FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MAY 25, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 11 Mayor touts progress of Queens Blvd. makeover BY ANGELA MATUA [email protected] / @Angela Matua Mayor Bill de Blasio visited Elmhurst on May 16 to announce the third phase of the Queens Boulevard redesign that started in 2015. Community Board 6, which encompasses Rego Park and Forest Hills, voted to approve the third phase of the project that spans from Eliot Avenue to Yellowstone Boulevard. Th e plan looks similar to the already implemented redesign in Woodside and Elmhurst. Board 6 Chairperson Joseph Hennessy lost his 65-year-old friend when he was struck at Queens Boulevard and 66th Avenue. “I lost a friend on Queens Boulevard, Robert Livingston, and my hope is that now the Boulevard of Death will fi nally become the Boulevard of Life,” Henessey said in a statement. “Th is is about safety for everyone — plain and simple.” Th e Department of Transportation (DOT) will install a protected bicycle lane and pedestrian path, median extensions, stop controlled slip lanes and expanded pedestrian space along the 1.3 miles of the boulevard. Th ere are currently 592 parking spots along that stretch of Queens Boulevard, and the plan will eliminate 198 spots along the service road median. De Blasio also announced that since the redesign was implemented two and a half years ago, there have been no fatalities. Mayor Bill de Blasio outlines plans for the second phase of Queens Boulevard’s reconstruction on May 17. Just 10 years ago, 22 people had died along the boulevard. According to DOT statistics, crashes in the Phase 1 corridor have declined by 14 percent. Photos courtesy of Mayoral Photography Offi ce/Ed Reed Pedestrian injuries are down by 49 percent and cyclist injuries are down by 42 percent even though cycling increased by 120 percent. “What was once a ‘Boulevard of Death’ is no longer — as pedestrians, cyclists and motorists all have become accustomed to enjoying a more vital, welcoming and safe street,” he said. Lizi Rahman, the mother of 22-year-old Asif, who was killed on the corridor while riding his bike in 2008, also attended the press conference. She has been an advocate for a safer Queens Boulevard since her son’s death, collecting hundreds of signatures from Queens residents to persuade Community Board 4 to approve the redesign along the Elmhurst stretch. Th e board voted to approve the plan without the bicycle lanes but the mayor announced last May that he would move forward with the redesign without the board’s approval. DOT will begin making changes to the third section of the corridor in June. Th e Department of Design and Construction will work to make the changes along all of Queens Boulevard permanent by constructing wider medians and adding amenities such as trees, landscaping and benches beginning in 2018. Th e mayor has allocated $225 million for the work. “The transformation of Queens Boulevard is among the greatest achievements of the Vision Zero era,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “In just a few years, what was once a forbidding highway-like street bisecting communities has started to become a grand and welcoming boulevard worthy of Queens.” Great rates like ours are always in season. 1.60% 24-Month CD APY1 $5,000 minimum deposit 1.90% 36-Month CD APY1 $5,000 minimum deposit To qualify you must have or open any Flushing Bank Complete Checking account.2 Get the complete access and control you desire with a competitive interest rate and banking on-the-go with our Flushing Bank Mobile3 app. For more information and to find out about our other great offers, visit your local Flushing Bank branch, call 800.581.2889 or visit www.FlushingBank.com. Small enough to know you. Large enough to help you. 1. New money only. APY effective April 10, 2017. Annual percentage yield assumes principal and interest remain on deposit for a full year at current rate. Minimum deposit balance of $5,000 is required. Funds cannot be transferred from an existing Flushing Bank account. Premature withdrawals may be subject to bank and IRS penalties. Rates and offer are subject to change without notice. 2. A Flushing Bank checking account with a $5,000 minimum balance is required to receive the advertised rate. Certain fees, minimum balance requirements and restrictions may apply. For new IRA and rollover accounts, the minimum deposit balance is $5,000. A checking account is not required for IRA accounts. Speak with a Flushing Bank representative for more details. 3. Flushing Bank Mobile Banking is available to all Flushing Bank online banking users. Mobile carrier fees may apply. Flushing Bank is a registered trademark
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