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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Shawn Groce, Member of the Public, on QueensLink Transit Proposal
3:26:34
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Shawn Groce, a former resident of Rego Park, Queens, testified in support of the QueensLink transit proposal. He shared personal experiences of how poor transit connections between different parts of Queens and Brooklyn negatively impacted his life, forcing him to move away from his family and community.
- Groce emphasized the potential of QueensLink to improve connectivity within Queens and to other boroughs
- He described the project as a "link to community and people," highlighting its social importance
- The testimony concluded with a plea for the council to support Resolution 59 and advance the QueensLink project
Shawn Groce
3:26:34
Yeah.
3:26:35
I grew up in Rego Park, which is to say, I grew up blessed to be in one of the best cities in the world, and between 2 of the best parks that the city had to offer.
3:26:44
To the south, I had Forest Park, and into the north, I had, Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
3:26:50
My most of my childhood was spent at these parks.
3:26:53
Having said that, all of my friends, and my best friend lived on in Woodhaven on Jamaica Avenue.
3:26:59
In order to get to him, I had to take a train for an hour and a half, much to the chagrin of my mom, where I had to go all the way to Sutton Boulevard to take the J, which is incredibly slow to to get from Woodhaven to the J, versus a train that that we smoked weed on this path my entire high school career going on this little road that no one was on that would actually make my life better.
3:27:19
When I ended up getting a job, I got a job in Brooklyn, and I tried to take the train for an hour and a half, 2 hours each way to get to to Central Brooklyn, but I couldn't.
3:27:29
So I tried to buy a car in order to try to get there, but I ended up having to leave my home and get ostracized from my family because of poor transit.
3:27:37
I've had to leave Regal Park.
3:27:39
Now I live in Brooklyn where I don't know anybody, where I don't have any family, I don't have any community because of a bad transit system.
3:27:45
I wish that there could be a QueensLink so I could come and see my family, so I could make, so I could go back and forth.
3:27:52
QueensLink is like a is a is a link to community and a link to people.
3:27:57
It's not just some stupid idea.
3:28:00
Millions of people would be infinitely infinitely helped for a whole bunch more reasons than my own.
3:28:07
Please consider pushing forward the the 59 and to to do as much as we can about the Queen's link.
3:28:15
I I love Queen's with all my heart.