Councilwoman Sandra Ung called on the DOT to improve signage alerting motorists they are about to
illegally enter the Flushing Main Street Busway. Photo by Mark Hallum
TIMESLEDGER | Q 2 NS.COM | MARCH 18 - MARCH 24, 2022
Flushing school celebrates
opening of its new library
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Students, teachers, faculty
and staff members at P177Q
in Flushing celebrated the
grand opening of their new
library on Wednesday, March
2, also known as National
Read Across America Day.
Councilwoman Sandra
Ung, District 27 Superintendent
Ketler Loussaint, Principal
of P177Q Christopher
Duffy and representatives
from the United Federation
of Teachers (UFT) and Council
of School Supervisors and
Administrators (CSA) were
in attendance for the unveiling
of The Robin Sue Ward
School Library for Exceptional
Children.
The new library was
made possible thanks to over
$100,000 in funding provided
by a grant from The Edith
and Frances Mulhall Achilles
Memorial Fund and Minibuild
Grant from the Department
of Library Services.
“This new library will
give our students the opportunity
to access culturally
responsive texts, 21st-century
technology and equitable
resources. It will give our
students the opportunity to
learn work-based library
skills and gain employment
in the future,” Duffy said.
Duffy thanked elected
officials, Queens Public Library
representatives, DOE
leadership, UFT, CSA, parents
and students for coming
to celebrate the opening of
the library. He also thanked
the school’s library media
specialist, Brittany Falesto
and NYC DOE Director of Office
Library Services Melissa
Jacobs, for creating a vision
for the new space.
The idea to convert a cluttered
book room into a new
library first came about in
2019. The old books were donated
to schools overseas
and other classrooms and replaced
with age-appropriate
and sustainable materials,
while bulky bookshelves
were removed to open up the
space. Today, moveable furniture
allows the space to be
transformed to suit a number
of different programs and
activities.
Despite the pandemic
and a flooding incident at
the school, Ung said she was
happy to celebrate the new library
with the students.
“I can think of no better
way to celebrate National
Read Across America Day
than opening a new library
for the students at P177Q,”
Ung said. “When I first won
election in November, this
was one of the first schools
in the district that I visited. I
hope this is the first of many
collaborations.”
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718) 260–
4526.
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Councilwoman Sandra Ung
is urging the city Department
of Transportation (DOT) to improve
signage alerting motorists
they are about to illegally
enter the Flushing Main Street
Busway.
Ung sent a letter to DOT
Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez
on Wednesday, March 9,
about an issue that was brought
to her attention regarding camera
enforced restrictions along
the street.
The councilwoman’s office
was alerted that drivers have
been receiving summonses, in
some cases multiple times, for
failing to turn off Main Street
at 37th Avenue where the busway
begins. The intersection
is patrolled by a traffic camera.
“While the drivers were
violating traffic laws, many
are doing so unintentionally
because they are unaware of
the busway’s existence,” Ung
said in the letter. “I feel more
can be done by the Department
of Transportation (DOT) to
ensure that drivers are aware
of the changes and that summonses
are never issued in the
first place.”
Currently, there are two
signs alerting motorists they
are required to turn right at
37th Avenue, Ung said. The
first is a few hundred feet from
the intersection, while the second
is at the intersection itself.
Both signs are white and do not
stand out in the streetscape.
There is also a “Do Not
Enter” sign on the southwest
corner of the intersection, but
it’s relatively small, Ung said.
Given the congested nature of
downtown Flushing, Ung said
it’s easy to see how a distracted
driver could overlook the signs.
Outside of those two signs, there
are no other markings delineating
the busway is about to begin.
Furthermore, the markings
on the street seem to suggest
there is a right-hand turn lane
and that only vehicles in that
lane — not all cars — are required
to make the right-hand
turn off Main Street, the councilwoman
said.
“Some motorists who received
tickets say they were unaware
of the new regulations.
Because it can sometimes take
two to three weeks for a summons
to arrive by mail, some
received multiple violations
before they realized they were
even committing an infraction,”
Ung said. “Given the location
directly off of Northern
Boulevard, this is an intersection
likely to see a larger number
of visitors who do not live
in Flushing and are therefore
even less likely to be aware of
the busway.”
Ung is suggesting that the
DOT install larger and more
conspicuous signage alerting
drivers to the upcoming busway.
“The ‘Do Not Enter’ sign in
particular can be made larger,
and the DOT should consider
making the ‘All Traffic Must
Turn Right at Next Intersection
Except Trucks and Buses’
stand out visually,’” Ung said.
“Another is to paint the busway
red to signal to motorists it is
not a general traffic lane. In
fact, this is exactly the measure
that was taken in downtown
Jamaica.”
(From l. to r.) UFT Chapter Chair Steven Mintzer, Council member
Linda Lee, P177Q Principal Christopher Duffy and Council
member Sandra Ung with the school’s mascot at the opening of
the new library on Wednesday, March 2.
Photo courtesy of Councilwoman Ung’s offi ce
‘More can be done’
Queens lawmaker urges DOT to install better signage
along Main Street Busway alerting motorists of changes
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