TIMES, THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2014 • 18 NO PRUNING WOES IN QNS. Comptroller’s Audit Finds Efficiency by Noah Zuss A report by the city comptroller has found mismanagement and wasted resources with the Parks Department’s tree pruning program in every borough except Queens, it was announced Sunday, Aug. 17. by Robert Pozarycki Police released last Thursday, Aug. 14, a security video of the suspect who fatally slashed a Woodside man during an apparent dispute at a Corona intersection earlier this month. TRANSIT NEWS and Updates Metropolitan Transportation Authority For service between Queens and Manhattan, transfer to the 7 train at either Queensboro Plaza or Times Square-42nd Street. Weekend Local Svc. For E & F In Queens E trains will operate local service in both directions between Queens Plaza and 71st-Continental Avenues, and all F trains will run local in both directions between 21st Street- Queensbridge and 71st-Continental Avenues, this weekend, from 12:30 am. Saturday, Aug. 23, until 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 25. Riders are advised to allow for additional travel time. Weekend R Trains Will Skip Qns. Plaza R trains will skip the Fifth Avenue-59th Street, Lexington Avenue-59th Street and Queens Plaza stations in both directions all this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 23 and 24. During this period, R trains will run on the F line between 57th Street- Seventh Avenue in Manhattan and 36th Street in Queens, making stops at the Lexington Avenue-63rd Street, Roosevelt Avenue and 21st Street- Queensbridge stations. For service to Queens Plaza, transfer to the E train, which will make all local stops, at either Roosevelt Avenue or Times Square- 42nd Street/Port Authority. The information in this column is current as of Wednesday, Aug. 20. Last minute changes to service and operating schedules may be made at any time after publication. Check www.mta.info for schedule changes. 7 Trains Skip Stops To Flu. Thu. & Fri. Flushing-bound 7 trains will skip the 33rd Street, 40th Street, 46th Street, 52nd Street and 69th Street stations on Thursday, Aug. 21, and Friday, Aug. 22, from 10:15 a.m. until 3 p.m. These trains will continue to stop at Woodside-61st Street. For service to the skipped stops, take the 7 train to Woodside-61st Street or 74th Street, then transfer to a Manhattan-bound 7 train. For service from these stations, take the 7 train to Woodside-61st Street or Queensboro Plaza, then transfer to a Flushingbound 7 train. N Trains Won’t Cross River This Weekend N train service will be suspended between Lexington Avenue-59th Street and Times Square-42nd Street this weekend, from 11:45 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, until 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 25. During this period, N trains will run in two sections: between Queensboro Plaza and Ditmars Boulevard and between Lexington Avenue-59th Street and Stillwell Avenue. Wanted For Robbery TRAFFIC NEWS and Updates New York City Department Of Transportation Because of ongoing construction work at several locations throughout Queens and Brooklyn, the city DOT has announced numerous street closures in local neighborhoods for the upcoming week. The announced diversions are current as of Wednesday, Aug. 13, and weather permitting. The DOT may shut down other roads should the need for emergency repairs arise. Streets and highways that are affected by closures during this week include the following: Grand St. Bridge Closed Saturdays The Grand Street Bridge over the Newtown Creek will be closed for repairs the next two Saturdays, Aug. 23 and Aug. 30, from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. The closure is required for DOT crews to fix deck gratings and sidewalks. Drivers are advised to use Metropolitan and Flushing avenues as alternate routes. Street Milling In Howard Beach Weather permitting, DOT crews will conduct milling along the following roadways in Howard Beach: • 91st Street between 156th and 161st avenues on Thursday, Aug. 21; • 92nd Street between 163rd and 165th avenues on Friday, Aug. 22; • 157th Avenue between 79th and 84th streets on Thursday, Aug. 21; and • 158th Avenue between 79th and 84th streets on Friday, Aug. 22. Parking is prohibited on these streets during work hours; all vehicles found parked will be towed away at the owner’s expense. Lane Closures On Van Wyck Expwy. One of three lanes in each direction of the Van Wyck Expressway between Jewel Avenue and Union Turnpike may be closed on Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. due to construction work related to the Kew Gardens rehabilitation project. Additionally, up to two lanes in either direction of the expressway in the same section may be closed on overnights from 1 to 5 a.m. Kew Gdns. Project Affects Union Tpke. Long-term construction related to the state Department of Transportation’s Kew Gardens Interchange project will require the right lane of Union Turnpike eastbound to be closed at all times between 128th and 134th streets. All existing traffic lanes will remain open and are shifted to the left. Lane Closures On Grand Central Pkwy. One lane of the Grand Central Parkway in each direction will be closed between 82nd and 111th streets on weekdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. on weekdays. Lane closures will also take place from 10 p.m. Fridays to 7 a.m. -SEE TRAFFIC ON PG. 52- It was also noted that R train service will be extended to the Jamaica-179th Street F train station all this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Late Night E & F Skips Van Wyck Jamaica Center-bound E trains and Jamaica-bound F trains will skip the Van Wyck Boulevard station late nights, Monday through Friday, from 11:45 p.m. to 5 a.m., beginning this Monday, Aug. 25 and continuing through Friday, Sept. 12. During this period, Jamaica-bound F trains will also skip the Sutphin Boulevard station. For service to the skipped stations, take the E train to Jamaica-Van Wyck or the F train to Parsons Boulevard, then transfer to a Manhattan-bound E or F train. For service from these stations, take the E or F train to Union Turnpike, then transfer to a Jamaica Center-bound E train or a Jamaicabound F train. Overnight Local Svc. On F Line Manhattan-bound F trains will make all local stops between Roosevelt Island and 21st Street- Queensbridge on Wednesday, Aug. 20, through Friday, Aug. 22, from 12:01 until 5 a.m. Riders are advised to allow for additional travel time. Station Renewal Comes To A Line The Ozone Park/Far Rockawaybound platform at the 88th Street station and the Ozone Park-bound platform at the 104th Street station on the A line remain shut through -SEE TRANSIT ON PG. 52- Police are looking for the bat-wielding man pictured at right who robbed a woman inside a Rego Park apartment building last Monday, Aug. 11. According to police, the perpetrator confronted the victim inside a Saunders Street location at about 5:45 a.m. last Monday. Reportedly, the crook removed the victim’s wallet and cell phone, then fled from the scene. The incident was reported to the 112th Precinct. Anyone with information regarding the robbery 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. The agency is responsible for maintaining approximately 650,000 street trees citywide, Stringer stated. Each borough has an office that oversees the pruning and maintenance of trees. Inadequate pruning and tree maintenance can increase the possibility of injury and property damage from loose branches, Stringer said. Based on the review of operations In the report Scott Stringer claims that the Parks Department’s Recreation and Forestry Service, which is responsible for all street tree maintenance provided inaccurate lists of trees in need of pruning, gave scant evidence that required postpruning inspections were completed and had inadequate controls to prevent payments for ineligible trees in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx, it was noted. Law enforcement sources said the incident occurred at 2:13 a.m. on Aug. 3 at the corner of 97th Street and Northern Boulevard. As previously reported in the Times Newsweekly, the unidentified suspect (shown at right) got into an argument with Fabian Carreno, 30, of Roosevelt Avenue as the two passed each other on the sidewalk. Moments later, authorities stated, the suspect pulled out a knife and began slashing Carreno about the -SEE PRUNING ON PG. 52- Slashing Suspect Sought In Corona Murdered Woodside Man In Street Beef -SEE SLASHING ON PG. 28-
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