Sauntering down 57th Avenue in Elmhurst from 80th Street, pedestrians are welcomed by Crowley Playground and a neat row of houses and apartment buildings. That is until they reach 85th Street where a Long Island Railroad overpass has become a favorite spot for graffiti vandals.
Sick of the hideous eyesore, residents teamed up with Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), the LIRR and NYC Community Cleanup on Tuesday to paint over the unsightly mess.
“Graffiti is something I don’t tolerate,” Koslowitz said. She said that the city Council has worked tirelessly to prevent graffiti, specifically mentioning the new legislation that requires businesses to use see-through security grates. Koslowitz’s office has been working with local community groups to identify and clean vandalized areas.
The LIRR overpass was one of the areas civic group Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together recommended.
“This is the gateway to south Elmhurst and Maspeth,” said the group’s president Roe Daraio. The civic meets at the Bethzatha Church of God, right next to the overpass, and she said it was great to help the neighborhood and the church that donates their meeting space. “We’re trying to get children and other groups involved to help maintain the area,” Daraio said.
The cleanup crew was provided by the LIRR and the non-profit organization NYC Community Cleanup. Working with the court system, the organization allows people sentenced to community service help clean neighborhoods.
“Our mission is to make service as beneficial and meaningful as possible; it becomes a better sentence for them,” said Benjamin Smith.
The LIRR also pledged that this would not be a one-time event. The LIRR and NYC Community Cleanup have partnered to clean more than a dozen LIRR locations, said Bob Brennan, director of government affairs for the MTA.
“Graffiti is something that attacks every neighborhood,” Brennan said. “[Painting over the graffiti] sends a message that it won’t be tolerated.”
Residents witnessed the walls under the railroad bridge receive a fresh coat of paint. The LIRR said that in the next few weeks, a crew will also paint over the bridge.
by Eric Yun
[Photo Above: Members from the LIRR, NYC Community Cleanup, Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz’s office and COMET pose in front of the eyesore they’ve teamed up to clean. Inset: Workers from NYC Community Cleanup paint over graffiti.]
