WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES APRIL 12, 2018 13
SUNNYSIDE BIKE
LANE PLANS
ARE A PLUS
I am writing to urge Queens Community
Board 2, Council member
Jimmy Van Bramer and all Queens
residents to support the Department
of Transportation proposal to install
protected bike lanes on Skillman and
43rd avenues in Sunnyside.
Although I don’t live in Sunnyside,
I have a stake in this matter: I bike on
this route twice every day between
my home in Jackson Heights and my
workplace in Manhattan, and these
two streets in Sunnyside are easily
the most stressful part of my commute.
Among the many dangers on this
corridor: being right-hooked by car
drivers who make fast turns off the avenues;
having to swerve around cars
double parked in the bike lane; and
being pushed off the bike lane by car
drivers who drive in the Skillman bike
lane as they approach Queens Boulevard
trying to beat the light. Protected
bike lanes, including the bi-directional
protected bike lane along the railyard,
will signifi cantly reduce these risks.
A look at the bike map of western
Queens makes clear that these two
avenues are a critical East-West corridor,
and really the only way to get to
the Queensboro Bridge for hundreds
of cyclists from Sunnyside, Woodside,
Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, Corona
and other neighborhoods who use
these lanes daily and the thousands
who might use them if they were safer.
Sadly but not surprisingly, the debate
on this safety plan has centered
around parking loss. But we should
not forget that in western Queens, less
than half of households even own a car
(based on NYCEDC 2012 data). In fact,
across all Queens households, only 38
percent of workers drive or carpool
to work (based on U.S. Census Bureau
2015 Community Survey) — and this
average rate is likely significantly
lower in more urban western Queens.
It therefore seems reasonable and
equitable to make this critical East-
West corridor safe for all users, of all
income levels, rather than amplifying
the privileges of a minority of more
well-off car owners.
Bike infrastructure saves lives —
NYCDOT and federal statistics prove
that over and over and over again.
Importantly, the evidence in NYC
and elsewhere shows that protected
bike lanes reduce pedestrian and motorist
injuries and deaths more than
bicyclists, since the changed geometry
slows down speeding drivers and
shortens crossing distances.
LETTERS AND COMMENTS
The same reports also show that bike
lanes are very benefi cial for businesses
since they make streets more inviting
for strolling and shopping.
Angela Stach, Jackson Heights
STATE BUDGET DEAL
IS BIG LOSS FOR
TRANSIT
We should not celebrate Governor
Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature
passing a budget on time. It is a
terrible April Fools’ joke on taxpayers
who will be stuck with the tab.
The budget includes a revenue
shortfall of $4.4 billion, which still
needs to be resolved. Cuomo claims to
have increased the level of MTA funding.
Virtually all of these $400 million
plus are being allocated toward fully
funding the emergency $836 million
“NYC Transit Subway Action Plan” to
deal with the ongoing crises. That
will still leave virtually all of the $5.8
billion outstanding balance still owed
toward his original $8.3 billion promised
back in 2015 to fully fund the MTA
$32 billion 2015 - 2019 Capital Plan.
It appears Cuomo has kicked the can
down the road once again for coming
up with close to $5.8 billion in 2019.
This would be the last year of MTA’s
current fi ve-year capital plan. There
appears to be no money included toward
his promised $7.25 billion share
toward fully funding the $29 billion
Gateway Tunnel project.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
VETERANS DESERVE
BETTER AT THE VA
I find what has been happening at the Veterans
Administration (VA) over the years
to be quite troubling. Millions of veterans
depend on the VA for their health care.
Former Veterans Aff airs Secretary
David Shulkin was fi red, in my opinion,
because he wasn’t getting the job done.
President Trump has selected Admiral
Ronny Jackson as new VA Secretary. I
hope he might turn the Veterans Administration
into a well-oiled machine
that can truly help many veterans in
need of better care.
As reported, there are 360,000
VA employees and 9 million vets
under their care. There are about 47
percent of VA care users who are 65
or older. Some need angioplasty and
suff er from heart problems as well
of cancer.
I’m 69 years old and a Vietnam era
veteran of the U.S. Navy and am very
concerned with what’s happening at
the VA. What has happen at the VA, I
feel, boils down to one thing: political
bureaucracy over the proper care
of our veterans who gave their all to
protect what we all hold most dear, and
that is our freedom.
They deserve better and should get it.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks Village
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This undated photo shows
the exterior of the Glendale
public library at the corner
of Myrtle Avenue and 73rd
Street. Note the decorative
likenesses of William
Shakespeare and other
world-renowned authors
and playwrights at the top
of the building. The library’s
set to close tomorrow, April
14, as the Queens Borough
Public Library begins an
18-month overhaul of the
entire building, modernizing it
for generations of readers to
come. Send us your historic
photos of Queens by email to
editorial@qns.com (subject:
A Look Back) or mail printed
pictures to A Look Back, ℅
The Queens Courier, 38-15
Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361.
All mailed pictures will be
carefully returned to you.
A LOOK BACK
Ridgewood Times archives/Courtesy of the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society
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