4 The QUEE NS Courier • SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Community Board 7 votes no to SBS design update BY ALINA SURIEL asuriel@queenscourier.com @alinangelica Community Board 7 overwhelmingly voted on Monday night against a design update given by Department of Transportation (DOT) officials on the Select Bus Service (SBS) route proposed to connect downtown Flushing to Jamaica. The proposal got 32 votes against it, and only two board members voted in favor. CB 7 Chair Gene Kelty criticized the DOT, saying that officials at the meeting did not realistically address the concerns of board members. “If it’s good for them, it’s always good for them,” Kelty said. “And I’m sorry to beat them up but that’s exactly what I can tell you from 30-something years on this board.” “It’s just not a really popular concept,” added Warren Schreiber, third vice chairperson of CB 7. The main contention stemmed from skepticism on the merits of creating a designated bus lane in downtown Flushing, an infamous center of traffic congestion. Board members believed that prohibiting vehicle access on bus lanes will only serve to worsen traffic. The bus lanes will utilized by both SBS and regular MTA buses, as well as those of private bus companies, but privately owned personal vehicles will only be able to drive in general traffic lanes. Concerns were also raised among the board that traffic would be slowed down if all private drivers in the transit hub were forced to fit in a single lane. They also alleged the congestion would be mainly detrimental to private vehicles with buses allowed The Q44 bus route is proposed to undergo major changes with the incoming of the Flushing-Jamaica Select Bus Service. to use the only general traffic lane in addition to the designated bus lane. Members also expressed concern on the width of the proposed lanes, saying that the large public transit buses would not be able adequately maneuver if confined to a single lane, or fit within the lane on wide turns. The entire presentation given to CB 7 is available on the DOT website. The plan to implement Select Bus Service (SBS) on the Q44 is meant to move buses faster and improve the connectivity between Queens and the Bronx. Fare collection will take place on curbside machines managed by the MTA, and will be randomly enforced by transit inspectors. Riders pay with MetroCard or coins before boarding, take a ticket from machine and will be able to board bus through all three Photo courtesy of the MTA doors. The implementation will also include repavement of the general traffic lanes and the installation of dedicated bus and right turn lanes alongside a curbside parking lane. Pedestrian sidewalks are also set to be made wider to accommodate dense foot traffic in the district, and stations for the new buses will be equipped with real-time estimates for its arrival. New district manager takes the helm at Community Board 1 BY ANGELA MATUA amatua@queenscourier.com/@AngelaMatua There’s been a changing of the guard at Community Board 1. Florence Koulouris is the new Community Board 1 (CB 1) district manager, taking over for the recently retired Lucille Hartmann. Koulouris served as Hartmann’s assistant for the last eight years, and she told The Courier she is most excited to attend the monthly community board meetings and interact with community members and different city agencies. “I’m a people person, and I think that’s a big part of the district manager,” Koulouris said. The CB 1 area, which includes Astoria, Long Island City and Woodside, is the most ethnically mixed community in New York City, according to nyc.gov, and more than 118 nationalities call these neighborhoods home. A development boom has recently transformed the landscape and Koulouris said affordable housing is the most pressing issue facing Community Board 1. Astoria Cove, the 2.2-million-square-foot project on the Astoria waterfront, is one example of a development that will drastically alter the neighborhood, and Koulouris said she is proud of the work the board did to ensure affordable housing there. More than 460 units of the 1,723 apartments will be designated for affordable housing. “We are the trendsetters with the Astoria Cove project. I think the work that the board did is going to set a very high bar for the rest of the city,” Koulouris said. “Our board worked diligently to negotiate affordable housing.” Long Island City will also soon be home to the tallest building in the borough when a 70-story apartment building near Queens Plaza begins construction. The mixed-use structure will surpass the Citi Bank tower and contain 930 apartments and nearly 15,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. The newly anointed district manager also praised the new traffic calming measures in Astoria. As part of a Neighborhood Slow Zone, more than 55 blocks in Astoria, from Astoria Boulevard to 30th Avenue and Steinway Street to 21st Street are receiving 14 speed bumps, 20 gateway intersection treatments and 20 mph pavement markings from the Department of Transportation throughout September. Koulouris also said she, along with the community board, are looking forward to the expansion of Citi Bike in their area. Long Island City already has 12 docking stations and Citi Bike recently announced that they will double the number of bikes in Queens by 2017 to include parts of Astoria. “We have a lot of wonderful things coming to our community,” Koulouris said. “I look forward to working with the people of the community and the board members. We have a very diverse group of people. It’s going to be exciting.” THE COURIER/Photo by Angela Matua Florence Koulouris is the new district manager for Community Board 1, which includes Astoria, Long Island City and Woodside.
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