18 The Courier sun • july 16, 2015 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com Former Redbird subway car-turned-Queens Tourism Center closing BY ROBERT POZARYCKI [email protected] @robbpoz The Queens Tourism Center reached the end of the line. The Kew Gardens facility, created out of a retrofitted Redbird subway car that previously ran on the 7 line, shut its doors on the afternoon of July 10 due to lack of use. Opened in 2005, the Queens Tourism Center was built through $500,000 in funds secured by then- Borough President Helen Marshall as a way of attracting visitors from across the globe to Queens. The center operated four hours a day, five days a week. According to a source, it has drawn more than 15,000 visitors in the past five years, many of whom are Queens residents. One possible reason for the light attendance could be its location, as it is on the eastern side of Borough Hall adjacent to the Queens Criminal Court, a long block away from the entrance to the Union Turnpike subway station. “The decision” to close the center was “made recently upon review of the limited utility of the Redbird at its current site,” Queens Borough President Melinda Katz’s spokesperson said. “In the past, it has had on average 12 visitors a day, the majority of whom were not tourists but rather Queens residents on jury duty.” The Redbird was part of a fleet of R33 and R36 subway cars that first took to the tracks between 1959 and 1964. They were originally painted cream and blue for the 1964-65 World’s Fair and later in silver and blue. During the 1980s, MTA New York City Transit painted the cars red in an effort to keep them graffiti-free. Commuters and train enthusiasts started calling them “Redbirds” for the cars’ bright color. The MTA took the Redbirds permanently out of service in 2003 while modernizing its fleet. The Redbird on display in Kew Gardens is one of the last still above sea level; most of the others were sunk in the Atlantic Ocean for use as reefs to help propagate aquatic life. It was not immediately known what would come of the Kew Gardens Redbird. For now, Katz’s spokesperson said, the Redbird will remain at its present location. Photo via Wikimedia Commons The former Redbird subway car-turned-Queens tourist information center in Kew Gardens closed on July 10. ALLERGY SEASON IS HERE Do you cry from itchy, tearing, red swollen eyes, stuffy nose, and sore throat? Do you have sinus problems, shortness of breath or asthma? Adult & Pediatric Allergy & Asthma Care Specialist BETTER MEDICAL CARE, PC Warren W. Hsu, M.D. Board Certifi ed Allergist 212-15 Union Tpke • Bayside 718-217-8600 Mon-Wed-Fri-Sat • 10am-7pm FREE Parking • Nasal Congestion and Infl ammation • Sneezing • Itchy Watery Eyes • Runny or Stuffed Up Nose • Sore Throat • Low Grade Fever Most Insurance Plans Accepted No Diagnostic Co-Pay On Your First Visit Only. With This Coupon Only WINNER 3 Years in a Row Hayfever Season Pollen Season Ragweed Season American-Italian Cancer Foundation’s Mobile No-Cost Breast Cancer Screening taking place at: Queens County Savings Bank 93-22 Jamaica Avenue • Woodhaven, NY 11421 Thursday, July 23rd 9:00am - 4:30pm Eligibility Criteria for those with health insurance: Woman age 40 and older New York City Mailing Address No mammogram in the past 12 months Eligibility Criteria for those without health insurance: Woman age 50 and older New York City Mailing Address No mammogram in the past 12 months An appointment is necessary Please call 1-877-628-9090 or (718) 850-1242 is a proud partner of the Funded by a grant from NY Department of Health Cancer Services Program. Additional funding provided by the generous support of the New York City Council, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, NYS Assembly, GreaterGood.org, the RAR Foundation and individual patrons.
SC07162015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above