ON TRACK FOR TROUBLE Local Civic Alliance Sounds Alarm Over Cross Harbor Project “The DEIS proves that, even with favorable assumptions, a Cross Harbor tunnel cannot do what the authors say it will,” Parisen said. “Instead of getting trucks off the road, eastbound truck traffic from Hudson River and harbor crossings will simply be pushed onto residents of the outer boroughs without a realistic plan for handling it.” The Cross Harbor tunnel plan was originally pitched a decade ago and shelved due to heavy opposition from Queens residents who feared the proposal would exponentially increase truck traffic in their communities. The plan included constructing a massive intermodal facility in Maspeth where shipments could be transferred between trucks and freight trains. The Port Authority’s latest Cross Harbor DEIS considers several alternatives aimed at reducing truck traffic on its bridges and tunnels and increasing freight rail traffic through the region. But CURES claims the Fresh Pond Railyard in Glendale—the only freight rail junction connecting geographic Long Island to the rest of the country—is incapable of handling the increased train traffic a Cross Harbor tunnel may bring. Parisen stated the 10-acre Fresh Pond Railyard already operates on a 24/7 basis “to hand off just a single, 100-car train a day to CSX.” The railyard’s 3 • TIMES, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 by Robert Pozarycki Building a train or truck tunnel across New York Harbor would bring more traffic troubles to Brooklyn and Queens, the Civics United for Railroad and Environmental Solutions (CURES) charged in a press release issued last Thursday, Jan. 29. The local coalition of community groups seeking to resolve quality-of-life problems related to freight rail operations stated the Port Authority’s Cross Harbor Freight Program draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) presents “an opportunity to embrace and promote rail and marine transport in the New York metro region.” However, CURES outright dismissed one of the concepts in the DEIS: creating a freight train tunnel or combined train/truck tunnel across the harbor linking railyards in Jersey City and Bay Ridge. “Anyone who believes that a Cross Harbor tunnel would remove trucks from our roads hasn’t done their homework,” said CURES Co-Chair Mary Parisen. She noted that the DEIS itself dismisses claims made by tunnel proponents that the crossing would significantly decrease traffic on the Port Authority’s bridges and tunnels. The DEIS indicated that the rail tunnel plan would only remove as much as 2.5 percent of daily eastbound traffic on the crossings, amounting to between 700 and 900 trucks a day. A combined train/truck tunnel could take 3,000 trucks off the existing crossings each day, but CURES indicated the plan would create 5,200 additional truck trips in Brooklyn and Queens. Cities and towns in New Jersey would also experience 3,000 more truck trips through their area resulting from this alternative. Free Legal Help For NYCHA Residents City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer, along with the Safety Net Project of the Urban Justice Center launched free legal clinic services for NYCHA residents, on Monday, Feb. 2. The announcement was made at the Queensbridge Houses, the nation’s largest public housing development. -SEE HARBOR ON PG. 20- Bushwick Burglar Stole Pricey Pipes Law enforcement agents are looking for the man pictured at right who allegedly stole valuable copper pipe from a Bushwick construction site last month. According to police, the burglary occurred between 11 p.m. on Jan. 19 and 1:15 a.m. the next morning at an undisclosed site on Myrtle Avenue. Caught on tape by a nearby security camera, the perpetrator—described as a 30- year-old Hispanic male standing 5’10”-tall and weighing 160 lbs.—reportedly removed $4,000 in copper tubing, then fled the scene. The incident was later reported to the 83rd Precinct. Anyone with information regarding the caper 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. Here’s A Glimpse Of What’s In This Week’s Times Newsweekly... LOCAL NEWS HIGHLIGHTS RRIIDDGGEEWWOOOODD:: CCuurrbb CCoommppllaaiinnttss BBaacckkffiirree FFoorr PPrrooppeerrttyy OOwwnneerr...Pg. 1 MIDDLE VILLAGE: Bushwick Man Cuffed For Fatal Accident......Pg. 1 LLOONNGG IISSLLAANNDD CCIITTYY:: BBooookkiinngg PPllaannss FFoorr HHuunntteerrss PPtt.. LLiibbrraarryy.......Pg. 1 BUSHWICK: Chancellor Attends Education Town Hall...............Pg. 1 QUEENSBRIDGE: Free Legal Service Pgm. Unveiled.....Photo, Pg. 3 BBUUSSHHWWIICCKK:: BBuurrggllaarr SSttoollee PPrriicceeyy PPiippeess FFrroomm SSiittee............Photo, Pg. 3 MIDDLE VILLAGE: Board 5 Meeting Wednesday Night...........Pg. 4 BUSHWICK: Groper Remains At Large.........................Photo, Pg. 8 MMAASSPPEETTHH//MMIIDDDDLLEE VVIILLLLAAGGEE:: BBuurrggllaarr AAddmmiittss GGuuiilltt...................Pg. 9 LONG ISLAND CITY: Man Acts Lewd On Subway Ride.........Pg. 10 104TH PRECINCT: Social Media Update On Crime.................Pg. 12 GLENDALE: Community Board 5 Launches Website...............Pg. 12 RICHMOND HILL: Man Admits To First Homicide Of 2011......Pg. 12 WOODSIDE: Drifter Strangled Man Who Took Him In............Pg. 13 KEW GARDENS: Queens Borough Budget Hearing Feb. 23....Pg. 13 RICHMOND HILL: Ex-Politician Pays For Obstruction...............Pg. 13 RIDGEWOOD: Artists Coalition Building Exhibition....................Pg. 15 GLENDALE: Brewery Fundraiser For Reading Program...............Pg. 15 MIDDLE VILLAGE: Boy Scout Troop 119 Marks 70 Yrs....Photos, Pg. 18 OZONE PARK: Residents Show Love For Local Vets........Photos, Pg. 18 REGIONAL NEWS HIGHLIGHTS SSuunnnnyyssiiddee YYaarrddss DDeevveellooppmmeenntt && EExxppaannddeedd FFeerrrryy SSeerrvviiccee TTooppss MMaayyoorr ddee BBllaassiioo’’ss SSttaattee OOff TThhee CCiittyy AAddddrreessss.....................................Pg. 1 CCiivviicc CCooaalliittiioonn SSoouunnddss AAllaarrmm OOnn CCrroossss HHaarrbboorr PPrroojjeecctt.................Pg. 3 NNoollaann’’ss SSppeeaakkeerr BBiidd HHaass SSwwiifftt EEnndd;; HHeeaassttiiee EElleecctteedd.....................Pg. 6 CCoonn EEddiissoonn PPllaannss TToo RRaaiissee CCuussttoommeerr RRaatteess;; PPoollss FFuummee...................Pg. 7 Leadership Shakeup At Queens Library Board Of Trustees...........Pg. 8 City Homeless Shelter Population Hits New High........................Pg. 10 Icing Woes Spark 7 Train Shutdown Monday............................Pg. 10 Snow Removal Costs City Flurry Of Cash, Says Comptroller......Pg. 10 COLUMNS & LISTINGS Pat Buchanan..................Pg. 4 104th Precinct Blotter.....Pg. 11 Transit & Traffic News.....Pg. 14 Community Cavalcade...Pg. 15 News From The GRHS....Pg. 15 It’s In Queens!...............Pg. 16 Community Calendar.....Pg. 16 Crossword & Sudoku......Pg. 16 TV Listings.....................Pg. 17 The Old Timer................Pg. 19 Social Security News.....Pg. 28 Sports...........................Pg. 50 FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @timesnewsweekly SSUUBBSSCCRRIIBBEE TTOODDAAYY TToo TThhee Times Newsweekly/Ridgewood Times! SSeeee PPaaggee 2244..
RT02052015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above