12 MAY 4, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM EDITORIAL There's progress in Queens at last! This was an amazing week for THE HOT TOPIC STORY: These 9 Queens neighborhoods rank in the top 50 NYC neighborhoods to live in SUMMARY: A total of 22 Queens neighborhoods showed up on Niche’s top 100 “2017 Best Neighborhoods to Live in New York City” report. REACH: 16,608 (as of 5/1/17) COMMENTS: ESTABLISHED 1908 Co-Publishers VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS JOSHUA SCHNEPS Editor-in-Chief ROBERT POZARYCKI Classifi ed Manager DEBORAH CUSICK Assistant Classifi ed Manager MARLENE RUIZ Reporter ANTHONY GIUDICE © 2017 SCHNEPS NY MEDIA, LLC. General Publication Offi ce: 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 TELEPHONE: 1-718-821-7500/7501/7502/7503 FAX: 1-718-224-5441 E-MAIL: editorial@ridgewoodtimes.com WEB SITE: www.qns.com ON TWITTER @ridgewoodtimes PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY FOR 108 YEARS COMPOSITION RESPONSIBILITY: Accuracy in receiving ads over the telephone cannot be guaranteed. This newspaper is responsible for only one incorrect insertion and only for that portion of the ad in which the error appears. It is the responsibility of the advertiser to make sure copy does not contravene the Consumer Protection Law or any other requirement.TIMES NEWSWEEKLY Is Listed With The Standard Rate & Data And Is A Member Of The New York Press Association SNAPS SPRING AT THE ONDERDONK HOUSE PHOTO BY ROBERT POZARYCKI Send us your photos of Queens and you could see them online or in our paper! Submit them to us tag @queenscourier on Instagram, Facebook page, tweeting @QNS or by emailing editorial@qns.com (subject: Queens Snaps). Queens, as the “World’s Borough” celebrated not one, but two major infrastructure achievements that stand to benefi t tens of thousands of commuters every day. First, the fi rst of two new spans to replace the crumbling Kosciuszko Bridge was opened to drivers on April 27. The modern, cable-stayed bridge is nothing like the obsolete, steel truss behemoth it’s replacing — and that’s a defi nite compliment. Without a doubt, the new Kosciuszko is far more aesthetically pleasing than the original, but this project isn’t just about vanity. It’s more about ensuring a greater traffi c fl ow and getting rid of the physical problems that made the old bridge a traffi c nightmare for generations of drivers. The new Kosciuszko has shoulder lanes in each direction, creating a way for drivers to get around disabled vehicles. It’s also at a lower grade, making it easier for trucks to travel at a consistent speed. Yes, there are still traffi c jams on the new bridge, and they are inevitable. We expect, however, that those jams will be reduced in severity in the years to come — and especially aft er the second half of the project is completed and opened to drivers. It might even incline more truck drivers to stay on the expressways rather than use our local streets to get around a jam-packed bridge. Looking south, the new Rockaway Manhattan ferry service that opened on May 2 gives residents of southern Queens a slightly quicker way of getting to and from work each day. The only rail link between southern Queens and Manhattan is the A line, which must pass through central Brooklyn en route to Manhattan. It’s a long, arduous trip — and many south Queens advocates have called for a new subway line that would make it easier and faster to reach the heart of the city. That project would cost billions of dollars which the city doesn’t have and, from all outward appearances, the new federal government may not be willing to provide. Expanding ferry service on the city’s waterways may not be perfect, but it’s the most prudent way the city has right now to address the increasing transit needs of southern Queens residents. The Rockaway ferry has the dual benefi t of providing all New Yorkers with another way of getting to the beach this summer. Hopefully, this will mean a boost in tourism and economic activity across the peninsula. Queens has a long way to go when it comes to boosting infrastructure; much more work is needed to improve our roads and public transit system. Nevertheless, the new Kosciuszko Bridge and Rockaway Ferry are two investments that will benefi t us all for decades to come.
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