Say Noisy Deliveries Block Sidewalk
The NYPD will reach out to other city agencies to help alleviate the congested sidewalks and parking issues created by trucks unloading at the fresh fruit stands along Fresh Pond Road, according to officials who spoke at the Farmers’ Oval Civic Association, last Thursday, Apr. 25.
“I have so much hate mail about this truck that’s parked by there all the time,” said 104th Precinct Executive Officer John Travaglia, alluding to the truck in front of the stand on Woodbine Street and Fresh Pond Road. “I will do everything I can from police standpoint, and I will make referrals.”
Residents also noted the Valentino market on Fresh Pond Road and Madison Street causes similar problems.
Travaglia said he will contact the Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Buildings and the Sanitation Department to draw their attention to the issue.
“It’s not always a police matter, but we will be the point people,” he said.
Cleaning up parking problems
Traffic enforcement is cracking down on illegally parked cars in the 104th Precinct, Travaglia told the association.
“There is towing coming,” said Travaglia, who is in charge of traffic. “It’s time-I’ve given them enough warning.”
People were taking advantage of the fact that the area is a self-enforced zone to leave cars parked permanently throughout the neighborhood, he said.
According to Travaglia, the area has turned into a storage zone for people who don’t live in the precinct.
“They’re using our streets as used car lots. We’re towing those cars, because most of them are unregistered.”
He noted the precinct pays special attention to vehicles with out-of-state plates-often, they are not registered in the state that their plates display.
He noted that he left fliers on many cars in the vicinity of the precinct stating that cars must be moved for cleaning.
Areas in the precinct that are selfenforced will remain that way, he said.
“We’re still paying attention to who moved-who didn’t move,” he added.
Bad drivers nearMafera Park
Several residents complained that drivers are breaking traffic laws on the streets near Joseph F. Mafera Park.
Some observed failures to stop, others told of speeding cars, one person said his neighbors are driving the wrong way down a one-way stretch of Shaler Avenue between 65th Street and 65th Place.
Travaglia said he will send an intelligence report to the Department of Transportation to bring the issue to their attention, adding he will send enforcement.
Residents said speeding is getting worse in front of the park, too.
Travaglia and P.O. Thomas Bell of the 104th Precinct Community Affairs Unit told the association it’s tough to enforce speed rules in that area, because the street is so short.
“It’s not just an issue of sticking a radar gun out and getting them,” Travaglia said. “To actually get it convicted in traffic court is the next big hurdle.”
He said it would be tough to prosecute because officers use suspects’ speed over a predetermined distance to ticket and prosecute offenders. In addition, there are no posted speed limits in the street.
“Traffic judges love seeing posted signs. They want to hear that there were two, three 35-mile-an-hour signs up,” he said, adding he would push for increased signage in order to stem the issue or make it easier to prosecute offenders.
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The next meeting of the Farmers’ Oval Civic Association will be held at Ridgewood Baptist Church, located at 64-13 Catalpa Ave. on Monday, May 27, following the Ridgewood-Glendale Memorial Day Parade along Myrtle Avenue.
