FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
New Citi Bike
stations come to
Queens next week
Astoria residents will be able to take
advantage of the city’s bike sharing
program starting this month when
Citi Bike offi cially expands to the
neighborhood on Sept. 12.
Th e Department of Transportation
released the map of the new stations
in August, which included changes
due to residents’ feedback. Th e agency
will also add seven additional stations
to the existing Long Island City
“to improve station density.”
Th e Citi Bike system is the largest
bike share network in the country
with 14 million rides taken in 2016.
By the end of this year, there will be
12,000 bikes available in the system.
New bike lanes are constantly being
added and Mayor Bill de Blasio has
said he wants to continue the trend,
vowing to add 50 miles of bike lanes
every year as part of his Vision Zero
initiative.
Th e annual cost of a Citi Bike membership
is $163. NYCHA residents
and members of several community
development credit unions are eligible
to receive $5 per month memberships.
To purchase a membership or to
fi nd out more about Citi Bike, visit
citibikenyc.com.
Angela Matua
Ozone Park man
strikes it rich in
Atlantic City
An Ozone Park man got a birthday
present that he’ll never forget
last week.
On Tuesday, Aug. 29, James C. was
celebrating his birthday as a guest at
the Resort Casino Hotel in Atlantic
City, NJ, when he won the million
dollar jackpot prize at the Elvis Shake
Rattling Reels slot machine.
Th e total prize from the machine
was $1,239,628.77. James won the
prize aft er pulling the handle for a
second time while at the machine.
Th e casino was the winner of 20
various awards from Casino Player
Magazine’s Best of Gaming Awards
2017 including fi rst place for “Casino
Where You Feel the Luckiest.”
Th e casino was not able to provide
the full name of the winner.
Emily Davenport
Correction
Th e Aug. 31 issue of Th e Courier
featured a photo collage on Page 34
titled “Celebrating Summer in the
Hamptons.” One of the group pictures
featured included someone who
was identifi ed as Judge Bernice Siegel.
In fact, that person was Judge
Darrell Gavrin, not Judge Siegel.
We regret the error and any confusion
which may have resulted.
Queens Courier staff
Photo courtesy of Councilman Lancman’s offi ce
Sanitation services to increase in
Fresh Meadows & Jamaica Estates
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Areas of Fresh Meadows, Jamaica
Estates and Briarwood will receive some
extra street cleaning and beautifi cation
care, according to local lawmaker.
Councilman Rory Lancman
announced a $200,000 funding allocation
to support one additional day each
of street cleaning service and sanitation
pickup.
One extra day of street cleaning services,
facilitated by Wildcat Cleaning,
will take place in the following areas:
• Main Street, from Melbourne Avenue
to 78th Avenue in Kew Gardens Hills
• Hillside Avenue, from Sutphin Blvd to
173rd Street in Jamaica Hills
• Queens Boulevard, from Main Street to
87th Avenue in Briarwood
• Union Turnpike, from Utopia Pkwy
to 188th Street in Fresh Meadows/
Jamaica Estates
• With the expanded service, a four man
crew will work to keep the above routes
clean fi ve days a week, according to the
Councilman.
Additionally, one extra day of trash
pickup will take place in the following
places:
• Main Street, from Melbourne Avenue
to 76th Road in Kew Gardens Hills
• Queens Boulevard, from Main Street to
87th Avenue in Briarwood
• Hillside Avenue, from Parsons Blvd to
172nd Street in Jamaica Hills
• Jennifer Martin, Co-President of the
Kew Gardens Hills Civic Association,
said the services will make a “huge difference.”
“Businesses and residents alike benefi
t when our neighborhoods and streets
are clean,” Martin said. “Th ank you to
Council Member Lancman for again
demonstrating his commitment to keeping
our community clean.”
Th ere is a high volume of pedestrian
traffi c in the areas chosen for additional
services, NYC Sanitation Commissioner
Kathryn Garcia said. She encouraged
residents to only discard of “light trash”
in street disposal bins for cleaner neighborhoods.
“Clean neighborhoods and streets are
critically important to our local economy
and residents’ quality of life,”
Lancman said. “It has been a top priority
of mine since joining the Council to
ensure that sanitation services are robust
and resources are readily available. Th e
additional street cleaning and sanitation
services I am providing will help keep
our community clean.”
Th e funding was allocated through the
City Council’s Cleanup NYC Initiative.
Th e Councilman also provided additional
funding for trash bins and street
cleaning services last year.
Lancman (right) announces the street cleaning funding in Kew Gardens Hills.