14 Offi cials fi ght expected congestion pricing tax
QUEENS WEEKLY, DEC. 23, 2018
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Civic leaders and
lawmakers from eastern
Queens traveled on
a rainy Sunday morning
to Long Island City to announce
their staunch opposition
to any congestion
pricing tax that could be
burdensome for their constituents
traveling to and
from Manhattan.
State Assemblyman
David Weprin and City
Councilmen Barry Grodenchik
and Daneek
Miller were joined by the
Queens Civic Congress,
Trucking Association
of New York, Keep NYC
Free, and concerned outer
borough residents for
the Dec. 16 press conference
held at 25-01 Queens
Plaza North, near the
entrance to the Ed Koch-
Queensboro Bridge.
The congestion pricing
plan, introduced by
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s
Fix NYC Task Force in
January, aims to alleviate
traffic on Manhattan
streets and provide the
ailing subway system
with much needed cash.
The plan, which will
begin in 2020, calls for a
charge of $11.52 for cars entering
(From l. to r.) City Councilman Barry Grodenchik, along with state Assemblyman David Weprin
and City Councilman Daneek Miller, gather in Long Island City to argue against the congestion
pricing tax that could cost outer-borough residents hundreds in additional expenses each
month traveling to parts of Manhattan. Photo by Bruce Adler
parts of Manhattan,
plus surcharges for taxis,
for-hire vehicles, and an
heftier $25.34 for trucks.
Weprin believes the
congestion tax would be
disastrous for Queens,
Brooklyn, and Long Island
residents, as it would
cost commuters hundreds
of dollars in additional
expenses each month.
“It would raise the cost
of doing business with
the cost of congestion
taxing being passed onto
businesses,” said Weprin.
“It would raise the cost
of consumer goods, with
business passing along
extra costs to consumers.
It would limit the competitive
ability of these local
small businesses; and it
would impose a monetary
barrier to Manhattan
for outer borough residents,
who often travel to
the city to visit a doctor,
watch a show or enjoy a
night out in Manhattan.”
“New York cannot
burden the backs of these
outer borough working
and middle class residents,
already struggling
with the rising costs of
living with a new congestion
tax,” he added.
Weprin said that the
state and city governments
must find alternative
funding streams to
boost public transportation
improvements, including
the restoration
of a commuter tax, an increase
in the gas cap, and
tax revenue from marijuana
legalization.
In southeast Queens,
where there isn’t a multitude
of accessible transit
options for his constituents,
Miller said his
community shouldn’t be
forced to pay what he believes
to be a regressive
and burdensome tax.
“When programs such
as the reduced fare LIRR
Atlantic ticket offer viable
alternatives that
actually benefit outer
borough residents,” said
Miller. “Transportation
is the great equalizer between
communities, but
there is no equity to be
gained from congestion
pricing.”
Grodenchik agreed,
stating that there are alternatives
that can be explored
which will not disproportionately
impacted
communities and residents
of eastern Queens.
Corey Bearak, senior
policy advisor with Keep
NYC Congestion Tax
Free, said the congestion
tax represents an ideological
driven attempt at
social engineering which
would limit the ability
of New York City’s middle
class and working
families to midtown and
downtown Manhattan
every work day.
“It makes better sense
to replace this regressive
scheme and its limited
and unsustainable
revenues with sound
measures identified by
Keep NYC Free, including
charging market rate
for street closures ($600
million), registration
fees ($300 million) and
non-resident income tax
($2 billion),” said Bearak.
“These would better
serve the public and
transit needs.”
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail
at cmohamed@cnglocal.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4526.
Civic group honors outgoing Queens Parks commish
BY MARK HALLUM
With Queens Parks
Commissioner Dorothy
Lewandowski stepping
down from the city agency
at the end of the year,
the Juniper Park Civic
Association showed its
gratitude for her years
of service by presenting
her with its Community
Service Award at the
group’s Dec. 13 meeting
in Middle Village.
Lewandowski, a Middle
Village resident,
has been with the Parks
Department since 1979,
starting with a summer
job; she has served as the
Queens borough commissioner
since 2004.
“As I went around the
borough over 14 years,
I’ve needed a lot of civic
association groups. I’ve
lived in Middle Village
and everyone would say,
‘Why do the parks in Juniper
Valley look so much
better than my neighborhood?’
And I would say
it’s not because I live
there, it’s because there
are community organizations
and volunteers
who help take care of it,”
Lewandowski said.
Some of Lewandowski’s
accomplishments include
the creation of Elmhurst
Park on the former site of
the Elmhurst Gas Tanks
between 2007 and 2011 as
well as the restoration
of the Rockaway Beach
Boardwalk following the
destruction of Hurricane
Sandy.
Lewandowski and other
city leaders recently
broke ground on a Vietnam
veterans’ memorial
in Elmhurst Park, dedicated
to the 370 men and
women killed in one of
the United States’ most
controversial conflicts.
It will include the
names of people involved
in the war who died or
are suffering from illness
related to their service in
Vietnam.
In April, Parks began
work on a $6 million rebuild
of Queensbridge
Park. Lewandowski is
also credited with working
alongside civic groups
to rehabilitate and protect
the Ridgewood Reservoir.
“Dotty will be leaving
our parks looking better
than ever thanks to her
decades of hard work and
dedication,” JPCA President
Tony Nunziato said.
Joanne Amagrande,
also a Middle Village resident,
will serve as borough
commissioner in the
interim until a replacement
for Lewandowski is
appointed after she leaves
office on Dec. 31.
Reach reporter Mark
Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@
cnglocal.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4564.
Queens Borough Parks Commisioner Dorothy Lewandowski
and Tony Nunziato. Photo by Mark Hallum
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