WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES DECEMBER 26, 2019 17
LETTERS AND COMMENTS
DRIVE SAFELY
DURING THE
HOLIDAYS
The holidays are here and it is time
to drive with caution this time of the
year where more accidents have been
reported.
Cambridge Mobile Telematics,
which offers an app to motorists to
track their road habits, says 50 percent
of New York drivers are reported to
be speeding while on their cell phones
as they drive and more so during the
holidays. According to the NYPD, this
has added to the number of accidents
due to driver distractions. This I fi nd
sad, troubling and dangerous.
The other day while driving home,
a woman in front of me all of a sudden
changed lanes without signaling as she
was on her cell phone. Meanwhile, this
young woman had two kids in the car
and had what appeared to be Christmas
presents and a dog in the vehicle.
What could this woman be thinking?
Was this phone call so important that
she was willing to risk everyone’s life?
Now, I’m a senior citizen and fully
realize the dangers on the road while
driving. When my cell phone rings and
I’m driving, I reach a spot where I can
pull over and stop and respond to that
call. I wish more people would do the
same.
Additionally, I remember a few
years ago on a rainy night when a
woman was speeding down my block to
reach a green light and ended up killing
an elderly man and his dog. That was
very sad.
So please, this holiday season,
remember to use caution because doing
so may save lives.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Glen Oaks Village
SNAPS
RICHMOND HILL REAL ESTATE
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OP-ED
Investing in transportation
is a no-brainer
BY STACEY PHEFFER AMATO
AND PHIL GOLDFEDER
Last month, the MTA released the
long-awaited Rockaway Beach Branch
reactivation study and the conclusions
confirmed what we have known all
along; it will benefi t overall ridership
and all Queens families.
To put it plainly, restoring service on
this right-of-way would cut commutes
substantially between South Queens and
Manhattan, improve mobility within our
borough, and promote economic growth
for the borough and the entire city.
The results of the study demonstrate
that this project is not only possible, but
completely necessary.
We’ve been informed that the Queens
Chamber of Commerce strangely supports
a proposal that would create a public
park on the deactivated right-of-way
and ignore the transit needs of the entire
borough. While we appreciate the benefi
ts of public space, we are completely
opposed to a park proposal that ignores
the needs of Queens residents and are
outraged that the Queens Chamber of
Commerce would choose to support the
creation of a park- with no transit options
over economic development.
The few local residents and outside
interest groups that are advocating for
a park already enjoy signifi cant access
to public parkland not to mention expansive
transit options and commutes
of 30 minutes or less to midtown Manhattan.
There is absolutely no reason why
the residents of Southern Queens and
Rockaway shouldn’t be aff orded that
same opportunity.
The utilization of this abandoned
right-of-way would open opportunity
for thousands of local businesses and
would promote access to jobs for all
of Queens- all of which the Chamber
should be promoting and facilitating;
not publicly denouncing.
Even more ironic, there was once a
time when the Queens Chamber of Commerce
was on the right side of this issue.
In a 1971 NY Times article, the incoming
Queens Chamber President actually
proposed an extension of transit service
into Rockaway, he further went on to
advocate for transportation in the borough
saying: “Over two million people
live here but we can’t get the right time
on transportation. Queens has always
been treated as a stepchild but we’re
not going to be treated as second‐class
citizens any more.” It seems the chamber
has lost their way.
Our community has seen a major
construction boom and resurgence
post Sandy. We’ve seen growth fi rsthand
with the expansion of the hugely
successful Resorts World Casino, the
revitalization of JFK, the investment in
Downtown Far Rockaway and Edgemere
Commons which will create over 5,000
units of housing. The renaissance of
the Rockaway Peninsula has created a
world-class destination for everyone to
enjoy, and the overall growing population
demonstrates that the restoration
of this rail line is needed now more than
ever.
We both believe that southern Queens,
Rockaway and the entire borough would
be better served if this forgotten track
once again fulfi lled its original purpose
as a much-needed transit option. We
urge the Queens Chamber of Commerce
to reconsider their misguided stance on
the project. The time to improve transportation
in our community is now and
we will continue to move forward- all
aboard!
Stacey Pheff er Amato, Member of
Assembly 23rd District
Phil Goldfeder, Former Member of
Assembly 23rd District
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views expressed in all letters and comments are not necessarily those of
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