www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY March 15, 2020 2
Newly formed TNBID names Jaen as director
BY STEVEN GOODSTEIN
A newly formed business
organization is set to ‘hit the
road running’ with the selection
of its fi rst-ever director.
Former Throggs Neck Merchants
Association president
and longtime Throggs Neck
resident Bobby Jaen has a lot
of plans for the vibrant East
Tremont Avenue commercial
strip, after being appointed
as the director of the Throggs
Neck Business Improvement
District last month.
Jaen’s goals include improving
neighborhood safety by installing
security cameras and
antique lighting for street illumination
as well as cleaning
the East Tremont Avenue corridor
through a series of beautifi
cation programs.
Another goal is to initiate
free consumer bus shuttle service,
which would run from
Westchester Square to Throggs
Neck as well as the NYC ferry
access point in Ferry Point
Park, which is expected to
open in 2021.
For this particular project,
Jaen (c) had an introductory TNBID meeting with Councilman Mark Gjonaj, Frank
Vernuccio and TNBID treasurer Billy Tsibidis last week. Photo courtesy of Councilman
Mark Gjonaj’s offi ce
he has been working with John
Bonizio, Westchester Square
BID executive director Yasmine
Cruz and Bronx Chamber
of Commerce president
Lisa Sorin.
As director of the TNBID,
Jaen will also be working with
the NYC Department of Transporation
along with elected
offi cials Councilman Mark
Gjonaj, Senator Alessandra
Biaggi and Assemblyman Michael
Benedetto. A second TNBID
hiring, associate Frank
Vernuccio, along with Throggs
Neck activists John Marano
will tackle graffi ti removal.
“I am honored to be the director
of this organization –
and I will work as dilligently
as I can to bring quality businesses
to this neighborhood
without confl icting with any
other existing businesses,”
Jaen said.
Jaen said that last year,
there were a total of 43 vacanct
storefronts in the BID’s corridor.
In less than a year, the
TNBID has already cut the
number of vacancies on East
Tremont Avenue in half.
The TNBID covers all commercial
businesses on East
Tremont Avenue from Bruckner
Boulevard to Miles Avenue,
as well as several stores
located on the avenue’s side
streets.
Jaen, who was the TNMA
president for the last three
years, previously owned of
Anthony’s Flower Farm located
at 3240 E. Tremont Avenue
for eight years as well as
Health Quest in Pelham Bay.
Additionally, he was a service
technician at Verizon for many
years. The new president of the
TNMA is Richard Rosario.
Along with Jaen as director,
TNBID executive board offi cers
are: chairman Anthony Basso,
vice president John Sisto, treasurer
Billy Tsibidis, secretary
Robert Velazquez and legal
counsel Stephen Kaufman.
Other members of the TNBID
executive board are Ed Angelino,
Elizabeth Engeldrum,
Jim McQuade and Wayne
Baker along with representatives
from Small Business Services,
the Borough President’s
offi ce, the comptroller’s offi ce
and the offi ce of Councilman
Mark Gjonaj.
“The purpose of the Throggs
Neck BID is not just to serve
and support businesses, but
also serving and supporting a
community that has so much
to offer,” Jaen added. “This is a
strong, blue collar, middle class
neighborhood with a historical
background – and people from
other communities will soon
see what Throggs Neck has to
offer. This is an exciting time
for the Throggs Neck neighborhood.”
Concourse Village traffi c study will not fi x all
BY JASON COHEN
A traffic plan that is attempting
to resolve congestion in Concourse
Village was not received
well by residents, with some
claiming it would be like putting
‘lipstick on a pig.’
On Thursday, March 5, elected
officials Councilwoman Vanessa
Gibson, Senator Luis Sepulveda
and Assemblyman Michael Blake
held a town hall at 777 Concourse
Village East, where residents expressed
concerns about the NYC
Department of Transportation’s
study that would mitigate traffic
and congestion in the Concourse
Village West corridor, between
East 153rd Street and East 161st
Street.
The mixed-use area includes
residential and commercial properties,
and six schools along Concourse
Village West.
The schools are: P.S. 359
Concourse Village Elementary
School, P.S. 156 Benjamin Banneker
School, P.S./M.S. 31 The
William Lloyd Garrison School,
KIPP Academy Elementary
School, Cardinal Hayes High
School, High School for Careers
in Sports and in September, a
school will open at the corner of
East 156th Street/Concourse Village
West.
In January the study received
full support from Community
Board 4. If the plan is approved,
it will be implemented in the
summer.
DOT Borough Commissioner
Nivardo Lopez explained that
many vehicles travel north on
Concourse Village West that need
to go all the way to 161st, however
the DOT prefers cars come
off Concourse West and make the
left turn on 156th.
Additionally, new housing is
coming to 701 Grand Concourse,
156 Concourse Village West and
Grand Concourse Village.
The consensus throughout the
evening was that most drivers in
the area do not obey traffic laws,
double park, idle, park illegally
and make illegal turns.
One resident named Sarah
said people don’t care where or
how they park. She stressed, if
the DOT does the improvements
and people still double or triple
park nothing will have changed.
She’s convinced that making
158th Street a two-way street will
not help. She explained there is a
walkway at Grand Concourse and
158th, but in order to get across
they have to wave down cars.
“You have to really look at
this because it will not work,”
she said. “I’m 87-years-old, if I
have to cross 158th Street with
my walker I can never get across
the Grand Concourse.”
Another attendee Beverly Bovinn
said the police are another
issue. She explained that between
159th and 161st traffic is very bad
and the turn lane onto 161st is often
filled with cop cars that are
clogging up the road.
“We need to get that parking
lot open underneath the courthouse
so the court officers, the
police and anybody else can
park,” she said. “They are triple
parking. They are the ones that
are the problem in the neighborhood.”
Teacher and parent Awilda
Santos noted that many people
don’t obey turn signs near
schools during drop off and pick
up hours. Santos was quite emotional
and fears for the kids.
She said rarely are these drivers
ticketed or pulled over.
“This is so disrespectful,”
Santos exclaimed. “I’m really
frustrated.
Attendee at the Town Hall meeting about the proposed Traffi c Study in
Concourse Village Thursday, March 5. Photo By Jason Cohen
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com