8 MAY 18, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM Glendale residents raise concerns over proposed light rail line through their community BY ANTHONY GIUDICE [email protected] @A_GIUDICEREPORT Not everyone in Glendale is buying into a proposed light rail line through the area. As the feasibility study continues into the plan to bring commuter service back to the Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) Lower Montauk Line, some local residents at a May 16 meeting on the plan said they weren't sure if it would work, or the potential impact on the communities it would serve. Tuesday's meeting at The Shops at Atlas Park doubled as a public workshop outlining the progress made so far on the $500,000 feasibility study for the "QNS Light Rail" plan that Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley fi rst proposed. (Editor's note: Despite the name, QNS.com is not affi liated with this plan at all.) The aim of the light rail plan is to bring expanded commuter options to areas of the borough between Jamaica and Long Island City that are “transportation deserts." By having another rail alternative, Crowley suggested, residents would be less dependent on cars, can get around Queens easier and faster, and can create job growth in otherwise hard-to-access areas. “Queens does not have its fair share of public transportation,” Crowley told the more than 50 residents at the workshop. “And because of that we have far too many cars on our streets. I believe this would make our borough healthier. It would take cars off the street, and would give people a better opportunity to get to work, to get to school, or wherever it is that they’re going in a shorter amount of time.” Greg Guarino, a resident of Glendale, believes the fact that areas like Glendale are more diffi cult to get to by public transportation gives them the quaint charm that they currently have. By bringing a light rail system through the neighborhood, Guarino fears, would change the character of the area. “Whenever I hear the words ‘transportation desert,’ I think it’s important to realize that transportation deserts are part of what makes these neighborhoods what they are,” he said. “Transit rich areas are also more congested. The fact that we have a quiet, relatively un-congested neighborhood is partly because it is a transportation desert.” Guarino, whose backyard abuts the Lower Montauk Line, also raised concerns over noise levels if the light rail plan comes to fruition. Aaron Sugiura, director of transit policy and planning with the city Department of Transportation (DOT), said that they are looking into using diesel multiple unit (DMU) vehicles for the light rail service. DMU cars are self-propelled cars, eliminating the need for a locomotive or electrifi cation of the tracks, compliant with Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulations, and have smaller vehicles which lowers the air and noise pollution. Crowley compared the noise levels of DMU cars to that of a city bus. Another resident from Glendale was concerned over safety issues that may arise at the 11 locations where the tracks are at-grade, which would cause problems for not only other vehicles trying to use the road, but for pedestrians of the areas as well. The feasibility study will look at traffi c patterns and fi gure out how to safely allow all modes of transportation to operate at the at-grade locations. The DOT and AECOM, an engineering, design, construction and management fi rm that is conducting the study, are also looking at several new station locations along the Lower Montauk Line including potential stops at Woodhaven Boulevard, 80th Street, the Metro Mall, Fresh Pond Road, Grand Avenue/Flushing Avenue, and others that would provide riders with transfer options to a slew of other trains and buses. While other residents raised issue with the location of potential stops, fare prices, and other operational facets of the light rail system, DOT and AECOM reiterated that fact that they are only half way done with their study and nothing is fi nalized as of yet. They hope to have the study completed by the fall, when they will bring their fi ndings back to the neighborhood. Photo by Anthony Giudice/QNS Residents got the chance to relay their thoughts about the proposed QNS Light Rail plan at a workshop in Glendale. Historic streetlights to come to stretch of Myrtle Avenue in Glendale BY ANTHONY GIUDICE [email protected] @A_GIUDICEREPORT Walking down Myrtle Avenue in Glendale will soon be like taking a trip down memory lane as a project to install new historic streetlights has been approved by the New York City Public Design Commission. Recognizing the fact that businesses and their owners along Myrtle Avenue in Glendale do not get the same resources that businesses on the same roadway in Ridgewood receive thanks to being a part of the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District (BID), Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley has allocated $700,000 for this beautifi cation project. The streetlights will be installed on Myrtle Avenue between 80th Street and Woodhaven Boulevard. “I’m so pleased we can move forward with this project to beautify Myrtle Avenue and make it more attractive for consumers, residents and business owners,” Crowley said. “This A portion of Myrtle Avenue in Glendale will soon see historic street lights such as this one. commercial corridor lends in fueling our local economy, and it’s important to do what we can to keep it thriving.” The decision to place the streetlights came as a result of community meetings with business owners and residents that Crowley held at her Glendale offi ce at The Shops at Atlas Park. Crowley, the Queens Chamber of Commerce, and local business owners are also still in talks to create a Photo via Google Maps Glendale BID — which would potentially run from Fresh Pond Road to approximately 86th Street — so business owners can reap the same benefits that their counterparts in Ridgewood receive, including increased city services like sanitation programs and public safety, increased marketing visibility, and an administration team to manage operations.
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