4 THE QUEENS COURIER • FEBRUARY 4, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Free senior transportation program returns in NE Queens
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
For the fi ft h year in a row, seniors in
northeast Queens and beyond will have
free transportation services to their medical
or vaccination appointments.
Councilman Paul Vallone announced
the return of the free senior transportation
program through Selfh elp Community
Services. Th e annual program was made
possible by a $90,000 funding allocation
from the councilman’s offi ce combined
with an additional $50,000 allocated by
Speaker Corey Johnson and Councilman
Robert Holden.
Since COVID-19 vaccines launched,
northeast Queens has not opened a vaccination
Bike lane, pedestrian walkway coming to Queensboro Bridge
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e city will begin construction this
year to convert the outer roadways on
the Queensboro Bridge into a two-way
bike lane and a separate pedestrian-only
walkway.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the
project during his State of the City
address, saying it was time to bring the
span, as well as the Brooklyn Bridge, into
the 21st century and embrace the future
with a radical new plan.
“We’ll have space on the bridges devoted
solely to clean transportation, and we’ll
create new bike boulevards in every borough
designed to give bicycles travel priority
and put cyclist safety fi rst,” de Blasio
said. “Th ese are the kind of changes that
allow us to move out of the era of fossil
fuels and the era of the automobile, and
into a green future as part of our commitment
to the New York City Green New
Deal.”
Th e Queensboro Bridge’s north outer
roadway will be converted into a two-way,
bike-only lane while the south outer roadway
will be committed to foot traffi c.
“Th is exciting news comes aft er years
of persistent advocacy from leaders
and activists throughout Queens,” state
Senator Michael Gianaris said. “Th e new
bike and pedestrian lanes will make crossing
the East River safer for everyone and
change how we move around our city
for the better. I especially want to thank
Transportation Alternatives, the tireless
advocates who worked with them, and
all the public offi cials whose work made
this possible. I stand ready to help get this
done at the earliest opportunity.”
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer has
long been an advocate for street safety
and adding infrastructure for cyclists
as Queens residents become less reliant
on cars.
“Th is news is a huge win for all of us
who’ve been fi ghting for the last fi ve years
not only to save lives, but for a cleaner,
greener and healthier city,” Van Bramer
said. “Bike lanes are key to a post-COVID
new economy, and I will make sure to
hold the mayor to a real timeline.”
Construction is expected to be completed
in 2022. Transportation Alternatives
Executive Director Danny Harris called
the safety measures on the Queensboro
Bridge a “giant leap forward” for the city.
“We look forward to working with the
de Blasio administration on this vital new
project and other eff orts to improve infrastructure
for cyclists and pedestrians on
bridges and streets across the fi ve boroughs,”
Harris said.
Astoria resident Macartney Morris, an
outspoken Transportation Alternative
activist, has worked alongside Queens
residents since 2016 on the Queensboro
Bridge bike lane proposal.
“I applaud Mayor de Blasio for fi nally
acknowledging the reality that it is overcrowded
and dangerous for those who
walk and bike over it every day,” Morris
said. “Th ere will be a new mayor in less
than 12 months, and this mayor should
be evaluated on the actions he takes right
now, not on the ideas he announces and
suggests that the next mayor do.”
In addition to the Queensboro Bridge
project, de Blasio announced that the city’s
Open Streets program would become permanent,
giving back the streets to pedestrians
and bicyclists.
“We’ll make Open Streets permanent,
and we’ll keep building them out more
each year so New Yorkers have a better
way to live, and not one that always
depends on the automobile,” he said.
site despite having one of the largest
senior populations in the city. Vallone
said that as he continues to push for local
vaccination sites, the free transportation
service is a “positive step in the right
direction” in aiding senior constituents
with getting to their appointments.
“In fi ve years time, the free transportation
program has provided Queens
seniors with thousands of rides to and
from important medical appointments,”
said Vallone. “Now, faced with a public
health crisis and with critical vaccine distribution
underway, we must ensure that
our most vulnerable populations are protected
and kept healthy and safe. I want
to thank Speaker Johnson for his commitment
to this initiative and Selfh elp
Community Services for always being an
outstanding community partner.”
Seniors living in both Vallone’s and
Holden’s districts are eligible for the free
program. As in past years, free rides will
also be off ered to seniors within the fi ve
boroughs and Nassau County. Th e program
will continue until all $140,000 in
funding runs out.
“Th e pandemic isn’t over yet, but
we are now able to see the beginning
of the end, with the initial weeks of
vaccine distribution underway,” said
Sandy Myers, vice president of external
aff airs and communications at Selfh elp
Community Services. “We are thrilled
that our medical transportation program,
with the long standing support
of Council Member Paul Vallone and
other members of the Council including
Speaker Corey Johnson, can be used
for older New Yorkers to get to and from
appointments to receive their COVID-
19 vaccine, in addition to other medical
appointments. Th is program ensures
that older adults have aff ordable, accessible
and reliable transportation services
and will continue to provide peace
of mind to older adults and their family
members as we all continue to take precautions
to stay safe.”
To schedule a free ride to essential
medical or vaccination appointments,
Queens seniors can call the Selfh elp
Clearview Senior Center at 718-224-
7888 between 9 a.m. and noon and
leave their name and phone number in
a voicemail to schedule their next-day
rides. Selfh elp will return their calls and
arrange the ride.
Th ose who have appointments from
Saturday through Monday should call
on the prior Friday to schedule a ride.
Seniors will fi ll out a basic application
with demographic information, an
emergency contact and a destination.
Photo via Shutterstock
File photo courtesy of Vallone’s offi ce
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