From Queens Chronicle:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20363999&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574903&rfi=%27%27Candidates on transportationby Jennifer MacGregor, Chronicle contributor 08/27/2009
Councilwoman Helen Sears (D-Jackson Heights), Stanley Kalathara and Daniel Dromm stake out their positions on transportation issues at a debate on Tuesday. (photo by Jennifer MacGregor)
Traffic congestion, double parking and messy intersections are common fare in District 25, which encompasses Jackson Heights, Woodside, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, Rego Park and parts of Corona. Yet recent forums for City Council candidates haven’t dwelt on transportation issues.
That’s why the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives hosted a debate on Tuesday, in which incumbent Helen Sears (D-Jackson Heights) and challengers Daniel Dromm and Stanley Kalathara laid out their positions on issues ranging from bicycle activity to bus stops. Moderated by Queens Chronicle editor Willow Belden, the debate also gave the candidates a chance to express their views on topics such as the possibility of banning street vendors from certain areas, and the use of eminent domain to obtain space for park land.
The candidates laid out starkly differing opinions on various topics, and criticisms flew, with Sears even accusing Dromm of lying about facts and figures.
One of the early questions involved the congestion pricing bill, which proposed using economic incentives to discourage motorists from driving into Manhattan during peak times. The money generated would have been used for public transportation, but the proposal was eventually thrown out.
Sears voted against the bill and said she would still oppose it. Kalathara agreed that it would hurt people in the district.
Dromm, on the other hand, said the fees would only affect those with enough money to have cars in the first place and added that he thinks people should be encouraged to use public transportation and that implementing financial disincentives for drivers could be effective.
Another question centered on the testy and often dangerous relationship between drivers and cyclists, asking what the candidates would do to prevent future accidents.
Dromm advocated a biker safety awareness campaign and also said additional bike lanes could help, especially on streets such as Roosevelt Avenue, where, according to TA statistics, 44 cyclists were injured in 10 years.
Kalathara said there are some streets where there’s just no room for bikers, adding that cyclists can be difficult to see, especially at night, because they do not always have the correct reflective gear or lighting on their bikes.
Sears pointed out that cyclists and motorists both do things they shouldn’t do on the road, and agreed that one way to prevent accidents is through raising public awareness of the laws, especially as they pertain to bikes. She agreed with Kalathara that in many cases, there isn’t enough room on the road to devote space to bike lanes.
When asked about the vendor-free zone that Sears proposed for parts of Jackson Heights, the councilwoman said she hoped to combat overcrowding on the streets. She said many people have complained to her about crowding and added that there’s room for discussion about exactly where vendors would be banned.
Dromm called her proposal “insensitive†and “ineffective†and pointed out that most vendors are recent immigrants who are trying to make an honest living.
“This is a perfect case of taking an axe when you need a scalpel,†he said. The key to fixing this problem is enforcement, he said; the few illegal vendors should be removed, but the majority should be allowed to continue operating.
Kalathara agreed that kicking out vendors isn’t fair, especially with the scarcity of jobs available to recent immigrants.
Another issue of contention between the candidates was the recent removal of a bus stop on 73rd Street. Sears supported the removal of the bus stop and cited a Department of Transportation study, which found that the stop had been causing congestion and that the flow of traffic improved after it was eliminated.
Dromm disagreed strongly, saying that despite what the study may have found, most residents say the change made the congestion worse, not better. Members of the audience murmured agreement.
District 25 ranks second to last in the city in terms of the amount of public green space it has, and while the candidates agreed that more parkland would be nice, they also pointed out that the district is overcrowded and that obtaining additional space is difficult.
Kalathara promised that if elected, he would plant 10,000 new trees in the district, and Dromm said he hopes to plant trees along 57th Avenue to help make areas like LeFrak City greener.
Sears said her focus is on improving playgrounds and making sure they keep the trees they have.
There was discussion about trying to extend Travis Park, but Sears didn’t sound optimistic. “There’s a lot that goes into eminent domain,†she said. “You just don’t come and take it.â€
Dromm, who has been vocal in calling for more green space in the community, argued that residents need to be consulted about the $1.7 million allocated to renovate the park.
