PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Gabriel Herter on QueensLink Transit Proposal
3:17:04
·
155 sec
Gabriel Herter, a member of the public, passionately advocates for the QueensLink transit proposal, emphasizing its importance for improving accessibility and economic growth in Queens. He criticizes the lack of attention given to this issue during the hearing.
- Herter highlights the current difficulties in accessing different parts of Queens, particularly mentioning the challenges of reaching Ozone Park and Rockaway.
- He argues that QueensLink would connect underserved neighborhoods, benefit communities in transit deserts, and promote economic growth and job creation.
- The speaker also touches on issues of social equity, inclusion, and environmental sustainability as reasons to support the QueensLink project.
Gabriel Herter
3:17:04
Hi.
3:17:05
So I would just like to start off by saying, thank you for letting me speak.
3:17:10
I would also like to just address something very quickly that I think it's a little insane that we completely brushed over QueensLink when we spent an hour and a half talking about something that is very important, mind you, subway surfing.
3:17:22
It was completely brushed aside.
3:17:23
It is something that's very important.
3:17:24
I grew up in East Queens.
3:17:26
Ozone Park and Rockway are inaccessible.
3:17:28
I can't go to the beach in my own borough because of how hard it is to get there.
3:17:31
I can't take any jobs because it's impossible.
3:17:34
The infrastructure is there for trains, but why aren't we building upon it?
3:17:37
Queens Lake makes sense on every level of the imagination.
3:17:39
I have to take the Long Island Railroad to Long Beach, and it takes the same amount of time as taking a bus to the Rockaways in my own borough.
3:17:46
It is infinitely closer.
3:17:47
It is on the same coast.
3:17:49
I wanna know what's in Ozem Park and what's in Richmond Hill.
3:17:51
I'm forced to travel over an hour to go anywhere.
3:17:54
No one in this area of Queens wants to go to most areas of Brooklyn because of the distance and vice versa.
3:17:58
It would help the economic growth of New York to be able to open up more accessibility to more jobs around the city, to places that people would normally have extremely limited access to.
3:18:06
And it's not fair to build a park in a in a park that quite frankly already has people walking around in that trail.
3:18:11
It's a humongous letdown to New Yorkers and the future of New York.
3:18:14
And quite honestly, it feels like a setback in development to not invest in better accessibility in order to have areas for both work and the ability to escape life after work and further explore the beauty that is New York.
3:18:25
I was born and raised here and all I or anyone else has ever want was more accessibility to these areas.
3:18:31
Why does it make sense?
3:18:32
1, improved accessibility and mobility.
3:18:34
It would connect underserved neighborhoods with major transit hubs making it faster and easier for the residents to travel within the borough and beyond.
3:18:41
This would benefit communities that currently face transit deserts as had as was mentioned before and where residents rely heavily on slow or insanely slow buses where I mean, to be frank, I've spent 20 hours in the cold wet and, you know, it's late And the bus is full and it goes right by me, and I have to wait another 20 minutes.
3:19:00
Buses are not the answer.
3:19:03
Economic growth and job creation.
3:19:04
That would be huge.
3:19:05
I already touched upon that.
3:19:06
That really goes Thank you.
Juan Garcia
3:19:07
Your time has expired.
Gabriel Herter
3:19:10
I other people have way more time than me.
3:19:11
I need another 10 seconds.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
3:19:14
Please make a
Gabriel Herter
3:19:15
quick Social equity and inclusion.
3:19:17
Transit, transit has historically marginalized communities in Queens leading them to disconnected from economic and cultural opportunities.
3:19:24
QueensLink would address these, disparities, ensuring that all residents, regardless of income or location, can enjoy the benefits of include of improved transit.
3:19:32
Environmental sustainability, optimized land use, and preservation of existing community resources.
3:19:36
These are all things that you need to consider.
3:19:38
Thank you.
