14 THE QUEENS COURIER • APRIL 12, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Rockaway train
line study gets
delayed again
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
rpozarycki@qns.com / @robbpoz
For once, an MTA delay may
mean good news for Queens
commuters, according to
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheff er
Amato.
Th e Rockaway Beach-based lawmaker
announced on Tuesday that
the MTA has delayed releasing the
results of its Rockaway Beach Rail
Line reactivation study. Th e examination
focuses on the abandoned,
3.2-mile Rockaway Beach branch
of the Long Island Rail Road —
which hasn’t been active in more
than 50 years — between Rego
Park and Ozone Park.
Amato, however, viewed the
delay as a positive development.
She explained that the MTA
informed her it needed extra time
“to allow a full and thorough
examination” of the potential for
reactivating the line for passenger
rail service.
Commuters in southern Queens
have long viewed the dormant
line as an opportunity to expand
either the LIRR or subway system
— and reduce commute times to
and from Manhattan by at least a
half-hour. Others, however, have
viewed the line — reforested naturally
during its half-century of
dormancy — as the opportunity to
build a new public park similar to
Th e High Line in Manhattan.
Amato’s predecessor in the
Assembly seat she now occupies,
former Assemblyman Phil
Goldfeder, secured funding to
launch the Rockaway Beach reactivation
study prior to his departure.
Since taking offi ce, she has continued
to push the MTA to move the
study along and expand its scope.
In response to a letter she
recently sent to MTA Chairman
Joe Lhota, Amato said, MTA representatives
informed her that the
fi ndings of the reactivation study
wouldn’t be ready until this summer.
“Am I surprised that the MTA
has yet to release the results of
the evaluation? No. Am I disappointed?
We all are,” she said in
an April 11 statement. “However,
I think that a delayed study could
mean good news. Th e MTA, the
LIRR and NYCT (New York City
Transit) are getting the message
from our continued advocacy and
outpouring of demand from the
community — and, at long last,
they’re giving the RBRL a serious
look, even if it’s taking a year longer
than originally expected.”
Th e Courier reached out to the
MTA, which declined to comment
at this time.
DOT presents safety changes to Lindenwood Triangle
BY RYAN KELLEY
rkelley@qns.com
Twitter @R_Kelley6
Th e Lindenwood Triangle in Howard
Beach may soon be getting the safety
upgrades that local residents have spent
years lobbying for aft er the Department of
Transportation (DOT) recently presented
its plans for the intersection to local representatives.
Th e DOT held a stakeholders’ meeting
on April 5 and explained that it plans
to turn the dangerous triangle into a mini
roundabout to reduce speeding and shorten
pedestrian crossings. According to
Joann Ariola, president of the Howard
Beach Lindenwood Civic Association, the
project is at least six years in the making
and she was very impressed with the
DOT’s plan.
“Every suggestion we gave was utilized,”
Ariola said. “Th ey really took the community
into account when planning this, and
everyone agreed and applauded what DOT
designed.”
As presently designed, the three-way
intersection has soft turns that allow drivers
to speed through. Combine that with a
single crosswalk in the intersection that is
90 feet long and it’s only a matter of time
until a pedestrian gets struck, Ariola said.
In fact, she noted, there have been multiple
accidents at the intersection and it is
the street most utilized by children heading
to P.S. 232. Th e DOT put up new signage
in the past to see if it would help drivers
be more cautious, but Ariola said the signs
would get run down on a weekly basis.
“We would rather it be the signs than a
pedestrian, but we knew that was coming
next,” Ariola said.
Th e plan to add a mini roundabout to
the middle of the intersection would calm
traffi c on all approaches to the intersection,
reduce speeding by narrowing the
travel lanes with painted parking lanes and
fl ush medians and create crosswalks on all
three sides of the intersection that are no
more than 38 feet long, according to the
presentation.
Th ere will also be painted “refuge
islands,” curb extensions, yield signs and
pedestrian warning signs installed at all
entrances to the roundabout, and there will
only be a net loss of two parking spaces.
Th e best part about the design, Ariola
said, is that the DOT plans to install it as
a pilot program for the fi rst six months. In
other words, the initial design will be subject
to changes based on observations of
what’s working and what’s not.
Once some adjustments are made if necessary,
Borough President Melinda Katz
and Councilman Eric Ulrich will put up
the funding to make the changes permanent,
Ariola said.
Community Board 10 has already unanimously
voted in favor of sending a letter
Photo via Google Maps
of approval for the project, but Ariola said
the presentation will be given at a Howard
Beach Lindenwood Civic meeting as soon
as DOT representatives can schedule a
visit. Th e next step in the process for the
DOT is deciding what material to use for
the circle at the center of the roundabout,
Ariola said.
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheff er Amato,
whom Ariola said joined in the fi ght to
make the intersection safer as soon as
she took offi ce, was also pleased with the
DOT’s plan, she said.
“Th e proposed changes coming to the
Lindenwood Triangle are well overdue and
will go a long way in improving safety and
quality of life for everyone,” said Pheff er
Amato in a statement. “I was impressed
by DOT’s innovative ideas and would like
to thank everyone involved for their hard
work and dedication in working to make
this a reality!”
According to Ariola, the DOT has said
the pilot project can be completed in
September 2018 before school starts.
Report points out certain Queens neighborhoods as
‘food swamps’ for having unhealthy meal options
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com / @QNS
Th ree Queens neighborhoods are being
called “food swamps” because they’re
rife with places selling unhealthy food
sources, according to a report released on
Wednesday.
Public Health Solutions, the largest public
health nonprofi t serving New York
City, found that the large volume of food
swamps in the borough resulted from the
number of unhealthy food outlets outnumbering
healthy alternatives. Th is
means certain communities have limited
access to healthy food choices, particularly
in Jackson Heights, Corona and Jamaica.
Th e report found that while there is no
shortage of food options in these neighborhoods,
with food swamps on the rise in
Queens, it exemplifi es the persistent health
disparities that plague underserved communities
throughout the city. Th e lack of
healthy options can impede their ability to
achieve optimal health.
“Th is report uncovers a major gap in
access to healthy food across three Queens
neighborhoods, shedding light on a prevalent,
yet unexplored issue,” said Lisa David,
president and CEO of Public Health
Solutions. “When we think about the avenues
for achieving health and wellness,
we don’t oft en take into consideration the
health disparities that are built into the
geographic areas in which we live. We take
for granted that healthy food options —
even those as basic as supermarkets — are
available and accessible, but this isn’t the
reality for many New Yorkers.”
Th e report also found that these neighborhoods
had only one supermarket for
every fi ve fast-food restaurants and six corner
stores. Access to healthy food is key
to supporting healthy, thriving communities,
and the report suggests that a possible
solution could be collaborating with
corner stores and other food vendors to
increase their off erings of fresh produce.
Outside of food swamps, the report
found that in Jackson Heights, Corona and
Jamaica, there is a high volume of vacant
lots and beauty salons in each neighborhood.
While vacant lots are associated
with high crime, the report highlights their
potential to better the community, such as
when they are transformed into community
gardens.
Beauty salons and other personal care
storefronts can also contribute to building
a healthy community by distributing
health information and raising awareness
about public health resources.
Th e report overall refl ects a project
designed by Public Health Solutions,
which is developing a stronger understanding
of existing health-related services
available in select Queens communities.
Th ey are also determining what additional
support is needed for borough residents.
“Laying the ground work for thriving
and healthy communities across New York
City requires a multi-pronged approach:
fi rst, identifying and bringing awareness
to local issues, and second, working with
communities to develop impactful solutions,”
said Sabrina Baronberg, senior
director of food and nutrition programs
at Public Health Solutions. “Th is report
provides a key resource for understanding
what additional public health support
is needed for residents in Jackson Heights,
Corona and Jamaica, and outlines ways in
which we can engage with local businesses
to improve health outcomes.”
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