A potentially dangerous street condition in Maspeth is finally being addressed by the Department of Transportation (DOT) more than two years after a local resident filed a complaint with the agency.
The situation was brought to light in January of 2016 by Middle Village resident David Paz, who informed the DOT that a guardrail along the south side of 56th Road between 43rd Street and Maspeth Avenue had been severely damaged and needed to be repaired.
Photos revealed that the guardrail was in fact lying on the sidewalk on many parts of that stretch, detached from the bollards that normally hold it in place.
The rail serves as a barrier between the sidewalk and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) tracks used for freight operations, and the industrial area is frequented by large trucks that park along 56th Road.
On July 19, more than two years later, a DOT spokesperson confirmed that jersey barriers — concrete or plastic barriers typically used to separate traffic — would be installed at the site this week, weather permitting. The statement came after QNS obtained copies of letters between DOT officials and Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, who had been advocating for the guardrail to be fixed on Paz’s behalf, revealing that the agency had stalled in its response to the matter.
6 comments:
Unless it has to do with a bicycle lane or reducing parking or travel lanes, DOT can not be bothered with it.
It should be fixed, but how is it a critical danger to life that needs to be done right away? Don't drive too fast and pay attention and you won't hit it
A call to 311 is an automatic death sentence - because by the time (or IF), the call is finally addressed, it's usually after a caller's natural life span has already ended.
Mike Bloomberg was a genius: He managed to destroy accountability and transparency at City Hall with an unresponsive 311 system (that devalued life AND honesty itself), when he wasn't even in residence long enough to destroy it, with impunity, no less (those Bermuda trade winds were always beckoning)!
Alas, living in parts of New Jersey is now preferable to The Baked Apple, so put a fork in it, y'all - 'cause New York City is DONE!
Jersey barriers? Isn't that a bit of overkill? A metal railing would serve just as well and still allow wildlife to run under it.
This is a highly industrial area where virtually no pedestrians are present. I believe that particular rail has been down for over 10 years or the new one gets knocked down every couple of weeks. I’m surprised anyone wasted their time reporting it in the first place. The whole Rust Street corridor is a mess with tractor trailers rifling through like its Monster Truck week on steroids. Any new rail put up will be knocked right back down again in no time. I suppose you can’t leave it down because of the freight rail tracks on the other side of the fence but another option must be made available before tax dollars are spend yet again to put a band-aid on the problem.
911 ain't much better !
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