State Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (c.) speaks with concerned Rockaway residents near a problematic intersection Beach 169th Street, where residents were concerned about a new traffic light. Photo courtesy Assemblyman Goldfeder.
The city Transportation Department got an earful over the last few weeks as a southern Queens lawmaker sounded off over the need for traffic relief in the Rockaways.
State Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Park) met with DOT reps near two problematic spots in the southern part of his district and called for changes to ease traffic issues there.
Goldfeder said he and City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) joined with members of the southern Queens community to address outrage after some residents argued the city installed a new traffic light near Beach 169th without soliciting community input. Goldfeder took to the intersection last week to meet with community leaders, including Denise Lopresti-Neibel and Marty Ingram of Rockaway, to compile various safety concerns and confusion.
Luckily, the DOT agreed to improve the light’s traffic timing and also committed to adding signage to warn drivers of the new light as they drive westbound over the hill near the street, Goldfeder said. The agency also said it would look into seasonal controls there as well as an actuated light to ease safety and traffic conerns.
“They are going to rethink some of the street markings and possibly adjust or remove the second signal at Fort Tilden,” Goldfeder wrote on his Facebook page. “I will continue to work with the community and pressure the DOT to ensure that our voices are heard and our families are kept safe.”
At Beach 169th Street, Goldfeder and transportation advocates argued that a new traffic light was causing uproar because residents said they felt disenfranchised in the process.
But another problem spot near Beach 102nd Street also ran under the city’s radar, where DOT reps committed to installing traffic signals by Nov. 30.
“I am proud to announce the Department of Transportation has listened to the concerns of our community and decided to take the necessary corrective actions,” Goldfeder said. “Installing traffic lights at this longtime dangerous intersection will finally provide some direction at the otherwise confusing crossroads and better protect our families by keeping our streets safe.”
There, residents have been filing complaints with both the DOT and 311 about the need for a traffic signal as drivers barreled through the intersection at Rockaway Beach Boulevard and Beach 102nd Street in Rockaway Beach. The lack of traffic control made the area into an “accident waiting to happen,” Goldfeder said.
“Installing additional traffic devices is a much-needed protective measure for our community,” Goldfeder said. “I am positive that this is the right measure to enhance and ensure the safety of our community.”
Queens Borough Commissioner with the DOT Dalila Hall addressed Goldfeder’s concerns in a letter earlier this month, the assemblyman said, saying the agency just recently finished a study regarding the need for additional traffic controls at that specific intersection. The letter, Goldfeder said, committed to the installation of new traffic signals with a tentative completion date of Nov. 30.
By Phil Corso
