FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 • THE COURIER SUN 3 Select Bus plan changes for Woodhaven Blvd., but some still hate it BY DOMENICK RAFTER editorial@qns.com/@QNS The city Department of Transportation (DOT) and the MTA came to the meeting of Community Board 9 meeting on Sept. 13 in Ozone Park and presented a revised plan for Select Bus Service (SBS) along Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards. The plan was met with much skepticism. The DOT took into consideration much of CB 9 and the local community’s input and made some tweaks to the plan, which included reinstating the left turns on Jamaica Avenue, parking at the Forest Park Co-Ops and adding slips between center lanes and service roads. But to the dismay of CB 9 members, the DOT kept bus stops along the medians in the plan. “We heard you and we made some changes that the community requested,” said Jessica Kuo, the DOT’s project manger for the SBS plan. SBS would be initiated for the Q52 and Q53 bus lines, which are already limited routes. The Q52 runs from Arverne to Elmhurst, while the Q53 connects Rockaway Park to Woodside. Both routes pass through Glendale, Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Rego Park and Woodhaven along the way. Here’s what the revised plan would include: - Longer, two-section articulated buses would be added to both routes and new stops would be added at 101st and Pitkin avenues. - The Atlantic Avenue stop will be moved to 91st Avenue to allow the Q52 and Q53 to use the Atlantic Avenue overpass and bypass the intersection. - The northbound leftturn lane on Woodhaven Boulevard at Jamaica Avenue will be moved to the west side of the elevated train column from where it is, allowing a separate lane and reducing conflicts with southbound traffic making lefts. - Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards between Forest Park Drive and 103rd Avenue will be altered to allow for median bus stops, and bus lanes will be installed all the way to Conduit Boulevard. Though board members were thankful that some of their requests were considered, some still opposed the proposal for median bus stops. “I am glad that the DOT restored the left-turn lane on Jamaica Avenue, but I still oppose putting people on the median,” said CB 9 member Maria Thomson. “It is dangerous.” Several members of the public also spoke on the plan, including Paul Capocasale, a Woodhaven resident and longtime opponent of the plan. He argued that putting passengers on the medians would lead to tragedy. “You put teenagers in the middle of the street, they’re going to get killed,” he said. Several residents and board members suggested that, regardless of how much fencing or how strong the barriers are protecting the bus stops, a bad accident could lead to waiting passengers being struck by vehicles. The DOT itself acknowledged that the corner of Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue is among the most dangerous intersections in the city. Despite the concerns, some in attendance suggested Photo: Adam Moreira/Wikimedia Commons that the city press on with its SBS proposal. “Most people who use the boulevard to get to work take public transit,” said Stephanie Veras, who wore a T-shirt from the Riders Alliance that supports SBS. “I understand we are all trying to get to work, but we need to support and build public transit.” If the DOT and MTA move forward with the project, it is slated to be implemented next spring, but alterations at the Jamaica Ave n u e-Wo o d h a v e n Boulevard intersection, including the movement of the northbound left-turn lane, would occur before the winter, Kuo said. Last two suspects in a deadly anti-gay beating in Woodhaven admit guilt, DA says By Robert Pozarycki afternoon, Sept. 14. “The victim had just left a rpozarycki@qns.com/@robbpoz birthday celebration and was chased down as the defendants yelled anti-gay slurs.” The final two suspects connected to the According to the charges, Collao left the house deadly beating of an 18-year-old teenager after party in the vicinity of 90th Street between 88th he left a house party in Woodhaven five years and 89th avenues — which was hosted by two ago has pleaded guilty to charges. openly gay men — just before 12:50 a.m. on Nolis Ogando of Seneca Avenue in March 12, 2011, when Ogando, Echevarria and Ridgewood and Jonathan Echevarria of Greene four other individuals — Alex Velez of Queens, Avenue in Brooklyn, both 22, admitted to being Calvin Pietri of Woodhaven, Luis Tabales of involved in the March 12, 2011, beating of Richmond Hill and Christopher Lozada of Anthony Collao, 18, along 90th Street between Woodhaven — shouted derogatory remarks at 88th and 89th avenues. Six individuals, in all, Collao, then chased him down the street. Three were involved in the attack, which detectives of the suspects were said to be carrying weapons determined to be a hate crime because the assailants thought the victim was gay. Collao died two days later from the injuries he sustained in the assault. “This was a horribly brutal and unprovoked attack,” Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said in a statement on Wednesday including a stick, a pipe and a cane. The group caught up to Collao, threw him to the ground and assaulted him about the body with their fists and weapons, which included a piece of lattice fencing. They then removed his property, including his sneakers and an Atlanta Braves baseball cap, and fled the scene. Police located five of the attackers in the area of Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue about 15 minutes after the attack. The officers recovered from them a piece of fencing and a metal pipe, which had blood on it. A sixth suspect was arrested three months later as a result of an ongoing investigation. Ogando pleaded guilty to first-degree gang assault on Sept. 8 of this year and is expected to receive eight years behind bars and five years’ probation when he is sentenced on Sept. 22. Echevarria, meanwhile, pleaded guilty on Sept. 14 to first-degree manslaughter and is expected to receive 18 years in prison and five years’ probation when he is sentenced on Sept. 28. Velez, Pietri, Tabales and Lozada previously pleaded guilty to various charges including first-degree manslaughter and gang assault and are currently serving prison sentences.
SC09222016
To see the actual publication please follow the link above