Friday, December 18, 2015

Addabbo wants old Rockaway line made safer


From the Queens Tribune:

In light of all the attention it has been getting lately, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) has called attention to the structural stability of the overpasses holding up the retired LIRR Rockaway Beach line that runs from the south shore to Queens Boulevard.

Local politicians and civic associations have been seeking further advocacy and turning the stretch of land in to either a paved over busway, a reactivated railway, or possibility a park stretching across the borough. Addabbo stated, “However, proposals fail to detail the vulnerable and unsafe conditions the line is currently in.”

Initially Addabbo called the MTA, but, he said, “The MTA was quick to point out” that they no longer own it. An MTA spokesperson said it was sold to the city in 1953. Addabbo said he plans to take up this issue with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office and Borough President Melinda Katz.

7 comments:

(sarc) said...

Until they have a friend who will make money from this boondoggle it will continue to lay fallow...

Anonymous said...

For a minute I was afraid "safer" was just going to be codeword for "we should fence it off and keep the public out". I'm glad I was wrong.

Anonymous said...

No park, no light rail, no trains. Take down the over-passes and deed the land to the adjoining property owners.

Anonymous said...

but it will connect to dizzy lizzie's lite rail plan

Anonymous said...

"deed the land to the adjoining property owners."...said the guy with the old RR in his backyard.

JQ LLC said...

According to the MTA (the worst fucking transit system in the world), they don't own it. So that means the lively free spending administrations of Koch, Dinkins, Benito Giuliani, and Mayor Fun Size Bloomberg just let it rot there for decades.

It always was an eyesore, still is. Except for a few years when someone erected a giant scrap metal spider on a train signal by Liberty if anyone remembers. There is really nothing negative about restoring it because of the necessity of much needed transit because of overpopulation and as an alternative to the ill-advised select bus plan for woodhaven blvd. (but not Dizzy's selective service plan for the fucking hipsters who clearly refuse to take the bus) ,but the main reason this is being debated instead of getting workers to renovate it for service is goddamn Cuomo. The plans to make it a fucking high line park were already set early last winter, in fact years ago, and predictably against the locals true concerns.


http://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/state-funds-granted-for-queensway-work/article_d04ca615-da51-5a34-a285-0ff1afd53e2f.html

With conflicting bullshit like this impeding any sort of improvements or progress, it might be better off as a local ruin.

Unknown said...

Join the Queens Public Transit Committee and fight for faster and safer transportation that will unite Queens.   The QueensRail is inevitable.  We need to expand our railways and reduce gridlock, tickets, pollution, poverty, crime and isolation.  Join us at www.qptc.org or PhilAMcManus@gmail.com