In 2016, we received word from Kevin Montalvo, one of the co-founders of the Queens Distance Runners team, expressing his enthusiasm for the Queensway and lending their endorsement of the project.
So it was no surprise to hear from Kevin last month that he wanted to organize a Queensway Cleanup. Within a couple weeks, this community leader gathered many of the team members to volunteer along with getting the appropriate permits and forging a relationship with the Friends of Forest Park and local NYPD Explorers team members to lend a hand.
The cleanup had a showing of nearly 30 volunteers spread across a half mile of the abandoned tracks in Forest Park. Queens Distance Runners proves time and time again that they are more than a running team or club, they are a community group!
The support we get from Kevin and the Queens Distance Runners does not go unnoticed and at least for one day yesterday, the results of community coming together for one goal seem as tangible as ever. They support the project because it symbolizes to them, progression of increased accessibility for runners, joggers while establishing a safe path for commuters seeking a healthy alternative to congested traffic in the established region.
The culmination of our work over the last couple months with students at Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School (MELS) took place Saturday with an event at Forest Park as part of the global 2018 City Nature Challenge.
What is it? It was an opportunity to 1. Find Wildlife 2. Take a Picture of What we Find 3. Share Our Observations via iNaturalist.org
With Mother Nature giving us the most beautiful day, we had a daylong of visits on Saturday from familiar faces and new Forest Park visitors as they took part in the City Nature Challenge.
Check out this graphic showing hi-res images of the types of observations made during our bio blitz event for the 2018 City Nature Challenge in FOREST PARK, adjacent to the QueensWay site.
DOWNLOAD HI RES GRAPHIC BY CLICKING ON IMAGE
By end of day, we had 294 observations uploaded via the iNaturalist app. During the entire weekend, we got nearly 900 observations uploaded into the app with images.
Organized by partnership between The Trust for Public Land and Friends of the Queensway, we partnered with Dr. Kelly O’Donnell and her Macaulay Honors College students, MELS staff and students, and NYC H20 for this great event #CNC18FORESTPARK
What happens when a community group such as Friends of the QueensWay takes advantage of opportunities such as the Partnerships for Parks It’s My Park initiative and New Yorkers for Parks Daffodil Project?
A meeting of neighbors at Police Officer Nicholas DeMutiis in Ozone Park, from across a couple Queens neighborhoods. This park has gone through renovations, some of which were recently completed. With expected renovations of basketball courts and entry ramp, we are hopeful to see these daffodils bloom next Spring to complement the beautiful improvements.
Huge shout out to Daryl Cherry, Queens Senior Outreach Coordinator at Partnership for Parks and Emily Walker, Director of Outreach and Programs at New Yorkers for Parks, for making this event possible through It’s My Park and Daffodil Project, respectively.
On Sunday, Oct 22nd, the Friends of the QueensWay in collaboration with Earth Citizens Club, hosted a cleanup on the tracks. About thirty volunteers were in attendance, channeling their best energy to handle some of the tasks at hand.
The cleanup included volunteers from across three boroughs, while also having local residents, including MELS student with trash bags, rakes, shovels, and pickers in hand.
This cleanup was made possible due to the guidance of Forest Park staff, who were generous enough to provide the supplies we needed for this cleanup as well as a partner in Earth Citizens Club.
After just a few hours and nearly 50 bags of trash and leaves removed, we left the site looking like a teaser of what could be. In its entirety, the QueensWay, a 3.5 mile stretch of land, would connect 6 neighborhoods to the beauty that we all know and love in Forest Park. On Saturday, everyone saw the potential of this project while coming together and meeting neighbors and supporters.
Special thanks to NYC Parks staff, Nicole Gamory and Ralph, Sean on behalf of the Earth Citizens Club and to all the wonderful volunteers that joined us for all of their help!
Creating Art from LIRR Ruins with Matt Jensen and The QueensWay by: Tarley Jordan
Saturday, April 29, was a lovely spring day in Queens, New York. The sun was shining and the air was warm as we took an artist-led walk with Matthew Jensen through a long-abandoned LIRR rail corridor.
Matt, previously an artist-in-residence at the Queens Museum/Artbuilt Studio in the Park (2015) describes the area we explored as the ‘end of many dead ends’ — where residential streets run up to the derelict LIRR rail tracks that slice through the neighborhoods of Rego Park, Forest Hills, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, Ozone Park and South Ozone Park.
Matt’s intimate knowledge of all these neighborhoods and the proposed path of The QueensWay comes from his research for a photographic series which was commissioned by the Trust for Public Land, making him a knowledgeable and engaging guide.
As Matt took us along one of the many routes he has travelled for his book, we viewed the overgrown rail line (the proposed QueensWay corridor) through a different lens. Instead of envisioning the park in its former glory as a working railway, or in its proposed future as a community park, Matt encouraged us to look for the small details that can be overlooked in the hustle and bustle of everyday life — a rusted catenary tower, the white flowers of a dogwood tree floating in a sea of green, the complex topography surrounding the corridor. He tasked our group with absorbing and observing our surroundings, just as they were– to allow them to inspire us in creating a site-specific artwork.
The foundation for our artwork was a map of the decommissioned rail track and its surrounding ‘dead end’ streets. The stark white of the page was our museum space for the day, a physical form that represents the space of our mind that holds our memories. This canvas held the artifacts we found along our walk. See the items our group found and creatively composed in the photo gallery below.
Our group wandered from Richmond Hill into Forest Park, and then onto the publicly accessible section of the old LIRR tracks, all the while collecting and creating. Artifacts, garbage, greenery, colorful flakes of graffiti paint and other items helped tell the story of this place– a place whose story evokes ruin and disrepair, but one day could tell a very different story.
Along the way we saw graffiti murals , decaying wooden railway ties, and evidence of stray cats and wild birds fed by humans. We also encountered one family trying to explore the tracks as a Saturday afternoon adventure with stroller in tow, some fantastic migratory birds, and evidence of fire pits.
Meandering through a variety of landscapes offers scenery that is unlike other rails-to-trails projects in New York with which you might be familiar. The track has a variety of widths, elevations, and foundations from ravines and valleys, to a steeply elevated hillside and traditionally elevated structural rail track. We daydreamed about what this rugged place would look like transformed into a 3.5 mile linear park and off-street pedestrian walk and cycle trail that the community could benefit from.
Take a look at our artist-led walk and artwork creations in the photo gallery below, and Matt’s photo studies of The QueensWay, A Place That Moves People, is available to purchase on Blurb.
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Photo by Michelle Cordray
Event Details
The QueensWay: A Place That Moves People
April 29th, 2017
1:00 pm –
3:00 pm
10222-10226 Jamaica Ave, Richmond Hill, NY 11418, USA
3 Things I Learned About Queens On The QueensWay Bike Tour
By Tarley Jordan, Forest Hills Resident
I’ve lived in Forest Hills in Queens for just over three years, and I first heard about this idea called the QueensWay when I was living close to Yellowstone Boulevard. Just blocks away from the abandoned LIRR Rockaway tracks – I had no idea there was a great possibility literally at my finger tips. The Friends of QueensWay are proposing to bring green, open space to hundreds of thousands of locals. When I saw that Friends of the QueensWay were planning to host a cycling tour of the areas surrounding the proposed QueensWay I just had to join in.
I pumped up my bike tires and strapped on my trusty helmet. It had been a while since I’d taken a long ride, so ten miles in one day was going to be a challenge. I convinced myself that if I got the chance to see my neighborhood in a new light, it was going to be worth it.
Honestly, it was the best day out I’ve had in my borough. The tour was led by affable visionary Peter Beadle, an incredibly knowledgeable local. He guided us through the streets of Queens in a way I had never experienced before.
I was introduced to new neighborhoods, and I saw areas I’d usually buzz past in a car or bus, up-close and in person in all of its magnificent detail. I met a host of friendly locals and, as an added benefit, did something active that got my body moving. The thing I loved the most though, was uncovering a hidden treasure of my borough. I’d like to share my thoughts on why a new park in Queens would be beneficial for all of us:
Secrets of Central Queens. There are plenty of articles detailing the secrets of Manhattan – but did you know Queens has some of her own? For many (including myself) the LIRR Rockaway line tracks are a “hidden in plain sight” secret – it’s been abandoned for over 50 years! There’s even a secret underground station in Ozone Park and an ever-changing urban art gallery under the Jackie Robinson overpass. But the biggest thing I saw was the potential. Currently the railway is overrun with plants, trees, various rubbish and even animal traps. The homeless hang out in camps there too – generally making the place a rather unsavory location to visit. But, with the proposed plan from Friends of the Queensway,, I saw the beautiful green space it could be.
Access to Green Space is Rare – But it Doesn’t Have to Be. New York City’s optimal benchmark for park space per 1,000 people is 2.5 acres. This program is specifically designed to encourage access to public, green space for New Yorkers. Being able to stroll under trees, go for a quick bike ride, or have a leisurely picnic is especially important. In fact, people who live within a mile of a park have an average of 40% more exercise sessions per week, and are four times likely to use the park. Unfortunately in the Southern parts of Queens, residents have to walk further (over 1 mile) to get to a park. Families in this area have to slog through a longer commute to green space than anyone else in New York City. The QueensWay would be a convenient and happy alternative.
Cycling Around Queens is Tough. The weaving path we took along our QueensWay tour route wasn’t for sightseeing purposes, it was a necessity to follow road rules, avoid high traffic congestion and potentially dangerous roadways. In fact, some parts were pretty scary! Luckily we were travelling in a group, with safety in numbers and experienced ride leaders. But not everyone has that on their weekend leisure ride. It astounds me just how few on-street bike lanes, and even less dedicated bike paths, you see in Central Queens. It doesn’t have to be that way. With a neighborhood park/trail like QueensWay, cycling (and walking, jogging, skateboarding, rollerblading for that matter) between neighborhoods will be fun and most importantly safe. Only 3.5 miles to travel from Ozone Park to Rego Park, with on-street connections to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and the many attractions within such as Queens Zoo, Queens Museum, CitiField, and the USTA. A dedicated bike path along the route of the QueensWay could even encourage bike share programs like CitiBike to expand here. There are a plethora of possibilities.
I love my neighborhood even more, thanks to the QueensWay bike tour. I’ve learned a lot, and am excited for the beautiful future of central Queens.
I can’t wait for the next bike tour to pick up more secrets, tips, and tricks on how we can make the most of our wonderful borough.
Join me on the next scheduled bike tour. Sign up for the QueensWay newsletter for your invite.
On Saturday, April 26th, thirty volunteers came out to clean up a section of the QueensWay located in Forest Park. With the help of Parks Department personnel, they removed 30 bags worth of garbage and cleared brush and fallen tree limbs, creating a path for future visitors to the QueensWay. Focusing their efforts on various parts of the ravine, volunteers helped clear several dumping grounds containing everyday trash.
We are looking to expand our events; Daffodil Project in the Fall! 🙂
At the March 24th and 26th QueensWay community workshops, over 200 Queens residents participated in a discussion with The QueensWay planning team. Among the topics discussed were: potential programming and design scenarios, privacy and security of users and adjacent residential properties, potential access points, impact on Forest Park, and creating a safe commuting alternative to Woodhaven blvd.
It was a perfect day for a March bike ride. It was over 50 degrees, with clear skies and a brisk wind when I rode to Shalimar Dinner at around 10:07 AM. I was one of the first cyclists to arrive.
The purpose of our ride was to tour the QueensWay. On the 7 mile trip that would span the neighborhoods of Rego Park, Forest Hills, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, and Ozone Park, we would stop at the right of way. We would even have the privilege to take a few moments to climb up onto the right of way and admire the abandoned rail road tracks, the shrubbery and the passing breeze.
Even though there is no official count for the bike ride, and I might be overreaching, there were probably over 70 riders there. With the help of the Five Boro Bike Club, The Friends of the QueenswWay, and of course our knowledgeable tour guide, Peter Beadle, the ride was a complete success. There were no break downs, incidents, or wipe outs to report. The ride went so smoothly that it felt as though our ride south was an unstoppable force. People came to ride with us from all corners of the city, from. Some of us, including me, spent more time getting there.
We feasted on bagels in Woodhaven, made a stop in Forest Park to admire some urban art. We talked about the stories surrounding our bikes, compared frames, and even got know each other a bit. Some of us became impromptu leaders on the ride, helping to cork traffic and keep everyone together. Most importantly though, we dreamed of what could be.
That’s the draw of the QueensWay though. It is something so simple, yet special. It’s wild, because of its very nature, abandoned 50 years ago and left alone. It was a fundamental piece of transportation infrastructure that could now be revitalized to fit a more pressing purpose.
The pressing purpose: park land, transportation alternatives, cultural spaces, economic development opportunities are all the main drivers that have motivated so many to work towards making the QueensWay a reality.
While we rode parallel to the QueensWay, we began to ponder the Way, in order to grasp the potential of such an important piece of land. We dreamed of what could be. Our bike ride was on the street, but if the QueensWay was completed a week ago, we could have zipped from Rego Park to Ozone Park in no time at all. Instead of dodging cars, stopping traffic and constantly stopping at lights, we could have been going almost straight south, along a tree lined path, stopping for no one.
Parks are few and far the further south you go. Sure, there is always going to be the magnificent Forest Park to the North, but while I was biking down through Ozone Park I thought of all my friends who lived there, and how much more joyful their childhoods would have been if the QueensWay had existed as a park. Unlike a railway, the QueensWay is something a community can take ownership of; it is something that an individual can take pride in, something to build a community around.
When the QueensWay is built, my friends in Ozone Park can proudly say that they live near the park. If they choose to start a family there, they can one day take their children to the QueensWay, teach them how to ride a bike, admire the flowers in the Spring time and the foliage in the fall. Park space is something that I always took for granted, especially since I lived a block away from Alley Pond Park and the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway during my childhood.
It took the bike tour for me to realize in my heart, not just by using reasoning and statistics, that a park, like the QueensWay, is something that a community can cherish for decades, if not centuries. It is something that the people of Ozone Park and all others who live along the Way deserve. It might not be a perfect park on day one, but I have faith that we can make this 3.5 mile abandoned stretch of land into something that will be loved by the people of Queens, and admired by people across the state, country and the world.
On February 4th, 50 High School students in Richmond Hill gathered around an interactive map to learn about the QueensWay plan. Together, they learned about history of the site, and shared ideas for future programming. This session –one of a series of mobile workshops– is part of an ongoing effort to bring the project to communities less likely to attend a public workshop. Central to these workshops is the Mobile Outreach Tool, a one-of-a kind portable community engagement instrument that can be used to help explain what and where the Queensway is and additionally, gather feedback from residents and stakeholders.
Led by the Hester Street Collaborative (HSC) and FQW volunteers, Mobile Workshops have been held at the MELS School PTA, The High School for Construction Trades, The New York City Academy for Discovery (Q306), Body of Christ Filipino Christian Church, The Junior Sikh Coalition, and three workshops at the Queens Community House.
