4 THE QUEENS COURIER • OCTOBER 29, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Hundreds rally to make Jackson Heights’
34th Avenue Open Street permanent
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Hundreds of families and local elected
offi cials gathered at the widely popular
34th Avenue Open Street in Jackson
Heights, with a mission to demand Mayor
Bill de Blasio and the Department of
Transportation (DOT) keep the COVID-
19 program permanent, on Saturday, Oct.
24.
At the event, during which several
Queens and city elected offi cials showed
their support of the idea, they also called
for the Open Street on 34th Avenue to be
extended to 114th Street in Corona.
For many families in a community that
became the “epicenter of the epicenter”
during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,
the 34th Avenue Open Street served
as a lifeline — especially in a district ranked
fi ft h to last in per capita park space compared
to other districts in the city, according
to a 2019 report by NYC Comptroller
Scott Stringer.
Dawn Siff , a member of the 34th Avenue
Open Streets Coalition and co-organizer of
Saturday’s rally, said this is the moment to
“radically reimagine our streets and who
they are for.”
“If we don’t seize this moment to reclaim
space for our families, for our children, for
our elderly, shame on us,” said Siff . “Th e
34th Avenue Open Street has changed lives
in our community and it is made possible
by dozens and dozens of volunteers and by
all the members of our community who
use it every day, and will not rest until it is
permanent and extended.”
Th e march and rally was hosted by
34th Ave Open Streets Coalition, with
the Queens Activist Committee of
Transportation Alternatives.
Juan Restrepo, Queens organizer for
Transportation Alternatives, said more
than 1,600 community members have
already signed their petition to make
the 34th Avenue Open Street permanent
and extend it to Flushing
Meadows Corona Park.
“Th e 34th Avenue Open Street is
the crown jewel of New York City’s
open street program,” said Restrepo. “We
look forward to collaborating with the
community and all the elected offi cials
in support of this project to make those
goals happen.”
34th Avenue runs from Woodside,
through Jackson Heights toward Corona.
Th e 1.3-mile stretch is home to more than
half a dozen local public schools, including
P.S. 398, I.S. 145, I.S. 230, P.S. 149, P.S.
280 and P.S. 212.
Th e rally featured speeches from Jackson
Heights elected offi cials, including state
Senator Jessica Ramos, Assembly member
Catalina Cruz, Assembly candidate
Jessica González-Rojas and Councilman
Danny Dromm.
“I am proud to have worked closely with
the NYC DOT and the de Blasio administration
to ensure the permanent closure
of 34th Avenue,” said Dromm. “Certain
details of what the street will eventually
look like remain to be ironed out and
the DOT has assured me that community
input will be given high priority for the
redesign of the avenue. I want to thank the
DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg
and all the advocates Dawn Siff , Nuala
O’Doherty, Jim Burke and many others,
along with fellow elected offi cials
Senator Jessica Ramos, Assembly member
Catalina Cruz, and Democratic Nominee
for AD34 Jessica Gonzáles-Rojas, who
worked with me to help make this dream
come true for our community.”
Other City Council members also
attended the rally and march, including
Council members Carlina Rivera,
Donovan Richards, Jimmy Van Bramer
and Brad Lander.
Community members then marched
from 34th Avenue and Junction Boulevard
to Travers Park.
“Our community has always lacked suffi
cient green spaces and locations where
families can play, exercise and spend
time with their friends and neighbors.
Th is was only exacerbated by the isolation
we all endured during COVID,” said
Cruz. “Having 34th Avenue be accessible
to families all around Jackson Heights,
Corona, and the surrounding neighborhoods
have been key in keeping many of
us healthy and safe during a very tough
time.”
Th e day also had activities for kids,
street performers, music and exercise
classes, as well as bake sale so participants
could experience the fl avor of 34th
Avenue Open Street.
Dasia Iannoli, a 7-year-old resident of
34th Avenue in Jackson Heights, said she
loves 34th Avenue’s Open Street.
“I live on 34th Avenue and I love Open
Streets because I get to bicycle and play
and roller skate and scoot and play soccer
and basketball and tennis and badminton
with my friends and stay safe. 34th Ave. is
the best place to be,” said Iannoli. “Please
keep 34th Ave. open.”
On Oct. 23, the DOT said the city will
keep the 34th Avenue Open Street program
going while they look into a plan for
its “long-term” transformation.
Th e DOT revealed it will present
a plan to keep the street permanent
at a Community Board 3 committee
on Wednesday, Oct. 28, according to
Streetsblog.
Ramos, a fi erce advocate for the 34th
Avenue Open Street program, said the
city needs to “transform the way we are
using our streets.”
Photos by Dean Moses
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