By Nathan Duke
Some Bayside residents said they were concerned that the city could remove a footbridge near the neighborhood's Long Island Rail Road station that has been in the community for nearly 100 years.
The city is currently weighing options to repair the bridge, on the corner of 216th Street near the LIRR station in Bayside, and replace it with an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant structure or remove it from the community.
Residents who use the bridge to get to work or reach other neighborhood locales, such as the 111th Precinct, Bayside Library or restaurants on Northern Boulevard, said they would like to see the structure get an upgrade and not be torn down.
“It's been there for almost a century,” said Frank Skala, the East Bayside Homeowner's Association president. “Removing it would cut the community in half. It's rusted and needs repair, but this is a convenience for the community that should not be removed. We've been asking [the city] to fix it for 15 years.”
Skala said he preferred the option of refurbishing the structure as opposed to replacing it with a handicapped-accessible bridge.
“They'd have to put in a huge circular spiral or an elevator to handle the handicapped ramp,” he said. “The elevator would be vandalized and the spiral would draw skateboarders.”
Craig Chin, a spokesman for the city's Transportation Department, said the city is considering two options for the footbridge – to demolish it or refurbish it and add ramps for the disabled.
CB 11 will discuss the proposals for the bridge at a Sept. 22 meeting and a full vote will take place in October.
CB 11 Chairman Steve Newman said the board supports building a new structure or refurbishing the current one.
“The bridge either needs to be replaced or rehabbed,” he said. “We believe it needs some fixing up and the key question is how much that would cost.”
Newman said the bridge was not used much by the community and that a car service could be arranged to transport residents if the structure were removed.
But Bayside resident Alexander DiPaolo said he strongly opposes tearing down the footbridge. He said he crosses the bridge twice per day as he travels back and forth to work.
“It means I would have to walk farther to get to work,” he said. “What are we getting for our tax dollars — a corroding bridge? They should replace it with a nice modern structure that is well-lit and is convenient for residents to get from one side to the other.”
Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
