From the Times Ledger:Amtrak recently chopped down hundreds of trees along its tracks in western Queens, but halted the clearing after livid Woodside and Astoria residents complained to the railroad corporation.
State Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) and residents of Boulevard Gardens, an apartment complex at 51st Street at 32nd Avenue near the border of Astoria and Woodside, told an Amtrak representative at a May 18 meeting they were furious that hundreds of trees had been removed along borough tracks. The trees had been cut down in Astoria, Woodside, Forest Hills and other borough neighborhoods.
“These trees were nowhere near the tracks and residents said they posed no obstruction,” Gianaris said. “This does incredible damage to air quality, especially in an area where the air is already bad due to power plants. It was an aggressive effort by Amtrak.”
Gianaris said the community was given no notice that the trees would be taken down.
In addition, the railroad company has been removing trees all the way from Washington, D.C., to Boston, the assemblyman said.
Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole said the company had removed trees to prevent the danger of falling leaves and limbs onto its tracks.
“We listened to residents’ complaints, so we are going to be looking to add some shrubs or lower trees,” he said.
The railroad is no longer removing the trees in the borough, he said.
At last week’s meeting, the corporation vowed to plant new fir trees along its tracks.
8 comments:
Amtrack should be chopped or closed, it has not made the government a cent in the last 30 years.
Ummm, told ya so?
It's amazing how many know it all citizens just KNOW that no trees are obstructing the tracks or trains. I suppose the only logical explanation is that Amtrak (and no doubt Bloomberg-- and maybe the CIA) are conspiring to destroy the neighborhood. Yep, that must be the truth.
It's amazing that they are replanting them if they were obstructing the track...
Ah, Mystery Mike, why don't you confine yourself to fixing Albany?
Everyone knows that they were doing this for better part of a year, and just now you wake up .... for a photo op as you run opposed?
Last week the Gazette had a picture of you looking like a statesmen on the front cover.
Do everyone a favor.
Stop wasting our time doing little more than carefully staged photo-ops.
Fix Albany and don't come back until you do so.
Not to worrry. No one will miss you.
Your policies have had such a little impact on the community, that outside of playing softball with Con Ed team a few weeks before the blackout, and chosing that green girl to replace you, you have been a big blank page for the past years in office.
You ain't no Denis Butler.
You newbies wants dem trees? Move back to dem Ohio!
Amtrack was stupid for cutting down the trees.
I have a tree related question - Does anyone know WHAT is going on with all the trees being cut down along the Grand Central Parkway near LGA? I can't tell if they're widening the road or what's going on but there are hundreds of trees that are gone and those houses on Ditmars are fully exposed to the road now. I'm sure they're as miserable about that as the Woodside people. Any clue?
Post a Comment