The Rockaway Times
THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2019
Page 3
Locals Hope Traffic Construction Woes Will Come To A Halt Kami-Leigh Agard
From closed off lanes, gridlocked roadways, menacing construction crews and bumpy roads—for local motorists— there seems to be no escaping the clamor of road construction everywhere, especially on the peninsula’s east-west main thoroughfares, Beach Channel Drive and Rockaway Beach Blvd. Just ask Belle Harbor resident, Dr. Peter Galvin, and the chorus of locals bemoaning the rampant traffic and hazardous road conditions. Well, The Rockaway Times got on the beat and reached out to the various agencies involved and Councilman Eric Ulrich’s office to see what could be done to ease congestion. According to Dr. Galvin, driving from Beach 122nd to Beach 117th Street in what usually would have been a quick five-minute drive, recently took him more than 20 minutes. “There was road construction on Beach Chan-
nel Drive (BCD) and Beach 118th Street, plus on Rockaway Beach Boulevard (RBB) at Beach 114th Street. These are Rockaway’s main east-west bound roads. Why is construction happening on both at the same time, where whole lanes are blocked? This is not just about traffic, but safety. What if there was an emergency?” Galvin exclaimed. Another Belle Harbor resident expressed similar sentiments. “I have to pick up my grandchildren from school on Beach 135th Street. Do I take RBB and get stuck on Beach 114th Street or do I take BCD and get stuck between Beach 116th to 117th Streets? You never know how long you'll be
stuck or how much time you will need.” Also, for residents, traffic is not the only issue, but the hazardous conditions of the roads. “Commuters trying to dodge traffic coming past Beach 79th and 80th Streets, rolling past stop signs as though there is no sign there at all, caused me to run over a cone from a hole that has been in the road for weeks from the machinery that is riding up and down that stretch of road for months! These are unacceptable hazardous conditions from construction companies that should be held accountable. You would not believe the debris of pebbles and stones in the road!” stated one angry resident. Another resident said after driving westbound from Beach 116th Street heading to KeyFood on Beach 87th Street, she found a nail in her tire. “The road conditions on the Boulevard are horrible. Who do I blame for the nail in my tire? Of course, I had to pay the bill to replace it, not the city, but me,” she said.
Galvin joked that with the rocky ride on the streets, chiropractors are the ones who will be benefitting. “People’s backs are getting out of whack driving along the bumpy roads. It’s really ridiculous,” he said. The Rockaway Times initially reached out to the Department of Transportation (DOT), but was told that these are projects happening under the DepartContinued on page 5
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