Washington, DC – U.S.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced the Senate passed the
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill,
which included $600,000 to renovate Jamaica Station in Queens in an
effort to make the transportation hub safer and more
pedestrian-friendly. Senator Gillibrand aggressively lobbied
members of the Appropriations Committee to include funding for the
project in this year’s spending bill.
“The
safety of our communities is a top priority of mine,” said Senator
Gillibrand. “This federal investment in the infrastructure of this
bustling transportation hub will provide safer access to the roads,
pedestrian plazas, trains and subways for drivers and pedestrians
alike.”
The
Greater Jamaica Development Corporation (GJDC), one of New York’s
oldest non-profit development corporations, will use the new federal
funding to renovate Jamaica Station’s intersection between Archer
Avenue and Sutphin Boulevard – a dangerous area prone to pedestrian
accidents. Each day, approximately 18,000 people traffic through this
key hub that provides AirTran light rail service to John F. Kennedy
Airport, four subway lines, the Long Island Rail Road and multiple
regional bus lines.
The
GJDC will use the $600,000 to create wider turning radius for buses,
expanded sidewalks, pedestrian plazas, improved subway exits, new
streets signs and lighting, and convenient retail stores for transit
users.
With
Senate passage, the bill will now proceed to the House-Senate
Conference Committee, then voted on in both chambers and sent to the
President to become law.