Parking eased along Northern Blvd

From the Queens Courier:

The community has spoken, and they have been answered.

There have been increasing complaints from business owners as well as neighborhood residents that the parking restrictions on certain blocks along Northern Boulevard are more of a hindrance than a benefit.

Because of this, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) will be removing the 4-7 p.m. parking restrictions along the south curb of Northern Boulevard between Parsons Boulevard and Utopia Parkway.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to provide safety and transportation enhancements to the Flushing community, DOT recently removed the evening rush-hour regulation from the south side of eastbound Northern Boulevard between Parsons Boulevard and Utopia Parkway,” said Nicholas Mosquera, a DOT spokesperson. “This change, which was requested by Councilmember [Peter] Koo and also supported by the Community Board 7 Transportation Committee, will provide additional parking for the community and customers of nearby businesses during these hours, while retaining loading areas for local deliveries.”

The current regulations have become an issue because they prohibit parking during prime shopping hours, making it more difficult for residents to find spots.

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Bioswales or garbage pails?

From CBS New York:

Some Queens residents say new sidewalk gardens aimed at improving drainage may end up being more of a bother than a help, CBS 2′s Janelle Burrell reported.

The city is spending $2.4 billion to install more than 6,000 of the gardens, known as bioswales, throughout the five boroughs over the next five years. The gardens are engineered to extend five feet into the ground and can hold up to 2,500 gallons of rainwater.

Matt Mahoney, associate commissioner for intergovernmental affairs for the city’s Department of Environmental Protection, said that alleviating the demand on the sewage system will save taxpayers $3 billion over the next 20 years.

But Pat Kannengieser, who said two of the gardens are slated to be added in front of her Middle Village home, said she is worried she will inevitably be the one left to maintain them.

“I see them also as catch basins for litter,” she said.

The DEP said it is paying the Parks Department to maintain the plots, but Kannengieser said the city plans to clean the gardens just once a week.

Okay, these will be maintained by Parks? Does anyone believe that? They don't have the money to do routine maintenance in actual parks, never mind along the curb.

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Astoria roadblocks

These photos were all taken on one side of the street along a block in Astoria. How do restaurants get away with taking up public parking spaces and putting objects in the middle of the sidewalk?

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City will probably never see money from parking garage

From Crains:

The embattled Bronx Parking Development Co., which has defaulted on its bonds and owes millions of dollars to the city, is trying to raise money by selling development rights to two street-level parking lots it owns near Yankee Stadium-area, but the outcome is unclear.

In April, the BPDC issued a request for proposals to develop two lots on city-owned land under a sublease from the parking company, which holds the lease. The request for proposals, which was posted on the website of the city's Economic Development Corp., specified that the development be built to sustainable standards and include a rent schedule for the entire term for the sublease, which would run through 2106.

Responses were due back in June. Edward Moran, who was brought in as BPDC's chief restructuring officer in March after the company, which owns a total of five garages and nine street-level lots, defaulted on its bonds, could not be reached for comment on Friday.

The BPDC has been losing money since last year, driven by lower-than-expected demand for parking at its 9,294 parking spaces, which remain half-empty on some game days. The company missed its last payment to bondholders, due April 1, after dipping into its reserve fund to make the previous payment.

The city is not on the hook for the bonds, but as of last October, the BPDC owed $25.5 million to the city in rent and payments in lieu of taxes. The Mayor's Office of Management and Budget did not respond to questions of how much is currently owed the city.

But unless the BPDC can dramatically turn around its fortunes the city is unlikely to see the monies it is owed anytime soon, said Doug Turetsky, chief of staff at the Independent Budget Office.

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Flushing & Whitestone parking hogs

"As street parking is becoming increasingly difficult in this part of the neighborhood some tenants don't have any regard for their neighbor’s needs, they bring boats, trucks, schools buses and also big RV's to be stored permanently on the streets in front (or not) of their houses taking valuable parking space from their respective neighbors.

Others park cars for years and although is not against the law there should be an ordinance that help remove from the streets vehicles that have been there for more than an specified amount of time, also, not to allow vehicles bigger than a certain size to be stored not only preventing neighbors from parking but preventing the view, sunlight and breeze to reach certain dwelling units besides being eyesores.


In front of 21-17 147th Street in Whitestone there's what appears to be a huge covered RV permanently parked taking some two or three parking spaces.


Near the corner of Union Street and 26th Avenue in Flushing in front of the Mitchell Gardens #1 coop building 142-15 26th Avenue there's another RV type of truck color brown with license plates FCR-3579 that has been parked there for months now. It’s near the water hydrant in front of the playground

In front of 146-16 25th Rd in Flushing there's a black BMW parked on the street for years, I’ve been walking this block at least once a week for a long time now and this car has always been there in the same position, you can see the marks of time on the car’s body and tires. License plates AXM-9464.

In front of 144-13 26th Avenue in Flushing there’s a very long limousine belonging to Royal Way Limousine Inc with license plates T621443C that barely moves from this place, the owner could park blocking his/her own driveway in order to save someone else some space.

All these vehicles are taking someone else's parking space, most people in these parts need the street parking space because most tenants in the neighborhood rent and don't have the right to use the driveway since landlords store their property in the garage of the house they rent to other people." - anonymous

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Everything you wanted to know about illegal front-yard driveways

Photo from Daily News

From the Times Newsweekly:

Is it really too much to expect fellow Woodhaven residents to follow the law, and for New York City agencies to enforce the law?

When it comes to illegal front-yard parking, it seems so.

Across the neighborhood, some residents and homeowners have paved over their front yards and started to park cars there, although it’s against the law.

The result is that concrete has often replaced grass, drivers have been steering their cars over sidewalks even when there are no curb cuts (or, worse still, have been illegally cutting the curbs themselves), and some of these law-breaking drivers have even tried to prevent others from parking in legal street spots that block their illegal parking pads.

Turning a front-yard lawn or garden into a concrete patch is unsightly and might lead to street flooding when rainwater can’t escape into soil. Driving a car up and over a curb where there’s no driveway is dangerous and contributes to a sense of disorder in the neighborhood. Disallowing others to park in legal spots is selfish and reduces the amount of legitimate parking in the neighborhood. Most importantly, all these actions violate the law.

I’m familiar with the objections from those who believe they should be able to do whatever they want with their homes. That, however, is not the way it works in New York City. With so many people living in proximity to each other, what one person does can have a big impact on neighbors or even the community as a whole.

When you pave over your yard, you contribute to the destruction of the character of your block. You hurt the values of nearby properties. And you worsen the problems I mentioned above. The United States might be the land of the free, but that doesn’t mean you’re free to do whatever you want without regard for your community or the law.

Unfortunately, the New York City Buildings Department—the agency with authority on this matter—has been slow to enforce the law and to take action against those who create illegal driveways, carports, or curb cuts in Woodhaven. For instance, I called in one violation and even provided photographic proof. Three months later, the Buildings Department hasn’t even gotten around to taking a look.

I know that these complaints aren’t their top priority. They should, rightly, be giving precedence to imminent public safety hazards, like the building collapse on 79th Street near Jamaica Avenue last month. That building had more than 30 outstanding construction violations.

But the fact remains that three months is an excessive wait for an initial investigation into an illegal driveway. It diminishes residents’ confidence in the authorities, it sends the message that those who violate the law will get away with it indefinitely, and it's unfair to the many residents who follow the law and take pride in maintaining their properties.

Moreover, these front-yard parking pads are often related to other, deeper problems requiring attention. For example, many homeowners create them because of a parking shortage stemming from another illicit behavior: illegal conversions that pack too many people into houses, thus straining city services as well as the stock of available parking spots. And some residents chop down street trees in front of their homes in order to make it easier to pull their cars into and out of illegal driveways, further adding to a less green, more concrete Woodhaven.

The streets of Woodhaven shouldn’t look like one big used car lot. Woodhaven residents should do the right thing, and if they don’t, the Buildings Department should step in and enforce the law.

Editor’s note: Blenkinsopp is member of Community Board 9 and director of communications for the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association. For additional information on the WRBA, visit www.woodhavennyc.org.

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Cunningham Park truck problem

From the Queens Chronicle:

Residents are frustrated with trucks that won’t go away. Several 18-wheelers, some of which are used to transport cars, park on the north side of 73rd Avenue, between 210th Street and the Clearview Expressway, along Cunningham Park. The trucks come and go regularly, but they usually return.

Sometimes the line of trucks is merely an eyesore in a residential area, but when the Auburndale soccer league plays games on their Cunningham Park fields, the situation is downright dangerous. Since each truck takes up several spots, parents often double- and triple-park when they go to drop off and pick up their children. Traffic on that stretch of 73rd Avenue typically exceeds 40 miles per hour.

“It’s an accident waiting to happen,” Debbie Luongo, the league’s vice president, said.

Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) said that he has reported the trucks to the police numerous times and written several letters about the trucks, but the problem has persisted for over a year.

“It’s very infuriating,” Weprin said. “It is an issue and it annoys the heck out of me.”

A source from the 107th said the precinct receives complaints and has “issued summonses and taken initiatives,” but the trucking company pays the tickets because “it’s easier for them to pay the tickets than pay for storage.”

While the 18-wheelers and auto-transport trucks can be towed, the precinct said that it is difficult to store the trucks. The city only has a few tow trucks capable of towing such large vehicles.

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It earned its stripes

Miss Heather found a doozy of a house on Judge Street in Elmhurst recently. I wonder if the guy who painted Doughboy Park lives here...

I especially like the parking on the front lawn (illegal) where there is no curb cut (illegal). Take a look at Google Maps and see that the whole block is apparently doing it. Enforcement? Pshhhaw!

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Easier parking coming to Astoria, Jackson Heights & Lindenwood

From the Queens Courier:

Vernon Boulevard’s bike lanes are set to get a makeover this summer to provide extra safety for riders and more space for drivers.

According to a plan the Department of Transportation (DOT) presented to Community Board 2 on June 6, the two one-way bike paths on each side of Vernon Boulevard would become a two-way protected lane. The lane would have a five-foot buffer running alongside the west side of the street. The lanes would also be painted green to provide easier visibility.

The existing bike lanes were set up as part of the Queens East River Greenway in 2008, which connects the waterfront from Hallet’s Cove in Astoria to 45th Road in Hunters Point.

After hearing community concerns over the lack of parking, DOT also plans to create a protected bike path through Rainey Park in Astoria. That would free up 35 parking spaces between 34th Avenue and 33rd Road.

From the Queens Gazette:

PARK Smart is an innovative parking management program that will help make it easier to find a parking spot and reduce congestion and double parking. The community and city Department of Transportation developed the Jackson Heights PARK Smart plan together as part of the Jackson Heights Neighborhood Transportation Study.

PARK Smart aims to increase the number of available parking spaces by encouraging motorists to park only as long as necessary. Parking rates in certain parts of the neighborhood will increase as motorists are parked longer. In other areas, a value rate will allow longer parking at the current rate.

The Progressive Rate encourages short stays, while providing more time for those who need it, on 37th Avenue, 74th Street, 82nd Street, and Broadway.

The Value Rate provides a low-cost, two-hour option for parking in lower demand areas. The Value Rate will be in effect on Roosevelt Avenue (from Broadway to 82nd Street) and 37th Road (74th to 75th Streets).

Meters on 74th Street will be extended to turn off at 10 p.m.

The meters on 74th Street and on Roosevelt Avenue will be converted from a one-hour limit to a two-hour limit.

From the Forum:

While Community Board 10 members said at their meeting last week they are pleased the city Department of Transportation is looking into additional parking for the congested 156th Avenue between 77th and 78th streets in Lindenwood, they voted to have DOT officials to take a closer look at their proposal.

Residents who spoke at last Thursday’s meeting said they supported the city’s plan to make parking less of a headache in the area, but asked that the DOT implement parallel parking spots along the north side and angled spots on the south of 156th Avenue. Al Silvestri, a DOT representative who attended the meeting, said the city has proposed doing the opposite – placing parallel parking along the south side and angled spots along the north.

The city first began looking into creating additional spots – meant to alleviate severe parking problems that residents said they have dealt with for far too long – following a request from the office of Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park).

CB 10 members pointed out that the angled parking proposed by the city would be on the same side as residences’ driveways, which they argued could create a logistical nightmare for drivers trying to exit their homes.

“That side of the street has cars that are pulling out,” said CB 10 member Joann Ariola. “You really need to take a look at flipping it and putting angled parking on the other side. That would be much safer.”

Silvestri said his department would review board members’ suggestions.

A bill also passed this Wednesday that should help with parking meters:

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Whitestone sidewalk blockers

Summer is coming and with it many people walking the sidewalks of our beautiful Whitestone which I think has always been a pastoral type of community where people enjoy the outdoors by walking around the neighborhood and even doing short distance shopping to enjoy the summertime and afternoon delights that this jewel of a place has to offer.

But some people make these summer moments difficult by disrespecting their fellow men, women and children by forgetting the very basic urban manners in total disregard of rules and regulations written or unwritten.




Again (I have called 311 and placed a comment before on this same address before in the Queens Crapper) a car continuously blocking the sidewalk at 20-16 149th Street in Whitestone where there’s a high pedestrian (children to and from school), cars, buses and trucks pushing people to take the street which may endanger their personal safety. Shame on this person. By the way, the car that used to do this before was a white Acura with license plate number FEY 8665, now is a Honda Accord with license plate number FSX 6627.





At 20-07 Clintonville Street in Whitestone a yellow school bus from the Precious Moments Nursery School & Daycare totally blocks the sidewalk, and as most people know Clintonville Street is a heavy traffic street, highly dangerous if you have to walk in the street to avoid this vehicle. The license plate number is 14596 SL.




At the Whitestone Car Wash on the service road of the Cross Island Parkway in Whitestone you can barely walk among the cars parked on the sidewalk, customers and car washers, beyond the protection area - some cars love to park impeding pedestrian of the proper use of the sidewalk.




Finally, since is getting hotter law sprinklers are starting to make their appearance everywhere. But some of them are badly placed and regulated to the point of impeding pedestrians from using the sidewalk thus having to take some heavily traffic streets in order to avoid them and not to get wet. An example would be on 148-09 Willets Point in Whitestone-Flushing where a lawn sprinkler is all over the sidewalk wasting precious water on the sidewalk and street and putting pedestrian on risk of getting hit by an incoming vehicle. My humble question for this type of homeowner would be, if I get hit by a car while trying to avoid your sprinkler, who do you think I’m going to sue? - Anonymous

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Just what are they building at Wendy's?

Hi, just wanted to pass this further info along to you. One, the developers threw up a plywood construction fence yesterday that also extends halfway into the public sidewalk, I've attached two pics of it. I've sent a complaint via 311 about it, but that will probably go nowhere...

Also, the city approved merging both of the tax lots into one large tax lot now, Block 1549, Lot 28. Putting that in pulls up the old 85-15 Queens Blvd address, but the info field tells you it's been combined and a new address is issued.


Also, the old addresses of these two lots don't give any results on the DOB BIS system anymore (such as Wendy's old 85-07 Queens Blvd). The new address for the whole lot is now 51-35 Reeder St.

And BTW, the plan was resubmitted for that 7-story condo and is pending now under the new address on BIS. Also, it calls for over 325 parking spaces, both below ground and also an above ground, stackable car parking lot business in the the disapproved plans.

Who knows what is being resubmitted again. I even sent an email to the Queens Borough President's Office about this, twice, over a month ago and never received a reply back. I even dug through their useless QBP website and sent the same email to the QBP Planning Director, a J Choi, no reply either.

You know, a brother would start to think something's going on here!

Finally, using the City's Tax Map, you can see the old streams and other artifacts from the previous maps, listed as "Relics" on the tax maps or the old tax maps. You can check it out here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/property/property_info_taxmaps.shtml#.

Justin

325 cars?

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