An open letter to Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Association, Waterside Estates, and Whitestone Boosters Beach

The Following is a letter our group sent out to Greater Whitestone Taxpayers, Waterside Estates, Whitestone Boosters, Community Board 7, and all our Elected Representatives, in the hopes of creating a true Community based effort to remedy a serious Traffic Problem.

After meeting with our members last night, several of which belong to Whitestone Taxpayers as well. There were several concerns that were voiced regarding the problem on 5th avenue. While the discussion of getting enforcement was a good start, it is unfortunately a temporary fix, as the minute PD is not present for more than a day the trucks will be back. There is also the fact that as per DOT 107 cars per hour travel on our small residential street with 33% of those cars speeding . This too needs to be addressed, as it creates a seriously dangerous situation.


Our goal is to work together with your group as in the past with Pat Carpentiere and Barbara Ellenberger. With that being the goal, we are asking you what suggestions your group may have that would rectify the problem before it is too late.

We have proposed the following:
1) Bollards running from the exit down to just past 4th avenue (Proposed by Whitestone Taxpayers).


2) Talking to MTABT about stationing the officer that is to be under the Bridge at the corner of 3rd avenue allowing them to enforce truck restrictions and slowing down cars (Proposed by GWTCA).

3) Removing the extended concrete divider back past 6th avenue as it was pre 1994 ( a little further back for slowdown before turn), thus allowing cars the option of turning onto 6th avenue as well as 5,4,3rd avenues
(as it was from 1939 - 1994).

4) Getting the exit pushed back to the original design of 7th avenue which, as we all know is a 70 foot street that leads to a commercial part of the neighborhood. It was designed by Robert Moses to be the exit street and handle exiting traffic.

5) Turning 5th avenue to a one way westbound operation.

6) Turning both 5th and 4th avenues to a one way westbound operation (Proposed by GWTCA).


7) Keeping the 3rd avenue exit closed permanently except for Emergency Vehicles as on the Cross Island Parkway by the BayBridge complex. This would alleviate all traffic problems in the entire area, would alleviate much of the crime issues by eliminating the easy access to the community, increase property value, and many more benefits that we can discuss at a later time.

With the 3rd avenue exit being closed for a two year period, this will give us in the community an opportunity to see how we are affected and if it can work. For the benefit of the entire community, we should utilize this closure as a "trial period" before we make any decisions against permanent closure. This is a gift being given to us in the community and we should not let it be wasted.

We still feel that converting both 5th and 4th avenues to a one way on a trial basis (until exit is closed) would be a good test to see how it affects the community and give us the ability to reconvene and work out any issues that may arise. This would allow us all in the neighborhood to have an educated say in how we the community members are affected. Instead of pushing ahead for a permanent conversion with no recourse after.
These are our suggestions and concerns regarding the 5th avenue problem we await your suggestions and working with your group to make our community safer for all the families that live in it, especially their children.

Malba Gardens Civic Association

We will be emailing our letter to PD requesting enforcement, and highlighting the lack of enforcement within our entire community. With your input we hope to send a detailed Group letter.

Shame on CB 7

Letter to the Editor (Times Ledger):

With regards to Chuck Apelian’s comments that Feinstein Iron Works take out a full-page ad in two local newspapers apologizing to him and Community Board 7 for his honest comments (“CB 7, Feinstein make amends after Willets clashes,” Jan. 20), it is amazing he would have the audacity to make such demands. After all, he is a public official in his roles as vice chairman of CB 7 and the CB 7 land use chairman.

Our organization has had the misfortune of dealing with CB 7 with regards to a public safety matter, which it quickly turned into an inconvenient matter. Marilyn Bitterman, district manager of CB 7, was responsible for writing a survey that was to be sent out to our community regarding the dangerous situation. The manner in which she wrote the survey was biased and stressed the “inconvenience” of driving an extra two blocks.

We immediately sent out a letter requesting to have more time to review the survey in order to come to a more non-biased wording and, objecting to the wording as shown to Alfredo Centola, we received no response and the survey went out anyway. We then requested to see the surveys under the Freedom of Information law; they illegally refused us. We obtained a decision from Robert Freeman from the state Committee on Open Government; they still refused.

A couple of months later, we received an e-mail from an MTABT official quoting Bitterman and her ill feelings to the president of our civic association. This e-mail quotes Bitterman as saying “she would step over his prone body and refuse to call for help.” Our organization immediately sent Apelian a letter calling on him to act, as the CB 7 vice chairman, to address Bitterman’s unprofessional and biased comments. He replied, “It will be reviewed,” but then never responded.

Several months ago, some members of our organization received a call from a man claiming to be on the board in regards to conducting an investigation. CB 7 investigating itself? To date we have heard nothing about the results, if any, to the investigation. City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) has refused to get involved, saying he is not responsible for oversight of CB 7, but we only asked he inquire about the outcome of the investigation as our elected official.

We do not know what Apelian is looking for. If he has such a thin skin, maybe he should exclude himself from the vice chairmanship. For the most part, he has a much calmer and respectful tone than his counterpart Eugene Kelty. But to ask for an apology and take out a full-page ad in two local papers? Maybe CB 7 should take out ads in two or three papers to apologize for violating the FOIA law, refusing to acknowledge the Committee on Open Government’s decision and especially for Bitterman’s comments to an MTABT official showing her disregard for Centola’s life.

After all, what is right for CB 7 should be right for the community it represents.


Malba Gardens Civic Association

5th avenue traffic worsens

7:28 AM... For the past fourteen years residents of 5th avenue in our neighborhood have had to endure an onslaught of Commercial and Vehicular Traffic. As you can see from this photo things have deteriorated. For the past month between the hours of 6:00 AM and 10:00 AM, Tractor Trailers such as this one have been using our RESIDENTIAL, 27 foot wide, minus 7 - 8 feet for parked cars as a Conduit into surrounding area.

These 18 Wheelers shake foundations, set off car alarms, set off some home alarms. and most of all put our families in harms way. Yet Maura McCarthy, Commissioner of Queens Department of Transportation, along with Gene Kelty, Chairman of Community Board 7 feel that these Trucks, along with the other Commercial Vehicles and the 107 cars per hour (33% of which are speeding, as per DOT counts) are not a DANGER, JUST A MERE "INCONVENIENCE". ?????

The following is a letter Councilman Halloran wrote to D.O.T. regarding our Safety Issue on 5th and 4th avenues. There is much that needs to be done on this issue and we thank the Councilman for acknowledging the fact that this is a Public Safety Issue that needs to be remedied.



THE COUNCIL
O F
THE CITY OF NEW YORK
Daniel J. Halloran, III
Council Member, 19th District, Queens







April 29, 2010

Hon. Maura McCarthy
Queens Borough Commissioner
Department of Transportation
120-55 Queens Boulevard – 2nd Floor
Kew Gardens, NY 11424

Commissioner McCarthy,

As you are aware, on April 27, 2010 Community Board 7 voted to table the traffic flow issue on 4th and 5th Avenue. While the issue may have been tabled for now, it is clear to me that the residents of 4th and 5th Avenue still have very valid concerns regarding safety.

I believe at a minimum the following must be done:

1. At the entrances to 4th and 5th Avenue negative truck signage needs to be placed. I have personally observed trucks violating the “No Commercial Vehicle” rules on a regular basis. While it may be Department of Transportation policy not to place negative truck signage, in this situation public safety demands it.

2. Additionally, the speed transition from the Whitestone Expressway, through 4th and 5th Avenue, into a residential neighborhood must be addressed. While I understand placing a stop sign on the exit ramp would cause traffic congestion on the Expressway, I believe the best solution for the time being is to place a stop sign on the service road at 5th avenue. As can be seen on the enclosed map, a stop sign would force vehicles exiting the Expressway to lower their speeds and would reduce the number of high speed vehicles coming from the Expressway and service road onto 4th Avenue.

I appreciate your attention to this matter and working with our community to resolve this public safety issue. Should you have any questions during your review, please do not hesitate to contact me at my District Office at (718)631-6703.

In Liberty,


Dan Halloran
Council Member,
District 19

DJH:mm

CC: Community Board 7

CB 7 tables 5th avenue decision

Ladies and Gentlemen, the decision on our Safety Issue on 5th and 4th avenues has been tabled by Community Board 7 until further notice. Being that the 3rd Avenue exit is slated for closure next Spring for approximately one to two years, it was decided that another traffic count should be done when exit is closed to determine ? I guess the number of cars that will be utilizing street when it is closed. This is better than the No Vote that was apparent, so let us wait and see.

I say to those who question the number of survey responses on 5th avenue, please be reminded that traffic from 147th to 149th streets drops over 60% from amount that travels from Whitestone Expressway to 147th street, going from 107 vehicles per hour down to 40, verifying that most vehicles make a turn at the intersection of 5th and 147th.

Also several politicians have requested signage like stop signs on the Service Road and 5th avenue which would in effect stop the cars driving on the Service road but not the cars coming off the exit, which is over 85% of our problem. If they put a Stop on 5th from Service Road to Highway exit, this will either back up traffic onto to Highway, or create a serious Pile up.
Thanks .

What has happened is that the residents of 5th and 4th avenues will have to "Deal with it" for a minimum of 2 years if not more. Then more studies, more surveys, more "Committees", maybe by that time things will change and God willing no one gets hurt.