Yesterday I had time after work to go for a tour of the Conduit. I documented my experience with a particular interest in the conditions of pedestrian facilities and the overall feel. I made it as far south as the pedestrian footbridge and then ended by the Norwood Ave J train stop by Highland Park. … Continue reading Trip to the Conduit 6/18/15
Join members of the Southern Queens Greenway on March 26th for a restoration cleanup of the NYC Parks-managed land alongside Laurelton Parkway. Come get a firsthand look at a lost park trail hidden in plain sight!
We’re still alive! Here’s what you can expect for this month and in the foreseeable future during the summer.
Short-term plan of action
It has been decided that the first area of the greenway that we will tackle is on Conduit Boulevard between Liberty Avenue and 80th Street. More on this soon.
Dear Friends of the Southern Queens Greenway initiative,
Our April meeting will be on Saturday, April 16th at noon. In honor of Earth Day (April 22nd) our meeting will be outdoors in beautiful Rufus King Park weather permitting. Check here for any updates for location.
Dear Friends of the Southern Queens Greenway initiative,
I hope you all enjoyed your holidays.
You are cordially invited to participate in our first lunch/meeting on Saturday, March 5th at noon. I want to invite you and friends to a strategic meeting to discuss how to proceed with the greenway initiative. In 2015 I met with community groups, city agencies and public officials but I need your help to make the greenway grow. The venue is O Lavrador Restaurant and Bar in Jamaica, Queens. I have included the menu and prices in the link below. At the meeting we will discuss future plans and ways to get active as we move further into 2016 and beyond. Please brainstorm ideas in advance. If you plan on attending please send a message to the Contact page by February 20th so I can make necessary reservations.
Tentative Agenda
Introduction of attendees : Know your audience
Summary of progress since November 2014
Assignment of roles and responsibilities
Future events {brainstorming} to drive interest in the community
There is a free 5K walk and run event this weekend at Brookville Park. The community group, Gaining Our Dignity with Parks, promotes healthy activity in the community will be hosting the event. The event is a run and walk 5K. You can RSVP here on facebook. You must pre register in advance.
Mark your calendars! There are two opportunities to come out and get involved with the Southern Queens Greenway. After a successful walk in August (see our photos here) we’ll have our second Walk the Conduit on Saturday, September 19th. Same place and same time. Remember to bring good walking shoes, plenty of water and, of course, a friend!
On Saturday, October 24th, at 9am Southern Queens Greenway and friends will host a neighborhood cleanup at Tudor Park. Get ready to clean up some trash with awesome people. It’ll be a great event and we’ll have a little party afterwards to celebrate all of our hard work. Parent supervision is required for participants under 18 years old. If you know anyone who would like to get their hands dirty and wants to do some community service before Halloween this is a great opportunity. If you are from an organization or business that would like to partner up or would like to donate please use the Contact Us page to reach us.
Listen up. On August 15th @ 9am SQGW is hosting Walk the Conduit together event. This is an easy pace walking event for everyone to experience the road as a community. We will meet at Vito Locascio field in Ozone Park, NY. The walk will end by Highland Park in Cypress Hills. There are several Mass Transit options if you cannot make the entire 3.5 mile walk. All participants are encouraged to bring a camera and document the conditions. This is also a great opportunity to meet and network with others who are concerned with improving the conditions along the dividing road.
If you are interested please RSVP on Facebook and save the date. Spread the word in your networks and we’ll see you there!
Note: You do not need a Facebook account to access the event page. Information pertaining to directions, time and more can be found by clicking the link above.
Yesterday I had time after work to go for a tour of the Conduit. I documented my experience with a particular interest in the conditions of pedestrian facilities and the overall feel. I made it as far south as the pedestrian footbridge and then ended by the Norwood Ave J train stop by Highland Park. The photos end by City Line Park. Here I provide a narrative for the photo tour. Overall I took over 200 pictures but for several reasons (ie. memory restrictions and redundancy) I cut the total down to 35 pictures.
Google Maps image of Conduit walking tour
Today the arterial roadway sits directly atop the historic aqueduct that once connected Highland Park’s Reservoir to parts of Eastern Queens and Nassau. The structure provided drinking water for NYC’s early population. The right of way for route 27 was placed on top of the former aqueduct. If you’d like to learn more about the site’s history check out the NYC Parks website.
I started my walk south from the Grant Ave A train and traveled along the southern edge of the median. Further along I crossed under the bridge for Linden Blvd. Not surprisingly there wasn’t much to see aside from: faded pedestrian crossings, poor, crumbling roads, suicidal cyclists and lots of garbage. The historic Federation of Black Cowboys site is still standing. Signs near Tudor Park across the road indicate that horses once crossed over.
Next I crossed over the Pedestrian Overpass. The foot bridge is not an inviting landmark; there were fragments of broken glass scattered along the entrance ramp, a fence covered one segment entirely and there was graffiti everywhere. Presently the bridge is the safest option for crossing the Conduit. Plenty of people opted to run over the six lanes and the grassy median. My guess is that the bridge isn’t practical if your trip is too far North or South.
Now I head North.
On my way to Cypress Hills I found an ice cream man pushing his handcart on the crumbling sidewalk. It was odd to see him roll the cart with his bike horn when hardly anyone could be seen. Moving along I passed Pals Oval, Indian Field, and Tudor Park. I was surprised to see these ballfields and park spaces were being used with the loud and choked air of passing cars and trucks. Unfortunately for the neighboring community, many facilities, especially Tudor Park, were too close to the Conduit. Tudor Park’s topography is lower than the road. Wouldn’t be surprised if many children developed asthma and other respiratory complications by playing near the trough along Tudor park.
Before reaching City Line, the community on the Brooklyn-Queens border, I passed through a miniature forest. The transition is characterized from open field space to trees and abundant wildflowers. Finding a shady spot was an easy task. As expected the little oasis, offering shade and respite from the urban setting, soon ended; I was quickly deposited onto the fringe of the road. Up ahead Conduit Blvd squeezes as it nears Atlantic Avenue. One notable theme for the trip: pedestrian infrastructure in and around the conduit is a joke. In order to reach City Line park you need to cross the southbound Conduit Blvd then cross Liberty Ave. Otherwise start running!
I want to use this experience to start a conversation with neighbors, community leaders and the city agencies about the future of this road. I undertook this trip in response to the Department of City Planning which asked for a survey of the site. The Conduit succeeds in dividing not only automobile traffic but also the community. Please comment with some changes you would like to see added to the space and, of course, be sure to sign our petition and contact us if would like to get involved.
Great news! On April 22nd, Earth Day 2015, Friends of Idlewild (@IdlewildPreserv) tweeted a photo of the Springfield Park section of the Greenway. It runs along Springfield Blvd from 147th Ave to South Conduit Ave. A small yet important step towards connecting Southeast Queens to the NYC Greenway network. NOTE: The update will not appear on the NYC Bike Map 2015 but the markings are there. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony in June. More details to come. Please refer to the Google Map below.
![IMG_20150423_080837[1]](https://southernqueensgreenway.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/img_20150423_0808371.jpg)
