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8 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 1, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM LGA AirTrain coalition calls on Waze for traffi c data BY MAX PARROTT mparrott@schnepsmedia.com @QNS More than a month aft er the Federal Aviation Administration held its public Courtesy of Gov. Cuomo’s offi ce Image of the proposed AirTrain to LaGuardia. forums on its plan to construct an AirTrain system to LaGuardia Airport, a letter sent out by the Better Way to LGA Coalition shows that the plan’s proponents are still hungry for data. At this point, they’re not looking for more community input. Th ey’re looking to a new, more high-tech source of information: apps. Th e coalition, an alliance of economic development groups, transportation advocates and unionized labor, recently sent out a letter to Waze, the GPS navigation soft ware app, asking them to share data the app collects that could help the coalition study traffi c patterns to and from LaGuardia. Th ough the letter asked the tech company to collaborate, it also openly criticized them. “Waze and similar apps help users fi nd the quickest routes to their destinations, oft en utilizing local roads in order to bypass major highways. But, in shaving off a few minutes of travel time, these apps are pushing traffi c into residential neighborhoods which has a negative impact on our local communities,” wrote the coalition members. Th e letter’s point about the dissipating eff ect of navigation apps, suggests the coalition is concerned that they’re underestimating the overall eff ects of traffi c congestion along the Grand Central Parkway leading into the airport. Tom Grech, president of the Queens Chamber of Commerce and co-chairman of the coalition, played down the responsibility of apps like Waze, emphasizing they are a symptom of the bigger problem that he hopes the AirTrain to fi x. “Th e big issue is not necessarily just Waze. At the end of the day, there’s been congestion for a very long time in this borough especially around the airport — folks trying to get from Manhattan to LaGuardia. As a chair of the AirTrain Coalition, we are pushing strong to have this rail link put in,” Grech said. Th e coalition is not alone in their concern over navigation apps. Peter Beadle, a member of Transportation Alternatives and cycling advocate, said that he’s seen a rise in traffi c diverted onto streets that previously were quieter, safer alternative routes for bikers. Despite his concern over the eff ects of the app, Beadle said that he thought the data is key in designing transit alternatives that would work to combat the growing traffi c congestion in the area. “Waze doesn’t care how you design your streets; it’s not a player in that fi ght. All it’s doing is providing routing options,” said Beadle. “In that sense, it’s really at this uninterested third party when it comes to street design, but it’s collecting all this data that will show us how our street design causes congestion.” Waze responded that it shares the coalition’s goal of reducing congestion and suggested that it is open to partnering city agencies, which it did earlier this year with the MTA and Port Authority to help improve tunnel navigation for cars. “We are entirely committed to partnering with cities and transit authorities to solve shared transportation challenges,” wrote a spokesperson. “We’re dedicated to eliminating traffi c and have been working with the Port Authority and MTA Bridges and Tunnels through our Waze for Cities Program for several years now.” Grech said that he expects the preliminary results of the environmental study on the AirTrain project to be released by the end of the year. Queens neighborhoods to get protected bike lanes as city cycling deaths rise BY BILL PARRY bparry@schnepsmedia.com @QNS Th ose neighborhoods will get miles of bike infrastructure by 2022 as part of the city’s emergency response to the rise of cycling fatalities in 2019. Th e carnage has claimed the lives of 17 cyclists in the fi ve boroughs aft er 10 were killed last year, which the mayor called a “crisis” and an emergency. “When we came into offi ce, we promised New Yorkers we’d do everything we could to end traffi c fatalities,” de Blasio said. “No loss of life on our streets is acceptable. With a dangerous surge in cyclist fatalities, we have to keep pushing the envelope and increasing our eff orts. Th at’s what this plan is about. It’s a continuation of our promise. Th is time, specifi cally to bikers. We are here to protect you and we take that job seriously. We will not stop until we have fi nally reached Vision Zero.” Th e 17 cyclist fatalities so far this year represents the highest number through July of any year since the launch of Vision Zero in 2014. Th e poor performance of public transit has lead many to take to cycling to the point where nearly a half million bike rides take place in the fi ve borough up from 180,000 bike rides a day in 2006. “We have assembled a long and aggressive to-do list that we think that can change this year’s tragic increase in cyclist fatalities, and encourage even more New Yorkers to get on bicycles” DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenburg said. In Queens, the DOT will improve on-street connections to the Queensboro Bridge, extend the protected bike lane at Beach 94th Street in Rockaway, and fi nish the fi nal phase of the Queens Boulevard project, although once again the mayor would not say when. “Cyclists are increasingly using our city’s streets and deserve the same focus on safety from Vision Zero as other road users,” Assemblyman David Weprin said. “Th e mayor’s Green Wave plan focusing on street design, enforcement, and policy is necessary to tackle the recent increases in cyclist fatalities.” Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer called the bike safety plan a good blueprint for the future. “Th is is a state of emergency,” he said. “We cannot wait for more lives to be lost and families shattered. We must continue redesigning our roads to improve the safety of cyclists and prevent more senseless tragedies.” A founding member of the Jackson Heights-based Make Queens Safer, which is committed to change the culture of indiff erence to a culture of awareness and action around the safety of “vulnerable road users” including seniors, children and cyclists said the Green Wave plan sends a clear message. “Our leaders are ready and prepared to make NYC a world class model of streets for people,” Make Queens Safer co-founder Cristina Furlong said. “Paired with the vigorous expansion of protected bike lanes, and funding to maintain them, access and equity fi nally will reach our most vulnerable road users. Whether it the $58 million the mayor is spending or the $50 the average speed violator pays, every cent is worth it compared to the price victims of traffi c violence pay due to politics, delays and callous community banter. Th e data is clear and must be followed. Every traffi c death that is preventable must be prevented.” Courtesy of the Mayor’s offi ce Following a surge in cyclist fatalities, Mayor Bill de Blasio announces a new bike safety plan which includes several neighborhoods in Queens. $99 $99 $99 DESIGNER FRAMES PLUS FREE 2ND PAIR Frames & Lenses Offer ends 8/31/19 ��brand clear sphericalLenses/*Contact lens fitting additional. Not valid for Toric lenses. Not valid with Some restrictions apply, see store for details. Offer ends 8/31/19 Select frames with clear plastic, single vision lensas vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. see store for details Offer ends 8/31/19 SUMMER SALES With the purchase of glasses, contact lens e l. 2 Boxes of Lenses Encore Premium Brand $100 OFF * $200 minimum purchase on first pair of designer frames. Second pair frame from select group with vision plans or packages. Offer ends 8/31/19 /WWW.QNS.COM link link link link