From the Times Ledger:The city’s study on a truck bypass that would send commercial traffic around downtown Maspeth may be underway, but 18-wheelers still clog Grand and Flushing avenues, prompting elected and civic leaders to call on the city Department of Transportation to ban the vehicles immediately.
Convincing the city to change Grand Avenue to a local truck route from a route that allows commercial traffic to drive through Maspeth to Brooklyn has long been a pet cause of the Juniper Park Civic Association, but City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) has thrown her weight behind the issue.
Her office brought out U.S. Reps. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) and Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills), state Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), state Assemblywoman Marge Markey (D-Ridgewood) and Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) — all of whom called on the DOT to make the change.
“We appreciate Elizabeth Crowley taking the leadership on this, but frankly I’m surprised a couple of elected officials even dared show their face,” [Robert] Holden said, complaining that Weiner’s office did not respond when Holden sent the congressman a copy of a 2003 traffic study the civic conducted with the help of the group Transportation Alternatives. “They get their picture in the paper and then they disappear.”
From the Forum West (2 years ago):
[Maura] McCarthy, of the DOT, acknowledged that the project has been delayed, but said it is moving forward, with the help of $500,000 provided by Congressman Anthony Weiner. “I guess it’s going to sound like I’m making excuses, and maybe I am, but it has taken a very long time,” she said. “I know it’s not as quick as you would like, but we are moving forward.”
Weiner is the one who got the money for the study, which only costs $150,000. While he's not my favorite politician, he did respond. There'll still be $350,000 left after the study is done to fix the problem. DOT needs to fix the problem IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, and not just implement the lame one-way plan they have up on their website right now. And that our electeds must insist that DOT be held accountable for.
The majority of the blame here belongs to DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. And what exactly did Transportation Alternatives do in all these years to follow up with this project? If this were a bike lane proposal, it would have been one of their top priorities. Trucks and their resultant noise and pollution in outer borough blue collar neighborhoods are not so much a concern for them.
8 comments:
Weiner looks like he'd like to bang Crowley............the congressman.
Liz Crowley, front and center in a non-election year - way to go Liz, your changing my perception of you over time. Fight the truck route - we are inudated.
As far as all these other POLS behind you Liz, watch out don't be too tied to them especially your cousin who never shows up in these parts any more except when he senses along with Markey (what does she ever do for us) and Weiner who loves a camera.
These folks sense that it maybe over for them in November so they will work this year to help us on the real issues! People, make them work!
Couldn't we get a tree to fall on that group instead of those guys who died coming home from prayer service? Where is the Karma?
if they can stop the truck traffic i would deeply appreciate it.. between the trucks and all the school buses it's a nightmare over here on grand avenue. now if they can stop flooding us with schools i would be on board with them!!
The only way the city will stop truck traffic on Grand Avenue is if Marge Markey sticks her fat ass into the street. That group was only there for the photo-op. Local residents and civic groups came up with this plan ten years ago and presented it to the DOT. Nothing was done. Where were these local politicians then? Ms. Markey is life-time resident of Maspeth. You would think she would want to exert a little effort and try to do something about this for all these years. Marage, get off your fat ass and do something -- NOW.
I hate to inform you of this but the only thing the DOT worries about is where to but bike lanes and no parking signs.
they left town fast so no senior citizen could ask them "why are you cutting $500 billion from my medicare benefits by voting for obamacare" ?
if it does not get a passing vote this week,pressure them for town hall meetings.when they recess.
Ms. Markey is life-time resident of Maspeth. You would think she would want to exert a little effort and try to do something about this for all these years. Marage, get off your fat ass and do something -- NOW.
She is an incompetent incumbent who does not respond to letter, emails and calls to her office never find her there and returned. She is a fat ass Pol who's husband is too. Unless something is beaned off the side of her head she does not know or care about issuses.
But she does know how to redraw the political map to keep her in office, something Joe Crowley is an expert at. However King Joe is responsible for anointing Hiram Monserrat and now Perralta. So Joe is looking mighty weak for engineering the coup in Albany last year with Monserrat being advised or of the club house Joe rules at.
So Joe running scared for the first time ever is now being let around by his little cousin Liz who has learned much on how to get in front of issues that concern the neighborhoods here! With Joe supporting cutting Medicare benefits so that those who never in their entire lives and generation before them, may now have full health coverage because they are entitled!
Joe Crowley is running on the redistribution of wealth platform so that if you work hard in life you will pay for everyone else who do not. So send Joe a note indicating his retirement in November will be a happy occasion for all of us to celebrate in Middle Village, Elmhurst and Glendale!
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