Workers recently initiated the construction project to repair and upgrade infrastructure at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority-owned parking lot at the Rockaway approach to the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge, an appreciative Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) announced on Monday.
Goldfeder sent a letter in April to MTA Bridges and Tunnels, urging the agency to clean up what he called a blighted parking lot—filled with trash and broken tree branches; the metal fence surrounding the lot is rusting and there are cracks in the sidewalk and pavement where tall weeds have begun to grow.
In April, Goldfeder reported fielding numerous complaints about poor conditions visible to motorists and train riders entering the community. At the time, he referred to the area as “Rockaway’s welcome mat.”
On Monday, Goldfeder applauded the “much-needed facelift.”
“This parking lot is the first thing millions of visitors see when they come into Rockaway,” Goldfeder said. “The start of this work is a major victory and will help make our community a more inviting place for residents and visitors. I give credit to the MTA for bringing this project to fruition as scheduled and I look forward to seeing the work progress in the coming months.”
This past week, construction crews were seen breaking up the concrete surface of the parking lot at the southern approach of the bridge in Rockaway. The work is part of an eight-month project to rehab the Superstorm Sandy-damaged employee lot and includes the installation of new sidewalks, curbs, islands and LED light fixtures. The lot will also receive power washing and will be re-landscaped with new trees and shrubbery, according to information provided by the MTA to Goldfeder’s office.
“We have seen tremendous progress in repairing our Sandy-damaged infrastructure in the last few years. While there is still much left to do, these improvements have helped spur the economic activity that our beachfront community depends on to grow stronger than ever before,” Goldfeder added.
This year, Rockaway Peninsula experienced record numbers of beachgoers, with more than 7 million visitors flocking to the summer destination—nearly double the numbers seen in 2014. Goldfeder said he attributes the spike, in part, to the multiple post-Sandy repairs that, like the parking lot rehab work, have greatly improved infrastructure in the community.
