FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 25
Photo courtesy of Rajkumar’s offi ce
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (l.) meets with Department of Transportation’s Queens Commissioner Nicole Garcia to discuss additional parking in Woodhaven.
Lawmaker’s parking plan for Woodhaven sparks heated debate
BY JULIA MORO
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar
walked through Woodhaven with the
Department of Transportation’s (DOT)
Queens Commissioner Nicole Garcia last
week to discuss adding parking spots to
the area, sparking a heated debate about
the proposal.
Rajkumar said that a lack of parking has
been a long-standing issue in Woodhaven,
claiming some of her constituents even
sleep in their cars waiting for a spot.
Th e proposed initiative would add
angled parking on 98th Street between
Woodhaven Boulevard and Park Lane
South, turn the median striping on the
Woodhaven Boulevard Service Road into
parking spots and slim down the bus lane
on Woodhaven Boulevard to add more
spots. Rajkumar also proposed turning
a private vacant lot outside of the Forest
Park Co-Operative on 98th Street into a
parking space.
Th ere has been contention over the proposed
parking on 98th Street near the
co-op, which is right next to Forest Park.
Th e confusion erupted aft er Rajkumar
released a statement saying she would
advocate to “convert” the “vacant park
space” on the “corner of 98th Street and
Park Lane South” into a parking lot.
However, the assemblywoman has walked
back on that statement, saying she never
intended to take away any green space
for parking.
Th at proposal to convert a “vacant park
space” is for a gravel lot across the street
from Forest Park on 98th Street.
Before the assemblywoman clarifi ed her
mistake, people took to Twitter angrily
responding to her plan.
“Leave 98th Street and Park Lane
South alone,” a Twitter user wrote. “I’m
a Woodhaven resident, and I will never
support converting public space to parking.”
All of the confusion stemming from the
original statement even resulted in a protest
outside of Rajkumar’s Woodhaven
offi ce on Sunday, Sept. 5.
Rajkumar’s chief of staff clarifi ed that
statement and said none of her proposals
include taking over any green spaces.
“To be abundantly clear, Rajkumar
never at any time proposed a parking lot
inside Forest Park,” said Rajkumar’s chief
of staff Vjola Isufaj. “Facts matter. Th at
kind of outrageous sensationalism based
on wrong facts and lies may be fun on
Twitter, but it’s not truthful and isn’t helping
anyone in our district.”
Th ough most of the negative response
came from the misleading original statement
regarding the plan, Rajkumar said
she does understand some criticism she
might receive due to promoting cars on
the road instead of the use of public transportation.
“I agree we do have to address longterm
issues created by carbon emissions
from vehicles,” Rajkumar said. “Th at is
why legislatively I have focused on creating
environmental protections, sustainable
infrastructure and resiliency.”
Th e fi rst-term assemblywoman said
she’s proposed parking solutions that
won’t interfere with green spaces, bike
lanes or public transportation — but recognized
the parking scarcity in the area
and is acting on it.
Walter Chaluisant, a Woodhaven resident
of 25 years and president of Works
Little League, said he fully supported the
proposals.
“Driving around for an hour or more
without being able to secure parking
makes daily life diffi cult,” Chaluisant
said. “It makes us late for work, school
and medical care. I deeply appreciate
Rajkumar’s leadership standing up for
the needs of her constituents.”
A DOT spokesperson said they will be
working with Rajkumar in the future to
discuss these parking initiatives further.
“We are always happy to talk to elected
offi cials and walk through their communities
and hear about their ideas or
concerns raised by constituents,” said the
DOT statement.
Kenneth Mankowitz, the president of
Forest Park Co-Operative in Woodhaven,
said that the lack of parking has been
a continuous problem facing residents
and thanked the assemblywoman for her
work.
“We fully support Assemblywoman
Rajkumar’s eff orts working with the DOT
commissioner and hope she is successful,”
Mankowitz said. “A lot of the areas the
assemblywoman proposed used to actually
be parking spaces before they were
removed, so her proposals make perfect
sense.”