the students and their families who have filed suit against Success Academy Charter School," said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal. “Since this process began many months ago, I, along with a broad coalition of elected officials, community activists and concerned parents, have argued that the PEP process was rife with inadequacies, and PEP approval was based upon incorrect information. School District 3 needs more elementary and middle school seats, not a charter school, but it looks as though Success Academy will go to any lengths to open a charter school in a district that does not want it, and certainly does not need it.”

“DOE has once again neglected to give the community a full, meaningful role in a local siting decision. State law, carefully crafted by my colleagues and I, intends that the community is fully notified and actively involved in these decisions from the beginning; this assuredly did not occur for this co-location proposal,” said Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell. “Additionally, the students and schools currently at the Brandeis Campus must not be denied the opportunity to grow and thrive, to offer vibrant arts, science, and physical education curricula, and to creatively instruct. All of this is threatened by the co-location under consideration.”

“I am deeply concerned that the recent decision of the Department of Education to co-locate the Success Academy Charter school on the Brandeis Educational Campus was undertaken without regard for the problems this co-location imposes on both the young students who will attend the new charter elementary school and students at the five recently-established and impressive high schools on the Brandeis campus,” said Congressman Jerry Nadler. “As parents and students seek to prove in the lawsuit filed this week, it seems that the DOE failed in its duty to take this impact into account in making their co-location decision, despite repeated calls by parents, students and elected officials to do so.”

“The DOE needs to address the parents' concerns at Brandeis and elsewhere to ensure that every child has the full access to adequate classroom, arts and recreation space,” said Congressman Charles Rangel.

“Why is the DOE spending millions of dollars to squeeze in and to segregate four and five year old Success Charter students within a dedicated high school building? Worse, why are the DOE and Ms Moskowitz spending millions in taxpayer dollars bombarding Upper West Side parents with flyers and ads denigrating our local schools? It just shows that the Mayor’s and the DOE's priorities lie with the hedge-fund driven Charter schools rather than with the 96% who attend our traditional public schools,” said Noah E Gotbaum, President, CEC3.

The suit was filed by parents from the Global Learning Collaborative, Innovation Diploma Plus and Frank McCourt High Schools, who are being represented pro bono publico by Marc A. Landis, Jon Schuyler Brooks and Meagan Zapotocky of Phillips Nizer LLP. A court will hear the case on May 4th.

Northeastern Senators Make Play for High-Speed Rail Funds Rejected by Florida by Felicia Sonmez - Washington Post

Read original...

Ten senators from northeastern states requested Monday that $2.4 billion in funding for high-speed rail rejected by Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) be redirected to rail projects in their states.

Democratic Sens. Tom Carper (Del.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Ben Cardin (Md.), Chris Coons (Del.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), John Kerry (Mass.), Frank Lautenberg (N.J.), Bob Menendez (N.J.) and Barbara Mikulski (Md.) as well as Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) made the request in a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

"With its large population and high economic activity, the Northeast Corridor is well-positioned to lead the nation into the future of high-speed rail transportation," the senators wrote. "If another project sponsor in Florida is not found, our states stand ready to put the unwanted funds to good use to improve our existing high-speed rail service, create jobs, and reduce congestion and air pollution."

The letter follows one penned by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) to LaHood this month asking for the high-speed rail funds to be directed to his state and the Northeast Corridor.

Scott two weeks ago joined Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) in rejecting the Obama administration high-speed rail funding, projecting that the program would be too costly to taxpayers. LaHood gave Scott a reprieve until the end of this week to make a final decision on the funding, which would go toward a high-speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando; Scott last week renewed his criticism of the project, calling high-speed rail "a federal boondoggle."

The 10 senators in their letter Monday made the case that "although the Northeast Corridor has the only operating high-speed train in the country, the Corridor has received less than two percent of the $10.5 billion provided by Congress for the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program to date."

The text of the letter is after the jump.

A copy of the letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation follows:
February 25, 2011
The Honorable Ray LaHood
Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590

Dear Secretary LaHood,

In light of the State of Florida's decision to reject $2.4 billion in High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program funds, we urge you to reprogram these funds to projects on the Northeast Corridor. Our states are ready to put these funds to good use to improve our existing high speed rail service, reduce congestion, and create jobs.

As you know, the Northeast Corridor is critically important to our nation's transportation infrastructure. The region served by the Corridor accounts for roughly one-fifth of the nation's gross domestic product and twenty percent of our nation's population. More than 250 million rail passengers use the Corridor annually and the Acela Express has built the foundation for high-speed rail service throughout the country. In a recent report, America 2050 rated the Northeast Corridor as the region with the greatest potential to attract high-speed rail ridership in the United States.

Improving passenger rail service on the Northeast Corridor is necessary to accommodate the sixty percent increase in passengers expected by 2030 and will alleviate severe congestion on the region's highways and airspace. At a time when numerous states have rejected federal funding from the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program, we note that high-speed rail's potential on the Northeast Corridor is proven. For example, ridership on the Acela Express has risen six hundred percent during its nine years of service.

Although the Northeast Corridor has the only operating high-speed train in the country, the Corridor has received less than two percent of the $10.5 billion provided by Congress for the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program to date. We believe that this is an insufficient investment in the Northeast Corridor, given our region's position as a population and economic mega-region.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Tom Carper
John F. Kerry
Joseph I. Lieberman
Richard Blumenthal
Kirsten E. Gillibrand
Frank R. Lautenberg
Robert Menendez
Christopher A. Coons
Barbara A. Milkulski
Benjamin L. Cardin

CB 6 Wants to Be Briefed by City Before DOT Proposes Bike Lanes by Joe Anuta - YourNabe.com

Read original...

A man rides down 108th Street in Rego Park, where bike lanes are scarce. Photo by Joe Anuta

Community leaders in Forest Hills and Rego Park are already preparing for a contentious addition to the neighborhood — bike lanes — though a single line has yet to be planned or painted.

On Feb. 10, the Community Board 6 sent a letter to city Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan requesting that “all proposals to establish new bicycle lanes on NYC streets shall be submitted to the affected Community Board(s) prior to their implementation.”

After the proposal, the boards would have 60 days to review the plan and submit an advisory recommendation, according to the resolution. In addition, the DOT would need to respond to any of the board’s concerns.

The measure was proposed by John Dereszewski, chairman of the board’s Transportation Committee.

“I am a bike lane supporter,” Dereszewski said. But despite his affinity for the roadside additions, which have sparked heated debate in other boroughs, he still wanted to be kept in the loop when and if the lanes ever come to the neighborhood.

Currently, the area is nearly devoid of bike lanes.

The DOT did not respond to questions about the bikes lanes.

The resolution, in addition to providing the board with information, was also designed to assist the DOT.

Several board members listed streets that might seem like good bike routes but pose specific problems for additional lanes. For example, Yellowstone Boulevard would be good for a bike lane, one member said, except for the area underneath the Long Island Rail Road tracks, where the road narrows considerably.

Other members wanted advance notice, claiming the lanes were painted without consulting anyone.


“The DOT is out there painting bike lanes without coming to any community,” said CB 6 Chairman Joseph Hennessy. “In fairness to the community, [the DOT] should have to bring it before the board.”

But Frank Gulluscio, district manager for the board, said the proposal is about the city and the community staying in touch.

“It’s all about communication from one agency to another,” he said. “As long as the lines are open, then you can’t say the good, the bad and the ugly.”

The proposal is not designed to be for or against the lanes.

Ozone Park Company Looking to Join City's Bike Share Program by Lisa A. Fraser -Leader-Observer

Read original...

Worksman Cycles in Ozone Park has been making industrial-grade bicycles and tricycles for 112 years. And now, the company, located at 94-15 100th Street, is hoping that the city picks up their bid to be part of the Department of Transportation's new bike share program.

“All of our 112 years has been spent in New York City, our factories, our offices, so it's only the right choice for the city to work with us on this,” said Wayne Sosin, president of Worksman Cycles.

The cycle manufacturer has a history of providing bikes to various bike-share programs around the country, including Princeton's bike share program, University of Colorado's bike share program, and the University of Central Oklahoma's bike share program.

“We're the perfect resource, given our history, employment and logistics,” Sosin said.

The company has also provided bikes to the Queens Zoo, which uses their tricycles, and the Queens Botanical Garden is set to start rolling with a new batch of bikes provided by the company come spring.

The company hires locally and Sossin noted that all of his 50 employees of the factory are all New York City residents. “We're all local, they all work within a bike ride,” he said.

This local employment is another reason why Worksman Cycles hopes to be picked up by the city and it's a reason local elected officials Senator Joe Addabbo, Assemblyman Mike Miller and Councilman Eric Ulrich are promoting the company.

“I don't see why the city shouldn't choose them, it's a positive,” said Addabbo. “They're credible, they're long-withstanding, and they are a business that could do the job given their history.”

Addabbo and Sosin both stressed that it would be a benefit to the city to not only have a great program, but to say they are also using a local manufacturer. “It's an opportunity of unity, it's a good program and a good manufacturer,” Addabbo said.

If the city picks Worksman Cycles to provide the bikes for the program, it will mean a new employment opportunity for the area, something Addabbo said the neighborhood needs.

The program, which will begin in 2012, is set to require between 10,000 and 50,000 bikes and Worksman would be looking at hiring anywhere between 35 and 50 people.

Worksman Cycles is one of the oldest bike manufacturers in the country. First started in Manhattan, the company moved around Brooklyn before calling Ozone Park their new home in 1979.

Cycle Maker Working to Share his Bikes with City by Lisa L. Colangelo. - NY Daily News

Read original...

A CENTURY-old bicycle manufacturer in Ozone Park is hoping city officials think locally when they seal the deal on a new bike-sharing program.

Worksman Cycles, which has built bikes for similar programs around the country, is the perfect choice for the program, said company President Wayne Sosin.

"Our bikes are reliable and durable," he said yesterday. "They are made of heavier gauge steel. We're not about light and fancy."

The Department of Transportation is soliciting proposals from companies interested in starting a bike-sharing program for a five-year period starting in 2012.

It's designed to boost alternate, environmentally friendly transportation to ease congestion and pollution around the city.

The agency did not specify how many bikes would be available but said the program should "provide secure and convenient bicycles on a 24-hour basis at a publicly accessible price."

There are no set geographic boundaries, but the city's research shows it could be successful in Manhattan, south of 60th St. And DOT officials said they would like the program to include more than one borough.

Sosin said Worksman is not equipped to run the program but would be interested in supplying bikes for the operator.

"One of the main reasons for any bike-sharing program is sustainability," said Sosin. "It's also sustainable if the bicycles come locally."

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) and other elected officials said they hope the city can include Worksman in the program.

"The city would be able to say it's the only one in the country to do this kind of program and keep it in-house," Addabbo said. The deadline for proposals is Feb. 16.

Worksman builds specialty cycles and heavy-duty tricycles used in factories. In recent years, keepers at the Queens Zoo ditched their powered carts for Worksman cycles, and the Queens Botanical Garden is set to start using them in the spring.

Worksman Cycles - Queens Bike Maker Seeks Big Leg Up by Hilary Potkewitz- Crain's New York Business

Read original...

Ever since the city's Department of Transportation started asking for proposals for a citywide bike-share program in November, a small bike factory in Queens has been trying to get noticed.

“It's a grassroots effort at this point, but we're trying to create as much awareness as we can with local businesses, the Department of Transportation and the Mayor's Office,” says Wayne Sosin, president of Worksman Cycles. In fact, the company has been quietly wheeling out heavy-duty bicycles and tricycles in Ozone Park since the 1890s.

“No other city has the opportunity to source their bicycles from their own local bike manufacturer,” Mr. Sosin adds, noting that Worksman bikes are already used in several smaller U.S. cities' bike-share programs. “If that didn't happen in New York, it would be tragic.”

A contract for 10,000 or more bikes for New York City's program would be a huge boost for the small company, and would mean hiring more welders, painters, assemblers and packers for the Queens plant. That's a fact not lost on local politicians. Nearly all of Worksman's employees live in the five boroughs.

CITY SUPPORT

“Those jobs are important not just for that one business, but for the local economy,” said City Councilman Eric Ulrich, whose district includes Ozone Park. “If the city is serious about keeping and creating local jobs throughout the boroughs, then it's going to do everything it can to support small businesses currently operating here.”

The DOT is accepting bids until Feb. 16 for the bike program, which would involve setting up more than 600 bike stations around the city, equipped with high-tech locks, and more than 10,000 GPS-equipped bikes. The request for proposals dictates that a private company will bear all costs of the program, slated for a 2012 launch, and share any profits with the city.

Modeled on similar bike programs in Europe, the New York bike-share system will be the largest in the U.S. Naturally, the companies that run programs in other cities are eyeing the New York contract—but none manufacture their bikes in the U.S.

Mr. Sosin's challenge is to be considered as a possible supplier. It's proving an uphill climb.

NOT CHOOSING SIDES

“We love Worksman, and it's super cool to have the oldest bike manufacturer in the country right here in Queens,” said Caroline Samponaro, director of bicycle advocacy for Transportation Alternatives, a transportation policy think tank. “I've mentioned them to all the [bike-share program] operators I've spoken to, but my role is advocating for better mobility options at less cost, not in picking sides.”

For nearly a century, Worksman bikes were primarily used in auto and other heavy industries to help employees get around in sprawling factories. When those plants began closing up, Worksman was hit hard.

The company has shifted its emphasis to recreational bikes for everything from old-age communities to urban bike-share programs. Its new line of commuter bikes costs $300 to $600, slightly more than foreign-made rivals. Last year, sales were up 10% over 2009 levels. The company's largest single order in recent years was 1,700 bikes for a Central American postal service.

The problem for Worksman's attempt to get in on the big New York contract is that the bike-share industry is dominated by BIXI, a Canadian outfit that runs such programs in Montreal, London, Boston and elsewhere. Its bikes are manufactured in Quebec by Cycles Devinci, which last year received a sizable grant from the Canadian government to expand its assembly line. Denver, Chicago and Louisville, Ky., use Asian-made Trek bikes.

DOT declined to give details on proposals that have been submitted, but it's safe to assume that major players like BIXI are aggressively bidding for the contract, said Transportation Alternatives.

That prospect concerned Mr. Ulrich. “I think that preferential treatment absolutely should be given to local businesses like this bike manufacturer,” he said. “Why should we be giving money to a Canadian company when we can create more jobs right here?”

Weather Emergency Declaration Issued by Mayor...

New York City Office of Emergency Management
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
12:30 PM

WEATHER EMERGENCY DECLARATION

At the direction of the Mayor, the public is hereby advised that significant snowfall has been forecast for the evening rush hour tonight, through tomorrow's morning rush hour. The snow is forecast to taper off this afternoon before becoming more severe this evening and overnight.

1. The public is urged to avoid all unnecessary driving for the duration of the storm and until further directed, and to use public transportation wherever possible. If you must drive, use extreme caution. Information about any service changes to public transportation is available on the MTA website at http://www.mta.info/.

2. Any vehicle found to be blocking roadways or impeding the ability to plow streets shall be subject to towing at the owner's expense.

3. Effective immediately, alternate side parking, payment at parking meters and garbage collections are suspended citywide until further notice.

4. The Emergency Management, Fire, Police, Sanitation, and Transportation Commissioners will be taking all appropriate and necessary steps to preserve public safety and to render all required and available assistance to protect the security, well-being and health of the residents of the City.

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

Read original...

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.

Diamond Won't Crack! Railway Explorer Fights Eviction from Subway Tunnel He Discovered By Andy Campbell - Courier-Life Newspapers

Read original...

A film series wanted to present a movie in Bob Diamond's Atlantic Avenue tunnel, but the city put the kibosh on it. Photo by Tom Callan

A legendary railway explorer will sue the city to regain access to the abandoned subway tunnel under Atlantic Avenue that he rediscovered decades ago, but was evicted from earlier this month.

Bob Diamond — who has runs tours of the defunct tunnel since “discovering” it in 1980 — announced on Thursday that he plans to sue the Department of Transportation for cancelling his tours, plus the popular Rooftop Films’ “Trapped in the Tunnel” event earlier this month, after the FDNY declared the tunnel a fire hazard.

Diamond’s suit will argue that the city barred him and the films without allowing him to address the FDNY’s concerns about air quality and the tunnel’s lone emergency exit.

“The FDNY gave us a list and said to fix it [but] the Department of Transportation says, ‘No, you can’t go in there anymore,’ ” Diamond said. “This is on the DOT’s head!”

Diamond and Rooftop Films received the last-minute notice from the FDNY on Dec. 10, followed closely by the ban from the Department of Transportation — more than 30 years after Diamond rediscovered the tunnel and started his tours.

The tunnel has also hosted film events before, as recently as August, with no complaints from the city.

But this time, the FDNY said that there could be “many deaths” if something went wrong inside. The city hasn’t fully explained its newfound interest in the tunnel, but noted that it’s the city’s prerogative to revoke access. And access to and egress from the tunnel has long been an issue, as it takes an hour to get everyone in and out with the one entrance — a manhole just west of the intersection of Court Street and Atlantic Avenue.

Diamond has a few ideas to fix the problems, such as reopening defunct exits along Atlantic Avenue — but he claims that he’s been denied access to do the work several times.

It’s yet unclear exactly what Diamond’s lawsuit will claim, but he said that the damages he’ll request would be “significant.” Rooftop Films had claimed that it lost $7,000 due to the cancelation.

acampbell@cnglocal.com

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.