Newsday from New York, New York • 27

i Phone items to (718) 575-2550 Fax (718) 793-6422 Going Gets Buff Thanks to Grants By Mohamad Bazzi The federal government has come up with $29 million to make it easier and more scenic to get from here to there in Queens After more details emerged about the grants last week Borough President Claire Shulman said the money would help get six Queens transportation projects on track The money mainly will go to projects that encourage bicycling enhance walkways and improve the appearance of streets including the area around the downtown Jamaica transportation hub where buses and subways meet the Long Island Rail Road The money will also be used to create green space and improve highways around the city The six Queens projects are part of a $9 3-million package that was awarded to the city earlier this month for 16 transportation projects The funds will pay for up to 80 percent of the total cost of each prqjiect the balance will come from state city and private funding projects are an investment in the future and will result in safer improved roadways for motorists pedestrians and Shulman said in a statement The borough ident's office has pledged almost 100000 in matching funds to the Queens winners The projects range from the installation of theft-deterrent bicycle parking racks in retail and business centers to the construction of bicycle and pedestrian trails along Cross Bay and Rockaway Beach Boulevards An advisory committee of state and city agencies borough offices and nonprofit groups selected the winning projects based on their benefits to the local environment The state Department of Transportation will administer disbursement These are the Queens projects that won funding: RockawayGateway Greenway Construction of on-street and off-street bicyclepedestrian paths along Cross Bay Boulevard Beach Channel Drive and Rockaway Beach Boulevard The plan is part of a larger system linking the Gateway National Recreation Area with communities in Queens and Brooklyn Total cost: $125 million Enhancement award: $950000 Greenway Guidebook Production of a guidebook for the public on th Queen sBrooklyi greenway system and nearby cultural institu-tions Total cost: $80000 Enhancement award: $64000 Jamaica Center Intermodal Improvements Design and construction of pedestrian passages and streets-cape improvements around the Ja- uuuiti for I'm? The Long Island Rail Road station in Jamaica is targeted for Ni JrifuHhan Kuw $865000 in improvements $29M will help bicyclists pedestrians projects are an investment in the future and will result in safer improved roadways for motorists pedestrians and bicyclists1 Claire Shulman borough president (uc along a route linking important historical sites and landmarks Total cost: $187000 Enhancement award: $150000 Flushing Meadows Pedestrian and Cultural Walkways Stenciling on existing roadways and pedestrian-bicycle bridges to enhance access to the park Total cost: $93000 Enhancement award: $65000 In addition Queens will get 20 percent of the theft-deterrent bicycle narking racks that will be installed in high-car-traflic areas citywide Mohamad Bazzi is a free-lance writer maica LIRR and subway stations Total cost: $1085 million Enhancement award: $865000 Queens PedestrianBicycle Greenway Construction of on-street and off -street pe-destrianbicycle paths to provide connections between and through major Queens parks Total cost: $104 million Enhancement award: $832000 Downtown Flushing Pedestrian and Historic Improvements Improvement of pedestrian and streets-cape elements including signage nental Avenues and has run the train to all stations east of 71st and Continental Avenues The TA recently issued a report saying the switch has improved service at the four affected stations which had previously received only local service The change had little impact on service at the remaining five stations the report said The TA has agreed to extend the experiment for six months so that it can conduct further evaluations in Briarwood had to wait a very long time for the train" said Eric Leventhal an aide to Mqyersohn would then transfer to the express trains IE or FJ at Union-Turnpike No one eras taking the to Manhattan because it was a BOROUGH DMV Opens New Office The Department of Motor Vehicles has opened its new office at 168-35 Rockaway Blvd Springfield Gardens Hours for the issuing office are Monday through Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and Thursdays from 11 am to 7 pm The Traffic Violations Bureau is open Monday through Wednesday and Fridays from 8:30 to 4 and Thursdays until 6 pm Call the information line at 966-6155 for further assistance BOROUGH Train To Continue Stops In Eastern Queens Bowing to community pressure the Transit Authority has agreed to continue providing rush-hour train service at several eastern Queens subway stations The train will continue to make rush-hour stops at the 75th Avenue Van Wyck Sutphin Boulevard and 169th Street stations for the next six months according to Assemb Nettie Mqyersohn iD-Briarwood) For the past year the TA has terminated train service at 71st and Conti Leventhal said the TA decided to launch this experiment in response to years of complaints from eastern Queens residents who lost express service when the train was diverted to Archer Avenue in December 1988 The restoration of express service also seems to have stemmed increasing turnover in Briarwood Leventhal said like to live here because accessible With this new service the community is starting to stabilize" Meanwhile community leaders local politicians and Borough President Claire Shulman recently met with TA officials to demand more subway service on the entire Queens Boulevard line Mohamad Bazzi ll SIlS.