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QUEENS WEEKLY, AUGUST 25, 2019
DOT plans to replace Bayside Hills street lights
on Bell Boulevard between 48th and 50th Avenues
Photo via Google Maps
BY JENNA BAGCAL
As part of its continued
effort to reduce the city’s
energy use, the Department
of Transportation
is installing new
energy-efficient lights
in Bayside.
Residents in the
Bayside Hills section of
the neighborhood noticed
light bases going up on Bell
Boulevard between 48th and
50th avenues. According to
a DOT spokesperson, the
agency plans to remove
four existing lampposts
from the sidewalk and
install six lampposts in
the center median along
the stretch.
All of the new lampposts
will be energy-efficient
LEDs, which replaces the
current standard highpressure
sodium street
lights. DOT maintains
262,000 lights on the street,
bridges and underpasses,
12,000 in parks and 26,000
on highways.
DOT began testing
the LEDs on streets and
sidewalks in Central Park
and along the FDR Drive in
2009. The agency partnered
with the U.S. Department
of Energy and the Climate
Group on the LightSavers
program, first established
in Toronto in 2008. The
initiative’s purpose is to
reduce the city’s greenhouse
gas emissions while
simultaneously improving
energy efficiency.
The Climate Group
also plans to bring the
LightSavers program
to other cities including
Toronto, London, Mumbai,
Calcutta, Bangalore,
Hong Kong, Beijing
and Shanghai.
In 2013, former Mayor
Michael Bloomberg
announced that DOT
would retrofit all 250,000 of
the city’s street lights with
energy-efficient LEDs,
which reportedly saves $6
million in energy and $8
million in maintenance
a year.
DOT’s energy efficiency
goals were outlined in
Bloomberg’s PlaNYC 2030,
which calls for a 30 percent
reduction of the city’s
greenhouse gas emissions
by 2030.
According to the agency,
the current high-pressure
sodium lights last six
years, compared to more
sustainable LEDs, which
can last up to 20 years before
needing replacement.
The LED lighting
also produces a “crisper,
whiter light” under
lower intensity, allowing
for increased visibility
at night.
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by email at
jbagcal@qns.com or by
phone at (718) 260-2583.
Lead concerns under 7 line
Jackson Heights fears exposure to paint chips as remediation goes on
BY MARK HALLUM
Fears from the past
surfaced as Cristina
Furlong came across
signs on Roosevelt Avenue
near 82nd Street warning
residents of exposure to
lead posted by the MTA as
the agency works to repaint
the entire span of elevated
track.
Furlong’s son was born
with elevated lead levels
in his blood stream, and
although it is unclear
whether any current or
future conditions in the 10-
year-old can be attributed
to the 7 train rumbling just
a half block away it would
seem the likely culprit
to Furlong.
Now Furlong wonders if
the MTA is taking proper
precautions in protecting
the public, many of who
are children she observed
walking on the sidewalk
within the work zone.
There are not barriers
blocking people from
walking freely on the
sidewalk, just signs and
vacuums to such up some
of the debris as the workers
grind decades of paint away
to reveal bare steel.
“That corridor of
Roosevelt Avenue is a lost
land, so to speak,” Furlong
said. “It’s very disturbing
to see a sign that says lead
paint and nothing else.”
The controversy
surrounding the 7 train’s
lead issue goes back to a
2017 report published by
the District 9 International
Union of Painters and
Allied Trades proving
that particles containing
224,000 parts per million
of lead paint, more than 40
times the 5,000 parts per
million legal threshold, fall
from the trestle.
The late State Senator
Jose Peralta, who died just
after losing a September
2018 primary to Jessica
Ramos, and Councilman
Daniel Dromm took the
lead in pressuring the MTA
to fast track lead abatement
for the tracks considering
the number of families
and food vendors along
the corridor.
A steel pillar on the 7 train trestle in Woodside shows years of rust and faded paint.
Peralta passed
legislation signed by
Gov. Andrew Cuomo in
December 2017 requiring
the MTA to address
the issue as part of any
work that takes place on
the tracks.
His successor, Ramos,
claims to be keeping a keen
eye on the work to remediate
the steel trestle with a
staffer telling QNS they
have requested warnings
in more languages as
Jackson Heights is
primarily Spanishspeaking,
among others.
“While the work done
by the MTA along the 7
line is appreciated, we are
yet to see the signage we’ve
requested now for a few
weeks. Lead is dangerous
and our community must
be notified in the top
languages spoken,” Ramos
said in a statement to QNS.
In June 2018, New York
City Transit President
Andy Byford announced
a two year project would
begin to repaint the tracks
in two segments. The first
phase of the project was
decided to run from 82nd
Street and Citi Field and
cost $45 million.
Now on Roosevelt, some
sections of the track gleam
with a fresh coat of paint.
While Furlong felt
disheartened by the death
of Peralta, she hoped
that Councilman Daniel
Dromm would continue
advocating in government
for safer conditions along
the track.
Dromm’s office did
not respond to a request
for comment before
press time.
“The MTA needs to
better when it comes
to every aspect of lead
abatement,” Councilman
Francisco Moya said. “I
was proud to work with
the DC 9 painters Union to
expose the toxic lead levels
that were nearly 50 times
above the allowable limit
but years later it’s still
clear that the MTA has
more work to do. As the
MTA works to modernize
its system, the authority
must improve its outreach
and transparency to
make the subway safer
for everyone—the New
Yorkers who ride it and
those who have to live with
it.”
As far as the MTA is
Photo: Mark Hallum/QNS
concerned, however, a
spokesman said the work
zone meets all safety
and health requirements
pertaining to lead and that
workers are equipped to
mitigate exposure.
“Safety is the MTA’s top
priority. This repainting
project will rehabilitate
the aging 7 line structure
for generations to come,”
the agency said. “The
signage in this tweet meets
OSHA requirements and
NYC Transit employees
are providing oversight
to ensure that all work
is being performed
in accordance with
applicable health and
safety regulations.”
Power tools shrouded
in enclosures with HEPA
filters in accordance to
Environmental Protection
Agency and outreach was
done at community boards,
the MTA said.
The MTA also contended
that the signage made it
clear to the public not to
enter the area, but according
to a representative for
Ramos, a complaint to
her office had prompted
a request for postings in
different languages.
New LED lights on
Bayside Hills streets
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