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| 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 |
Claire, a Woodhaven resident, rated the dogs “the best” and “wonderful.”
Showing posts with label woodhaven blvd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label woodhaven blvd. Show all posts
Thursday, June 16, 2011
New York Legalizing Gay Marriage? - The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell - msnbc
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Man Hit By Car on Crossbay Blvd and Liberty Avenue - April 29th...
I took the above photos on Friday evening, April 29th 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.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
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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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.
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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.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Dominick's Dishes Top Dogs - #1 Say Boro Residents by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle
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There were a dozen customers waiting in line last Saturday afternoon at Dominick’s Hot Dogs truck on Woodhaven Boulevard and 65th Road to bite into what many consider the Big Apple’s best frank.
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| Dominick’s Hot Dogs truck is a popular borough dining destination.PHOTO BY STEPHEN GEFFON |
Dominick’s blue and silver truck has been a fixture on Woodhaven in the Rego Park-Middle Village area for 51 years, and draws customers from all five boroughs as well as the suburbs, New Jersey and Connecticut. The family business is even older than that.
“Very good,” added Ann-Marie of Forest Hills. Debbie of Elmhurst said they were “delicious.”
Tim of Woodside, who has been eating Dominick’s dogs for 17 years, brought his family to the truck and ordered six with the works. Tim said they made a special trip just for the franks.
Munching on three with mustard, sauerkraut and onions, Don of East Elmhurst boasted that Dominick’s served “the greatest hot dog in the city.” He said that his son came with him all the way from Park Slope and was enjoying his two franks in the car.
The Daily News last month concurred with Don, naming Dominick’s the city’s top dog, beating out such staples as Nathan’s in Coney Island.
“Delish,” was how Ozone Park resident Mary-Ann rated her two hot dogs with no extras. However, she did add an orange soda to go with them. She said she was looking forward all day to eating them. “Just in the mood,” she said.
Jennifer, who teaches at Queens College and lives in Maspeth, called the hot dogs “awesome,” and said she likes her franks with mustard, ketchup, onions and sauerkraut.
Dominick’s owner Angelina D’Angelo serves the classic skinless New York Sabrett frank for $2.75, to which you can add their spicy mustard free of charge or splurge for their homemade onions or freshly steamed sauerkraut.
Angelina has even presided over an episode of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef,” challenging world-class chefs to a hot dog cook-off. No contest, as Angelina’s held their own.
The D’Angelo family also operates D’Angelo Sausages just a block south on Woodhaven. They offer the familiar Italian sausage heroes with peppers and onions for $7 in bread which is picked up from Rosamarie Italian Bakery in Ozone Park every morning.
For more than half a century, family members have used the same manual slicer for the vegetables. Gary D’Angelo, Angelina’s husband, buys his sausages from a butcher, but he declined to say more about what makes them taste so good.
D’Angelos Italian Sausage truck originated more than 70 years ago, when Gary D’Angelo’s grandfather operated a truck in Little Italy’s San Gennaro Festival. His father brought the business shortly after to Woodhaven Boulevard where it has remained ever since.
In addition to attracting long-time regulars, Sammy Hagar, former lead singer of Van Halen, has stopped by the stand.
With the success of his hot dog and sausage trucks, Gary D’Angelo said he is looking forward to putting another sausage and pepper place on the street, sometime in mid-summer.
D’Angelo also mentioned he was thinking of setting up a mobile shop selling chicken heroes and Philly cheesesteaks.
“I might try it,” he said.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Not Business as Usual for Liberty Avenue by Bryan Yurcan - Queens Chronicle
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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.
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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.
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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.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Motorwoman Saves Rider on Subway Tracks by Joseph Mollica, Larry Celona and Tom Namako - NYPOST.com
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A quick-thinking MTA motorwoman saved a man’s life after he jumped on the tracks to pick up a dropped bag today, gesturing for him to "get down" under the platform as her M train came barreling in to the Queens station, witnesses and sources said.
The dramatic events unfolded at the Woodhaven Blvd. stop around 1:45 p.m. today, when New Jersey resident Joseph Pientek, 55, foolishly leapt to the tracks to retrieve a bag.
But he was caught like a deer in the headlights when he realized he couldn’t get back up to the platform as the train came chugging into the station, witnesses and sources said.
When the veteran operator, Crystal McCray, spotted him with little time to spare, she frantically motioned for him to retreat into the small space under the platform, the sources and witnesses said.
Pientek made the move just in time, and McCray, who would have been moving at about 30 miles-per-hour slammed on her brakes, sources said.
"She did the right thing. That’s your best chance to live. It seems like she saved the day," said conductor Ralph Cabrera, who was familiar with the incident.
As he cowered in the space, three 85,000-pound subway cars narrowly passed him by before the train came to a screeching halt.
"I remember falling down then getting back up. It was so confusing, so many people were telling me what to do. I feel like I won the lottery," Pientek said from his bed at the Elmhurst hospital emergency room.
Rescue crews rushed to the scene, and per usual protocol, said the train should not be moved.
Instead, the FDNY workers slipped Pientek under the train, then up between two cars, and strapped him to a gurney inside the M subway where riders would usually sit.
They then scrambled up the stairs and out of the station, bringing Pientek to the hospital, where he was treated for shock but no physical injuries.
McCray, who just began her 12th year on the job, was shaken after the incident, and taken to an MTA facility to be drug an alcohol tested — a routine matter in near-miss incidents.
"She does not consider herself to be a hero. She’s just extremely happy he was not hurt," her supervisor said.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
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.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, September 27, 2010
The Liberation of Liberty Avenue by Tonia N. Cimino - The Queens Courier
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Liberty Avenue will soon be liberated from graffiti, thanks to City Councilmember Eric Ulrich.
On Tuesday, September 21, he announced the continuation and expansion of his comprehensive graffiti removal program in District 32. The joint effort with the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation has already cleaned up hundreds of properties, and this year is being expanded to include regular maintenance of Liberty Avenue and second floor locations.
“We are well on our way towards eliminating graffiti vandalism in our community,” said Ulrich. “With the addition of Liberty Avenue to the program, we are making these eyesores a thing of the past.”
Bruce Pienkny of CitySolve, Maria Thomson of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corp, Margaret Finnerty of the Richmond Hill South Civic Association and area business owners and residents joined the Councilmember along Liberty Avenue to kick off the effort.
Last year the program focused on 101st Avenue, Woodhaven Boulevard and Rockaway Boulevard. This year, it has been expanded to also include an initial cleanup and monthly maintenance of Liberty Avenue from 75th Street to Lefferts Boulevard.
“It’s the monthly maintenance that ultimately keeps the problem under control,” said Pienkny. “We clean it up, and then maintain, maintain, maintain.”
Residents can still call the Councilmember’s graffiti removal hotline at 718-738-1429 to report any locations within the 32nd District that are in need of cleanup.
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| Margaret Finnerty of the Richmond Hill South Civic Association and City Councilmember Eric Ulrich test out the power washer after announcing an expanded graffiti removal program. |
Liberty Avenue will soon be liberated from graffiti, thanks to City Councilmember Eric Ulrich.
On Tuesday, September 21, he announced the continuation and expansion of his comprehensive graffiti removal program in District 32. The joint effort with the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation has already cleaned up hundreds of properties, and this year is being expanded to include regular maintenance of Liberty Avenue and second floor locations.
“We are well on our way towards eliminating graffiti vandalism in our community,” said Ulrich. “With the addition of Liberty Avenue to the program, we are making these eyesores a thing of the past.”
Bruce Pienkny of CitySolve, Maria Thomson of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corp, Margaret Finnerty of the Richmond Hill South Civic Association and area business owners and residents joined the Councilmember along Liberty Avenue to kick off the effort.
Last year the program focused on 101st Avenue, Woodhaven Boulevard and Rockaway Boulevard. This year, it has been expanded to also include an initial cleanup and monthly maintenance of Liberty Avenue from 75th Street to Lefferts Boulevard.
“It’s the monthly maintenance that ultimately keeps the problem under control,” said Pienkny. “We clean it up, and then maintain, maintain, maintain.”
Residents can still call the Councilmember’s graffiti removal hotline at 718-738-1429 to report any locations within the 32nd District that are in need of cleanup.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Five Young Women Hurt When Their Car Crashes Into a Pole Near Woodhaven Boulevard by Annie Karni and Matthew Nestel - NYPOST.com
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Five young women were taken to Queens hospitals early yesterday morning after this devastating crash, which tore apart their car.
EMS crews had to cut the women from the destroyed vehicle, which was wrapped around a pole near the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Park Lane South in Woodhaven.
Four of the women in the car were 18 years old; the other was 21. Police did not say who was driving.
Two were taken to Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, and the other three to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. The 21-year-old was listed in critical condition at Jamaica. The conditions of the other four were not immediately available.
EMS crews had to cut the women from the destroyed vehicle, which was wrapped around a pole near the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Park Lane South in Woodhaven.
Four of the women in the car were 18 years old; the other was 21. Police did not say who was driving.
Two were taken to Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, and the other three to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. The 21-year-old was listed in critical condition at Jamaica. The conditions of the other four were not immediately available.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Woodhaven Traffic Study Moves Along by Bryan Yurcan - Queens Chronicle
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NYC Department of Transportation official Andrew Lenton listens to public feedback on improving traffic flow on Woodhaven Boulevard. Photo by Bryan Yurcan
The city Department of Transportation conducted another public input meeting last week in its continuing study of potential traffic flow improvements on Woodhaven Boulevard.
The session, which took place in the sweltering basement of a building in the Forest Park Cooperative, was the third overall public meeting since the study began in 2008, and the first this year. A final report is expected to be issued in January.
Since 2008, the DOT has been collecting data and public input as part of its study to improve traffic flow and ease congestion on the much-traveled thoroughfare in preparation for its final report.
Queens DOT Borough Commissioner Maura McCarthy said the purpose of the public meetings was to share the DOT's preliminary findings and use feedback from the public to make possible further changes.
“We analyzed existing conditions to get some ideas for improvement, and now we are coming back to the community to get some fleshed out ideas.” she said. “We are doing a lot of data collection.”
Andrew Lenton, a city planner with the DOT, said the agency has been studying 16 intersections along the 3.2-mile corridor for improvement. The intersections are Queens Boulevard, the eastbound Long Island Expressway ramp, Eliot Avenue, Dry Harbor Road, Yellowstone Boulevard/Cooper Avenue, Metropolitan Avenue, Union Turnpike, Park Lane South, Myrtle Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, Rockaway Boulevard, Liberty Avenue and 94th Street.
Lenton acknowledged the potential solutions being presented at the meeting were the same as ones given in September.
“We're trying to get feedback from as many people as possible," he said. “We want to be thorough.”
Among the solutions that continue to be discussed are sacrificing a lane “here or there” in order to maintain a uniform number of lanes throughout, widening or extending turning lanes and creating bus-only lanes.
Those lanes could go toward implementing a bus rapid transit style system on the boulevard, complete with raised platforms for riders to exit and enter buses.
“We have heard from a lot of people who said they would take the bus if it didn’t go so slow,” Lenton said. “This may be a way to speed the buses up a bit, which may entice more people to ride them.”
Another item of discussion continued to be making Woodhaven Boulevard safer for pedestrians, which has long been a contentious issue.
Many residents, particularly senior citizen groups, have complained that there is not enough time allotted to cross Woodhaven Boulevard, which is as wide as 10 lanes in some areas.
Longtime Woodhaven Boulevard resident Leonard Bluman can relate; he has been a frequent critic of the short walk signal across the boulevard.
“You get halfway across and you have to stand on the island and wait (for the signal to change again),” Bluman said.“I can’t make it the whole way. You absolutely need more time to cross.”
Among the solutions put forth by the DOT were changing the timing of crosswalk signals and creating “pedestrian refugee islands” in the median area between the northbound and southbound lanes.
Maria Thomson, president of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corp., said she will be keeping an eye on how any potential changes may affect the intersection of Jamaica Avenue, a major business artery in Woodhaven.
“What they do could have a big impact on that area,” she said. “They are still in the preliminary phase so the plans may still yet change. But we’ll certainly be keeping an eye on it.”
The next scheduled DOT public meeting on the Woodhaven corridor is tentativley slated for this fall.
NYC Department of Transportation official Andrew Lenton listens to public feedback on improving traffic flow on Woodhaven Boulevard. Photo by Bryan YurcanThe city Department of Transportation conducted another public input meeting last week in its continuing study of potential traffic flow improvements on Woodhaven Boulevard.
The session, which took place in the sweltering basement of a building in the Forest Park Cooperative, was the third overall public meeting since the study began in 2008, and the first this year. A final report is expected to be issued in January.
Since 2008, the DOT has been collecting data and public input as part of its study to improve traffic flow and ease congestion on the much-traveled thoroughfare in preparation for its final report.
Queens DOT Borough Commissioner Maura McCarthy said the purpose of the public meetings was to share the DOT's preliminary findings and use feedback from the public to make possible further changes.
“We analyzed existing conditions to get some ideas for improvement, and now we are coming back to the community to get some fleshed out ideas.” she said. “We are doing a lot of data collection.”
Andrew Lenton, a city planner with the DOT, said the agency has been studying 16 intersections along the 3.2-mile corridor for improvement. The intersections are Queens Boulevard, the eastbound Long Island Expressway ramp, Eliot Avenue, Dry Harbor Road, Yellowstone Boulevard/Cooper Avenue, Metropolitan Avenue, Union Turnpike, Park Lane South, Myrtle Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, Rockaway Boulevard, Liberty Avenue and 94th Street.
Lenton acknowledged the potential solutions being presented at the meeting were the same as ones given in September.
“We're trying to get feedback from as many people as possible," he said. “We want to be thorough.”
Among the solutions that continue to be discussed are sacrificing a lane “here or there” in order to maintain a uniform number of lanes throughout, widening or extending turning lanes and creating bus-only lanes.
Those lanes could go toward implementing a bus rapid transit style system on the boulevard, complete with raised platforms for riders to exit and enter buses.
“We have heard from a lot of people who said they would take the bus if it didn’t go so slow,” Lenton said. “This may be a way to speed the buses up a bit, which may entice more people to ride them.”
Another item of discussion continued to be making Woodhaven Boulevard safer for pedestrians, which has long been a contentious issue.
Many residents, particularly senior citizen groups, have complained that there is not enough time allotted to cross Woodhaven Boulevard, which is as wide as 10 lanes in some areas.
Longtime Woodhaven Boulevard resident Leonard Bluman can relate; he has been a frequent critic of the short walk signal across the boulevard.
“You get halfway across and you have to stand on the island and wait (for the signal to change again),” Bluman said.“I can’t make it the whole way. You absolutely need more time to cross.”
Among the solutions put forth by the DOT were changing the timing of crosswalk signals and creating “pedestrian refugee islands” in the median area between the northbound and southbound lanes.
Maria Thomson, president of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corp., said she will be keeping an eye on how any potential changes may affect the intersection of Jamaica Avenue, a major business artery in Woodhaven.
“What they do could have a big impact on that area,” she said. “They are still in the preliminary phase so the plans may still yet change. But we’ll certainly be keeping an eye on it.”
The next scheduled DOT public meeting on the Woodhaven corridor is tentativley slated for this fall.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Input Sought by NYC DOT on Woodhaven Blvd. by Bryan Yurcan - Queens Chronicle
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The city Department of Transportation is seeking the public’s comments on improving Woodhaven Boulevard.
The DOT conducted a public input session seeking ideas and concerns on a range of topics, including safety, traffic flow, mass transit, street layout, parking and walking conditions pertaining to Woodhaven Boulevard. The meeting was held at 6:30 p.m. at the Forest Park Cooperative, Section 1, located at 83-55 Woodhaven Blvd.
Residents, business owners, commuters and other local stakeholders attended.
Pedestrian crossing of the boulevard, a major thoroughfare in Rego Park, Middle Village, Glendale and Woodhaven, has long been a contentious issue.
Last month, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) called for changing the timing of the lights at certain parts of the boulevard to allow pedestrians more time to cross, during a press conference with senior citizen groups.
Seniors and others have complained that there is not enough time allotted to cross Woodhaven Boulevard, which is as wide as 10 lanes in some areas.
The DOT has been studying the problem since 2008.
Read previous postings: Senator Addabbo and Assemblyman Miller Team with AARP to Make Our Streets and Sidewalks Safer
Woodhaven Blvd Unsafe for Pedestrians by Lisa Fogarty - Queens Chronicle
The city Department of Transportation is seeking the public’s comments on improving Woodhaven Boulevard.The DOT conducted a public input session seeking ideas and concerns on a range of topics, including safety, traffic flow, mass transit, street layout, parking and walking conditions pertaining to Woodhaven Boulevard. The meeting was held at 6:30 p.m. at the Forest Park Cooperative, Section 1, located at 83-55 Woodhaven Blvd.
Residents, business owners, commuters and other local stakeholders attended.
Pedestrian crossing of the boulevard, a major thoroughfare in Rego Park, Middle Village, Glendale and Woodhaven, has long been a contentious issue.
Last month, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) called for changing the timing of the lights at certain parts of the boulevard to allow pedestrians more time to cross, during a press conference with senior citizen groups.
Seniors and others have complained that there is not enough time allotted to cross Woodhaven Boulevard, which is as wide as 10 lanes in some areas.
The DOT has been studying the problem since 2008.
Read previous postings: Senator Addabbo and Assemblyman Miller Team with AARP to Make Our Streets and Sidewalks Safer
Woodhaven Blvd Unsafe for Pedestrians by Lisa Fogarty - Queens Chronicle
Monday, June 21, 2010
Woodhaven Blvd Corridor Traffic Mitigation Study Public Input Meeting on June 24th
Click on Image to Enlarge...Event: Woodhaven Blvd Corridor Traffic Mitigation Study
Public Input Session
Hosted by: NYC Dept of Transportation
When: June 24th, 2010
Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Where: Forest Park Cooperatives, Section 1
83-55 Woodhaven Blvd - NE Corner of 98th Street
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
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...
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.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Liberty Avenue is the Focus of DOT Study by Lisa Fogarty - Queens Chronicle
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The Department of Transportation will focus on key intersections throughout Ozone Park and Richmond Hill. Photo DOT
Its name may not have been sullied with a foreboding moniker like the Queens “Boulevard of Death,” but Liberty Avenue’s congested and often dangerous corridors have raised enough concern to press the Department of Transportation to take action.
Agency officials held a public meeting at the Lefferts Library in Richmond Hill Monday evening to gather feedback about a new study it has proposed to improve mobility and safety along eight key Liberty Avenue intersections. The meeting took place just days after DOT presented to Community Board 10 members a more detailed proposal for the Woodhaven Blvd./Crossbay Blvd./Rockaway Blvd. and Liberty Avenue intersection and Rockaway Boulevard from Atlantic Avenue to Sutphin Boulevard
The corridor of focus at Monday’s meeting includes intersections at Woodhaven Boulevard, 96th Street, 111th Street, Lefferts Boulevard, 123rd Street, 132nd/133rd Streets/103rd Avenue and two on either side of the Van Wyck Expressway.
The areas were selected both because they are pedestrian-oriented and rife with storefront commercial property, as well as based on complaints DOT received regarding congestion levels, parking problems, trucks being ticketed while loading and unloading, 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.
DOT is only in the preliminary stages of identifying issues and collecting data about the area and plans to hold a public walk-through within the next few months. Unlike at the CB 10 meeting, the agency didn’t offer specific ideas for changes that could be implemented along the corridor, but rather welcomed suggestions from the 30 or so community members in attendance.
“We’re not talking about solutions now; we’re gathering information for future processes,” said Andrew Lenton, project manager at DOT. Lenton added that the agency would consider what the area will be like in 10 years without changes, taking into account anticipated congestion from the creation of a racino at Aqueduct.
CB 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton suggested DOT add residential 107th Avenue to the areas it will study, saying many drivers use it as a bypass to Liberty Avenue. “The avenue is not as wide in certain areas,” Braton said. “There are a lot of parking issues and peripheral issues that are traffic-related.”
Nearby 103rd Avenue was also cited as a congested road often used as an alternative to Liberty Avenue. The intersection of Lefferts Boulevard and Liberty Avenue, which DOT said was the most problematic, was the focus of longtime resident Robert Naegele’s concerns.
“Three thousand people get off that A train at rush hour and scurry across every which way to catch buses,” Naegele said. “There probably should be a bridge above the street or some redesign of the subway. When they designed that intersection and subway back in the 1920s, they didn’t have as many people.”
But the majority of public input didn’t center on staggered T-intersections, but rather on a pervading feeling among some Richmond Hill residents that their largely Indo-Caribbean community was not being consulted about proposed changes.
“It behooves you to reach out to the community — this is not the community,” said Vishnu Mahadeo, president of the Richmond Hill Economic Development Council. “Community Board 10 can only do so much. They are not reflective of our community.”
Mahadeo, who said residents of Indo-Caribbean backgrounds were not notified about Monday’s meeting — though Braton countered that she personally sent out notices — said the neighborhood rarely gets the attention and services it needs. If DOT and the Metropolitan Transit Authority want to endear themselves to residents, Mahadeo suggested satisfying their immediate needs and installing an elevator on the A train to assist the elderly.
A Census 2010 volunteer also cautioned DOT not to take the Census population data in Richmond Hill at face value because many residents did not return their forms.
“When you’re looking at congestion you have to look at the numbers and then add to the numbers,” Braton added.
Residents have until July 15 to submit comments to DOT about the Liberty Avenue project through its website: nyc.gov.
The Department of Transportation will focus on key intersections throughout Ozone Park and Richmond Hill. Photo DOTIts name may not have been sullied with a foreboding moniker like the Queens “Boulevard of Death,” but Liberty Avenue’s congested and often dangerous corridors have raised enough concern to press the Department of Transportation to take action.
Agency officials held a public meeting at the Lefferts Library in Richmond Hill Monday evening to gather feedback about a new study it has proposed to improve mobility and safety along eight key Liberty Avenue intersections. The meeting took place just days after DOT presented to Community Board 10 members a more detailed proposal for the Woodhaven Blvd./Crossbay Blvd./Rockaway Blvd. and Liberty Avenue intersection and Rockaway Boulevard from Atlantic Avenue to Sutphin Boulevard
The corridor of focus at Monday’s meeting includes intersections at Woodhaven Boulevard, 96th Street, 111th Street, Lefferts Boulevard, 123rd Street, 132nd/133rd Streets/103rd Avenue and two on either side of the Van Wyck Expressway.
The areas were selected both because they are pedestrian-oriented and rife with storefront commercial property, as well as based on complaints DOT received regarding congestion levels, parking problems, trucks being ticketed while loading and unloading, 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.
DOT is only in the preliminary stages of identifying issues and collecting data about the area and plans to hold a public walk-through within the next few months. Unlike at the CB 10 meeting, the agency didn’t offer specific ideas for changes that could be implemented along the corridor, but rather welcomed suggestions from the 30 or so community members in attendance.
“We’re not talking about solutions now; we’re gathering information for future processes,” said Andrew Lenton, project manager at DOT. Lenton added that the agency would consider what the area will be like in 10 years without changes, taking into account anticipated congestion from the creation of a racino at Aqueduct.
CB 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton suggested DOT add residential 107th Avenue to the areas it will study, saying many drivers use it as a bypass to Liberty Avenue. “The avenue is not as wide in certain areas,” Braton said. “There are a lot of parking issues and peripheral issues that are traffic-related.”
Nearby 103rd Avenue was also cited as a congested road often used as an alternative to Liberty Avenue. The intersection of Lefferts Boulevard and Liberty Avenue, which DOT said was the most problematic, was the focus of longtime resident Robert Naegele’s concerns.
“Three thousand people get off that A train at rush hour and scurry across every which way to catch buses,” Naegele said. “There probably should be a bridge above the street or some redesign of the subway. When they designed that intersection and subway back in the 1920s, they didn’t have as many people.”
But the majority of public input didn’t center on staggered T-intersections, but rather on a pervading feeling among some Richmond Hill residents that their largely Indo-Caribbean community was not being consulted about proposed changes.
“It behooves you to reach out to the community — this is not the community,” said Vishnu Mahadeo, president of the Richmond Hill Economic Development Council. “Community Board 10 can only do so much. They are not reflective of our community.”
Mahadeo, who said residents of Indo-Caribbean backgrounds were not notified about Monday’s meeting — though Braton countered that she personally sent out notices — said the neighborhood rarely gets the attention and services it needs. If DOT and the Metropolitan Transit Authority want to endear themselves to residents, Mahadeo suggested satisfying their immediate needs and installing an elevator on the A train to assist the elderly.
A Census 2010 volunteer also cautioned DOT not to take the Census population data in Richmond Hill at face value because many residents did not return their forms.
“When you’re looking at congestion you have to look at the numbers and then add to the numbers,” Braton added.
Residents have until July 15 to submit comments to DOT about the Liberty Avenue project through its website: nyc.gov.
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.
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.
Pedestrian plazas planned for 94th Street and Liberty Avenue. The elevated tracks of the A train run over Liberty Ave. Image: NYCDOTOne 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.
Friday, June 11, 2010
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.
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.
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