3 Flushing pols demand progress on Northern Blvd.
QUEENS WEEKLY, MARCH 3, 2019
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
City Councilman Peter
Koo and state Sen. Toby
Ann Stavisky stood together
on Feb. 22 to call
upon the city Department
of Transportation to finish
repainting the lines
on Northern Boulevard,
citing dangerous conditions
due to months of no
street markings.
Koo and Stavisky were
joined on Feb. 22 by Community
Board 7 Chair
Gene Kelty near the Daniel
Carter Beard Mall, at
Northern Boulevard and
Main Street in Flushing.
They claimed that the
lack of lines have contributed
to traffic flow problems,
and an increased
risk of accidents.
Resurfacing on the
1.5-mile stretch of Northern
Boulevard from College
Point Boulevard to
156th Street began last
fall, but delays stretched
the project into the winter
preventing the thermoplastic
lane markings
from sticking.
After community complaints,
the city placed
temporary lane lines, but
those markings have since
faded leaving a dangerous
thoroughfare where
multiple lanes of traffic
have no clear markings
to direct vehicle or
pedestrian traffic.
Last year, Koo introduced
legislation Intro.
1805 that would require
all pavement markings be
repainted one week after
the completion of street
resurfacing work.
The resurfacing on
Northern was completed
at least two months ago.
“We understand that
delays happen, but Northern
Boulevard is a Vision
Zero Priority Corridor
that deserves to be
treated as the highest priority,”
said Koo. “Without
the proper lane and
pedestrian markings,
whatever dangers that
already exist on this busy
thoroughfare are significantly
exacerbated, and
the city needs to finish
the job and treat this corridor
with the urgency
it deserves.”
Kelty said the board
is in favor of Intro. 1805
for permanent markings,
which is mandatory after
the completion of
a project.
“Board 7 feels that one
week is ample time to put
in permanent markings
and we thank Councilman
Koo for this introduction
and we wholeheartedly
support Senator
Stavisky and Council
Member Koo in this call
to complete the lines on
Northern Boulevard,”
said Kelty.
Stavisky commended
the DOT for completing
much needed paving
on Northern Boulevard
last year, but is
insisting the DOT add
the finishing touches to
the project.
“It is dangerous for
both drivers and pedestrians,
especially in the
evening. The safety and
well-being of our constituents
is a top priority, and
I hope that we can work
together to solve this issue
in a timely manner,”
said Stavisky.
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Following in his parents’
footsteps, Bayside resident
Kieran Mahoney has been
chosen as this year’s Queens
County Aide for the annual
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
in Manhattan.
The 27-year-old was officially
celebrated at the
Grand Marshal and Aides
Installation Reception on
Sunday, Feb. 24, alongside
15 other aides to the parade’s
grand marshal.
Both his mother and father
served as Aides to the
Grand Marshal from Queens
County in 1996 and 2011.
His family heritage can
be traced back to Skibbereen
in County Cork, Ireland.
According to the official
website for the NYC St. Patrick’s
Day Parade, aides to
the grand marshal are chosen
“in recognition of their
outstanding service to the
Irish-American Community
of New York. The selection of
an Aide is acknowledgement
of years of unselfish, dedicated
and distinguished service
to the New York and Irish
communities and for their
contribution to Irish faith,
culture and heritage.”
Mahoney told Patch that
although the aide position
is “largely ceremonial,” it is
“one of the biggest honors”
to receive in the Irish-American
community.
Aides to the grand marshal
are some of the first to
march in the annual parade.
Board members of the
Queens County Ancient
Order of Hibernians (AOH)
elected him for the position
in the fall of 2018. Mahoney
has been a member
of America’s largest Irish
cultural organization since
2010. AOH was founded in
Ireland over 300 years ago
and made its way to New
York City nearly 200 years
ago. Organizers formed the
secret organization to help
Irish Catholics when their
churches and schools were
plundered as a result of Irish
Penal Law.
The Bayside resident
has been the AOH Division
9 Queens County president
since 2013 and also serves
as Queens County Board
vice president.
In 2018, Mahoney became
president and chairman of
the inaugural Bayside St.
Patrick’s Day Parade and
Irish Echo named him one
of their “40 under 40” that
same year.
Mahoney is a Holy Cross
High School alum and went
on to earn his degree in
public administration from
CUNY John Jay. Upon graduating,
he worked as a district
representative for the
New York State Senate and
currently works as a specialist
for the NYC Human Resources
Administration.
The NYC St. Patrick’s
Day Parade is scheduled for
Saturday, March 16, beginning
at 11 a.m.
City Councilman Peter Koo (r.) and state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (c.) are calling on the
Department of Transportation to finish repaving the lines on Northern Boulevard, where
street markings are still missing. Courtesy of Koo’s office
Baysider to rep Queens in St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Kieran Mahoney will represent Queens at the upcoming NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Photo by Dominick Totino