Safety Lacking near Kosciuszko: Stringer
Governor Cuomo toured the new Kosciuszko last week.
By Michael V. Cusenza As Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently basked in the afterglow of the new Kosciuszko Bridge—completed Thursday four years ahead of schedule and on budget— City Comptroller Scott Stringer was busy penning a letter to the City Department of Transportation, spotlighting what he has characterized as a lack of protected bike lanes and walking paths on the streets leading up to the span in Maspeth and Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The comptroller’s missive to DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg requests further information on the infrastructure build-out and mitigation measures that NYC DOT plan to implement that would protect the safety of both cyclists and pedestrians on and around the newly opened bridge. The letter also requests a full accounting of why upgraded bike and pedestrian infrastructure was not ready on the first day of the opening of the bridge that straddles Newtown Creek and connects Queens and Brooklyn. “Just as no transportation department would open up a highway before constructing the on- and off-ramps, it is utterly baffling that a new bike and pedestrian path could be introduced without sufficient connecting infrastructure – on Day One,” Stringer said. “The rebuilt Kosciuszko Bridge and the new pedestrian and cycling path are critical arteries, but without protected bike lanes, sufficient lighting, and high-quality signage in the immediate vicinity, cyclists and pedestrians could be placed in harm’s way. This is a matter of life and death. At a time when the city is reeling from a spate of cyclist fatalities, a comprehensive plan must be implemented.”
Photo Courtesy of the Office of the Governor
The Pharmacist’s Corner Presented by Frank Pantina, R.Ph BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL — THE PHARMACISTS ROLE
About one in three adults and nearly one in three women in the United States have high blood pressure (HBP). The condition itself usually has no signs or symptoms. Someone can have HBP for years without knowing it. During this time, HBP can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other organs. Lifestyle changes can greatly assist in the management of HBP. Proper diet, exercise, the elimination or reduction of salt intake and stopping smoking can all play a major role in helping bring HBP under control. Pharmacists play a very important role in counseling patients on high blood pressure. We, as do many other pharmacies, offer electronic blood pressure monitoring, and also include blood pressure checks as part of health fairs and any type of associated community outreach. Blood pressure, like so many other conditions that are easily managed, is always aided when patients take a little time to do proper “bookkeeping”. The following tips are a general guide to keeping track and keeping informed about your condition. And please remember your pharmacist is in a great position to help you set up and maintain all of your
blood pressure records and those of any medications you are taking for your condition. 1. The first step in managing your HBP is to make sure you take everything your physician has prescribed. 2. Make sure you know the name of each of your meds, the dosage prescribed for you and the directions on how to take the medicine—at night, with food, etc. If you have questions about your meds, talk to your pharmacist or physician. 3. Take care of your refills before you run out. HBM needs to be taken without skipping a dosage-you can’t skip a day or cut it in half to last longer—that’s not the way it works. 4. If you are not feeling right and think you are having adverse effects from your meds, talk to your pharmacist and/or physician at once. Your dosage may very well have to be adjusted. This is a common occurrence with HBM. DO NOT STOP YOUR MEDICATION ON YOUR OWN! 5. HBP meds may have interactions with OTC preparations. Many have warnings about not taking them with HBP meds. Consult your pharmacist on what is safe for you to take.
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Indeed, in 2019 alone, 19 cyclists have lost their lives, nearly twice the number in all of 2018. “According to your office, these incidents have disproportionately taken place in primarily industrial areas that have experienced an increase in their residential population— including Greenpoint and Maspeth on either side of the new bridge,” Stringer wrote in his message to Trottenberg. “We cannot allow this trend to continue unabated, especially given the City’s commitment to zero bicycle and pedestrian deaths.” The second span of the Kosciuszko opened to traffic just before morning rush hour Thursday. The project, which involved the first major bridge crossing constructed in the five boroughs since the Verrazzano Bridge in 1964, replaced the existing 77-year-old bridge, first opened in 1939, with two new state-of-the-art, cable-stayed bridges. The Queens-bound bridge carries five lanes of traffic and a separate Brooklynbound bridge carries four lanes, as well as a 20-feet-wide bikeway/walkway with views of Manhattan. “This bridge is, of course, a critical artery in the city’s transportation infrastructure. And while I am encouraged by the inclusion of a 20-foot-wide walking and cycling path, any bike lane is only as good as its surrounding network,” Stringer added. “Without protected bike lanes, sufficient, lighting, and high quality signage in the immediate vicinity, bicycle riders and pedestrians could be placed in harm’s way.” Last Tuesday, Cuomo also touted a new agreement that will lead to the completion of the first and second phases of “Under the K”—a project that promises turn nearly seven acres beneath the bridge in Brooklyn into a public program space and park.
10 SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 • Number 36 VOL. 19 • THE FORUM NEWSGROUP
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Ulrich Honors Area Cops
A staunch supporter of City cops, Precinct, part of the 32nd Council District. “Cops don’t always get the respect and Councilman Eric Ulrich recently professed his appreciation of the Finest with citations recognition they deserve,” Ulrich wrote for the hard work and dedication of the on Twitter. men and women that comprise the 106th Photo Courtesy of Councilman Ulrich’s Office