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Transportation
The Queens Tribune, Thursday, November 1, 2018
MOVING THROUGH QUEENS A look at transportation issues around the borough
SERVICE CHANGES
RIDER ALLIANCE RELEASE CONGESTION PRICING REPORT By ARIEL HERNANDEZ The Riders Alliance – a nonprofit that advocates for reliable and affordable public transportation – released a report on Tuesday showing that congestion pricing would benefit Queens riders that rely on express buses to commute to work each day. Earlier this year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced FixNYC – a plan that would use congestion pricing to generate over $810 million annually and would be used to fund the city’s subway system. The congestion surcharges would include $11.52 for individual vehicles, $25.34 for trucks and $2 to $5 on for-hire-vehicles (FHVs) when entering certain heavily-trafficked zones. According to the Riders Alliance, this plan would lower the number of drivers on the road, making for a faster bus commute in and out of the city during rush hours. Commuters, traveling from Queens and Brooklyn depend on express buses, which cost $6.50 a ride, to Manhattan each day, which on average takes over 90 minutes a day and over 15 hours a week in transit. “To make ends meet, [commuters] have to get up earlier and come home later than the rest of us,” said Danny Pearlstein, policy and communications director for the Riders Alliance. “An extra hour or two hour per week gained from congestion pricing would mean real time for real people to take care of themselves and their families. With so much talk about fairness, congestion
pricing returns a truly priceless resource to folks who can spare precious little of it. Congestion pricing could mean an extra moment together over breakfast, a little more help with homework or housework, another chapter before bedtime, a longer kiss goodnight. When Albany takes up the issue next year, express bus commuters from the outer reaches of the city -- and their families -should be high on the governor’s and legislators’ packed agenda.” Reach Ariel Hernandez at ahernandez@ queenstribune.com or @reporter_ariel
NEWS & NOTES Uber Launches New Feature Last Thursday, Uber launched a new feature that would make UberPool even more affordable. In addition to the original UberPool option, which could be as much as 50 percent less than a ride not shared, the ridesharing app offers “Pool Options,” allowing the rider to choose between door-to-door service and having to walk to a pickup point. To use the app, riders would first request their pool ride, which would take a little longer than usual because the app would then try to find other riders along their route. Riders would then have to walk to their “pickup spot,” which is typically a corner that would avoid detours, making the pickup faster. Rather than dropping riders off directly at their destination, the driver would drop them off at a “drop-off spot,” which would be picked by Uber and be a short distance to their destination. Uber said this feature would allow for an improved route, efficient pickups and drop-offs, better matches when pooling and lower prices. “Uber won’t leave riders in the outer boroughs stranded, despite Mayor de Blasio’s attempt to limit Uber, one of the few reliable options for outer-borough riders who have been ignored by yellow taxis and underserved by mass transit,” said Alix Anfang, an Uber spokesperson. –Ariel Hernandez DOT To Repave Douglas Manor After a push from the Douglas Manor community, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that eight major roads in the neighborhood will begin to be repaved next week, four months sooner than planned. Next week the following roads will be repaved: Bayview Ave., Douglas Rd., Kenmore Rd., Knollwood Ave., Richmond Rd., Warwick Ave., Grosvenor St. and Beverly Rd. Councilman Peter Vallone (D-Bayside) had called on the mayor’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) back in 2015 to fund this project following complaints by residents.
Due to signal maintenance Hunters Point Ave and Vernon Blvd-Jackson Ave 7 trains will board at the Flushing-bound platform every Wed, Friday, and Saturday from 12:40 a.m. to 5 a.m., except for Nov. 24.
“We have taken great strides towards addressing the street conditions that plague this neighborhood and will soon be one step closer to a complete renewal of the streets in Douglas Manor that have not seen repair for decades,” said Vallone. Becky Moraveck, acting president of Douglas Manor Association, said that this is great news for the 595 families living in the area. –Ariel Hernandez
Due to signal modernization, E trains will run local in both directions between Queens Plaza and 71 Ave in Queens from 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3 to 5 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 5. Because of track maintenance, Brooklyn-bound F trains will run via the E from Roosevelt Ave in Queens to Canal Street in Manhattan from 9:45 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2 to 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 5.
Who’s Responsible For Poor Roads In Willets Point? Last week, the Queens Tribune reported on the dangerous road conditions along Willets Point Boulevard following a Community Board 7 meeting where the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) briefly spoke about the Willets Point project. Landlords have expressed concern and frustration with the failure of answers about when streets would be fixed . The Tribune spoke to a landlord who said that for the last three years, he has been back and forth between the EDC and the Department of Transportation (DOT) trying to figure out who is responsible. Last week, we reached out to the EDC to obtain the information we needed. The EDC did not indicate that it is not the agency to talk to regarding road conditions in Willets Point; rather, it said it would get back to us with the answers to our questions. Just minutes before our deadline, the EDC responded, saying, “In terms of the street-related questions, feel free to reach out to DOT.” The DOT was not able to get back to us by press time, but has since responded, saying, “We are working with EDC and evaluating options for the location.” Based on the back-and-forth with the two agencies, it seems clear that there is no plan at this point to pave the decrepit roads in Willets Point. We will continue to ask both the EDC and the DOT for updates. –Ariel Hernandez
Due to signal modernization F trains run local in both directions in Queens from 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3 to 5 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 5. Because of station improvements, there will be free shuttle buses to replace G trains between Nassau Ave in Brooklyn and Court Square in Queens from 9:45 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3.
CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF QUEENS A look at development and its impact on the borough
AMAZON DISTRIBUTION CENTER COMING TO WOODSIDE By ARIEL HERNANDEZ It is hardly a surprise that Amazon has been eyeing expansion in New York City, and even less of a surprise that the city has been eyeing it back. Last week, the online retail titan announced the purchase of the former Bulova Watch headquarters in Woodside. But the company plans to redevelop the site as a distribution center, and not the corporation’s much-anticipated “HQ2” for which the city has bid. Amazon officially signed the lease to take over the one-story 83,000-square-foot Bulova building, located at 26-15 Boody St. Beginning Dec. 1, the building will become Amazon’s second distribution center in New York City. The company announced that it expects to hire hundreds of workers, both full and part time, earning between $18 and $25 per hour. “We are excited to continue our investment in New York to speed up delivery times for customers and provide great job opportunities for the talented workforce,” said Amanda Ip, an Amazon spokeswoman.
Following the announcement, Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Flushing) took a stand against Amazon, calling it a “monopolistic mega-corporation” that has “destroyed local economies.” “Amazon should be facing consequences for its clear violations of antitrust laws, not embraced with open arms into our borough,” said Kim. “They reached their super-monopoly status by controlling everything from the supply chain and marketplace down to even the retail space. As a borough that thrives on protecting our local economies and small businesses, we should not be so short-sighted; inviting in this Trojan Horse will only lead to a greater extraction of money and wealth from our communities. Simply put, for every one job they may create today in Queens, they will take away 10 jobs tomorrow through their extractive practices.” Whether or not Amazon’s second headquarters will make Queens its home is still undetermined. However, according to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the company will announce its decision by the end of the year.
NEWS & NOTES Elected Officials Rally Against Proposed Homeless Shelter Local elected officials gathered on Tuesday at 127-03 20th Ave., the site of a proposed homeless shelter in College Point, for a rally against it. The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) announced last week that it is reviewing the proposal for the College Point building. According to the elected officials as well as civic and community leaders and tenants of College Point, the neighborhood is not fit for a homeless shelter given that it lacks reliable public transportation and medical care. “Once again, DHS has shown complete disregard for transparency and reason,” said Assemblymember Daniel Rosenthal (D-Flushing). “College Point is increasingly overdeveloped while it is constantly overlooked for investment by the city. The community lacks the resources, infrastructure and ability to support a proposed shelter. It would be a great disservice to our vulnerable populations to be placed in a location without ample public transportation, which denies access to opportunity resources or proper medical care facilities. I call on the city to reject this proposal and do the right thing for both our residents and homeless population.” State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) sent a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio, Department of Buildings (DOB) Commissioner Rick Chandler and Human Resources Administration (HRA) Commissioner Steven Banks saying, “Enough is enough.” “No one knows their neighborhood better than the people who live there and it is time the city of New York listens to its residents
prior to any final decisions made regarding any homeless shelters being placed in their community,” said Avella. Avella said he supports the residents’ decision to oppose the project and requested a meeting. –Ariel Hernandez $180M For LIC Infrastructure Improvements Earlier this week, the de Blasio administration unveiled the $180 million Long Island City Investment Strategy, which would provide funding for infrastructure improve-
ments, including schools, transportation and open space, to the community, which has seen rapid growth in both development and population. The LIC Investment Strategy would increase space and support for future and current businesses, provide worker training for good jobs, preserve and build housing, improve transit options and reliability, improve water and sewer infrastructure, create schools, and expand the neighborhood’s arts and culture to reflect its diverse population. “As Long Island City continues to blossom as both a family-friendly neighborhood and an economic hub, we need to make sure we have the infrastructure in place to support the plans for future growth laid out in the LIC Investment Strategy,” said Borough President Melinda Katz. “By putting millions of dollars toward new sewer and water mains, a new school, street reconstruction and park improvements, we are doing just that.” In order for the plan to work, there will be a coordinated interagency effort. The city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will increase funding to $95 million for improvements to sewage and water; the School Construction Authority (SCA) will commit $60 million for the construction of a new school in Court Square; the Department of Transportation (DOT) will allocate an additional $10 million for the Hunters Point street reconstruction project; and the city’s Parks Department will allocate $15 million for improvements at Queensbridge Baby Park, Old Hickory Playground, Bridge and Tunnel Park, and Court Square Park. –Ariel Hernandez