As a matter of practice, car dealerships along Northern Boulevard, one of the most dangerous streets in Queens, illegally use its sidewalks and curb lanes as a showroom for vehicles. NYPD doesn't enforce against the appropriation of sidewalks and won't answer questions about it.
Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson recently walked down Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights and found cars for sale blocking the pedestrian right of way, including the very crosswalk where a turning truck driver killed 8-year-old Noshat Nahian in 2013.
A car dealership displays one of its latest models in the crosswalk where 8-year-old Noshat Nahian was killed. Photo: Clarence Eckerson Jr.
The issue is common all over the city, but has long been a particular problem on Northern Boulevard, drawing the attention of local advocacy group Make Queens Safer.
"Nothing can flare a temper as quickly as having to walk around parked cars on the sidewalks," said Cristina Furlong, a founding member of Make Queens Safer. "To me, it says that I’m low priority, residents are low priority -- but worse than that, that these dealerships are above the law, and act so blatantly because they know they are untouchable by law enforcement."
Photo: Clarence Eckerson Jr.
East of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in Jackson Heights, the 115th Precinct covers Northern Boulevard. West of the BQE, the 114th Precinct covers the north side of the street and the 108th covers the south side. Towing illegally parked cars isn't unprecedented: Last month, the 104th Precinct began towing illegally parked vehicles on sidewalks outside an auto body shop on Flushing Avenue.
DOT referred all questions about the issue to NYPD, which has not replied to inquiries about Northern Boulevard. In the meantime, car dealers on Northern Boulevard continue to be above the law.
In spring 2017, Stephen wrote for Streetsblog USA, covering the livable streets movement and transportation policy developments around the nation.
From August 2012 to October 2015, he was a reporter for Streetsblog NYC, covering livable streets and transportation issues in the city and the region. After joining Streetsblog, he covered the tail end of the Bloomberg administration and the launch of Citi Bike. Since then, he covered mayoral elections, the de Blasio administration's ongoing Vision Zero campaign, and New York City's ever-evolving street safety and livable streets movements.
The capitulation on Fordham Road is the latest episode in which the mayor has delayed or watered down a transportation project in deference to powerful interests.
That headline above is a reference to the last line of James Joyce's Ulysses, which we won't pretend to have read. But we have that ... and other news.