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QC03192015

4 The QUENS Courier • march 19, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com pay my MTA fee to get all the way home, safely.” Photos courtesy of Riders Alliance Queens N, Q and 7 train riders share ‘SUBWAY HORROR STORIES’ BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO a piece of paper provided of the organization that read, aaltamirano@queenscourier.com “My subway horror story is…” @aaltamirano28 “I rely on the 7 train to get me from Queens to work in the Upper West Side. But lately, weekend and late night Subway riders were given a platform — the N, Q and 7 service on the 7 train has been a joke,” said Carol Crump, train platform to be exact — to share their angst of trying a Rider Alliance member, who added that at times, she to catch a train in New York City. has to resort to taking a bus or car service. “We need a As part of a weeklong citywide initiative to collect well-funded capital plan that will provide the money for subway riders’ “horror stories,” the organization Riders countdown clocks, service announcements and faster Alliance, dedicated to winning better transit, gathered at trains.” the Queensboro Plaza subway station on the morning of The stories, which can also be submitted online at March 10 to get riders of the N, Q and 7 trains to share www.ridersny.org/horror-stories, will be compiled and their tales. later presented to Governor Andrew Cuomo and different The decision to collect these stories arises after a drastic members of the state legislature. increase in complaints from Riders Alliance members. In the upcoming months, a decision will have to be The complaints include signal malfunctions, unexplained made whether or not to fund the MTA’s proposed over- train delays and general “deteriorating service” in the past $30 billion 2015-2019 capital plan. weeks, according to Riders Alliance. “Signal problems have stranded me at night several “Our transit system is better in every way than it was in times in the past year on the N/Q,” said Emily Hultman, the 1980s, but if we don’t invest the funds to maintain it, another Riders Alliance member. “It isn’t safe to be we’ll see the bad old days come back,” said John Raskin, kicked off a train to fend for yourself in a deserted part of executive director of the Riders Alliance. town at night, especially when the only options to complete On March 10, riders were asked by Riders Alliance the trip are buses that run twice an hour or less. I members to share their experiences and write them on Two six-story Marriott hotels coming to Fresh Meadows BY LIAM LA GUERE lguerre@queenscourier.com @LiamLaGuerre Fresh Meadows is seriously becoming a destination. Two six-story hotels under the Marriott brand are being built in the neighborhood, marking another big hotel chain coming to the mostly residential area. The Courier recently reported about the Mayflower Business Group’s 11-story Hilton hotel under construction in Fresh Meadows on 186th Street, which will target students and immigrants from China. East West United Realty Development is working on this double Marriott project, which is on the other side of the Long Island Expressway, at 183-31 Horace Harding Expwy. The right building will be a Courtyard Hotel and the left will be Fairfield Inn and Suites, which are brands of Marriott hotels. The hotels will offer a combined 218 rooms and underground parking. Unlike Mayflower’s Hilton building, this double Marriott brand project will target all tourists coming to New York City, according to the developer representatives. They believe it will be attractive because it is relatively close to the borough’s airports and— located adjacent to the LIE—has easy access to one of Queens’ major thoroughfares. Because it’s not in the immediate vicinity of the airports, the hotel could also offer cheaper rates, the representatives said, which will be attractive to guests. Construction on the hotels recently began and the project is expected to be completed in 2016. Renderings courtesy of East West United Realty Development


QC03192015
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