55 • TIMES, THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015 Mayor: Safer Streets In Vision Zero Year One Two More New Trustees Appointed To Library Board Queens Library remains a topnotch resource for our borough,” Katz said in a press release. “I look forward to working with these talented individuals who are going to be great assets to the library.” Both appointments represent the fourth and fifth members Katz named to the panel since last July, when she dismissed six Queens Library trustees amid the financial scandal surrounding former Queens Library President and CEO Thomas W. Galante. Mayor Bill de Blasio also removed two trustees that month. The eight ousted trustees came under fire for voting last spring to keep Galante on the job and provide limited cooperation with City Comptroller Scott Stringer in his audit of Queens Library. State legislation that Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law last June enabled the mayor and borough president to remove any trustee for just cause; previously, both officials could only appoint, and trustees could only be removed with the approval of two-thirds of all other trustees. After de Blasio and Katz removed and then appointed new trustees, the Queens Library board voted in September to send Galante on an indefinite leave of absence and to cooperate fully with Stringer’s audit. The trustees then voted last December to fire Galante. Meanwhile, the New York Daily News reported last Friday, Jan. 16, the resignation of four ranking Queens Library officials that Galante previously appointed: Darlene Askew- Robinson, vice president and general counsel; Lisa Epps, vice president for information technology; Angelica Huynh- Rivera, vice president for human resources; and Frank Genese, vice president for capital projects. A fifth Galante aide—Jennifer Manley, head of government and community affairs—stepped down following Galante’s ouster last month. Reportedly, each of the five former employees earned annual salaries in excess of $150,000. Interim Queens Library President and CEO Bridget Quinn-Carey was quoted in the Daily News article as stating the library was “creating a new culture of openness and transparency” and that “a change in direction often requires a change in administration.” In a statement to the Times Newsweekly last Friday, Stringer applauded the Queens Library house-cleaning: “Taxpayers deserve a management team who put the public’s interest first. I look forward to working with my fellow board trustees and the library’s new leadership as we restore the Queens Library to its rightful place as one of the nation’s premier public library systems.” -CONTINUED FROM PG. 13- Van Bramer Says ‘No No’ To Lulu -CONTINUED FROM PG. 8- Drunk Driver Pays For Deadly Accident -CONTINUED FROM PG. 19- Investigation Bureau, prosecuted the case under the super vision of Assistant District Attorneys Peter T. Reese, bureau chief; and Peter J. McCormack III and Richard B. Schaeffer, Deputy bureau chiefs, and John W. Kosinski, Vehicular Homicide Unit chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Charles A. Testagrossa and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders. According to Jason Banrey, Van Bramer’s spokesperson, the refused funds were returned to the City Council for other purposes. Van Bramer’s refusal was highlighted in a Jan. 20 New York Daily News editorial which noted that 11 other City Council members also declined to accept their lulus. Another 18 lawmakers reportedly donated their stipends to charity. a proven method for improving pedestrian safety, and I am pleased that the city has begun a comprehensive community planning process to redesign Queens Boulevard and Linden Boulevard to reduce the number of accidents along those busy corridors,” Queens Borough President Melinda Katz said. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams touted the success of Vision Zero and said, “Vision Zero has helped New York City turn the corner towards safer streets for all. I appreciate the de Blasio administration’s laser focus on redesigning our major intersections and arterial roadways to make pedestrian safety a top priority.” Some of the highlights of Vision Zero from the past year are: the implementation of 27 new arterial slow zones on more than 120 miles of roadways like Atlantic Avenue and the Grand Concourse; 35 dangerous intersections have been overhauled—an increase of nearly triple the number from 2013; the installation of 400 new speed humps, a 37 percent increase from last year; redesigns of crash-prone corridors; 45 leading pedestrian intervals that give pedestrians a head start crossing streets, threetimes more than what was available in 2013; over five miles of new protected bike lanes; and five new neighborhood slow zones lowering speeds on residential streets. Vision Zero street improvement projects from 2014 that fall within the coverage area of The Times include: corridor safety improvements on Broadway in both Woodside and Elmhurst; the creation of pedestrian safety islands at the intersection of Northern Boulevard and 61st Street; intersection safety improvements along Queens Boulevard in Rego Park; pedestrian safety improvements at the intersection of the BQE and 37th Avenue; intersection safety improvements at the intersections of Queens Boulevard and Yellowstone Boulevard, and Queens Boulevard and 71st Avenue. Multi/Complex intersection projects, which are complex intersection projects that include treatments on radiating streets or neighborhood-wide treatments, that were completed in 2014 include: pedestrian safety improvements at Greenpoint Avenue and 48th Avenue; traffic calming and intersection safety improvements along Bushwick Avenue; pedestrian safety improvements at Myrtle Avenue, Wycoff Avenue and Palmetto Street; and corridor safety and mobility improvements along Woodhaven Boulevard. “While today we take a moment to recognize the great Vision Zero work completed on New York’s streets in 2014 and look ahead to 2015, our work is far from done, and we will continue to step up our efforts this year to make our streets safer for all,” Trottenberg said. In 2014 the Department of Transportation hosted public workshops in development of borough-specific Pedestrian Safety Action Plans. These plans use crash data to provide a roadmap for future safety enhancements, and will lead to major improvements in at least 50 locations each year. One of the first projects underway in 2015 is an intersection redesign at Hillside Avenue and Metropolitan Avenue in Richmond Hill. Learn more about Vision Zero and future plans at www.nyc.gov/visionzero. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 8- Bandit Orders Cash At Woodside Bank -CONTINUED FROM PG. 11- A is investigating .the caper, police saidnyone with information regarding the heist or the suspect’s whereabouts that could prove helpful is asked to contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 1- 800-577-TIPS; by text message to 274637 (enter information, then the code TIP577) or online at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com. All calls and messages will be kept confidential. Miller Cracks Down On Out-Of-State Plates “Twenty-five years ago, this wasn’t an issue,” he said, “but today, parking is tough. When people come home at nine o’clock at night, they have to drive around looking for parking and park several blocks away. This is one small way to take care of it.” Miller’s legislation includes exemptions that would allow out-of-state residents visiting New York City either for a day Business Beat Law, PLLC. Como was born in Williamsburg and graduated from St. John’s University and Hofstra University School of Law before joining Silvagni to establish their practice. Since opening the practice, “our early experiences have been positive thanks to hard work, dedication and support from our friends in the communities of Ridgewood, Glendale and Middle Village,” Silvagni explained. Silvagni and Como Attorneys at Law, PLLC focus mainly on estate planning, elder law, probate and real estate. They inform the elderly on the best ways to plan for their future by setting up wills, creating estates, and how to best preserve their attests. “We plan to maintain a strong presence in the neighborhood and to continue to be a part of the local community organizations, small business groups and senior citizen centers,” Silvagni said. One way they are staying in touch with the community is through educational seminars for seniors at local senior citizen centers. Past seminars have been held at locations like the Ridgewood Older Adults Center in Flushing. For more information about upcoming seminars call Silvagni and Como Attorneys at Law, PLLC at 1-718-928-3355 or visit their website at www.silvagniandcomolaw.com. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 9- or for several weeks to receive temporary permits to park on city streets. “We have to figure out a way to keep the state visitor-friendly. We have to figure out how to make out-of-towners familiar with the law,” the assemblyman added. “But if you’re abusing the privilege, we want you towed.” The bill was assigned to the Assembly Cities Committee for further consideration. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 13- Selling A Home Or Car? Renting An Apartment? Let The Times Newsweekly Classified Section Work For You! Call Us At 1-718-821-7500
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