16
L E H A V R E
N E W S
J U L Y Hazardous Whitestone intersection to
be studied for safety improvements
RESIDENTS SAY CONDITIONS AT 162ND STREET AND 12TH ROAD ARE A SAFETY HAZARD
16 LEHAVRE COURIER | JULY 2017 | WWW.QNS.COM
Photo by Suzanne Monteverdi
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI,
QUEENS COURIER
The Department of Transportation (DOT) has
agreed to take another look at a Whitestone intersection
that some residents say poses a danger to the
community.
A driver — who wished to remain anonymous —
involved in an accident at 162nd Street and 12th
Road last month told QNS that the collision totaled
her vehicle. Poor visibility at the intersection, she
said, was a major factor.
Grit Kuhnen, owner of Kragen’s Haircutters on
154th Street, said that she drives through the intersection
a couple of times a week. The intersection has
been the site of more than a few car accidents over
the years, she said.
“It’s just, for some reason, very hidden there, and I
feel like I have to be halfway down the street to see
if a car is coming,” Kuhnen said of visibility when
trying to drive across 12th Road.
In early June, the business owner continued,
a driver trying to avoid a collision with another
vehicle at the intersection wound up on a homeowner’s
lawn.
Lily Sung, who lives in nearby Le Havre co-op
complex, said she and fellow residents are aware of
the unsafe conditions at the intersection, as well as
at 12th Avenue and 162nd Street. “It had become
dangerously unsafe to cross the streets, especially
as we do have a larger population of seniors living
here,” Sung told QNS.
However, Sung believes the all-way stop won’t
deter certain drivers from speeding past the sign,
as she has witnessed many drivers continue straight
through others installed in the neighborhood. Instead,
DOT should consider other safety measures, like
speed bumps and “No Parking” rules at the corners
for visibility, she proposed.
A spokesperson for DOT told QNS that the city
agency studied 162nd Street and 12th Road for an allway
stop in March 2011 and “determined that it was
not feasible.” However, the spokesperson continued,
DOT would reopen the study. Kuhnen said she was
happy to see DOT personnel on-site June 21.
New soccer fi elds and walking path unveiled at Little Bay Park
BY SUZANNE
MONTEVERDI. QUEENS
COURIER
Just in time for warmer
weather, a $1.6 million
improvement project at Little
Bay Park was revealed to the
public last month.
Families and local leaders
gathered there on June 20 to cut
a ribbon on the newly renovated
soccer fields and park space.
Kids from local sports groups
officially broke in the field on
the sunny afternoon with an
inaugural soccer practice.
The project also added an
accessible walking path, water
fountain, park benches and
trees to the outdoor area, as
well as an improved drainage
system. The grade and slope
of the soccer field was raised,
allowing water flow from rainfall
to be redirected off the
fields and into new bioswales,
enabling the fields to be used
during inclement weather.
“It’s all for these kids here,
and for the kids in our community,”
said Vito Aleo,
CYO Soccer Commissioner
for St. Luke’s. “When we’re
here practicing, and on our
Saturday and Sunday games,
it’s just a pleasure to see them
out there enjoying themselves,
growing up and having a good
time.”
The long-awaited project,
which broke ground last
April, was funded by the City
Council and Councilman Paul
Vallone, who had allocated an
additional $750,000 to install
pathway lighting throughout
the park.
“When we see projects
come to fruition like this, and
see our children playing on
them, it makes us really, really
happy,” Vallone said.
“We know how much the
community uses and treasures
these fields,” City Parks
Commissioner Mitchell J.
Silver said. “Before construction,
the fields were severely
compacted and worn, a testament
Photo by Suzanne Monteverdi
to how well-loved
they were. We’ve completely
revived them and are thrilled
to open them today along with
a brand-new walking path,
additional trees, more benches
and better drainage — improving
the experience of players
and spectators alike.”
Photo by Suzanne Monteverdi