It has been budgeted and planned, and now those in the Throggs Neck community living near a section of Schurz Avenue will, in a few years, finally have sidewalks to walk on.
After some concern from an officer of the Throgs Neck Little League about the safety of children playing at the field who have to walk down the middle of the street, it now appears sidewalks will be installed on Schurz Avenue between Throgs Neck Boulevard and Pennyfield Avenue when new sewers are put in as part of a larger redevelopment project being undertaken by the Department of Design and Construction. The street borders Silver Beach.
“We only have a barrier along less than one half of the little league compound bordering Schurz Avenue, and there is no sidewalk on either side of the street,” said Frank Eisele, TNLL treasurer, at a recent league function. “I am afraid that kids have to walk out into the street on their way to the field or to St. Frances de Chantal school.”
Eisele said that he had heard that the problem would be remedied when a sewer reconstruction project was completed, and that he hoped that the neighborhood’s children are not injured before sidewalks are installed. Eisele would like traffic barrier installed alongside the little league’s property, but the proposal was turned down in last year’s municipal budget.
The DDC has the reconstruction of the sewers, which will include installation of sidewalks for the street, scheduled as part of Phase 3 of a capital reconstruction project of streets in the Throggs Neck community.
Phase 3 should extend from roughly where the little league field is located on Schurz Avenue down to the corner of Pennyfield Avenue, and then follow Pennyfield Avenue to where it terminates at the entrance to SUNY-Maritime College.
“The street is part of a large third phase of capital reconstruction that will include new roadways and sidewalks,” said Matthew Monahan, DDC spokesman. “The SCOPE includes the Department of Traffic in the project, and the Department of Environmental Protection is planning a sewer upgrade. This project is a $30 million upgrade.”
With the city’s current fiscal crisis in full swing, it is not yet clear when construction on the project will commence.
