WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES OCTOBER 3, 2019 13
EVERYONE MUST
FOLLOW
THE RULES OF THE
ROAD
As our city streets are becoming
more congested with bikers, motorists
and pedestrians, the one commonality
among all three groups
is that nobody seems to observe
traffic rules and regulations.
A “stop” sign means to come to
a full stop before the crosswalk —
not halfway through it — and many
motorists do not make a full stop
anymore. They just slow down and
roll right through the intersection.
When pedestrians have the “walk”
sign, motorists who are turning into
those intersections are supposed to
yield the right of way.
Also, bicyclists often do not observe
full stop signs or red traffic
signals anywhere — they just pedal
right through, ignoring the red
lights and stop signs. There have
been several pedestrians seriously
injured and killed by reckless bicyclists
because of their abhorrent
behavior.
Many pedestrians are constantly
jaywalking all over the city, creating
traffic nightmares for motorists.
And many people — whether walking,
biking or driving — also are on
their phones, constantly texting
and not even paying the least bit of
attention to their surroundings.
Folks, let’s get with the program
and be more observant of the traffic
rules and regulations which are in
effect for the benefit and safety of
everyone, and stop using your mobile
devices while driving, walking
or biking.
John Amato, Fresh Meadows
CHECK OUT THIS
LIBRARY PLAN!
Former New York City Councilwoman
Elizabeth Crowley urged
“Queens Library Equity” in a N.Y.
Daily News op-ed piece (09/23).
Citing $200 million in unfunded
capital needs for Queens 66 library
branches, she called for “sanity in
how we allocate resources throughout
local branches of the Queens
Public Library system.”
But more sanity would result from
consolidating NYC’s three separate
public library branches — one for
Queens, another for Brooklyn and
one for Manhattan, the Bronx and
Staten Island — into a single centralized
system.
A fragmented structure wastes
money on separate computer, inventory,
book buying and & administration
operations. It stems from a
time before the five boroughs were
consolidated into one municipal
government in 1898.
But 121 years is far too long for
three systems to endure. Centralization
will lower costs and increase
funds for all local library branches.
That’s something NYC leaders
should “check out.”
Richard Reif, Kew Gardens
Hills
HERE’S WHY LIRR
SERVICE ON OLD
ROCKAWAY BEACH
BRANCH WILL NOT
BE RESTORED
Any hope for restoration of service
on the old Rockaway Beach
Long Island Rail Road branch has
reached the end of the line.
There is no additional funding in
the MTA $51 billion 2020 - 2024 Five
Year Capital Plan to proceed beyond
the feasibility study.
The original completion date
for the Rockaway Beach LIRR
restoration study was June 2017.
It was subsequently delayed until
December 2017 and again to June
2018. Another year has come and
gone with no draft and final reports
ever having been made public.
The MTA never committed to a
new schedule and release date of the
study. No wonder they stonewalled
release of the study. The results
probably concluded that both feasibility
and costs had been found to
be prohibitive.
The estimated costs previously
grew from $600 million to a $1 billion
over recent years. This may
explain why no further funding has
been allocated toward this project.
You would have to file a FOIA
(Freedom of Information Act) request
with the MTA to obtain a copy
of the study. So much for honest
open transparency in state government
that was promised by Gov.
Cuomo under his administration
for all state agencies and authorities
including the MTA.
The only winners from this study
will be the well paid consultants.
They will move on to the next transit
planners dream, leaving Rockaway
residents once again holding an
empty bag.
It appears that elected officials
who supported this project such as
Congress member Gregory Meeks,
Borough President Melinda Katz,
State Senators Joseph Adabbo and
James Sanders, Jr., State Assembly
member Stacey Pheffer Amato and
NYC Council members I. Daneek
Miller and Eric Ulrich, have no
clout with Gov. Cuomo, MTA Management,
MTA Board Members and
the Albany MTA Capital Program
Review Board.
They all talked the talk, but could
not walk the walk, coming away
empty handed with no additional
funding to advance the project.
R.I.P. Rest In Peace Restoration
of LIRR service on the old Rockway
Beach branch.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
LETTERS AND COMMENTS
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