20 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 2, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Locals leaders call for ‘minor changes’ to controversial Bayside bike lane
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
editorial@qns.com / @QNS
Th ough they still back a proposed alternative
plan, some area leaders want the
city to tweak the existing Bayside and
Douglaston bike lanes in ways that they
say will make the route safer for all.
On July 26, state Senator Tony Avella
and Community Board 11 members
held a press conference at the site of
the city’s bike lane project on Northern
Boulevard and Douglaston Parkway. Th e
group is petitioning the Department of
Transportation (DOT) to end the lanes
an estimated 50 feet from Douglaston
Parkway, repositioning the bollards in
that area and merging the bike lanes at
that point, where cyclists would then ride
onto the sidewalk.
Community Board 11 member Bernie
Haber, a retired engineer, designed a rendering
of the envisioned change.
Th e alteration would improve safety for
bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists, the
group argued. Cars turning right from
Douglaston Parkway would be prevented
from making wide turns into oncoming
traffi c on Northern Boulevard, they
said, and no longer have a venue to drive
into the bike lane — which onlookers
saw happen once during the press conference.
“At the present time, if you stand
here and watch the traffi c build up on
Douglaston Parkway right next to the
curb, you will see cars making the right
turn and swinging out into the second
lane,” Haber said. “Th at’s very dangerous,
because on the other side of the
intersection, there are people making
left turns, and they come together. It’s a
very dangerous situation.”
Board 11 District Manager Joseph
Marziliano said the group sent a letter
to DOT requesting the changes in May.
A DOT spokesperson told QNS that the
agency “will adjust the markings by adding
lane channelization at Douglaston
Parkway and Northern Boulevard to better
guide southbound right turning vehicles”
in the coming weeks.
“Th e installation of the two-way protected
bike lane on the north side of
Northern Boulevard last summer allowed
DOT to immediately deliver critical safety
benefi ts for the community and all
street users,” the spokesperson said. “Th e
project has brought vital traffi c calming
to this Vision Zero priority corridor
while creating a safer route for pedestrians
and cyclists traveling between
Bayside and Douglaston.”
Haber and Avella are still advocating
in favor of Community Board 11’s bike
lane proposal, which would remove the
existing setup and expand the existing
sidewalk, creating a pathway that would
be shared by pedestrians and bikers. Th e
board presented the plan in September
aft er formally deciding to reverse their
initial stamp of approval in June.
A series of press conferences, rallies
and gatherings organized by individuals
in favor of and against the current bike
lane confi guration followed the installation
of the city project last summer. In
the latest demonstration, the Douglaston
Civic Association and northeast Queens
locals marched alongside the protected
bike lane project on Northern Boulevard
from Douglaston Parkway to the Cross
Island Parkway on June 16. Th e group
advocated in favor of Community Board
11’s bike lane proposal.
Th e call for safety improvements at the
location was originally spurred by the
death of 78-year-old Michael Schenkman,
who was struck and killed by a car while
riding his bicycle on Northern Boulevard
to access the nearby Joe Michaels Mile
bike path in August 2016.
Photo: Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS
This Long Island City fi tness studio works to foster relationships inside and outside the gym
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com/ @jenna_bagcal
According to Joia Aliperti, there are a
lot of factors that set the Workout Factory
in Long Island City apart from other fi tness
studios.
“Th ere’s a workout culture going on
that’s more than just boring workout
classes,” said Aliperti, who is the Workout
Factory’s studio and marketing manager.
Th e LIC studio, which is located in the
warehouse of LIC Food and Flea (5-25
46th Ave.) is owned by husband-andwife
team Martin Kerestes and Zhana
Galijasevic.
A self-proclaimed “product of the product,”
Aliperti started out at the Workout
Factory as a member, but soon became a
part of the fi tness studio’s team. Th e studio
and marketing manager has most
recently become a certifi ed spin instructor
at the studio.
Aliperti described the Workout Factory
as a facility where members can get an
“awesome workout,” as well as a place
that fosters friendships inside and outside
the studio.
“Many of our members never thought
they’d have such a tight-knit group of
people to hang out with that care so much
about their well-being,” Aliperti said.
She attributes the warm and friendly
workout culture in the studio to its slate
of “all-star” trainers who strive to help
members stay inspired and have fun.
Th ree of the Workout Factory instructors
that she highlighted are Alex Redelico
(@alexredfi t), Dean DeLuna (@deanfi tmachine)
and Cameron Norsworthy (@
littlegirlbigbun), all of whom Aliperti
praised for their commitment to the studio
and its members.
“Th e instructors we have are the best in
the industry. I’m picky about who we hire
because I want the quality of the product
to stay high,” Aliperti said.
She said that Redelico and DeLuna
came to them from the team at ClassPass
Live, which off ers digital, at-home fi tness
classes to those who may not be able to
make it to a gym or studio to work out.
Norsworthy joined the Workout Factory
from one of Kerestes and Galijasevic’s
other companies, Th e Yoga Room. Th e
trio teaches a variety of classes including
fi tness, spin and barre.
“All of our instructors know our members’
names and many have become good
friends. Th at’s something I just don’t see
anywhere else,” Aliperti said. “When you
have top-notch instructors who care, it
translates into genuine friendships that
happen organically.”
Recently, instructors and members
from the Workout Factory participated
in a bowling tournament at the Gutter
Bar LIC. Aliperti said that each of the
instructors led a team of members and it
was a great opportunity for everyone to
get together outside of the gym.
In addition to the studio’s workout culture,
Aliperti shared that the Workout
Factory hosts special contests for its
members, both to encourage members
and to foster a fun environment.
One of the contests is the Spin Club
challenge, which awards gold stars to
members who complete spin classes at the
studio. Once someone reaches 15 classes,
they get a special T-shirt that Aliperti
said “initiates” them into the club, as well
as a hot pink bracelet. Aliperti added that
members could also gain “bonus stars”
by being active on social media and posting
photos.
“What happens at Spin Club stays at
Spin Club,” said Aliperti, who shared that
the name is a play on “Fight Club.”
Another contest is the Summer InBody
challenge, where members weigh themselves
on the InBody machine, which
Aliperti described as a “super high-tech,
incredible scale,” to measure things like
their weight, body fat percentage, symmetry
in limbs and basal metabolic rate.
She said that the challenge is used to help
members with their eating and lifestyle
choices.
In June, 75 members got on the scale
and weighed themselves and Aliperti
said they will get back on the scale in
September to see if they achieved their
goals. At the end of the challenge, members
will be gift ed with a backpack of
swag, containing items like a water bottle,
socks, a bandana and a sweat wristband.
Th e Workout Factory is opened seven
days a week and schedule of classes is available
on the studio’s page. For more information
about the studio, visit their website
at wfnyc.com or call 718-392-2797.
Photo courtesy of Workout Factory
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