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Queens lawmaker’s plan to add parking
spaces in Woodhaven sparks debate
BY JULIA MORO
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar
walked through Woodhaven with
the Department of Transportation’s
(DOT) Queens Commissioner Nicole
Garcia last week to discuss adding
parking spots to the area, sparking a
heated debate about the proposal.
Rajkumar said that a lack of parking
has been a long-standing issue
in Woodhaven, claiming some of her
constituents even sleep in their cars
waiting for a spot.
The proposed initiative would
add angled parking on 98th Street
between Woodhaven Boulevard and
Park Lane South, turn the median
striping on the Woodhaven Boulevard
Service Road into parking spots
and slim down the bus lane on Woodhaven
Boulevard to add more spots.
Rajkumar also proposed turning a
private vacant lot outside of the Forest
Park Co-Operative on 98th Street
into a parking space.
There has been contention over
the proposed parking on 98th Street
near the co-op, which is right next to
Forest Park.
The confusion erupted after Rajkumar
released a statement saying
she would advocate to “convert” the
“vacant park space” on the “corner
of 98th Street and Park Lane South”
into a parking lot. However, the assemblywoman
has walked back on
that statement, saying she never intended
to take away any green space
for parking.
That proposal to convert a “vacant
park space” is for a gravel lot across
the street from Forest Park on 98th
Street.
Before the assemblywoman clarified
her mistake, people took to Twitter
angrily responding to her plan.
“Leave 98th Street and Park Lane
South alone,” a Twitter user wrote.
“I’m a Woodhaven resident, and I
will never support converting public
space to parking.”
All of the confusion stemming
from the original statement even resulted
in a protest outside of Rajkumar’s
Woodhaven office on Sunday,
Sept. 5.
Rajkumar’s chief of staff clarified
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar meets with Department of Transportation’s Queens Commissioner Nicole Garcia to discuss
additional parking in Woodhaven. Courtesy of Rajkumar’s offi ce
that statement and said none of her
proposals include taking over any
green spaces.
“To be abundantly clear, Rajkumar
never at any time proposed a
parking lot inside Forest Park,” said
Rajkumar’s chief of staff Vjola Isufaj.
“Facts matter. That kind of outrageous
sensationalism based on wrong
facts and lies may be fun on Twitter,
but it’s not truthful and isn’t helping
anyone in our district.”
Though most of the negative
response came from the misleading
original statement regarding
the plan, Rajkumar said she does
understand some criticism she might
receive due to promoting cars on
the road instead of the use of public
transportation.
“I agree we do have to address
long-term issues created by carbon
emissions from vehicles,” Rajkumar
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.10 COM | SEPT. 17 - SEPT. 23, 2021
said. “That is why legislatively I have
focused on creating environmental
protections, sustainable infrastructure
and resiliency.”
The first-term assemblywoman
said she’s proposed parking
solutions that won’t interfere with
green spaces, bike lanes or public
transportation — but recognized the
parking scarcity in the area and is
acting on it.
Walter Chaluisant, a Woodhaven
resident of 25 years and president of
Works Little League, said he fully
supported the proposals.
“Driving around for an hour or
more without being able to secure
parking makes daily life difficult,”
Chaluisant said. “It makes us late for
work, school and medical care. I deeply
appreciate Rajkumar’s leadership
standing up for the needs of her constituents.”
A DOT spokesperson said they
will be working with Rajkumar in the
future to discuss these parking
initiatives further.
“We are always happy to talk to
elected officials and walk through
their communities and hear about
their ideas or concerns raised by constituents,”
said the DOT statement.
Kenneth Mankowitz, the president
of Forest Park Co-Operative in Woodhaven,
said that the lack of parking
has been a continuous problem facing
residents and thanked the assemblywoman
for her work.
“We fully support Assemblywoman
Rajkumar’s efforts working with
the DOT commissioner and hope she
is successful,” Mankowitz said. “A
lot of the areas the assemblywoman
proposed used to actually be parking
spaces before they were removed, so
her proposals make perfect sense.”
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