4 The Courier sun • MAY 12, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com ALL OF THE CLEARVIEW EXPRESSWAY AND PART OF THE GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY WILL BE REPAVED By Robert Pozarycki rpozarycki@qns.com/@robbpoz Drivers can expect delays on the Clearview Expressway and Grand Central Parkway as early as next week, when the state Department of Transportation (DOT) begins a major repaving project on both arteries. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday the $18 million improvement to resurface the entire stretch of the Clearview Expressway between Hillside Avenue in Hollis and Willets Point Boulevard in Whitestone, along with portions of the Grand Central Parkway through Astoria, Jackson Heights and Jamaica. The resurfacing work involves stripping off the existing pavement lane by lane (a process called milling) and later replacing it with new blacktop. Crews will also make repairs to the concrete roadbeds where required. Drivers can expect lane closures and delays while work is underway, as well as a rough surface in the period between milling and paving. Every day, tens of thousands of vehicles travel on the nearly 5-mile long Clearview to and from the Throgs Neck Bridge, which also connects to both the Long Island Expressway and the Grand Central Parkway. As for the parkway, the DOT plans to resurface both sides of the roadway between 34th and 82nd streets in Astoria and Jackson Heights and only The Clearview Expressway at Northern Boulevard in Bayside. the eastbound lanes between 168th Street and the Clearview. The Grand Central Parkway in Astoria. Cuomo approved last year a $5.5 million plan resurfacing of the Grand Central’s westbound lanes between the Long Island Expressway and 111th Street, and the eastbound lanes between the Clearview and Union Turnpike. The westbound work is ongoing, while the eastbound phase will take place this summer. “With these resurfacing and preventive maintenance projects, we will help ensure these roads remain drivable and in good repair for years to come,” the governor said in a press release. Queens elected officials — including state Senator Tony Avella, Assemblyman David Weprin and Councilmen Barry Grodenchik and Paul Vallone — applauded the impending road work. “These improvements will do a great deal to improve the roadway Photo via Google Maps conditions for the driving public and are especially appreciated in light of the residual effects the past winter has taken on our roadways,” Queens Borough President Melinda Katz added. The Clearview and Grand Central resurfacing work is slated to be completed by September 2017. Cuomo’s press release did not indicate whether the work would take place during daytime or nighttime hours. QNS reached out to the governor’s office for further details and is awaiting a response. Cops and city agency crack down on illegal parking near JFK By Robert Pozarycki rpozarycki@qns.com/@robbpoz Some might call it a parking lot during rush-hour traffic, but the Nassau Expressway has become a literal stopover for taxi drivers en route to John F. Kennedy Airport. Last week, the NYPD and the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) decided to do something about it, and told the vehicles’ owners to “move along.” Officers from the 106th Precinct and the TLC Uniformed Services Bureau conducted “Operation Move Along” along the expressway between 7 and 10 a.m. on the morning of May 4. According to Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder, they encountered 24 illegally stopped vehicles on the highway leading from the Belt Parkway in Howard Beach/South Ozone Park to JFK Airport and southeastern Long Island. Nine of the vehicles were livery cabs, while the rest were privately owned vehicles, Goldfeder noted. TLC agents did not issue summonses, but rather warned the drivers not to return to the location, according to a spokesperson for the legislator. The operation was conducted after Goldfeder reached out to TLC Chair Meera Joshi in April relaying reports from constituents about illegally parked vehicles along the expressway and demanding corrective action. The 106th Precinct previously conducted similar enforcement initiatives along the expressway in the past, but the problems with parked and idling vehicles on the highway persisted. Many for-hire cab drivers find the Nassau Expressway to be a convenient place to wait for their customers to arrive at JFK. More than 49,000 vehicles use the Nassau Expressway (state route 878) each day, according to statistics from the state Department of Transportation. It is a major artery not only to JFK but also a designated coastal evacuation route, Goldfeder noted. Parking, standing or stopping on or alongside an expressway are prohibited except in the event of an emergency such as a crash or vehicle breakdown. “Every day, thousands of families depend on the 878 to get to work or school,” Goldfeder said. “Our families deserve better than to see this road turn into a parking lot for a few reckless drivers, and I’m confident ‘Operation Move Along’ will help change this for the better.” Barbara McNamara, vice president of the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic Association, praised the work of the TLC and the 106th Precinct under the direction of its commander, Captain James Fey: “The members of the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic applaud their efforts and look forward to safer commutes along the Nassau Expressway going forward.” Jamaica Hospital trustee honored for her service The United Hospital Fund’s Tribute to Hospital Trustees on May 9 honored the dedication and leadership of the volunteer leaders who govern not-for-profit hospitals. Approximately 28 distinguished trustees from hospitals throughout the metropolitan region, including New York City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and nearby New Jersey and Connecticut were recognized for their efforts. Among them was Philippa Karteron (center), who represents Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Pictured from left to right are Mounir F. Doss, executive vice president & CFO, MediSys Health Network; Bruce J. Flanz, president & CEO, MediSys Health Network; Karteron; Dr. Geoffrey K. Doughlin, chairman of the Emergency Medicine Department; and William Lynch, executive vice president & COO, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.
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