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4 The Courier sun • SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com Major airlines working with pols to end parking woes near JFK BY RYAN HAAS editorial@queenscourier.com/@QueensCourier Parking either within or near John F. Kennedy International Airport is no simple task, with many airport employees taking up coveted spots both in parking lots and on nearby streets. Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder and Councilman Eric Ulrich are working with five major passenger and freight airline companies based at JFK to ensure proper parking policies that will ease traffic and increase available parking spots near the airport. Goldfeder and Ulrich announced plans to attend an upcoming meeting with airport business and government Several major airline carriers at JFK are working with two local elected officials to eliminate parking problems near the airport. residential neighborhoods to access AirTrain stations. Officials said at the time that the practice takes up valuable parking spaces and increases traffic on otherwise quiet residential streets. In letters sent last week to Goldfeder and Ulrich responding to their initial concerns about parking space, three major airlines at JFK airport – Cathay Pacific, JetBlue, and Lufthansa – all stated they provide transportation parking spaces, transportation reimbursements and shuttle services to employees. Delta and American Airlines followed suit, contacting Goldfeder to confirm that they also provide parking for their employees. All airlines pledged to work with the legislators on maintaining good relations between the airport and surrounding communities. “I’m pleased to learn that many of the airlines at JFK are already taking the necessary steps to alleviate parking problems in the community,” Goldfeder THE COURIER/Photo by Angela Matua expands commitment to Queens AT&T, the multinational telecommunications company, is trying to make it easier for Queens customers to access its services, according to Marissa Shorenstein, president of AT&T New York. The company has made 463 network and capacity upgrades across the borough to ensure high speed and reliable connections and provides accessible WiFi and phone charging stations throughout Queens. Patrons who visit Astoria Park, MacDonald Park and the Queens Zoo can have free access to WiFi by simply selecting “attwi ” in their list of networks. Shorenstein also said AT&T’s free solar mobile charging stations, which grew out of a response to Hurricane Sandy, gives visitors at Rockaway Beach and Corona Plaza a free opportunity to charge their phones. Though free and easy network accessibility is an important initiative, Shorenstein said the company’s commitment to Queens extends to the children living in the borough. AT&T awarded more than $850,000 in multi-year grants to programs in Queens that support traditionally underserved students and motivate them to stay in school. AT&T granted $300,000 to the Y-Scholars program in Flushing International High School, a dropout prevention and college access program. Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation in Woodside, a program that aims to increase the rate of students who have passed 9th grade to complete high school in four years and go on to college, also received $300,000. Last summer, AT&T pledged to donate $1 million to the Girls Who Code program, a nonpro t that is working to close the gender gap in technology and engineering. “We’re doing as much as we can to make sure that Queens resident know that we’re here to support them from a network perspective but also a community perspective,” Shorenstein said. Starting this summer, AT&T began offering a $40 unlimited text, talk and data plan with no annual contract or credit check through their pre-paid GoPhone initiative “ to ensure that everyone in the Queens community has access and is able to connect — and because they believe that by working together in Queens, there’s nothingwe can’t do,” according to a spokesperson. To learn about AT&T phone plans and other initiatives, visit att.com. leaders to address ongoing parking issues in surrounding communities. “With more than 37,000 employees and countless visitors, JFK Airport is as much a neighboring community as it is a transit hub,” Goldfeder said. “That’s why it’s so important for companies operating at JFK do their part to be good neighbors to our families in southern Queens.” Ulrich echoed the assemblyman’s comments, explaining how imperative it is for all airport employees and companies within JFK to be respectful to community neighbors. “It is vital that all those employees and travelers at JFK Airport do their part to be good neighbors,” he said. Just last month, Goldfeder and Ulrich wrote letters to the top 10 airlines operating out of JFK for a general parking inquiry. The latest Airport Traffic Report, made available by the Port Authority, reported that JFK employees were parking in nearby BUY DIRECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER FREE Measuring & Installation w/purchase of $100. with this ad. • Draperies • Vertical Blinds • Honeycomb Shades • Custom Window Shades • Mini Blinds Nobody Beats Our Prices! • Roman Shades • Balloon Shades • Swags & Jabots • Shutters • Upholstery • Radiator Covers • Table Pads UP TO 70% OFF LIST PRICE Free Interior Design Consultation $20 OFF with purchase of $200 or more *Not to be combined w/other offers. Expires 10/2/15 $50 OFF with purchase of $500 or more *Not to be combined w/other offers. Expires 10/2/15 $100 OFF with purchase of $1,000 or more *Not to be combined w/other offers. Expires 10/2/15 GOMER’S SINCE 1962 Window Treatments FREE SHOP AT HOME SERVICE SERVING QUEENS AND LONG ISLAND 1.800.522.6156 www.gomersdecorators.com said. “I look forward to working with all businesses at JFK as we work to provide some much-needed relief for our families.” The airlines issued letters in response to the local politicians’ claims shortly after Goldfeder and Ulrich met with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to discuss regular reported sightings of TSA officers in uniform parking in community streets. According to the TSA, the agency has taken steps to prevent the problem, including publishing notices in employee newsletters urging against the practice. During the meeting, TSA officials confirmed that the agency is currently undergoing negotiations on new parking and public transportation subsidies for workers to help alleviate the issue. The legislators also announced plans to address the board of the Kennedy Airport Airlines Management Council (KAAMCO) to further voice their concerns.


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