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Trail over rail? Federal funding for QueensWay linear park could threaten long-sought QueensLink rail project
Trail over rail? Federal funding for QueensWay linear park could threaten long-sought QueensLink rail project

Mar. 18, 2024 By Ben Brachfeld

The federal government granted New York City $117 million to design and build part of a High Line-esque “linear park” on an abandoned rail spur in Queens — but some advocates and elected officials worry the plan would forever foreclose the long-sought possibility of reactivating transit service along the corridor.

U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced the massive sum of funding for the QueensWay project last week, specifically to build the “Forest Park Pass” section between Union Turnpike and Park Lane South. When completed, the QueensWay will be a 3.5-mile, 47-acre linear park with pedestrian and cycling trails, which proponents say will connect residents to green space in areas between Forest Hills and Ozone Park.

“For many of the 2.3 million people who live in Queens, access to public parks and open space is limited, and in many cases, difficult and dangerous to access by bike or on foot,” Schumer said. “The QueensWay will provide much-needed green space and a new transportation corridor within walking distance of hundreds of thousands of residents and countless small businesses in Central Queens from Forest Hills to Ozone Park.”

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$117 million federal grant boosts QueensWay Project: A 3.5-mile greenway connecting six neighborhoods in Queens

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and members of the Queens Congressional delegation announced a $117 million federal grant for the QueensWay project’s Forest Park Pass section, which includes 9 acres stretching from Union Turnpike through Forest Park to Park Lane South.

The full QueensWay project will be a 3.5-mile, 47-acre linear park that transforms a stretch of abandoned railway into green space, as well as a transportation corridor featuring pedestrian and bike-friendly paths that connect six neighborhoods from Forest Hills to Ozone Park. The project will provide safe alternative routes to twelve schools, seven subway lines, and one commuter line (LIRR), along with local businesses.

Attorney general’s office opens investigation into NYPD fatal shooting in Rego Park on Friday

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) on Tuesday launched a probe into the police-involved fatal shooting of 46-year-old Djamshed Nematov on March 8 following an encounter with the NYPD in Rego Park.

At approximately 6:50 p.m., police from the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills received a 911 call reporting a man stabbing his wife in a second-floor apartment on 62nd Avenue near 102 Street.

Willets Point development clears latest hurdle in the public review process with unanimous approval of the City Planning Commission

The massive Willets Point redevelopment project passed another key milestone Wednesday when the City Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve phase two of the plan that calls for a 25,000-seat soccer-specific stadium, 1,400 units of affordable housing, a 250-room hotel, a 650-seat public school, 80,000 square feet of retail space and nearly three acres of open space.

“This project is a game changer for Queens, and for the entire City,” said Dan Garodnick, Chair of the City Planning Commission and Director of the Department of City Planning. “Thanks to today’s unanimous vote at the City Planning Commission, we are one step closer to providing Queens with thousands of income-restricted homes, good-paying jobs, open space, a new soccer stadium, and billions in economic activity. It’s a perfect example of great planning delivering great results.”