Assemblyman Goldfeder Urges NYC Department of Transportation to Fix Sandy-Damaged Street Lights

Nearly a year after the storm, dozens of pedestrian sidewalks and streets significantly lack adequate lighting after dark in Rockaway 

     

            Rockaway, Queens—Assemblyman Phillip Goldfeder (D-Rockaway) has sent a letter to Queens Borough Commissioner of Transportation, Dalila Hall, urging her to take immediate action and fix the severely damaged street lighting in Rockaway caused by Superstorm Sandy last fall. 

“It is utterly unacceptable that our hardworking families are still waiting almost a year to replace street lights that were damaged during the storm,” said Assemblyman Goldfeder. “I strongly urge the Department of Transportation to immediately investigate this situation and take the necessary corrective actions to keep our streets lit in the evening hours and protect our residents.” 

            Prior to Sandy, street lights were positioned along the boardwalk from Beach 125^th Street to Beach 9^thStreet, which provided adequate light for residents walking near the oceanfront in Rockaway. With the boardwalk gone, many areas along Shore Front Parkway are also without working lights and the Department of Transportation has not taken any action or provided a timeframe for when the street lighting would be replaced permanently, noted Goldfeder.

             “October 29th as we all know will be one year since Super Storm Sandy and still there are no lights on Shore Front Parkway,” said Danny Ruscillo, President of the 100^th Precinct Community Council. “The project on getting these lights repaired and back on should have been top priority for the D.O.T.” 

            Additionally, dozens of lights throughout the peninsula still remain untouched after the storm. In his letter, Goldfeder urged the commissioner to conduct a thorough investigation and inspect all lights, while replacing those destroyed during the storm to create a safer environment. 

            “Street safety and adequate lighting should be the Department of Transportation’s top priority to keep our families safe in Rockaway,” Assemblyman Goldfeder said. “We must do everything we can to ensure our children are kept out of harms way and our neighborhood is given the right tools needed to remain safe and recover.”