18 OCTOBER 18, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Street co-named after beloved Woodhaven civic leader Maria Thomson
BY EMMA MILLER
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM / @QNS
The intersection of Jamaica
Avenue and Forest Parkway in
Woodhaven has been co-named
Maria Thomson Way aft er the late
civic activist and business leader.
Community members and family
members gathered for the naming on
Wednesday morning, Oct. 11.
“Maria Thomson was the embodiment
of community service and was
the staunchest advocate for Woodhaven.
Those of us who have been fortunate
enough to work with Maria know
that she has a heart of gold. Maria
dedicated decades of her life to the
betterment of the community — and
the borough of Queens,” said Councilman
Eric Ulrich, who was present at
the co-naming.
Thomson served Woodhaven residents
in a variety of ways for more
than 40 years. She was the president of
the 102nd Precinct Community Council
for fi ve terms. An avid supporter
of the NYPD, she was also the only
person to be named 102nd Precinct
Honorary Police Offi cer of the Month.
Thomson also served as president
of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block
Association, where she prevented a bar
where two murders took place from
reopening. She was the founder of the
Woodhaven Residents’ Security Patrol
and a member of Community Board 9,
where she advocated for better bus
routes and stops. As a board member,
Thomson helped restore the left -turn
lane on Jamaica Avenue for buses and
opposed bus stops on the medians.
As executive director of the Greater
Woodhaven Development Corporation,
she planned various eff orts to
boost business along Jamaica Avenue,
including hosting the Wonderful
Woodhaven Street Festival and the
creation of the Woodhaven Business
Improvement District.
Thomson was also an advocate
throughout the borough. Because of
her activism, the Forest Park Carousel
became a city landmark, Fire Engine
Company 294 reopened, Fire Engine
Company 293 was saved from closure
and the Jamaica Avenue elevated train
was repaired and repainted.
Thomson died on Jan. 10 of this year
aft er suff ering a stroke. In a statement
on Facebook aft er her death, Ulrich
said, “She was a legend and someone
who truly cared. Maria had a heart of
gold and dedicated decades of her life
to the betterment of her neighborhood
and borough.”
“Every time someone walks past
Maria Thomson Way, they will be reminded
of her legacy, which will live
on forever,” said Ulrich.
Photo courtesy of Councilman Eric Ulrich’s offi ce
Brighter lights with a retro look on Woodhaven’s Jamaica Ave.
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMED@CNGLOCAL.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
Things are about to get much
brighter along Jamaica Avenue
in Woodhaven.
Councilman Eric Ulrich was joined
on Oct. 12 by the city Department
of Transportation and community
leaders to announce the installation
of new pedestrian lighting along the
thoroughfare between 91st Street and
Woodhaven Boulevard.
As part of the first phase of the
project, the new LED “World’s Fair”
pedestrian lights are now complete at
nearly a dozen locations on the strip,
DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg
said at the Oct. 12 press conference outside
of Avenue Diner, located at 91-06
Jamaica Ave.
“Around the city, we have heard
from small businesses and New Yorkers
near elevated trains, and they feel
safer and more secure when streets
and sidewalks down below are more
brightly lit,” said Trottenberg. “This
new lighting will not only improve
quality of life for commuters and
shoppers along Jamaica Avenue, these
new energy-effi cient LED treatments
provide a sustainably lit and safer
retail and community environment.”
The poles for the newly installed
World’s Fair pedestrian lights are in
the style of lampposts fi rst introduced
in the borough in 1964 during the
Councilman Eric Ulrich and city Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg celebrate the new streetlamps
on Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven.
World’s Fair, held in Flushing Meadows
Corona Park.
Lighting under elevated tracks is
uniquely challenging because the support
columns create shadows and the elevated
structure limits the height of the
streetlight poles. Both of these conditions
make it a challenge to light both the sidewalks
and the street, according to Ulrich.
“The newly installed World’s Fair
pedestrian lights will not only make
our streets safer, they will also add
a unique aesthetic vibe to one of the
busiest commercial corridors in
Queens — all at a minimal impact to
our environment,” he said.
Photo courtesy of the offi ce of Councilman Eric Ulrich
The $1.4 million project was funded
in capital contributions from Ulrich
and Borough President Melinda Katz
for the DOT to install the new poles
with LED luminaries to provide better
lighting for both the street and
sidewalk.
According to the DOT, the implementation
of LED lighting along the
corridor will continue in phases
throughout the fall.
The lights are meant to enhance visibility,
boost the look of the streetscape,
save energy costs and help the city
reduce its overall carbon footprint by
more than 30 percent by the year 2030.
While the DOT is installing new
lights from Forest Parkway to 109th
Street, it will continue to work with
elected officials to expand the distinctive
lighting to other parts of the
corridor.
“It is a special treat to bring elements
of the 1964 World’s Fair — a part of
Queens’ rich history — to the streets
of Woodhaven,” said Katz. “Thanks to
the partnership with DOT and Council
member Ulrich, the new sustainable
lighting along Jamaica Avenue in
Woodhaven will enhance the streetscape
for residents, businesses and
visitors alike.”
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