Thursday, August 7, 2008

Whitestone protests truck traffic

At a Saturday morning press conference, the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Civic Association, a coalition of Whitestone residents and City Councilmember Tony Avella met to draw attention to a steadily increasing problem of illegal truck traffic on Fifth Avenue in Whitestone.

Whitestone Residents Protest Truck Traffic

"Fifth Avenue is the first block where vehicles can make a right turn when getting off the Third Avenue exit of the Whitestone Bridge, which happens to be the last exit before the bridge," Alfredo Centola, a resident of the block explained. "Cars, trucks and large commercial vehicles use this quiet street as a conduit to the neighborhood. This is a potentially dangerous quality of life issue that has been ignored for far too long.

"Several dogs have been hit and/or killed by trucks that did not even slow down, let alone stop. Fences have been torn down by these large vehicles and foundations have been damaged, due to the constant rumbling from these trucks." The greatest danger, all parties attest, is to the 17 children under the age of 14 who live on the block. "These children cannot play on their front lawns because of this heavy commercial and speeding traffic," Centola pointed out.


Note to people of Queens: When you are pissed off enough about an issue to hold a protest, don't smile when the press shows up.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Note to people of Queens: When you are pissed off enough about an issue to hold a protest, don't smile when the press shows up."

Soooooo true.

At almost every rally, most people are smiling like a bunch of idiots. I'll never understand that. They're supposed to look pissed!

Alfredo said...

I was at the conference and its true we shouldnt be smiling. I guess it just comes as an automatic response to smile in front of a camera, especially with children present. We definitely should look pissed. Idiots might be a little harsh, NO? There is going to be another protest soon and hopefully all will look a little more serious. Let us know if you support our cause.

Alfredo said...

I was at the conference and its true we shouldnt be smiling. I guess it just comes as an automatic response to smile in front of a camera, especially with children present. We definitely should look pissed. Idiots might be a little harsh, NO? There is going to be another protest soon and hopefully all will look a little more serious. Let us know if you support our cause.

Anonymous said...

Alfredo:
Maybe idiots is a little harsh. But it is very annoying to see photos in newspapers of people smiling at a rally. Avella and the reporters taking pictures should have told you guys to "look mad" like they did at a rally on my block.

Alfredo said...

To be fair they did. their will be another rally however, and We will make it a point. You are correct.

georgetheatheist said...

This smiling bunch looks like "Sing Along With Mitch" - Avella is Mitch Miller.

Anonymous said...

I grew up two blocks away from there and they are right -- the road on 5th avenue is always torn up and is too narrow to accommodate the heavy traffic coming off the bridge.

Alfredo said...

Thanks for your support. We are going to need support on this issue. I would like to set up a Whitestone Park Day where we have volunteer residents clean up the park in the morning and maybe a concert that evening for residents and their guests. Ideas,Suggestions let me know.

Alfredo said...

ALSO CHECK OUT WHITESTONETRAFFICDISASTER5THAVE.BLOGSPOT.COM (ALL LOWER CASE)

TELL YOUR FRIENDS THE MORE SUPPORT THE BETTER. WE LIVE IN A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

Anonymous said...

Alfredo said...
"WE LIVE IN A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD."

Yes we do. Hopefully it stays that way. Somedays I really have my doubts. Good luck with everything.

Anonymous said...

There goes "press conference" Tony again.

He's gonna beat John Liu's record!

Anonymous said...

Sometimes I really wonder what good these "press conferences" do. I sometimes think that's why people resent Avella. He organizes all these rallies, writes all the letters and publicly criticizes the city and then........nothing. Nothing changes. He isn't able to change a thing.

Alfredo said...

at least Liu takes care of his own

Alfredo said...

How does he expect to change things when he insults and attacks the people he needs to change things, and was College Point Little League really a surprise to him?  He took this one way change on our block and is spinning in the Whitestone Times and Daily News to make it sound like its only commercial traffic, No! its the amount of traffic especially the Commercial traffic.  The street needs to changed to a one way and thats that NO MORE PROPOSALS TONY GET SOMETHING DONE ALREADY.