8 DECEMBER 3, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Queens electeds blast DOT offi cial over
sidewalk parking, lack of safe spaces
frustration that slow or unsatisfactory
responses from DOT have been
attributed to the pandemic when they
argued that the lack of services in
their districts predate COVID-19.
Quinn sought to defend the agency’s
record.
“We have in relation to our citywide
safety projects, we analyze the
number of projects implemented
in New York City’s highest poverty
and non-white neighborhoods based
on census track demographics and
Photo by Pamela Drew via Flickr Creative Commons
we found that not only do these
neighborhoods have received a
proportionate share of projects but
also have some of the highest drops
in pedestrian fatalities,” Quinn said.
“So while we do have more to do in
terms of reaching all corners of the
city, our data-driven approach so far
has taken us to neighborhoods all
over the city. We’re really working
to bring down our injuries and fatalities
everywhere we possibly can.”
According to Rodriguez, who
chairs the Council’s Transportation
Committee, a primary problem for
resolving issues surrounding sidewalks
is due to other agencies have
interfering interest and coordination
is easier said than done.
“I have many examples of cases at
St. Nicholas Avenue and 180th Street,
and other places, that there is limited
space for pedestrians to walk, but it’s
not that the DOT would not like to
ensure that we address the problem
there,” Rodriguez said.
BY MARK HALLUM
MHALLUM@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
City Council members vented frustrations
at a city Department of
Transportation offi cial on Monday,
Nov. 30, about how their constituents
have little space to walk in their communities
due cars parked on sidewalks,
and various safety measures that have
not yet been put in place.
Assistant Commissioner of Street
Improvement Programs at DOT
Sean Quinn got an earful from City
Council Members I. Daneek Miller,
Bob Holden, Ydanis Rodriguez and
others as they vexed about NYPD
vehicles and Open Restaurants
blocking pedestrian space.
Holden told Quinn that a new
solution is needed to preventing
cars from parking on sidewalks
and blocking crosswalks mainly by
NYPD.
“We see car parking around precincts
where police vehicles, their
own personal vehicles park on the
sidewalks, in cross walks, parking
everywhere,” Holden said. “How can
we prevent them from doing that
other than just enforcement? Can we
do improvements on these corners
especially around precincts that will
stop them from parking? They’re not
going to enforce their own laws. Obviously
we’re not seeing the enforcement
around precincts, especially
some of mine, where police vehicles
are parked everywhere, blocking
crosswalks.”
Holden also said ripples in the
asphalt of crosswalks pose a danger
to pedestrians, especially the elderly,
and are particularly difficult to resolve
with the DOT.
For Miller, his southeast Queens
district does not see the investment
other parts of the city get
with medians in crosswalks and
other safety projects, and spoke out
against DOT’s Merrick Boulevard
bus lane proposal, which he believes
is undermined by body shops which
leave vehicles on the sidewalk.
“DOT also painted the bus lanes
everywhere along this two mile
corridor, except for the locations
where the problem began… The
commonality among these hotspots,
they are body shops and on this main
thoroughfare they park in the bus
stops, they park on the street. We
have at least 100 cars that park on
this street that never move belonging
to these body shops,” Miller said.
“We’ve been having this problem for
more than a year, none of which has
been mitigated.”
Holden and Miller both expressed
News from Queensboro Unico
Queensboro Unico donated $500 to the Sacred Heart food pantry in Glendale just in time for
Thanksgiving. The food pantry services the Glendale area and local communities with needed foods,
goods and clothing. Pictured left to right are: Queensboro Unico member Anthony Ferretti; Queensboro
Unico member John Mistretta; Queensboro Unico President Gaspare Mistretta; Food pantry director Nancy
Baer; and Queensboro Unico Secretary Enrico Bellotti. Additionally, Queensboro Unico will be hosting a
virtual Holiday Season Raffl e. The drawing will be held via Zoom or a during a live dinner meeting (to be
determined) at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19. Each raffl e tickets costs $100 and can be purchased with cash,
a check, or credit card by contacting event chairman Anthony Ferretti (917-560-6017) or event co-chairs
Renato Ferraro (516-242-7634), Frank Palmeri (917-202-3831), Gaspare Mistretta (917-880-6532), Dan
Vessio (917-709-8290) and Mike Mucaria (917-681-6710). Raffl e tickets must be purchased by Jan. 15. The
fi rst prize winner will win $2,500; the second place winner will get $1,500; and the third place winner will
take home $500. Queensboro Unico is also hosting its annual Toys For Tots Drive. The organization will be
collecting toys for children in need. Anyone who wishes to donate new, unwrapped toys can drop them
off at 83-10 62nd Ave. in Middle Village.
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