8 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 16, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
City calls it quits on DOT Clear Curbs pilot program along Roosevelt Ave
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com/ @jenna_bagcal
Five months since its inception, the
Clear Curbs pilot program in Jackson
Heights is coming to an abrupt end.
On Monday, Aug. 13, Councilman
Francisco Moya announced that the city
would eff ectively end the Department of
Transportation’s Clear Curbs pilot program
by the end of the week, fi ve weeks
earlier than originally planned.
“Th is program was instituted to drive
down traffi c congestion along Roosevelt
Avenue in Queens and other major thoroughfares
in Midtown and Brooklyn, but
in practice, it left small businesses decimated
and put nearby residents at risk as
delivery trucks pushed off the main roads
fl ooded into residential side streets,”
Moya said. “Th is is a welcome relief for
the aff ected residents and small business
owners. Time aft er time, small business
owners told me they feared they wouldn’t
survive the six-month pilot period. We’re
thankful the city has decided to shut this
initiative down early.”
Th e DOT instated the program in
March and since then, Roosevelt Avenue
residents and community activists have
spoken out against the initiative. In
May, QNS reported on the 82nd Street
Partnership rally in Jackson Heights,
where concerned businesses voiced concerns
about loss of parking aff ecting their
deliveries and customers.
Under the parameters of Clear Curbs,
cars, trucks and other vehicles are banned
from standing or parking in labeled areas
between 7 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Th e
program was rolled out on Roosevelt
Avenue between 90th Street and
Broadway as part of the larger Congestion
Action Plan that the mayor announced in
October 2017.
According to the DOT, the program’s
purpose was to improve traffi c fl ow
during peak travel periods, but businesses
at the rally said that during the program’s
hours, businesses were experiencing dramatic
drops in customer traffi c.
Clear Curbs critics added that the initiative
was negatively aff ecting the elderly
population who mostly rely on cars as
their means of transportation.
“Th e last few months have been
extremely diffi cult for the many small
businesses that operate along Roosevelt
Avenue and adjacent streets,” said Leslie
Ramos, executive director of the 82nd
Street Partnership. “Not only are these
businesses essential for local residents,
but they also serve Latinos living throughout
the city and the tri-state area.”
As businesses were rallying,
Councilmen Moya and Mark Gjonaj
along with Majority Leader Laurie
Cumbo introduced the Protect NYC Jobs
and Businesses Act in response to Clear
Curbs. Th e measure would require city
agencies, like DOT, to notify community
boards, Business Improvement Districts
and council members about projects that
would signifi cantly disrupt street usage.
Th e act would then allow these entities to
voice concerns or suggestions in these situations.
A consistent complaint during the
Clear Curbs rollout was that the opinions
of residents and business owners were not
taken into account.
“Th anks to the hard work and advocacy
of our businesses, community partners,
supporters and elected offi cials, we
stood united, and made it very clear that
the Clear Curbs pilot program had no
place here,” said Community Board 4
District Manager Christian Cassagnol.
“While raw numbers and data are all too
oft en at the forefront of infrastructural
improvements, there is a human element
that is too oft en overlooked. In order for
our communities and commercial corridors
to truly thrive, open dialogue, and
a general understanding of our communities’
needs must be brought to the table
well in advance.”
Raul Contreras, a City Hall spokesperson,
said that the program in Queens will
be paused by the end of the week and that
the city is working with stakeholders and
the community to improve upon a similar
program in Brooklyn. He added that
the program in Manhattan would remain
unchanged.
“Th is pilot program was one of fi ve
initiatives launched to address the issue
of congestion on our streets holistically.
We’ve worked closely with communities
on the ground, and we will adjust
the Clear Curbs pilot moving forward
while continuing to explore other ways
to address congestion on our streets,”
Contreras said.
Police catch suspect who targeted women in violent robberies in Astoria and LIC
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com/ @jenna_bagcal
Cops have arrested a violent man who
was wanted in connection with robbing
fi ve women in the streets of Astoria and
Long Island City.
Th e suspect, who was identifi ed as
26-year-old Donald Grier was caught on
Aug. 13 at 8 p.m., hours aft er law enforcement
posted his photo and information
on Twitter.
Police said that they received an anonymous
Crime Stoppers tip that helped
them track Grier down. He is reportedly
an employee for the NYC Department
of Parks and Recreation and has been
charged with one count of robbery.
Grier is said to be connected to a series
of violent robberies that took place recently
in the 114th Precinct.
Law enforcement sources said the pattern
began at 11:30 p.m. on July 28 at
11:30 p.m.when Grier
allegedly approached
the 27-year-old
female victim in
front of a home on
33rd Street near 34th
Avenue.
Th at’s where Grier
produced a knife and
proceeded to take
$120 in cash from the
victim’s purse before
quickly fl eeing the
scene.
Authorities said
the second incident
happened a day later
on July 29 at about
11:05 p.m., when
Grier allegedly approached a 23-yearold
woman in front of a home on 36th
Street between 30th and 31st avenues
and demanded that she give him money.
Grier then allegedly
lift ed his shirt and
showed the victim the
large knife, then took
$60 in cash and fl ed
the scene.
Grier’s tactics
became more violent
during a robbery
two days later, on
July 31. At about 4:30
a.m., law enforcement
sources said,
the approached the
21-year-old female
victim on the corner
of 43rd Street and 31st
Avenue and punched
her in the back of the
head. Grier then proceeded to choke the
woman and removed her wallet, which
contained multiple credit cards and $30
in cash.
Police said the victim later walked
into NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital of
Queens in Flushing and received treatment
for cuts and scrapes.
Grier’s next alleged attempted robbery
happened on Aug. 3 at approximately
12:52 a.m. Police said that Grier
approached the 29-year-old woman as
she was entering her home in the vicinity
of 43rd Street and 34th Avenue. He then
allegedly pushed the victim into the lobby
of her residence and attempted to forcibly
remove her bag. Police sources said that
he fl ed the scene empty-handed.
Two days later, on Aug. 5 at about 12:43
a.m., Grier approached the 28-year-old
female victim in front of a residence 29th
Street between 34th and 35th avenues in
Long Island City. He allegedly grabbed
the woman from behind and put her in a
chokehold. Grier then reportedly took the
woman’s pocketbook, which contained
multiple credit cards, and fl ed the scene.
Photo by Angela Matua/THE COURIER
The Clear Curbs initiative on Roosevelt Avenue comes to an end this week.
Photo courtesy of Twitter/@NYPDPSA9
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