TAQC report!

Posted by Mickie T on Friday, July 18th, 2008

I bet you’re all a-tingle to find out about the inner workings of that super-secret, anti-pedestrian, anti-car, anti-dog-and-cat group, the Transportation Alternatives Queens Committee. Luckily, your humble and intrepid blogger was able to pose as an avid recreational bicyclist and infiltrate the group to bring you these de-coded secret messages of bicycle world domination!

OK, kidding aside, it was a very interesting meeting with lots of friendly people, plus free water bottles and snacks! I am happy to report there was more acknowledgment of Central and Eastern Queens this time. Notice they dropped the “W” from their name (for “Western Queens”)?

They know they’re heavy in their Western Queens emphasis, but frankly, they simply don’t know much about nabes east of Woodside. Fear not! They are very willing to learn! I think there will be more activity and attention paid to the rest of the borough in the near future.

Like I’ve written before, me and the DW love riding our bikes around town, and we have discovered so many great areas of Queens that we would never otherwise know about. I’ve lived my whole life in Queens and Brooklyn, and I’ve seen and learned more about Queens by bike in the 3 years I’ve been back than in all my years growing up here. It took us about four seasons to build up our skill and confidence as urban riders, and the newer and clearer bike lanes make us better bicyclists. What a difference we saw during a recent ride through Sunnyside, Jackson Heights and Corona, using the improved 43rd Avenue and 37th Avenue bike lanes - cars gave us more room, drivers nodded and smiled at us, and I noticed I made fewer “dumb moves.” We also stopped to look at our maps less frequently.

Central Queens would definitely benefit from better bike lanes and traffic calming. For example, I’d love to see better traffic control, pedestrian safety and some bike lanes at Trader Joe’s! That intersection is a nightmare.

Last weekend, I took a lovely ride from FoHi to St. John’s University and back (6 miles each way), using the Jewel Avenue and 73rd Avenue bike lanes. The improved pedestrian and biking markings and signage made a big difference. Cars and bikes shared the roads very well, and I felt much more relaxed than on unmarked streets. Now, if someone could only straighten out those hills….

Anyway, let’s move on to the recap. Here are a few of the major topics discussed:

Bike Lane on Queens Boulevard

Lizi Rahman came to the group and spoke about her son Asif’s death, and her commitment to fight for increased bicycle safety - and, ultimately, getting a bike lane painted on Queens Boulevard. Asif, 22, was run over by a truck while riding his bicycle on Queens Boulevard near Grand Avenue in February. Mrs. Rahman, a school teacher, was calm and focused, and spoke very movingly about her son’s love for life, poetry, people and bicycling. His death should not be in vain, she said, and so many lives can be saved by installing a bike lane on QB.

This is probably the hottest bike-shaped potato for Queens since congestion pricing. Don’t panic, and stop pulling your hair out. It’s not like this is going to happen next week. In fact, it might even take years. TAQC will be starting some preliminary outreach on the project.

I think it would be an awesome ride, from Briarwood all the way to The Bridge by bike, not too mention save lives. I know that residents are going to worry about the potential impact on parking, small businesses and buses. The TAQC is very interested in reaching out to community groups, newspapers, small business owners and residents in each neighborhood along QB for input and support.

Feeder rides from Queens to “Summer Streets”

You may have heard that Park Avenue in Manhattan will be closed to traffic for 4 hours on each of 3 Saturdays in August. This is part of the PlaNYC program to encourage green-tourism, exercise, creative use of public spaces, and experiment with car-free streets on a limited basis. The TAQC will organize group rides from Queens to the Summer Streets. Let’s hear it for the suggestion from guess who to start a ride from the Unisphere (or maybe even The Queeens Courthouse!)

The deets: August 9th, 16th and 23rd, from 7 AM to 1 PM, Park Avenue-Fourth Avenue will be closed to car traffic from 72nd Street down to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Let’s play Skully!

TAQC is interested in planning a “Play Street” - kinda like a block party, but focusing on street games like stickball, skully (skelzy, skelzies, skelly, etc.), saloogie, “running bases” or bocce. There’s one in Jackson Heights every Sunday morning (through Thanksgiving) for this safe, community-building and video-game-free activity. How about one in FoHi? Any suggestions?

Traffic-calming project for Astoria Boulevard

Trucks and cars often use Astoria Boulevard as a “back road” to escape Triborough Bridge traffic. The result is increased peril for pedestrians. According to the TAQC, 11,000 people use the subway station there every day, but the intersection of Astoria Boulevard and 31st Street is hazardous and designed poorly. The Traffic Calming Committee will be counting pedestrians and bicyclists at the intersection, and is looking for volunteers. Join up!

Try-athlon in Astoria Park!

Show how all your hard work at Quest or the NYSC has paid off, but at the same time, don’t kill yourself or do anything crazy! You might get a heart attack or a stroke or something! Instead of busting a vessel overexerting yourself, like running 26 miles, try the “Try-athlon” , August 23. Sign up for an un-timed, non-competitive half-mile swim, 12-mile bike ride and 3-mile run in an around Astoria. Hurry! Registration limited to 200 jocks!

Other items and projects:

• Sunnyside Block Party, August 10th
• Socrates Park Film Festival and valet bike parking
• Checking the hazards on NY Century Bike Route
• Speak up about the Willets Point Development Project, August 13, City Planning Commission hearing at NYU

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