NEW YORK — City Council Member Joann Ariola says Cross Bay Boulevard in Broad Channel, Queens is long overdue for repaving.
“We were really excited about paving this roadway at the end of the season until we saw how to do it,” she said.
In a recent video she posted to social media, she calls the Department of Transportation’s recent resurfacing project “horrendous.”
“The people of Broad Channel have half-full streets, two-lane highways, broken curbs, covered manhole covers, rolled corners and broken potholes on Shad Creek Road,” Ariola said. “They deserve better.”
The complaints came quickly and intensely, says civic leader
Dan Mundy, president of the Broad Channel Civic Association, said the errors were immediately apparent.
“We immediately received dozens and dozens of complaints from our residents, as well as Rockaway residents, who couldn’t believe this was the end result,” Mundy said.
Neighbors complained that their homes shook when truck tires hit improperly paved manhole covers.
“And this isn’t about the gang that put it up, the men and women who came here to get the job done. This is about Borough Hall and DOT,” Ariola said. “The asphalt was not of good quality. It was cold when it was laid.”
The DOT has since taken steps to smooth out problem areas ahead of a total overhaul in warmer weather, telling CBS New York: “NYC DOT is committed to keeping New York City’s 20,000 miles of paved roads in good condition. We’re addressing this. problem in Broad Channel, and we will continue to monitor conditions closely until we return to resurface in the spring.”
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Elle McLogan
