Mayor Bill de Blasio visited some of the damaged houses after the Nov. 30, 2019 disaster.

By Michael V. Cusenza

As the one-year anniversary of the South Queens sewage flood disaster approaches, attorneys for many of the homeowners affected by the incident say the City has failed to negotiate in good faith to pay for the damage incurred in their residences.

“Incredulously, the City’s reason for offering less than fair market value on everything that was lost, which had to be replaced and rebuilt, was that our clients do not all have a complete inventory of lost items with photographs of the items,” said Craig Phemister of Napoli Shkolnik PLLC. “The City’s position is abhorrent, given that the City is the one who rushed in to remove all the contaminated items. The City should have been the ones to properly inventory and photograph the removed items before disposing of them.”

In a December 2019 Department of Environmental Protection report, the City admitted that the collapse of an old pipe installed 32 years ago 40 feet underground along 150th Street near South Conduit Avenue caused an extensive flood of raw sewage on Nov. 30, 2019 that damaged more than 70 homes in South Ozone Park and Jamaica.

The DEP even stated in the analysis that it “accepts responsibility” for the calamity.

The City has confirmed that more than 70 homes in South Ozone Park and Jamaica were affected by flooding. File Photo

Napoli Shkolnik has filed a lawsuit “against the City to recover all that was lost and had to be replaced or repaired due to the City’s negligence in installing and maintaining the sewage system in Ozone Park,” Phemister said.

“It is imperative that the City take action on this, as they promised they would,” he added.

According to the DEP, the “road collapsing due to the subsidence of overburden demonstrates that the 42-inch sewer constructed in 1987 is significantly collapsed, and that any other cause for the November 30th blockage is extremely unlikely.”

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 Ulrich secured $1.5 million in capital funding for the exhaustive project.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Significant, long-awaited sewer infrastructure upgrades on a Lindenwood street should be wrapped up by the end of the month, City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) recently noted.

“The capital project I announced several weeks ago at the intersection of 79th Street / Shore Parkway should be completed by Thanksgiving week,” Ulrich posted on Twitter last Wednesday night. “This will bring much needed relief to the area.”

In September, Ulrich and City Department of Environmental Protection officials announced the upgrades after examining a familiar eyesore at the northeast corner of the intersection of 157th Avenue and 79th Street, where the slowly sinking roadbed has been perilous for pedestrians and motorists alike for years.

The councilman secured $1.5 million in capital funding for the agency for an exhaustive project that will make significant drainage improvements and level the “sinking” blocks.

Both DEP and the Department of Transportation have mended the area several times since 2014, but the road eventually continued to descend. Area residents have fretted about the swath of street depreciating into a massive sinkhole.

“Patches have been done by DOT [and] DEP to fix the street and sidewalk, but a full restoration really needed to be done and thanks to the Council Member, [there is] now funding [for] it in FY 2020 capital plan to get that placed,” DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza, P.E. said.

Ulrich said the completed project will afford area residents a more permanent solution.

“This is one of the most notorious flooding locations in the district. This area has been sunken in for a very long time. DEP and DOT have done their best to patch over the area to mitigate some of flooding, but the blocks continued to sink,” he added.

Community leaders said they’ll be pleased with the “comprehensive fix.”

“This has been a safety concern for us—for people who want to cross here, for people who want to park here, [and] for people who drive down this street when it is dark,” said Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic Association President Joann Ariola-Shanks.

“You are going to have to go back and study the history books to come up with a session that did more good than this session did,” Gov. Cuomo declared on Friday.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Ever since the 2019 Legislative Session wrapped up last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Democrat-led Legislature have seemingly been on a victory lap, touting “historic progressive accomplishments” notched during what Cuomo has called the most productive Albany legislative confab “in modern political history.”
Even Mayor Bill de Blasio was effusive in his praise of the Executive and the Legislature.
“We haven’t seen a session this daring, productive, and progressive in decades,” Hizzoner gushed Friday.
Hyperbole aside, said “accomplishments” included:
• Passed the Jose R. Peralta DREAM Act, giving undocumented New York students the same advantages afforded to their citizen peers, including access to the Tuition Assistance Program and State-administered scholarships.
• Passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, creating what Cuomo has characterized as “the most aggressive climate change program in the nation” with goals to: reach zero carbon emissions in the electricity sector by 2040; and directs State entities to work toward a goal of investing 40 percent of clean energy and energy efficiency resources to benefit disadvantaged communities. Additionally, the law creates the Climate Action Council comprised of the leaders of various state agencies and authorities as well as legislative appointments to develop a plan outlining how the State will achieve an 85 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2050, and eventually net zero emissions in all sectors of the economy.
• Made permanent the 2 percent property tax cap, building upon the approximate $25 billion in taxpayer savings since it was implemented in 2012.
• Funded the Metropolitan Transportation Authority with an estimated $25 billion raised through a promised congestion pricing plan, a new progressive mansion tax, and the elimination of the internet tax advantage.
• Enacted legislation in support of LGBTQ rights, including the elimination of the gay and trans panic defense—closing a loophole in State law that allowed individuals to use the gay and trans panic defenses after attacking another based upon that victim’s gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The governor also signed into law the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act and a ban on LGBTQ conversion therapy.
• Enacted additional sexual harassment protections via a package of reforms that will lower the high bar set for employees to hold employers accountable under the New York Human Rights Law for sexual harassment by amending the requirement that conduct be “severe or pervasive” to constitute actionable conduct; extend the statute of limitations for employment sexual harassment claims filed with the Division of Human Rights from one year to three years; and protect employees’ rights to pursue complaints by mandating that all non-disclosure agreements in employment contracts include language stating that employees may still participate in government investigations conducted by local, state, and federal anti-discrimination agencies
• Enacted legislation extending the statute of limitations for second- and third-degree rape and expanding the civil statute of limitations for claims related to these offenses, allowing victims greater opportunity to obtain justice.
• Increased school aid by more than $1 billion, bringing total school aid to a record $27.9 billion. In addition, Cuomo noted that new reporting requirements will address imbalances in the distribution of resources by prioritizing funding at the individual school level in order to advance a more transparent, equitable education system.
• Delivered criminal justice reform by, among other aspects, eliminating cash bail for misdemeanors and non-violent offenses, ensuring the right to a speedy trial, and transforming the discovery process.
“This was I believe, the most productive session in modern political history. You are going to have to go back and study the history books to come up with a session that did more good than this session did,” Cuomo added on Friday in an end-of-session media availability in the Red Room of the Capitol. “We laid out a 100-day agenda back in last December and said that this is a moment where we can make great change. You know change comes when the planets line up and the people are ready for change. Change is hard. The status quo is very difficult to overcome. It takes a lot of energy. It takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of advocacy. And it takes a lot of intelligence because it is not just, I want to change. Change to what? And what are the consequences of that change? It’s not just the political intent to make a change. It’s the legal effect of what that change is. It goes from politics to government. The political part is easy. I want to make change. Okay, the governmental part is hard. How do you do it and what are the consequences, et cetera? But we did it and the people were ready for change.”

We’re people too.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Police were able to set the Howard Beach community at ease on Monday after several erroneous reports of a major shooting incident on Cross Bay Boulevard were splashed across social media platforms and even major newspaper screens, leading to at least one school lockdown.

“Nobody got shot in Howard Beach, residents were safe the whole time,” 106th Precinct Community Affairs Officer Mark Competello told The Forum.

According to police reports, a man was driving his SUV westbound on the Belt Parkway within the confines of the 113th Precinct on Monday morning when another vehicle pulled up to him and the driver unloaded three shots at the SUV.

The SUV driver then exited the parkway and flagged down the first cop he saw at Cross Bay Boulevard and 156th Avenue to report the incident. The motorist was not injured, cops said. However, he was taken into custody when records revealed an outstanding warrant attached to his name.

Saint Helen Catholic Academy in Rockwood Park was on temporary lockdown as a result of the activity in the area.

By Michael V. Cusenza

The commanding officer of the 106th Precinct told The Forum this week that his officers will soon meet with the owners/operators of the tractor trailers that seem to clog up both North and South Conduit avenues in South Ozone Park.
“We are aware of the situation and have visited the location,” Capt. Brian Bohannon said on Tuesday. “The trailers are moved frequently. We will sit down with management to discuss these issues.”
Residents have raised concerns about the problem in the past, noting the danger posed by the presence of detached trailers at busy intersections along both thoroughfares.
“It is not right how these owners of about 5-10 trucks have no regard for people’s safety,” one anonymous resident recently wrote to the blog Queens Crap. “Tell me how drivers can see oncoming traffic with these trucks illegally parked.”
It seems to be an enforcement issue. According to City Department of Transportation Traffic Rules, “Street storage of boat trailers, mobile homes and mobile medical diagnostic vehicles prohibited;” and “Street storage of vehicles prohibited.”

Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza

By Michael V. Cusenza

Lindenwood community leaders and elected officials have enthusiastically approved the City Department of Transportation’s proposal to turn a dangerous traffic triangle into a safer mini roundabout.
The Howard Beach-Lindenwood Civic, Community Board 10, City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) and State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) all gave the green light to the plan late last week.
“Everyone’s on board,” civic President Joann Ariola told The Forum on Tuesday.
Poor visibility and the confusing, labyrinthine configuration of the traffic triangle at the intersection of 153rd Avenue and 88th Street have sparked accidents and myriad near-misses for many years, area residents have noted.
“It’s a problem,” Ariola sighed. “I’ve lived here my whole life and even I’ve taken a wrong turn there.”
According to the DOT proposal, the mini roundabout features: new crossings with painted refuge islands and curb extensions; additional pedestrian space; flush medians; and striped parking lanes.
And the benefits of the plan include: new shorter crossings clarify pedestrian paths and expand the pedestrian network; calms traffic on all approaches to intersection; reduces speeding by narrowing travel lanes with painted parking lanes and flush medians; large, painted pedestrian area provides a new public space to the community.
“The ins and outs of the traffic pattern will be evident,” Ariola said.
A brightly decorated centerpiece will also be noticeable when the project is completed in time for the start of the 2018-2019 school year. The City has promised to install flower boxes and other amenities at the intersection. The civic has pledged to maintain it.
“So it’s going to be a beautification site as well as a safer place for motorists and pedestrians,” Ariola added.
The redesign of the Lindenwood traffic triangle has been a long time coming. For years, community leaders and elected officials have implored DOT to do something to enhance pedestrian and driver safety at the intersection. Ariola noted that the reconfiguration is the product of a public-private partnership.
“This really is the perfect example of community and government working together,” she said.

Or what about someone who knew the young man who was behind the wheel—perhaps his parent, a sibling or a girlfriend. They were gripped with overwhelming panic and anxiety.
And how about one of the owners or the management team at Howard Plaza Shopping Center, assigned blame for something they took every conceivable measure to prevent.
Perhaps we should all look toward expanding the traditional inferences of looking both ways — when we cross into the dangerous path of vehicles, and when we cross the harmful lines of disseminating false information.
We hope Sandy Rosenthal continues on the path to a full recovery.
We hope the young man who was driving realizes the error of his ways and in the days ahead can come to terms with what he did in a moment of recklessness that cost both he and the Rosenthal family such pain.
And we hope that when you step off a curb you take a moment to turn your head in every direction to ensure your safety. And that when you step out onto the highway of information, you resist the temptations of dangerous and harmful speculation.
Just look both ways.

The victim, her family, the driver and his family, all of whose lives will be inexorably marked by a few minutes in a neighborhood strip mall. The saddest part of all is that it could easily have been prevented.

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.

Subway and bus riders rallied at the State capitol on Monday with elected officials for a sustainable funding source and credible long-term plan to fix the subway.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Elected officials joined public transit advocates on Monday in Albany in a rally demanding that long-term funds to fix the crumbling city subway system be allocated in this year’s State Budget.

On the steps outside the Assembly chamber, subway and bus customers wore green T-shirts and carried signs imploring Gov. Andrew Cuomo to “Fix the Subway” and “Fund Public Transit.”

“This budget season, Gov. Cuomo needs to end the transit crisis that is undermining New Yorkers’ ability to get around the city,” said Rebecca Bailin, campaign manager for the Riders Alliance, a leading straphanger advocacy group that organized Monday’s event. “Subway riders are beyond tired of packed subway cars. Signal problems, track malfunctions and tunnel fires slow commutes, cause sick people to miss doctors’ appointments and parents their children’s school events. Only a substantial infusion of new revenue from a sustainable, progressive source can modernize the subway signal system and purchase new subway cars.”

On Monday, rally speakers chastised Cuomo for releasing a Preliminary Executive Budget last month that did not outline long-term transit funding.

“Our mass transit system is at a critical juncture due to years of neglect and underfunding. Now that there is a broad consensus on the need for additional resources, we cannot squander this opportunity to achieve a real solution,” said State Sen. Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria). “The budget process cannot be allowed to conclude without a sustainable and dedicated funding stream for our subways and buses.”

In January, Cuomo’s Fix NYC Advisory Panel – a mix of community representatives, government officials, and business leaders from across the region tasked with developing recommendations to address the severe traffic congestion problems in Manhattan’s central business district and identify sources of long-term, sustainable revenue to modernize public transit – released its highly anticipated report that endorses a congestion-pricing plan to relax traffic bottlenecks on Midtown Manhattan streets and help subsidize the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s overhaul of the city’s antiquated subway system.

The Riders Alliance came out in support of the Fix NYC plan that could raise $1.5 billion annually. But the group said this week that true change in public transportation in the five boroughs needs to start immediately.

“It is up to the governor to put these recommendations into his budget proposal now before the Legislature,” RA noted.

And many lawmakers agreed.

“Straphangers deserve a reliable system and not another ‘summer of hell’ that can transform itself into years of chaos,” added State Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst).

According to the report, job losses were partially offset by employment gains in construction.

By Forum Staff

The City economy apparently hit the snooze button late last year, as gross city product grew only 1.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017 (October through December), according to an analysis released on Thursday by Comptroller Scott Stringer.
In the final three months of 2017, during which the national economy expanded by 2.6 percent, private-sector employers in the five boroughs shed 17,300 jobs, including 15,700 gigs in mediфum-wage industries, according to the comptroller’s Quarterly Economic Update. For all of 2017, Big Apple private-sector employers added jobs 71,400 in 2017, compared to 83,600 new private-sector jobs in 2016. However, as Stringer pointed out, employment losses were partially offset by job gains in construction industries and financial activities.
Further findings in the fourth quarter update include:
Unemployment Declines across City: The unemployment rate fell in all five boroughs to their lowest fourth-quarter levels in at least 12 years, with Queens leading the way at 3.7 percent.
Average Hourly Earnings and Personal Income Tax Collections Rose: Changes to the U.S. tax code at the beginning of 2018 appear to have had a significant impact on personal income tax collections at the end of 2017, Stringer noted. Beginning in tax year 2018, taxpayers will lose the ability to deduct more than $10,000 in state and local taxes, he warned.
On a year-over-year basis, personal income taxes withheld from paychecks rose 16.2 percent to more than $2.2 billion in the fourth quarter, while estimated tax payments, which reflect trends in taxpayers’ non-wage income, including interest earned, rental income, and capital gains, more than doubled.
Average hourly earnings of all private NYC employees, another proxy for personal income, rose 3.7 percent on a year-over-year basis to $35.52 in the last quarter of 2017, the biggest fourth-quarter gain since 2008.
Housing Market Prices Increase in Outer Boroughs: Unlike Manhattan, housing market prices increased slightly in Brooklyn to $948,706. Similarly in Queens, the average sales price rose 8.9 percent to $624,698.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority Bus Ridership Continued Decline: Average weekday ridership on MTA NYC Transit fell 0.9 percent in October and November of 2017 from a year ago, as bus ridership fell 3.4 percent. During the same period, ridership on the Long Island Rail Road fell 0.5 percent, but increased 0.1 percent on Metro North.
For the entirety of 2017 through November, Stringer noted, average weekly ridership fell 1.2 percent on MTA subways and 5.5 percent on the buses.
Leading Economic Indicators are Positive: The City’s leading economic indicators were mixed, but implied continued expansion, according to the comptroller. The current business condition index provided by ISM-New York, Inc. (which measures the current state of the economy from the perspective of business procurement professionals) fell to 55.3 percent in the fourth quarter, below the 56.4 percent in the prior quarter. However, Stringer explained that a reading greater than 50 percent indicates growth.
“The weakness in employment growth should serve as a reminder that the robust rate of job creation in the city over the last several years won’t continue forever,” Stringer added. “We will continue to monitor the economy’s condition closely, but this quarter’s results highlight the need for prudence in the management of our finances.”

Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and her colleagues recently voted 47-0 in favor of instituting a public alert system for hit-and-run incidents.

By Michael V. Cusenza

The City Council recently approved several pieces of proposed legislation, including a bill that calls for the creation of a public alert system for hit-and-run incidents.
Introduction 1463-A, which passed the City’s legislative body last week by a 47-0 tally, would require the City to establish a system, similar to America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER) Alerts, to notify the public and media of hit-and-run incidents resulting in serious injury or fatality, in order to assist in the identification of drivers responsible for these events.
“From January to September, 42 hit-and-run crashes were reported and only 18 arrests were made. We cannot tolerate these crimes knowing that families are left destroyed and mourning the loss of a loved one,” said Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Manhattan), chairman of the Council Transportation Committee and the sponsor of the measure. “This irresponsible driving behavior has triggered me to advocate for an alert system for the purpose of increasing the number of hit-and-run arrests in NYC. Using technology already available to us to make New Yorkers aware of hit-and-run crashes that resulted in severe physical harm or death will make the more than eight million New Yorkers a resource for the NYPD in finding the suspect.”
The bill was inspired by Jean Paul Guerrero, a.k.a. DJ Jinx Paul, a popular Latin radio personality who was killed in Brooklyn in a hit-and-run on Dec. 19, 2016. He was 39 years old.
Kevin Ozoria, 28, has been charged as the alleged driver in the fatal accident.
Additionally on Thursday, the council voted in favor of a bill that would officially deem “revenge porn” illegal. Sponsored by Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest), Intro. 1267-A would prohibit the nonconsensual distribution of sexually explicit videos or images of another person, with the intent to cause harm to the person depicted in such videos or images. The bill also prohibits any legitimate threat to do so. The measure creates both a criminal penalty and a civil cause of action, and contains limited exceptions, Lancman noted.
“With passage of this landmark legislation, New York City finally calls revenge porn exactly what it is: a crime,” said Lancman, chairman of the Committee on Courts and Legal Services. “For too long, our laws failed to keep up with our technology, leaving victims of revenge porn unable to seek justice and hold perpetrators accountable. That changes today. Criminalizing revenge porn will ensure New Yorkers are protected and those who take part in this despicable conduct will face serious consequences. I commend the victim advocates, law enforcement personnel and revenge porn survivors who raised their voices to make this day a reality.”
The council also approved legislation that would require City employees and contractors to protect all identifying information—including contact information, sexual orientation, religion, and immigration status—by limiting its collection, disclosure, and retention, except where required by law. Requests for the collection or disclosure of identifying information would be processed by a newly established privacy officer within each agency who would analyze whether the collection or disclosure would further the purpose or mission of the agency.

Xylique Lovelace-Loney was killed when two cars collided Sunday night at the intersection of Sutter Avenue and 80th Street.

By Michael V. Cusenza

An 18-year-old man was killed and another young man was injured late Saturday night in a two-vehicle crash at an infamous Ozone Park intersection, according to police and published reports.

Xylique Lovelace-Loney was driving eastbound on Sutter Avenue shortly after 10 p.m. when his car collided with an auto heading northbound on 80th Street, cops said. The jarring impact sent both vehicles into parked cars.

After firefighters cut Lovelace-Loney out of his sedan, emergency medical service personnel rushed him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he later died. The other driver, 21, suffered minor injuries.

Residents who live near the crash site said the intersection is notoriously dangerous.

“There’s been so many accidents here. I don’t even let the kids play out in the front,” Rondel Boodram told CBS New York. “My wife has petitioned to get a four-way stop sign and nothing, so we’re hoping this tragic event helps us get a stop sign or stoplight here. It’s crazy.”

On Sunday morning, City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) called the accident “every parent’s worst nightmare,” and indicated that he would be meeting with officials from the City Department of Transportation and 106th Precinct this week “to see if there is any way to make this intersection safer.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

The summer crime story of the 106th Precinct was a relatively blissfully quiet tale, according to command brass who on Tuesday delivered statistics to area residents at the Howard Beach-Lindenwood Civic meeting at St. Helen Catholic Academy.

“The summer was pretty slow,” said Capt. Michael Edmonds, executive officer of the precinct.

Overall, complaints for major index crimes – murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny, and grand larceny auto – are down by more than 100, year to date, compared to the same period in 2016.

“That’s pretty much because of the eyes and ears of my cops,” Edmonds added.

The XO later extolled the benefits of Neighborhood-Based Policing, which was instituted in the 106 in July.

“It’s definitely been working out,” he said.

Captain Edmonds also noted that thanks in large part to the new Neighborhood-Based Policing approach, response times in the south Queens command has plummeted to approximately five minutes from nine minutes just a year ago. This statistic elicited loud cheers from all inside St. Helen’s cafeteria.

In other civic meeting developments, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) noted that she’s gearing up for an upcoming special conference in Albany to discuss the funding of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Pheffer Amato pledged to raise the subject of reactivating the long-defunct 3.5 mile Rockaway Beach Rail Line, which, before it was shuttered in 1962, connected Rockaway and southern Queens with Rego Park, provided area residents with expedient access to other parts of the city, and 40-minute commutes to Midtown Manhattan from the Rockaway Peninsula.

The transformed track would be known as QueensRail.

“If it ever has the chance to get on the books, it’s kind of right now,” the assemblywoman said on Tuesday evening. “We can’t keep investing in the same system; we have to have an alternative.”

Pheffer Amato also mentioned that groups supporting the concept of the QueensWay project – converting the abandoned RBRL into a $120 million public park, similar to the Highline in Chelsea, boasting trails and amenities – have not been amenable to compromise.

“We met with them, and they really weren’t budging,” she said.

Still, the assemblywoman indicated that she has faith that the underfunded underdogs will emerge victorious.

“I’m not concerned with their fancy brochures and buttons – we are the voice of the people,” Pheffer Amato added. “I do believe in [the QueensRail]. I do believe transportation will prevail.”

The LIC North ferry landing at Gantry Park is projected to have the highest ridership outside of Manhattan, estimated to service approximately 4,000 daily trips.

By Michael V. Cusenza

The Citywide Ferry landing for Long Island City North will be located off of Center Boulevard in Gantry Plaza State Park, the City Economic Development Corporation announced this week.

The EDC has indicated that it is in coordination with the State Parks Department to site the LIC North ferry landing adjacent to “a densely populated residential core.” The LIC North ferry landing is projected to have the highest ridership outside of Manhattan, estimated to service approximately 4,000 daily riders.

“The Citywide Ferry is a much-needed service to address some of the transit shortfalls in Queens. The Long Island City landing spot will be a boon for residents and businesses of the fastest growing neighborhood in New York City,” said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. “Our challenge in government has been to help ensure infrastructure keeps up with demand, and we’re pleased the project is on track to launch next year.”

The LIC North ferry landing, according to EDC, is part of the route which is scheduled to launch next summer.

“Citywide Ferry Service will provide increased transportation options for commuters in Western Queens—and the cost of a boat ride to Midtown or Wall Street will be the same as a trip on the subway,” said City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside). “All five boroughs will be better connected because of this new initiative. Long Island City is growing rapidly, and its residents need a variety of transportation options. I’m thrilled to announce this location and expand Citywide Ferry Service in our neighborhoods.”

EDC indicated that the current ferry landing in Hunters Point South will continue to be part of East River Ferry operations until its integration into the larger Citywide Ferry Service network in 2017.

“Community Board 2 would like to thank the EDC as well as our elected officials for bringing the new ferry landing to Long Island City. This ferry landing is a welcome addition to our growing transportation needs and is an excellent alternative for residents and consumers that use our subway and bus lines,” said Community Board 2 Chairwoman Denise Keehan-Smith. “We look forward to working with EDC in the future as they consider additional locations as our population continues to grow. Providing efficient transportation to and from the area is a critical need and we believe this addition is a step in the right direction.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in March that the seaborne service is on track for a 2017 start date. The Phase I Rockaway, Astoria, and south Brooklyn routes will be ready for the first 2017 voyages. When fully operational by 2018, the Citywide Ferry Service will carry an estimated 4.6 million trips per year across six routes.

The plan still is for the ferry to be pegged to the price of a MetroCard, and launch at $2.75 per trip. The project is expected to cost approximately $325 million. The City has said that it is investing $55 million in infrastructure upgrades, including building 10 new ferry landings and rehabilitating six others; and that it is also providing $30 million in operating support per year, over a period of six years.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

The two bumps will be placed on 98^th Street between Jamaica Avenue and Park Lane South.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Could these long-awaited bumps in a Woodhaven road be headed for a mountain of trouble?

The City Department of Transportation this week began to prepare 98^th Street between Jamaica Avenue and Park Lane South for the installation of two raised speed reducers – speed bumps – and perhaps some well-earned peace of mind for the area residents that have been begging for the safety measures for nearly five years.

According to DOT, a raised speed reducer is a raised area of a roadway that deflects both the wheels and frame of a traversing vehicle with the purpose of reducing vehicle speeds.

But these southern borough bumps might not be ready for their close-up just yet.

Community Board 9 Member Alex Blenkinsopp on Tuesday noticed something strange about the designated positions of the speed bumps and made the City and Woodhaven residents aware through social media.

“Oddly, @NYC_DOT is placing 1 speed bump at very beginning of the block, & 1 at very end. A 1,000-foot straightaway separates them. Why?” Blenkinsopp asked.

DOT answered with a link that contained information on “speed reducer criteria & feasibility.”

“Doesn’t make sense to slow cars before they can pick up speed, & to hide a bump just beyond a curve after a long uninterrupted stretch,” Blenkinsopp said. “@NYC_DOT took YEARS to pick locations for these bumps & this was what they came up with? I don’t get it. Why not consult the residents?”

The agency has yet to respond to that last inquiry.

Blenkinsopp told The Forum on Wednesday that he’s already heard from multiple residents who are “scratching their heads” over the placement of the bumps.

“The first bump will be at the very beginning of the block, before cars can pick up any speed,” he noted. “AftАer that, there’s a very long, uninterrupted straightaway – no speed bump planned for this area. Then the road curves, and hidden right around that curve is the second planned speed bump.  Nearly 1,000 feet separate the two speed bumps.

“The long, uninterrupted stretch has been the primary concern of the block’s residents for years,” Blenkinsopp continued. “The anticipated locations of the speed bumps will do little to address that concern. 98^th Street would continue to bear an uncanny resemblance to a racetrack.

“Through Community Board 9, these concerns have been communicated to DOT. I hope they respond soon, and ideally change the planned locations for the bumps.

“DOT already postponed installation of these bumps once, supposedly due to an issue with the locations. They’ve had years to figure this out, and this was the best they could come up with? I know that there are a bunch of technical requirements governing where speed bumps can go, but why doesn’t DOT ask residents – those with the deepest knowledge of what would work and what wouldn’t – for input and help?”

According to Queens Quiet Skies’ analysis, LaGuardia Airport departures over northeast Queens rose 47 percent from 2002 to 2016.

By Michael V. Cusenza

 Despite no major change in LaGuardia Airport capacity or prevailing seasonal wind direction, departures over northeast Queens rose 47 percent from 2002 to 2016, according to a recently released report by the civic group Queens Quiet Skies.

The analysis, “Increases in LaGuardia Airport Departures over Northeast Queens, Jackson Heights & Woodside FY 2002 to FY 2016,” is the result of an April 2016 Freedom of Information Act request of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey asking for all runway usage data for the entirety of LaGuardia’s history. The notable years 2002 through 2014 were compared side by side. The results are shown throughout the report.

Other key findings of the research:

• Jackson Heights and Woodside have experienced a near sevenfold increase in departures since 2008, with most occurring on weekends.
• Total departures over northeast Queens are up 47 percent since 2002, an average increase of 2,779 flights per year, even while airport capacity hasn’t generally increased. Departures from all other runways were down 14 percent collectively since 2010.
• The departure rate over northeast Queens was 37.25 percent in 2002, but had reached almost 50 percent by 2014, even without a substantial capacity increase or change in prevailing seasonal wind direction. Departures over northeast Queens now comprise almost half of LaGuardia’s total departures.

Additionally, one of the conclusions of the QQS report indicates that “LaGuardia puts its arrivals ‘into the wind,’ while its departures have recently begun favoring Runway 13 and Runway 22. This has had tremendous effect on northeast Queens and Jackson Heights and Woodside. Many other neighborhoods such as Maspeth and Corona could be negatively affected by this operational trend. Prior to 2002, LaGuardia had utilized its three primary departure runways equitably, without a sustained overuse of any particular runway.”

According to the report’s Statement of Purpose and the QQS website, Queens Quiet Skies was formed in 2012 to: Reduce noise from New York, New Jersey and Long Island airplane flights (JFK, LGA, and Newark), without merely moving noise from one place to another; educate the public about this complex problem, taking this opportunity to fix the airspace and modernize the airports; and to create a public forum where all the stakeholders – citizens, elected officials, the Port of New York and New Jersey, representatives from Long Island organizations, the Federal Aviation Administration, the airlines, and others, will collaborate to make changes.

Among the all-volunteer organization’s goals:

• Now that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has required the Port Authority to prepare a Noise Compatibility Study that meets the requirements of the FAA’s “Part 150” for JFK and LaGuardia airports, watch the process very closely.
• Require the installation of many more noise monitors at LaGuardia, where there now are only five (four for Queens, one for the Bronx), and JFK, where there are only seven in Queens and four in Nassau County, for a total of 11 for JFK. At most other major airports, there are 30 noise monitors.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Police have asked the public for help in identifying two suspects wanted in connection with a violent robbery in an Edgemere subway station.

On Saturday, Aug. 20, around 2:30 a.m., the two perpetrators approached a 33-year-old man who was sleeping on a bench on the Manhattan-bound A train platform at Beach 44^th Street and began punching him and removed his wallet. Upon discovering that the victim’s wallet was empty, cops said, one of the suspects produced a small knife and demanded cash. The other suspect then removed $200 from the man’s pants pocket.

The victim suffered a bloody nose, bruising and swelling to his face as a result of being punched several times. He was rushed to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, were he was treated and later released.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit info by logging onto NYPDCrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All correspondences are strictly confidential.

The Crime Stoppers Program, which was initiated in 1983, offers rewards up to $2,000 for anonymous information that leads to the arrest and indictment of a violent felon. According to the latest available statistics, more than $1.8 million has been awarded to tipsters, and nearly 1,500 murders and attempted murders, and 1,925 robberies have been solved as a result.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) snapped a subway selfie on Saturday just before boarding a classic car for a round-trip between the Beach 116th Street and Rockaway Boulevard stations.

The ride featured both BMT Standard cars and D-Type Triplex cars, according to the NYC Transit Museum. The Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Standard cars were in service from 1916 to 1969 and boasted larger windows, brighter lighting and center doors. The 134 foot-long Triplex went into service in 1925 and were the heaviest cars ever used in the City subway system, according to NYCSubway.org.