TN BID against planned road diet
Throggs Neck residents think DOT plans will be bad for the community
BY JASON COHEN
Recently, the Department
of Transportation (DOT) unveiled
plans to implement
road diets and bike lanes in
Throggs Neck, which many in
the community are unhappy
about.
DOT is going to put bike
lanes and road diets on East
Tremont Avenue from Cross
Bronx Expressway to Harding
Avenue and on Harding
Avenue from Emerson Avenue
to Pennyfi eld Avenue.
Throggs Neck Business
Improvement District Executive
Director Bobby Jaen expressed
his frustration with
the DOT Thursday afternoon.
“Our country, where it is
right now in this pandemic
where a lot of peoples are suffering
just to put food on the
table and to turn around instead
of helping us by doing
projects that are going to help
the neighborhood, they’re going
to turn around and hurt
the neighborhood,” Jaen said.
According to Jaen, the city
also plans to fi ne anyone $195
who is double parked near the
bike lanes. In this climate,
where people are doing curbside
pickup and running in
for food, he questioned how
people can not be expected to
double park for a minute or
two.
Jaen noted a bike lane
makes sense in Manhattan
where the roads are wider, but
surely not here. He said that
the plan will ruin the community
and make things worse.
“I’m against the road diet
and I’m not against the bike
lanes, but they’re not appropriate
here,” he said. “I’m not
saying I’m not for progress,
but it’s got to be smart.”
When he revealed his concerns
to DOT reps, he said that
they did not seem to care.
“It’s not a project that
needs to be done right now,”
he stressed.
He would rather see new
street lights put in. In fact,
about a year ago, a man was
stabbed on Randall and East
Tremont as he could not see
the people coming towards
him.
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Older New Yorkers
BRONX TIMES R 8 EPORTER, JULY 24-30, 2020 BTR
People who work on East
Tremont are not in favor of
the planned work either. Anna
Novello, a longtime employee
of Pastosa Ravioli at 3812
East Tremont, told the Bronx
Times how her mom Maria
Frasta was killed a year and
a half ago by a reckless driver
while she was walking on East
Tremont.
“If they take two lanes away
that’s ridiculous,” she said.
Wicked Wolf General Manager
Emma Rosenberg did
not know about the impending
work and questioned how
it could help the community.
Creating less lanes and spaces
for people to park, will hurt
the businesses, Rosenberg
said.
Right now, the restaurant
is relying on curbside pickup
and if this constriction takes
place, she is not sure how the
vendors and customers will
park safely.
“I think it’s very dangerous,”
she said. “Do we really
need bicycle lanes right
here?”
DOT is presenting these
projects to the Community
Board 10 Municipal Services
Committee on July 22
at 7:30 p.m.
TN Business Improvement District Executive Director Bobby Jaen expressed
his frustration with the DOT Thursday afternoon.
Photo by Jason Cohen
We’ve all heard the saying,
“An apple a day keeps the doctor
away,” reminding us of the large
influence that eating habits
have on overall health. Eating
well can help us lower our risk
of chronic disease, maintain
a healthy weight, and increase
overall health. By the way, it is
true, the fiber and probiotics
in apples promote good gut
bacteria, which may help keep
the doctor away!
Good nutrition is key to
maintaining a healthy lifestyle,
but it’s not always easy or
accessible. Fresh fruits and
vegetables may sometimes be
hard to find or more expensive to
buy, making them unaffordable
for low-income individuals.
To help older adults purchase
fresh fruits and vegetables, the NYC
Department for the Aging (DFTA)’s
annual Senior Farmers’ Market
Nutrition Program provides lowincome
seniors with access to locally
grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
Participants receive coupons that can
be used to purchase locally grown
fruits, vegetables, and fresh cut herbs
for cooking at participating farmers
markets and farm stands.
The Seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition
Program is federally funded by the Farm
Bill. Not only does the farmers market
nutrition program allow older adults to
purchase nutritious foods, it supports local
farmers. In addition, outdoor farmers
markets and farm stands often allow more
space for social distancing than indoor
grocery stores. Older adults can apply
online through our website, nyc.gov/aging.
Coupon booklets are distributed on a first
come first served basis.
For older adults in need of
supplemental meals, the City
continues to deliver emergency
meals through the City’s
GetFoodNYC initiative, which
continues enrollment for older
adults during the pandemic .
In addition to eating well, older
New Yorkers should continue
to stay active to maintain their
overall health. While congregate
centers remained closed due
to the pandemic, classes and
workshops continue to be offered
virtually. Many of the classes
offered online include fitness
and exercise classes designed
for older adults. Some of the
virtual classes offered include
chair yoga and Zumba and are
hosted on video conferencing
platforms like Zoom. To find virtual
programs, call you local senior center for
a schedule of activities. DFTA partner,
Older Adult Technology Services (OATS)
also provides online virtual programs
through their website seniorplanet.org.
Connecting individuals with healthy
food and fitness options is essential to
DFTA’s mission of ensuring quality of life
for older New Yorkers. As we continue
providing programs and services that help
older New Yorkers age within in their
communities and their homes, healthy
eating and an active lifestyle plays an
important role in overall wellness.
To learn more about virtual programs
or to apply for the Senior Farmers’ Market
Program, call Aging Connect at (212)
244-6469. You can also DFTA’s website,
nyc.gov/aging, to fill an online application
for the Seniors Farmers’ Market Program.
The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program provides
coupons that older New Yorkers can exchange for fresh
fruit and vegetables. Applications for the program are
currently open.
NYC Department for the
Aging Commissioner
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
/aging
/aging
/seniorplanet.org