FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 19, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
Judge temporarily blocks Flushing busway plan
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e city Department of Transportation’s
plan to convert Flushing’s Main Street corridor
District manager announces bid for City Council seat
BY JACOB KAYE
jkaye@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e race to replace Councilman Barry
Grodenchik in District 23 has grown
larger.
Debra Markell, who serves as the district
manager of Community Board 2,
announced her candidacy for the City
Council seat this week. Markell joins fi ve
others in the race to fi ll Grodenchik’s
shoes, aft er the councilman recently
announced he would not seek reelection
in 2021.
In her announcement, Markell cited
her experience in local government —
in addition to working as a district manager,
she served as a community board
member, president of the 109th Precinct
Community Council and chair
of the Flushing Hospital advisory
board — as a feature that
separates her from the growing
fi eld of candidates.
“My experience in government
and as a community
leader uniquely prepares me
for this race,” Markell said.
“When I look ahead at
the daunting challenges
facing our
city, it is evident
that experience
is crucial to getting
our city back
on track. While
C O V I D - 1 9
changed our
way of life on
many levels, I know we can come
back stronger.”
Th e North Shore Towers resident
said her focus would be
on senior services programs,
transportation issues, championing
co-op and condo
owners’ rights, public education
and public safety
if elected to represent
Bayside
Hills, Bellerose,
D o u g l a s t o n ,
Floral Park, Fresh
Meadows, Glen
Oaks, Hollis,
Hollis Hills,
Hol l i swood,
Little Neck,
New Hyde
Park, Oakland Gardens and Queens
Village.
Markell previously ran for City Council
in 2009, when she ran to represent the
19th District.
Markell, who was born, raised and educated
in Queens, will face a crowded fi eld
of candidates during the 2021 Democratic
primary in June.
Five others have announced their candidacy
for the City Council seat including
Jaslin Kaur, an organizer from northeast
Queens; Linda Lee, the executive
director of Korean Community Services
of Metropolitan New York; Steve Behar,
a member of Grodenchik’s staff ; Sanjeev
Jindal, a public relations offi cial at the
India Association of Long Island; and
Christopher Fuentes-Padilla, who works
in asset protection at Bloomingdale’s.
into a busway has been halted by a
Queens Supreme Court judge aft er critics
of the busway fi led a lawsuit.
Judge Kevin Kerrigan issued a temporary
restraining order against the DOT, blocking
the installation of signage or any markings
until a decision is made on whether
the project can move forward.
Th e DOT began work on the Main Street
busway on Nov. 10, painting new bike
lane markings on Sanford Avenue between
Kissena Boulevard and Main Street.
Th e plan has been met with opposition
from local business leaders, who said that
the majority of shoppers visiting the bustling
district are motorists. Th ey fear the
busway could lead to a decline in revenue
and shoppers, severely impacting businesses.
Peter Tu, of the Flushing Chinese
Business Association, said aft er trying to
negotiate with the DOT, there was no
choice but to fi le a lawsuit against the city.
“I really tried. I don’t want to challenge an
agency of the city, but I had to challenge the
DOT here in Queens because they don’t
want to listen to the people,” Tu said. “I’ve
had business owners call me every day, saying
they would lose a lot of money and they
have to pay their rent. Small businesses
cannot survive if this plan moves forward.”
Th e city’s plan includes adding a busway
to a 0.3-mile northbound stretch of
Main Street, where it meets the terminus
of the 7 train.
Th e street features bus and truck priority
treatments in the southbound direction
that have resulted in a 23 percent
increase in bus speeds between 2017 and
2018, according to City Hall.Th e street features
bus and truck priority treatments in
the southbound direction that have resulted
in a 23 percent increase in bus speeds
between 2017 and 2018, according to City
Hall.
In response to today’s court injunction,
transportation advocates of the plan said
the needs of more than 100,000 daily bus
riders are being held up by spurious legal
actions fi led by a small group of wellresourced
opponents.
“Today’s temporary restraining order
stands in the way of a 23 percent increase
in bus speeds that would benefi t 155,000
weekday bus riders on Main Street,” the
advocates said in a statement. “Th is delay
in basic and necessary transit improvements
is hurting many low-income New
Yorkers who rely on several bus routes running
through downtown Flushing.”
Th e group said that the Main Street busway
will connect riders with six hospitals
and over 3,400 essential worksites like
pharmacies, grocery stores and delivery
services.
“Delaying the busway means delaying
the daily commutes of essential workers
who risked their health to keep New York
City running during the fi rst shutdown,”
the group said. “As New York City stares
down a second wave of coronavirus infections
and potential lockdowns, slowing
down this project puts essential workers
at risk.”
A court date is set for Dec. 21 for Judge
Kerrigan to hear the arguments and issue
a fi nal decision on whether the project can
proceed, according to Tu.
File photo
File photo
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