FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 31, 2019 • THE QUEENS COURIER 21
Queens drivers: Avoid parking in bus lanes – or else
BY MARK HALLUM
mhallum@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
If you’re driving in Queens and need to
pull over, make sure you don’t stop your
car in a bus lane.
With the launch of dedicated bus lanes
all over the city in an eff ort to cut down
on commute times for bus riders across
the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced
a new crackdown on bus lane parking
on Jan. 24, and warned that blocking the
right of way could result in heft y towing
bills.
“Th is is going to be crucial – clearing
out those lanes, making sure that the
buses can move. And it’s really clear to
all the folks out there who think about
or ever think about parking in a bus lane
– don’t do it. Don’t do it because these
good public servants are coming to get
you out of that bus lane if you’re blocking
millions of New Yorkers from being able
to get where they need to go,” de Blasio
said. “No one wants to see cars towed.
If you don’t violate the law, you’re going
to be fi ne. But we’re here to send a very
strong message: Th ere’s no parking in our
bus lanes.”
De Blasio said NYPD will now have
squads of tow trucks at their disposal
dedicated to hauling off illegally parked
cars in bus lanes with seven teams in each
of the fi ve boroughs, which could mean
there are seven to 12 tow trucks across the
city ready to remove vehicles.
Th e mayor said more New Yorkers
should use the option of public transit,
specifi cally mentioning Select Bus Service
(SBS) and NYC Ferry which is rapidly
expanding. Queens has several SBS
routes that use dedicated bus lanes, such
as along Main Street for the Q44 SBS, and
Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards
for the Q52/Q53 SBS.
“It’s within our power to get people
more and better options for getting
around,” de Blasio continued. “Th at’s
why, for example, we announced the
expansion of NYC Ferry. Th at’s why
we’re going to be fi ghting, these next
months in Albany, for a plan to actually
fund the MTA properly and get our subways
to run on time. Th e goal here is to
make sure that we speed things up and
we have better options and we can do it,
When it comes to buses clearing out the
lanes is part of what we need to do.”
NYPD Chief of Transportation Th omas
Chan was on hand to support de Blasio’s
initiative to clear bus lanes and said summonses
for moving violations in bus
lanes have increased 612 percent since
the beginning of 2019 while tows have
increased by 7 percent.
“Th is bus unit deploys daily as a complement
to our existing enforcement
deployment,” Chan said. “Beginning last
year, the NYPD began meeting frequently
with our members of the MTA bus
operations in order to develop a plan in
response to New York City’s most congested
bus routes. As a result of this
partnership, we determined specifi c bus
routes in each borough that would benefi
t most from the increased attention by
towing and also enforcement resources.”
In December, the city announced that
the rollout of bus lanes on Woodhaven
and Cross Bay Boulevard had been a success,
decreasing people’s commute times
by 9 to 10 percent, despite community
opposition to the proposal.
A ticket for parking in a bus lane can
cost up $115 and price of a tow can set a
motorist back $185, Chan said.
Cameras currently in place to monitor
bus lanes will help the city enforce this
initiative, de Blasio said.
For trucks making deliveries, Chan said
they will not be making any exceptions
but will help trucks fi nd a better location
on offl oad.
Woodhaven residents form committee to preserve historic tavern
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
As Neir’s Tavern enters its 190th celebration
this October, a new committee
has been formed to preserve and protect
the oldest tavern in Queens that has been
a fi xture in the Woodhaven community
since 1829.
Th e Neir’s 190 Committee held its fi rst
meeting Jan. 19 at Neir’s, where landmarking
designation and the recent sale
of the building was a topic of discussion
among residents.
“When you think about it our neighborhood
is very fortunate in that we have
a lot of stores that have been around for a
very long time, said Ed Wendell, executive
director of the Woodhaven Cultural
and Historical Society. “You go around
neighborhoods and you might see one,
but you’ve got a handful of stores that
have been here 80, 90, 100 years, but then
when you think of Smith’s Candy now
entering its 90th year ... you think about
the day they opened, Neir’s was already
celebrating its 100th anniversary!”
Although part of the committee’s goal
is to protect the tavern — located at the
corner of 87-48 78th St. — its formation
also begins the offi cial 10 year countdown
to the 200th anniversary celebration
of Neir’s.
Known as “Th e most famous bar you’ve
never heard of,” Neir’s Tavern has been
serving locals in the community since
1829 — over 180 years, according to its
website.
“It goes back to the very early days of the
neighborhood when there was a gigantic
racetrack that dominated the scene, when
there wasn’t really so much of a neighborhood
but a series of farms and farmhouses.
Th e whole neighborhood got built up
around this place,” said Wendell.
Aft er all of the businesses that have
failed, Neir’s has survived for 190 years,
said Wendell.
It’s never a guarantee that it’ll survive
200 years,” said Wendell. “Th e people that
joined this committee, not only believe in
the business and the history, but also a lot
of faith in the owner of the bar, Loycent.”
When Loycent Gordon heard the struggling
tavern was up for sale, he and his
partners purchased the business in 2010
and restored the interior, stripping the
paint down to the wood.
Although Gordon owns the business,
he doesn’t own the building, which has
been sold to a new owner.
“According the Department of Finance,
the building was sold for $1.35 million,
and we’re hoping to reach an agreement
with the new landlord that would ensure
Neir’s lasts for another 190 years,” said
Gordon, whose lease expired the same
day the building went up for sale.
Gordon said the creation of the Neir’s
190 Committee will help ensure the tavern’s
sustainability.
Wendell, who has attended political
events, birthday parties and wakes at the
tavern, said he’s hopeful they will come
to an agreement, since Neir’s has become
a “family-friendly” place bridging gaps
between people.
“You hear the word ‘diverse’ thrown
around a lot. You see people side by side
that you won’t normally see ... rubbing
elbows at a bar,” said Wendell. “Everyone
knows they’re welcomed there. It’s a melting
pot.”
Referencing the recent landmarking
designation of the Forest Park Carousel
and a portion of historic Richmond Hill,
Wendell said obtaining landmarking status
for Neir’s Tavern would mean permanence
and acknowledgment.
Th ree years ago, the Queens Historical
Society made an eff ort to have Neir’s
landmarked, according to Wendell.
Although it’s a diffi cult task at hand, the
committee is hoping the City Landmarks
Preservation Commission will reconsider
the application for Neir’s at some point.
“I think it would be embarrassing to
have a business closing in on 200 years,
and you’re not willing to even protect it in
anyway,” said Wendell. “Th is is the oldest
thing around dating back to the earliest
days of this community; it predates our
community. It’s not just part of our local
history, but New York history.”
Preservation of the tavern will give the
next generation an opportunity to visit
a place where they feel comfortable, said
Wendell.
“Th e next generation of people will have
to look forward, too. Landmarking creates
a link between us and future generations,”
said Wendell. “We’re telling
future generations that we cared enough
about this right here to preserve for you
to enjoy. By neglecting to landmark it,
they’re saying this is not worth saving and
for that, they’re fl at out wrong.”
Photo courtesy of Flickr user The Whistling Monkey
The exterior of Neir’s Tavern in 2016
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
The bus lane on Woodhaven Boulevard in Woodhaven
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