Juniper Park Civic Association President Robert Holden stands on 57th Avenue, looking west from 80th Street, where he said the city consistently fails to shovel, leaving the area dangerously icy for pedestrians. Photo courtesy Robert Holden
One of the most telling litmus tests for the city’s new administration under Mayor Bill de Blasio has resided in his ability to combat the recent string of consecutive snowfalls. And residents in Maspeth and Middle Village said he has done fairly well on the streets – but not so much on the sidewalks.
With multiple snowfalls already in the books, the thundering sound of snowplows hitting the city pavement has become a familiar occurrence for residents like Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association. But several feet away, a different story has been unfolding.
Holden said the sidewalks along spots in western Queens, like near the Long Island Expressway service road in Maspeth, have shifted from concrete walkways to icy obstacles.
“The streets are plowed just fine,” Holden said. “But city-owned properties in Middle Village and Maspeth – such as pedestrian overpasses, sidewalks on bridges and sidewalks adjacent to the LIE – are never shoveled.”
The city is typically responsible for the sidewalks next to its own property, including public housing, public hospitals, public parks, public schools, libraries, city office buildings, and public shelters. The city also maintains the sidewalks next to many of the overpasses and traffic medians for city roadways.
Holden pointed to several icy problem spots throughout his part of the borough, including the intersections at the LIE eastbound service road and 58th Road, that have yet to be properly shoveled and have only gotten worse as the snow turned to ice.
Along 57th Avenue, Holden said there was a six-block area that is close to never shoveled in the aftermath of substantial snowfall even despite the fact they are popular pedestrian routes. The long stretch on 57th Avenue between 74th and 80th streets is also rarely ever shoveled, he said.
“These are the walking routes to at least three area schools, including Maspeth High School, PS 58 and IS 73,” Holden said. “The city should shoveling these sidewalks since it’s city property. However, more often than not, they don’t bother.”
Holden said he and several members of his civic have been filing complaints with the city for years but he has yet to see the city take responsibility for the sidewalks.
“For several years we have contacted the Bloomberg administration,” Holden said. “We never got an answer from the administration. But only after the complaint did the DOT shovel the pedestrian overpass over the LIE in Maspeth.”
A spokesman for the Transportation Department said the city did not receive any formal complaints for the stretch of sidewalks along 57th Avenue, but did in fact send crews to the pedestrian overpass that connects 58th Road to Mazeau Street nearby in the aftermath of last week’s storm. Any further complaints, he said, would be considered as the agency continues to deploy its resources to undo what the snow and ice have started for streetwalkers.
By Phil Corso
