By Forum Staff
Last week was a busy one across Queens Community District 10, as Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. took his office on the road for another “Borough Hall on Your Block” initiative, this time in South Queens.
“Borough Hall on Your Block: South Queens” began on Monday, Oct. 20 at the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard, Rockaway Boulevard and Liberty Avenue in Ozone Park, where Borough President Richards announced $1 million in capital funding toward Phase B of Woodhaven Boulevard Select Bus Service.
Phase B covers a two-mile stretch of Woodhaven Boulevard from Union Turnpike in Glendale to 107th Avenue in Ozone Park. Slated to begin in 2026, construction along that section of roadway under Phase B will see upgrades to 16 bus stops, 17 sidewalk extensions, 12 shortened pedestrian crossings and 38 medians. The plan will also include seven new pedestrian crossings, three raised crosswalks and the planting of more than 75 new street trees.
Tuesday, Oct. 21 brought Richards back to Ozone Park for a walking tour of the Liberty Avenue small business corridor, alongside City Department of Small Business Services Commissioner Dynishal Gross and representatives from a litany of city agencies and community organizations. The leaders met with multiple small business owners and customers alike to discuss quality-of-life and economic development concerns, while also supplying them with information about critical city resources to help their business thrive.
Later that day, Richards hosted a South Queens Women’s Health Fair in Howard Beach, connecting attendees to health and wellness resources around reproductive care, cancer prevention and early detection, mental health and healthy relationships, motherhood and more.
On Wednesday, Oct. 22, Richards joined the City Department of Design and Construction at Walter J. Wetzel Triangle in Howard Beach, as the agency hosted a ribbon cutting on an infrastructure effort that saw $1.3 million worth of sidewalk repairs made across the area. That project included sidewalk repairs at the triangle, named for a Howard Beach resident and U.S. Army service member killed in action during the Vietnam War.
A staple of every “Borough Hall on Your Block,” a Jobs Recruitment Fair was next on the schedule, which Richards hosted at the Queens Public Library’s Ozone Park branch on Thursday, Oct. 23. Dozens of job seekers attended and met with a wide variety of employers looking to hire immediately.
After the job fair, Richards made his way to the Conduit Avenue corridor for a walking tour with NYC DOT officials who are currently conducting a holistic redesign study of the notably dangerous roadway. Joining them included local civic organization representatives and the leadership of Community Board 10, with the group observing a number of dangerous conditions along the corridor in need of addressing.
With the MTA’s phasing out of the MetroCard in favor of OMNY just a few months away, Borough President Richards and the MTA hosted an OMNY Card Workshop in Howard Beach on Friday, Oct. 24. MTA representatives explained how to obtain a new OMNY card, apply for a reduced-fare card, transfer existing MetroCard balances and more.
“Borough Hall on Your Block: South Queens” concluded on Saturday, Oct. 25 with a Family Octoberfest Celebration in South Richmond Hill’s Phil Rizzuto Park, hosted in conjunction with the Friends of Phil Rizzuto Smokey Oval Park.
