Whitestone Residents Protest Truck Traffic

Photo Vinny DuPre (Far l.): Alfredo Centola, a resident of Fifth Avenue in Whitestone, (back row, third from l.) Paul Vallone, a Whitestone resident, and (front row, third from r.): City Councilmember Tony Avella joined residents and members of the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Civic Association in protesting truck and auto traffic on the narrow residential street, home to 17 children under the age of 14.

At a Saturday morning press conference, the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Civic Association, a coalition of Whitestone residents and City Councilmember Tony Avella met to draw attention to a steadily increasing problem of illegal truck traffic on Fifth Avenue in Whitestone.

"Fifth Avenue is the first block where vehicles can make a right turn when getting off the Third Avenue exit of the Whitestone Bridge, which happens to be the last exit before the bridge," Alfredo Centola, a resident of the block explained. "Cars, trucks and large commercial vehicles use this quiet street as a conduit to the neighborhood. This is a potentially dangerous quality of life issue that has been ignored for far too long.

"Several dogs have been hit and/or killed by trucks that did not even slow down, let alone stop. Fences have been torn down by these large vehicles and foundations have been damaged, due to the constant rumbling from these trucks." The greatest danger, all parties attest, is to the 17 children under the age of 14 who live on the block. "These children cannot play on their front lawns because of this heavy commercial and speeding traffic," Centola pointed out.

Residents have purchased signs and blow-up bollards bearing "Caution Children At Play" slogans, all of which have had no effect. Laurie Occhipinto, a Fifth Avenue resident, has had several signs and bollards run over. While the press conference was in session, a car ran over a large blowup bollard and sped away. "That could have been a child. Is this what we have to wait for?" one woman in attendance asked.

Centola said he has correspondence dating back to 1999 requesting the various agencies that govern traffic movement in the city to change Fifth Avenue to a one-way street with traffic flowing toward the Whitestone Bridge. To date, his requests have gone unheeded. Pat Carpentiere, Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Civic Association president, agreed. "Residents are truly scared to let their children out to play. This is a tremendous quality of life issue that continues to be ignored by DOT and the city. Something needs to be done to address this situation as soon as possible," Carpentiere said. Paul Vallone, a neighborhood resident who was visiting on the block and who is planning to run for the 19th Council District seat that Avella will leave due to term limits, said he could not believe the level of traffic on a supposedly less-traveled Saturday morning, let alone what he has witnessed on other days. He intends to support the residents of the block in their quest to ensure a safe environment for their children. Residents of Fifth Avenue are organizing a block association and will begin to organize protests, it was reported.

Avella called on the city to step up and make the street one-way before a tragedy occurs. "One of the most frequent quality of life complaints my office has received has been illegal truck traffic," he said. "All too often, these huge trucks and tractor-trailers drive through quiet residential streets with little or no regard for residents, creating traffic congestion, noise, pollution and vibrations that shake the foundations of homes. Despite previous legislative efforts that have increased the penalties issued to truck drivers for truck route violations, many trucking companies and drivers disregard these fines as merely the cost of doing business. Therefore, the only other option is to seize the vehicles of perpetual violators of the truck traffic regulations." In 2006, Avella introduced City Council Resolution 170/2006, asking the state legislature to amend the vehicle and traffic law to allow for forfeiture of a truck if the driver of such vehicle has been convicted of three violations of New York City's truck route rules within an 18-month period.