Photo Courtesy of NYC Campaign Finance Board

By Michael V. Cusenza

Queens County Republican Party Chairwoman Joann Ariola made it official this week: she’s running for the City Council District 32 seat.

Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) currently represents the interests of residents of District 32, which includes Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Broad Channel, Woodhaven, and the Rockaways; he’s set to be term-limited out of the seat he has held since 2009.

Professionally, Ariola is director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the MediSys Health Network. Off the clock, she is president of the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic, and a member of both the 106th Precinct Community Council and Community Board 10.

Last year, Ariola ran for Queens Borough President on a platform of public safety/supporting law enforcement; putting an end to community jails and shelters; and reforming property tax laws.

“I’m a Queens resident, wife, mother, and grandmother who works in healthcare. I’m not a career politician,” Ariola said. “Like you, I’m deeply concerned about the future of our city and our borough. I will stand up to the radical career politicians and their pro-crime agenda. I will support the NYPD and keep dangerous criminal behind bars where they belong. I will fight for better transportation and roads as well as oppose toll increases and congestion pricing, because it’s already too hard for us to get to work. I will advocate for all our small business and help them recover. I will fight for quality schools and choice in education. Queens is the most wonderful place and it’s worth fighting for. Our families deserve a safe, clean city.”

Members of the ceremonial units of the Fire and Police departments ring the bell as the names of the 265 victims of the Flight 587 tragedy are read aloud.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Families of the 265 victims were joined Tuesday in Rockaway Park by first responders, area residents, and elected officials as the City observed the 18th anniversary of the American Airlines Flight 587 tragedy.

On Nov. 12, 2001, with Gotham still gripped with grief following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, AA Flight 587 crashed into Belle Harbor minutes after taking off from John F. Kennedy International Airport. All 260 people aboard the Airbus A300 aircraft bound for the Dominican Republic and five residents on the ground perished.

Since Nov. 12, 2006, the somber service has been held at Flight 587 Memorial Park on Beach 116th Street in Rockaway Park.

“On this solemn day, the entire Queens community remembers all those who lost their lives as well as the family and friends that they left behind,” State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) said.

“It’s 18 years later, but I know from speaking with so many of you that this day is one of a pain that is sharp and vivid just as much as it was 18 years ago,” Mayor Bill de Blasio added. “And grief has not lessened with time, but I also have heard from so many of you the memories, the joyful memories, of those you loved. What they meant to you what they still mean to you. What their lives meant for your family and the impact they have even today on children, on family, on friends who remember them, who live by their example, who are inspired by them.”

Councilman Eric Ulrich this week announced his intention to run in the special election for Public Advocate.

By Michael V. Cusenza

After weeks of speculation, City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) announced on Monday that he is running for Public Advocate in the upcoming special election for the citywide post that Tish James will vacate on Jan. 1 when she is sworn in as State attorney general.

Ulrich, 33, made it official with a 70-second YouTube video filmed in his native Ozone Park.

“Now, more than ever, New Yorkers are looking for someone who’s willing to stand up to Mayor de Blasio and his so-called progressive agenda,” Ulrich said.

For years, the councilman, who has represented South Queens on the council since 2009, has been quite vocal about his disdain for de Blasio and his politics, often relishing his role as the wily fly in Hizzoner’s liberal liniment.

“If you ask the mayor who on the City Council annoys him the most,” Ulrich said at a 2017 Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic meeting, “he’ll tell you it’s me.”

The YouTube clip presents more of that anti-de Blasio bravado. Ulrich uses the platform to make his case as the best man to bring checks and balances back to Gotham politics.

“I’m running for Public Advocate because I believe that we as a city deserve better, and because I want to give a voice to the majority of New Yorkers who this mayor continues to ignore,” Ulrich said. “Time and time again, this mayor has let us down, or he sold out the people of this city in exchange for a campaign contribution or a political favor. It’s no secret that it’s the special-interest groups and the lobbyists that are calling the shots at City Hall. It must end. And it can end.”

Ulrich enters an already crowded fray. On Wednesday, Gotham Gazette estimated that there are “roughly two-dozen candidates who have officially declared or indicated they are exploring a run in the expected February special election for New York City Public Advocate.”

Some positive and negative changes are on the way to Select Bus Service lanes along Cross Bay Boulevard.

By Michael V. Cusenza

The Saturday “rush hour” limitations on parking in curbside Select Bus Service lanes along Cross Bay Boulevard south of Liberty Avenue have been lifted, according to area elected officials.
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach), who have been in discussions with the City Department of Transportation for months to amend the active hours, made the announcement on Thursday in front of C-Town Supermarket on Cross Bay Boulevard and Sutter Avenue.
“When I first saw that the curbside SBS lanes would be in effect on Saturdays, I knew that had to be changed. There is no rush hour on Saturday, so I felt that day should be given back to the drivers, allowing them to park and access the local businesses,” Addabbo said. “I am glad to see that DOT heard the frustrations and followed through on their promise to continue to look at the SBS route after it was implemented to see how it affected the residents and business owners.”
When the new Q52/Q53 Woodhaven-Cross Bay Corridor bus service began in November, curbside SBS lanes were active during the morning and afternoon rush hours, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, frustrating area residents and business owners who lamented the loss of valuable parking spots.
Pheffer Amato praised DOT for the “common sense” move.
“Our local businesses are the heart and soul of South Queens, it is great to see the Department of Transportation listen and work with our community to ensure residents can have the ability to access their local businesses and facilities,” she said.
Addabbo called the Saturday change a big win for area entrepreneurs. Since November, Addabbo, Pheffer, City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), and Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) have been inundated with business-constituent concerns regarding the negative impact of the City’s latest SBS venture.
“While it is important to expand bus service to neighborhoods like the Rockaways, where transportation options are limited – it is crucial the expansion does not come at the expense of residents and local business owners,” Ulrich said.
“Many businesses were negatively affected by the SBS lanes,” Addabbo added. “This change is a step in the right direction to make the roads accessible for everyone and I appreciate DOT’s willingness to work with the local electeds and the community.”
In other SBS news, on Monday DOT announced that, beginning Feb. 20, it will be issuing bus lane camera violations along the Cross Bay route.
If you drive, park, or stand in a bus lane during hours of operation you face fines ranging from $115 to $150, DOT noted.
Each corridor has signage indicating the hours that the bus lanes are operable, and that the lanes are camera enforced. The department indicated that it issues warnings to motorists for at least 60 days prior, per state law, when the cameras are first operated to ensure that drivers are informed about the program. Since violations are issued against the vehicle, not the driver, points are not deducted from motorists’ licenses.

By Michael V. Cusenza

City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) came out swinging this week, fast and furiously – blasting the mayor for his “poor handling” of a Superstorm Sandy reconstruction program, then demanding the immediate resignation or termination of Hizzoner’s top storm recovery official.

The political pugilism started on Monday morning on Beach 117^th Street in Rockaway Park, where Ulrich ripped Mayor Bill de Blasio at a press conference, saying the mayor “refuses to take responsibility for the failure of Build it Back. There is a total lack of accountability and compassion.”

Ulrich lambasted Build it Back and the current administration “for not delivering on their promise to help people get back into their homes after Superstorm Sandy.”

To illustrate his point, Ulrich held the event in front of the unfinished home of the Nichtern family, Ellen and her mom. The Nichterns have been out of their home for the past five months, during which time Build it Back has not done any work on the residence, Ulrich said, nor has Build it Back remained in contact with Ellen to let her know the status of the project.

Ulrich called Build it Back’s treatment of Nichtern “and the many people in the same situation entirely unacceptable.

“Like so many of my constituents affected by Superstorm Sandy, Ellen Nichtern has been let down by the bureaucrats at Build it Back,” the councilman continued. “This program is a complete disaster. Everyone knows it.”

Ulrich, who is openly flirting with a campaign to unseat de Blasio next fall, also said that Build it Back Director “Amy Peterson should resign today and allow new leadership to run the program more effectively. If she won’t resign, Mayor de Blasio should fire her.”

Several elected officials, including de Blasio, quickly came to Peterson’s defense.

“When Mayor de Blasio took office and appointed Amy Peterson to run the program, not one homeowner had received a check or seen construction. That is why this administration immediately overhauled the program and took over direct management – resulting in 80 percent of homeowners served to date. Further, $120 million in reimbursement checks have been issued to residents,” said Raul Contreras, spokesman for the Mayor’s Office. “We are continuing to elevate and rebuild homes across the city to complete the program – as the Mayor committed – by the end of this year.”

And on Monday afternoon, Councilman Mark Treyger (D-Brooklyn) said that “Build it Back may face challenges, but Amy Peterson is not one of them. She deserves much credit for improvement of [the] program post-Bloomberg.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

Elected officials joined the City Housing Recovery Office last week to unveil a pilot program to address abandoned, Superstorm Sandy-damaged properties in several Big Apple communities.

The plan will allow the City to identify and purchase deserted, run-down 1-4 unit homes in one strategically chosen neighborhood in each of the three major Build it Back boroughs: Brighton Beach in Brookly; Edgemere in Queens; and New Dorp on Staten Island.

Properties, HRO Director Amy Peterson noted, will be identified through a canvassing effort outlined below, vetted by a Technical Review Committee, and their owners will be invited to apply to the Build it Back Acquisition Program for further eligibility review, benefit determination, acquisition offer and closing.

“The pilot program is an exciting extension of Build it Back’s work – leveraging federal dollars provided by HUD to solve a local problem that our selected neighborhoods have faced since the storm,” said Amy Peterson, Director of the New York City Housing Recovery Office. “To ignore the abandoned properties would not only negatively impact the homeowners that Build it Back strives to serve, but would ultimately endanger the investment of public dollars used to restore and improve the housing stock in these communities.

According to the administration, the methodology for determining which neighborhoods to target for the program resulted in a focus on Sandy-impacted neighborhoods in which the problem of abandoned properties is most prevalent. To ensure that the selected neighborhoods matched those where the most recovery work is occurring, only neighborhoods where 50 or more Build it Back repair, elevation, rebuild or acquisition applicants reside were considered.

The City has pledged an external physical assessment that will be combined with a review of other relevant property specific information to create a more detailed assessment of potential abandonment.

“While many residents returned to their homes after Sandy, there are still properties that have been abandoned leaving blight right in the middle of our communities,” said City Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton). “Now, Build it Back is stepping up to secure those properties to find better uses for the land in flood zones, so neighborhoods like Edgemere are not left dealing with eyesores. I’d like to thank Amy Peterson for working to identify these homes across the city and finding ways to use that land to lift up these communities.”

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-Brooklyn and Staten Island) added, “We’ve been working with the City of New York to formulate this plan to address the problem of abandoned properties, which have plagued our neighborhoods following Hurricane Sandy. Many buildings were left structurally-unsound by the storm, in danger of collapsing at any moment, and some have served as breeding grounds for harmful mold. We also fielded an unsettling number of complaints of rodent infestation on properties like these. If these buildings are not surveyed, cleaned and repaired, not only will our recovery efforts be impeded, but a new set of health issues could arise in communities full of families that have suffered enough in the storm’s wake.”

By Forum Staff

A routine traffic stop for tinted windows has landed the grandson of late mob boss John Gotti behind bars.

Police officers from the 106th Precinct pulled over Gotti, 23, and his passenger, Shaine Hack, 36, on Cross Bay Boulevard late Thursday afternoon. Gotti’s drivers license came up as suspended, and the pair were subsequently asked to step out of a late-model black Jeep. A search of the vehicle allegedly returned marijuana, hundreds of oxycodone pills, and steroids. Cops also allegedly found a gravity knife, which is illegal in the five boroughs, in the waistband of Hack’s shorts.

Both men were placed under arrest and taken into custody.

Gotti and Hack now face felony drug charges.

By Michael V. Cusenza

A City Police Department Transit cop was found dead on Monday on Long Island, two days after he was accused of raping his 13-year-old niece, according to a published report.

Investigators had been searching for the officer, whose name was not immediately available, since Saturday night, the New York Post said. His body was found in the Hamptons with signs reportedly pointing to suicide.

The officer worked out of Transit District 23, which covers the Fulton Street A Line to Lefferts Boulevard and the Rockaways, and is headquartered at the Beach 116^th Street station in Rockaway Park.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

A recent blog post has sparked a buzz about the Citywide Ferry Service, prospective operators, and the bidding process.

Last Thursday, Crain’s New York Business posted an item on its Insider blog that indicated that the City had selected an out-of-state company to run the Ferry. The story said that the Economic Development Corporation “has climbed aboard with Hornblower Cruises & Events,” tapping the San Francisco-based group to operate the water transit service that is still set to sail next year.

Asked to clarify the Crain’s post that cites sources “close to the process,” EDC spokesman Ian Fried said, “NYCEDC is currently in negotiations around details of the Citywide Ferry Service and I can’t comment further until negotiations are concluded.”

De Blasio unveiled his vision of a new five-borough ferry system that would “knit together existing East River routes with new landings and services to Astoria, the Rockaways, South Brooklyn, Soundview and the Lower East Side” during his State of the City Address last February. Backed by city operating support and a $55 million capital commitment, the project is considered on schedule, with the first three routes set to open in 2017.

“Beyond connecting residents to jobs in Manhattan, our new Citywide Ferry System will spur the development of new commercial corridors throughout the outer boroughs,” de Blasio said last year.

The service will consist of five new ferry routes in addition to the existing East River Ferry, charging a fare of $2.75, according to the EDC. When CFS is fully operational in 2018, the six routes will carry an estimated 4.6 million trips per year. EDC is leading the project by building 10 new ferry landings and renovating six others.

In September, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) called on the City to expand proposed free shuttle bus service to eastern Rockaway and Broad Channel, and consider the possibility of additional ferry docks in Far Rockaway.

The administration indicated that both ideas couldn’t work.

“There is an MTA bridge over which the A Train travels that is in the way, so a ferry would not be able to get further east than [it is currently set to go],” a source said. “And regarding a shuttle, the further east a bus goes, the longer the shuttle ride, making the total commute time longer than a commute would be on the A train. It’s simply not efficient.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

A Brooklyn city councilman has introduced a piece of legislation, part of a larger package of bills, that seeks to protect property owners, lessees, or occupants from receiving fines and penalties from the Department of Buildings while City-operated natural-disaster recovery programs are evaluating, or have already scheduled their properties for repair and/or remediation.

The proposed legislation introduced last week by Councilman Mark Treyger (D-Brooklyn), chairman of the Committee on Recovery and Resiliency, would also create a reimbursement program for anyone who has already been forced to pay a penalty. The bill’s parameters are likely to be expanded to include violations received from other city agencies, including the Department of Sanitation, Treyger noted.

The bill would provide help to many who have dealt with, or are still dealing with, related issues stemming from the effects of Superstorm Sandy, and would also ensure that a fair enforcement policy is already in place in the event of future disasters, he added.

“People waiting for assistance from the City’s Build It Back program should not be issued a violation by the Department of Buildings and forced to pay a fine simply because the program had not yet repaired their property. It undermines the public’s trust, faith and willingness to participate in recovery programs,” Treyger said. “Nobody should be left worse off by the recovery process than if they never participated in it at all, and the onus should be on the City and contractors to comply with rules and regulations related to Sandy recovery work, not residents. When the City makes you wait for repairs, you should not be penalized for it. And, when the City hires a contractor to perform recovery work on your house, you should not be penalized if the City or its contractor fails to do the work properly.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

Members of the City Council whose districts would be impacted by the Citywide Ferry Service slated to set sail in 2017 penned a joint letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier this month to express concerns about the plan and its execution, according to an exclusive New York Daily News report.

The six stressed councilmembers said that the company that wins the bid to operate the service “must provide predictable and on-time service with a fleet large enough so that no one is left on the docks high and dry,” the News wrote in its story posted last Wednesday.

Asked for reaction to the legislators’ worries, City Economic Development Corporation Spokesman Ian Fried told The Forum, “We are currently in negotiations to secure a Citywide Ferry operator that would provide the highest quality service for New Yorkers at the lowest cost. New ferry service will link all five boroughs for the price of a subway fare. It will be a fast, convenient system that will knit together growing communities in need of new public transit options.”

De Blasio unveiled his vision of a new five-borough ferry system that would “knit together existing East River routes with new landings and services to Astoria, the Rockaways, South Brooklyn, Soundview and the Lower East Side” during his State of the City address last February. Backed by City operating support and a $55 million capital commitment, the project is considered on schedule, with the first three routes set to open in 2017.

The service will consist of five new ferry routes in addition to the existing East River Ferry service, charging a fare of $2.75, according to the EDC. When CFS is fully operational in 2018, the six routes will carry an estimated 4.6 million trips per year. EDC is leading the project by building ten new ferry landings and renovating six others.

“Beyond connecting residents to jobs in Manhattan, our new Citywide Ferry System will spur the development of new commercial corridors throughout the outer boroughs,” de Blasio said last year.

“We’re serious about bringing new infrastructure and transportation to communities across the five boroughs,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen. “The new Citywide Ferry System will link together neighborhoods that haven’t had access to affordable and convenient public transit—connecting people and businesses to support the growth of emerging commercial corridors, while helping more New Yorkers access jobs in established business districts. This is an important new investment for our administration, and we’re proud to see it moving ahead rapidly.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week released its highly anticipated study of the A/C Line, including recommendations on how to improve the New York City Transit system’s longest subway line.

Some of the recommendations in the review to improve service reliability, regularity, and customer convenience have already been implemented, according to NYCT, and the division pledged to continue to carry out recommendations over the course of 2016.

The A stretches more than 32 miles between 207^th Street in Inwood and Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway. Combined, the A and C serve 800,000 customers a day. The local C train serves stations from 168^th Street in Washington Heights to Euclid Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn; while the A begins in Inwood and ends at three terminals in south Queens: Ozone Park-Lefferts Boulevard, Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue, and Rockaway Park-Beach 116^th Street.

“The A/C corridor is unique in that the A splits three ways at its eastern end in Queens. It is also exceptionally long and merges several times with other lines,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast. “The combination of these traits along with increasing ridership has affected reliability. I am pleased that this line review has identified a number of opportunities to improve the customer experience on the A/C lines, with actions to improve service management and reliability, station access and conditions, and customer communications.”

In order to improve reliability on both lines in the coming weeks, NYCT has indicated that it plans to facilitate on-time terminal dispatching through new internal communications tools. Platform controllers will also be deployed to Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts in the morning peak. By mid-2016, additional crews will be added to the A Line, when feasible, further improving reliability by increasing the amount of time at terminals crews will have to make their return trips and ensuring that crews will be available for on-time train departures. Timetables will also be adjusted to better reflect actual running times in the morning peak and on weekends to provide more even A Train spacing.

The comprehensive A/C review also noted that the opening of the South Channel Bridge south of the Broad Channel station in Jamaica Bay is a major cause of delays and significant gaps in service on the A, as well as on Rockaway Park S trains. While there are currently short periods of time during the morning and evening rush hours during which the bridge is not opened for maritime traffic, NYCT said it will work with the U.S. Coast Guard to expand these moratorium periods to cover more of the rush hours to reduce delays.

Additionally, long-term plans call for improved communications infrastructure on the A/C Lines. The review recommends prioritizing these planned communications upgrades, pending capital funding, with real-time information in upper Manhattan, new dedicated announcers in Downtown Brooklyn, and expanded information about the three A terminals in Queens with a focus on connections to John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Just 24 hours before the MTA released the A/C report, the agency announced that data show that it reached a new modern record when 6,217,621 customers entered the NYCT subway system on Thursday, Oct. 29.

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Area elected officials last week lauded the efforts of the city Police Department and Queens District Attorney’s Office in taking down more than a dozen reputed members of a violent Rockaway gang.

Thirteen alleged associates and members of the 70Gs/G-Boyz have been indicted on 86 counts of conspiring to murder and assault members of rival street gangs, as well as conspiring to acquire firearms in order to assert and maintain control over a section of Arverne that they considered their territory and to seek revenge for the shooting of their own members, according to Queens DA Richard Brown.

“Gang violence is not welcome on the streets of the Rockaways and today’s arrests should send a message to anyone looking to start or continue any violence in our neighborhood,” said City Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Far Rockaway). “As we bring in more programs to help our youth stay on the right path, we will always rely on the NYPD and the District Attorney to ensure that the perpetrators of any acts of violence are taken off our streets.”

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) noted that his constituents “were right when they requested additional police officers in this year’s city Budget and will be directly benefited by 1,300 new officers at the NYPD, in our city streets and housing projects.”

Brown said that the suspects—who range in age from 16 to 22—allegedly operated between Beach 62nd Street and Beach 73rd Street. During the long-term investigation, law enforcement officers used wire taps and monitored conversations on social media pages belonging to gang members. Gang members allegedly discussed on social media shootings that were being planned or bragged afterwards about the shootings. In one instance, Brown noted, 70Gs member Joshua Simon, 21, fired shots at rival gang members on April 13, 2014, and accidentally hit another individual; he took to social media to apologize to the victim for the shooting and admitted that he had made a mistake.

Authorities also listened to recorded telephone conversations made from Rikers Island. In two separate instances, Simon allegedly admitted that he, along with codefendant Michael Motta, 23, shot a rival gang member on Feb. 17, 2014.

In a separate seven-count indictment, Motta is also charged with attempted murder and other charges for firing a stolen 9mm gun multiple times at rival gang members as they sat in a vehicle outside PS 42 at the intersection of 65th Street and Thursby Avenue. When a police officer identified himself as such and directed Motta to drop his firearm, Motta allegedly pointed the gun at the cop before dropping it. The firearm contained one live round in the chamber and five live rounds in the magazine.

Brown ripped the suspects for “turning the streets of Rockaway into the Wild West.”

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton characterized the case “as a warning to those who use the streets of New York City as their personal battleground” for criminal activity.

“[T]he NYPD has no tolerance for such violent acts and we will use all available resources to remove you from our neighborhoods in order to make this city safe and fair everywhere for everyone.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Inclement conditions last weekend did not deter members of the Broad Channel, Breezy Point and Rockaways communities from descending on the Broad Channel Athletic Club for the 2015 Relay for Life.

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life fundraising events involve teams that camp out overnight and take turns walking or running around a track or path at a local high school, park or fairground. Events are up to 24 hours long, and because cancer never sleeps, ACS noted, each team is asked to have at least one participant on the track at all times.

According to the Broad Channel, Breezy Point and Rockaways chapter, nearly $80,000 was raised this year.

“That is outstanding!!” the chapter said. “Relay for Life symbolizes a cancer patient’s journey; we faced adversity through the weather and we powered on, we didn’t stop because cancer patients cannot stop. We took that last lap at 6 am with the sun rising with hope in our hearts. Hope, strength and determination, just like our heroes undergoing treatment. Thank you is not big enough for the gratitude we feel towards everyone involved in the Relay.”

By Michael V. Cusenza michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

The de Blasio administration this week poured water on one area elected official’s idea to immediately bring back ferry service to the Rockaways.

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) said that while he welcomes Mayor Bill de Blasio’s vision of a five-borough ferry system, which is set to hit the seas in 2017, he is “left wondering what the people of the Rockaways will do for this year and 2016. The summer season especially promotes tourism and the local economy. We need those benefits to continue rebuilding from [Superstorm] Sandy, and a ferry brings in consumers to do just that.”

Addabbo pointed to the unused U.S. Coast Guard dock in Fort Tilden in Breezy Point as a possible landing pier for the temporary ferry. In order to install a new permanent dock for the five-borough service, city agencies would have to conduct environmental impact studies, Addabbo noted, which would only add extra time “the community cannot afford.”

Addabbo said that the Fort Tilden berth requires no study, and could be the “smart, practical” option in the interim.

“A ferry operator could start pulling boats up tomorrow,” Addabbo said. “There is parking for Rockaway residents wanting to travel off the peninsula and Gateway Beach nearby for beach visitors coming in.”

But the administration told The Forum on Monday that Addabbo’s idea doesn’t hold water.

“A stand-alone route is just not financially viable, as previous service has proven,” said Wiley Norvell, a de Blasio spokesman. “What will ultimately make ferry service to the Rockaways affordable to commuters and sustainable for the city is to knit it into a full citywide network, increasing ridership and lowering costs per trip dramatically. We are working to bring that service online as soon as possible.”

According to the Mayor’s Office, the city subsidy required for the post-Sandy Rockaway Ferry service was between $25 and $30 per passenger trip. The new service will require a fraction of that, making it sustainable long-term.

Still, Addabbo said that he “cannot see a downside” to his short-term solution.

“Transportation as we know is limited on the peninsula and I have always said a ferry is our most realistic, viable option,” he added. “While we wait for a permanent ferry service, it’s important we have this option during our busy summer season.”

By Michael V. Cusenza michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

If recent statements are any indication, the push to bring Bus Rapid Transit to the Cross Bay-Woodhaven Corridor seems to be gaining momentum.

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and the Borough Board this week included the mass-transit project among its recommendations for adopted budget priorities that were submitted to the mayor and City Council.

And last Thursday, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for up to $100 million in federal funding to help bring Bus Rapid Transit to Woodhaven Boulevard.

Known in New York as Select Bus Service, BRT has been billed by the city Department of Transportation and Metropolitan Transportation Authority as a cost-effective approach to transit service that cities use to make riding the bus more like a subway. BRT aims to improve speed, reliability, and passenger comfort and convenience. The DOT and MTA have implemented BRT routes throughout the city since 2008.

Schumer said that, in addition to improving bus service and dependability, the Woodhaven project would make the corridor safer for commuters from the Rockways to Howard Beach, and to Woodhaven and Woodside, noting that these neighborhoods have long suffered from a lack of adequate subway service.

“Of the more than 400,000 people living within a half-mile of the [Woodhaven BRT] project corridor, 60 percent of workers commute to work using public transit and 40 percent of the households do not have access to a vehicle,” Schumer said. “Every day, more than 31,000 people ride the bus along the corridor; however, their trips are often slow and challenging due to congestion and the lack of dedicated transit facilitates on the street. Additionally, the layout of the street makes the current system unsafe for pedestrians. Between 2008 and 2012 alone, there were over 3,000 injuries and 17 fatalities, 13 of which were pedestrians.”

In a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, Schumer urged the U.S. DOT to accept the Woodhaven project into the Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts program, making it eligible for 50-percent federal funding. The city DOT has already applied to the program, with Schumer supporting the application. The Woodhaven BRT price tag is estimated to be in the $200 million range.

“The planned project will be New York City’s most ambitious SBS route to date,” Schumer said. “While final design has not yet been completed, the project is likely to include dedicated bus lanes, high-quality median bus stations, off-board fare collection, and pedestrian safety improvements, and will dramatically improve transit service along the corridor and quality of life of the nearby neighborhoods. The service will also provide an important connection to the Rockaways, which…have limited transit options.”

While final design has not yet been completed, the project is likely to include dedicated bus lanes, high-quality median bus stations, off-board fare collection, and pedestrian safety improvements.

Schumer added that the “Bus Rapid Transit plan can turn this corridor from a transportation desert to a transportation oasis for tens of thousands of Queens residents, and also be a boon for local property value and area businesses.”

By Michael V. Cusenza michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

More than two years after Sandy and with many families still struggling to rebuild their homes, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D – Rockaway Beach) has introduced legislation extending a waiver of city law requiring construction plans be approved by the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals.

In 2013, Goldfeder introduced the bill creating a waiver of BSA approval requirements in response to the hundreds of Breezy Point families facing delays in rebuilding their homes after Superstorm Sandy. That July, local residents, community leaders, and elected officials rallied to urge Governor Cuomo to sign the bill into law, leading to the Governor signing the bill that same day. Goldfeder secured an additional one- year extension to the provision in 2014; however, that extension is set to expire in July of 2015.

“Two years after Sandy, so many families in Breezy Point are still not back in their homes,” said Goldfeder. “The last thing they need as they struggle to recover is to be held up by the bureaucracy of the city’s permitting process. By extending this waiver, our families can rest assured that this unnecessary red tape will not keep them from rebuilding.”

Under the proposal, the city’s Department of Buildings would be allowed to continue to sign off on certain Superstorm Sandy rebuilding without the property owner needing to first obtain approval from the BSA, a process that can take up to a year to complete; ordinarily, the unique size and shape of property lots in Breezy Point requires BSA approval before beginning such projects.The waiver’s extension could also expedite the pace of rebuilds under the city’s Build it Back program. This comes as a great relief to the beachfront cooperative, which saw 135 homes destroyed by fire and hundreds more devastated by flooding during Sandy.

“I will continue to fight and extend this waiver until every last family is back in their home and our community has been rebuilt stronger than ever,” said Goldfeder.

By Forum Staff

Senator Charles Schumer and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder this week urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to immediately hold public community forums regarding plans for the Rockaway Reformulation Study. Two and a half years ago, Superstorm Sandy devastated communities surrounding Jamaica Bay, however, the Army Corps of Engineers has not yet held any public meetings on a study that addresses the need for future waterfront protection. Photo courtesy of the Offices of U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder.

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder this week urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to immediately hold public community forums regarding their plans for the long-delayed Rockaway Reformulation Study.  Two and a half years ago, Superstorm Sandy devastated communities surrounding Jamaica Bay, however, the Army Corps of Engineers has not yet held any public meetings on a study that addresses the need for future waterfront protection.

The federally-funded Rockaway Reformulation Study will ultimately determine a long-term, cost-effective solution for erosion control and coastal protection projects along the Atlantic Coast, between East Rockaway Inlet, Rockaway Inlet, and Jamaica Bay. While the reformulation study dates back to a 2003 agreement with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, it has been subjected to various delays in funding and implementation. In the Sandy Supplemental Appropriation of 2013, Senator Schumer secured full federal funding to complete the study and construction of the preferred alternative.  For months, the Army Corps has said that they intend to provide public forums for residents to review suggested project alternatives, but so far meetings have not been scheduled. Schumer and Goldfeder said that the Army Corps should immediately provide those forums so that impacted residents can review the plans and project alternatives and provide experts with necessary community input as they continue to rebuild after Superstorm Sandy.

“Rockaway residents, many of whom are still feeling the devastating impact of Superstorm Sandy, deserve to know about the full details of this federally-funded ‘Reformulation Study,’ which will help create much-needed resiliency projects to better withstand the next monster storm,” said Senator Schumer. “The Army Corps should hold community meetings ASAP on the ‘Rockaway Reformulation Study’ to educate the community and to get their input.”

“More than two years have passed since Sandy devastated Rockaway and our struggling communities are still waiting for the Army Corps of Engineers long-term resiliency plans for our waterfronts,” said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder. “Our families should have the chance to see the plans they have been waiting for and provide valuable input to ensure long term protection.”

By Forum Staff

DA Richard Brown identified the defendant as George Spigner, 23, of Arverne. A jury this week convicted the defendant of first-degree robbery and third-degree grand larceny following a two-week long trial before Queens Supreme Court Justice Gregory L. Lasak, who will sentence the defendant on April 22, 2015. Spigner is facing 10 to 25 years in prison.

According to trial testimony, the defendant, along with three other unapprehended males, stormed into the boardwalk concession stand with guns and knives and their faces concealed with hoodies or masks. Spigner yelled out to the four employees present that this was a stick up. The manager entered soon afterwards and was forced to open the safe in the back. The assailants took off with just over $4,000 in cash and an Apple iPad. Despite the mask worn by the defendant, who was slated to work the next day, his fellow co-workers recognized him.

Lenard Crudup, 22, a reputed member of the Rowdy Gang, was convicted earlier this month of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child.

According to trial testimony, Crudup was seen standing in the street in front of the Dix McBride Apartments just after 1 a.m. on Aug. 3, 2013, and firing several shots into the front courtyard, one of which struck 10-year-old Brianna Palmer above the hip. She was taken to an area hospital and treated for her injuries.  The police recovered two .380 caliber casings and one fired bullet from the scene of the shooting.

“The defendant has now been held accountable for recklessly and indiscriminately firing a gun into a courtyard and striking a young girl,” Brown said in a statement. “He has proven himself to be a menace to others and, as such, the lengthy prison sentence will protect society from further harm by him.”