Thursday, June 16, 2011
EDC rips out Queens Plaza headstones for bike lane
From CBS 2:
Last month, CBS 2 exposed a pedestrian landscape design, featuring jagged concrete in Queens Plaza, that many considered to be dangerous.
Now, a concrete change is winning applause from pedestrians, but raising questions about how the city is spending money.
Three and a half weeks after the CBS 2 report aired, the concrete has been ripped out along with another patch of jagged concrete that divided the sidewalk. Workers are now replacing it with cobblestone pavers.
A spokeswoman for the city’s Economic Development Corporation, which in charge of the project, said that the concrete was removed to make way for a bike lane.
However, with concrete installed in late 2010 being removed in mid 2011, new questions are being raised about whether the redesign is a cost effective way to do business.
From the Daily News:
The Queens Plaza project, to be finished this fall, is designed to enhance pedestrian and cycling safety in a landscaped corridor from the Queensboro Bridge to Northern Blvd.
But the construction site, which now features patches of recycled concrete pieces in street medians, has some local merchants and drivers complaining that the city is wasting space and further clogging the intersection.
Some complain that congestion has gotten worse coming from the bridge, with gridlocks forming at the intersection of Queens Blvd., Northern Blvd. and Jackson Ave.
Others have complained about an outcropping of rocks made of recycled cement in medians.
"It looks like a graveyard of tombstones," said Cathy Julca, 36, co-owner of an advertising and printing shop on Northern Blvd. "We could've used that space for parking."
Larry Sullivan, 69, owner of Conserve Electric on Crescent St., said congestion has never been worse. "I've never seen it like this," Sullivan said. "It's getting very tough to do business."
Tensions are high at Queens Plaza, Julca said. "It's gotten noisier, more honking, people screaming at each other."
16 comments:
"...people screaming at each other." ? Actually, I find it very placid driving into Manhattan from 31st Street onto the lower level of the Queensboro. The new tree plantings have a calming effect while waiting for the lights to turn green.
I saw the headstones - it must have cost a fortune and it looks horrible - it serves zero purpose and the the city is wasting taxpayer $$ to do this work.
So this area is in the midst of a major reconstruction, and people are bitching about traffic congestion around an un-tolled bridge. Do they have any sense whatsoever?
The people that are involved in that spreading disaster at Queens Plaza, starting with Penny Lee of City Planning should be given a ticket out of town to ply their trade in Fargo.
How are the law suits on the plaza coming along and when will the press start to cover them?
"So this area is in the midst of a major reconstruction, and people are bitching about traffic congestion around an un-tolled bridge. Do they have any sense whatsoever?"
They are business owners and the EDC doesn't give a shit about them. I would complain too.
Wouldn't it have been cheaper to take some cement and fill in the gaps between the headstones? It would have made it appear as if you had rock outcrops. That would have solved the trash getting stuck between the stones issue, and sure as heck would have been cheaper than getting rid of the concrete headstones and replacing them with pavers.
"They are business owners and the EDC doesn't give a shit about them. I would complain too."
Perhaps. But the thing to remember is that people *always* complain about perceived increased traffic congestion, regardless of reality. And two, my point is that there's major construction going on there, so it's pretty likely that there will be increased congestion. And three, having an untolled bridge will always induce more traffic and congestion.
I walk across the Queensboro a couple of times a week and it *seems* traffic has gotten much, much worse since they started these big changes. There are now at least 4 traffic cops waiving traffic at some part of Queens plaza during rushhour.
I thought the stones were courageous to put in. They definitely were different. Also dangerous.
it's interesting to use recycled pieces, but those idiots.... they could have just shaved them down to street level like half the stones already are. That would have cost a fraction of whatever the hell they are doing now.
it's okay, I'll pay for it. I really don't mind.
Who the hell is going to pay for the maintenance of the landscaping - with all the fumes and salt and traffic you know what they will look like.
All the politicans starting with Maloney spend all the taxpayers money on the development.
The suburban commutors gets the tunnel, the locals get the shaft.
They are business owners and the EDC doesn't give a shit about them. I would complain too.
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The pols stand by while EDC beats up on the community.
The press? hahahahahehehehohoho
The Gazette covered the Dutch Kills Millstones. The fools still want to put these priceless artifacts in the middle of the plaza.
Not a betting man, but I would wager good money they will be moved out of the plaza before long.
Sooner or later common sense always pervails over stubborn fools.
I find it very placid driving into Manhattan from 31st Street onto the lower level of the Queensboro. The new tree plantings have a calming effect while waiting for the lights to turn green.
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poppies-ese-ese-ese!!!!poppies-ese-ese-ese!!!!poppies-ese-ese-ese!!!!
"There are now at least 4 traffic cops waiving traffic at some part of Queens plaza during rushhour."
Those traffic cops are great! They wave you through the red lights. I find you're moving faster to get onto the lower level.
I find you're moving faster to get onto the lower level.
With the leadership in that neighborhood you can pretty much say that about, well, the whole neighborhood.
I'm sorry that they are removing the "headstones." It appeared to be an inexpensive and creative way to landscape. We certainly need a safe passageway for pedestrians and bikers at that location.
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