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City Council Survey (District 32): Frank Gulluscio
Political Parties: Democratic Party Working Families Party Candidate Submitted Biography: Frank began his career as a teacher, working for the N.Y.C. Department of Education and the Diocese of Brooklyn. Frank has been honored by the Education community in Region 5 for his support and involvement in the local schools. He has received the New York Newsday Volunteer Recognition Award and most recently received the Spirit Award from the Howard Beach Civic Association. His continued efforts for students and teachers have been recognized by City, State, and Federal elected officials. City Council Survey (District 32): Frank GulluscioQuestion 1: What is the most important transportation need in your district? As a Council Member, how would you work to address this need?Many of the residents within the council district work in Manhattan or outside their own neighborhood and so it is vital that there is adequate public transportation to accommodate them. This is especially true in the Rockaways, where the A subway line service is halting at best. While there are some express busses within the district there are almost none in the Rockaways. This presents a real dilemma for Rockaway residents who need to get to Manhattan. I intend to work hard to ensure that all residents of my district have access to affordable and reliable public transportation. The city also needs to continue to work to make ferry service from the Rockaways to Manhattan more affordable and accessible. Question 2: The intersection of Rockaway Blvd and Woodhaven Blvd is one of the most dangerous in your district, where 0 people died and 36 people were injured between 1995-2005 (NYS DOT). As a City Council member, what traffic enforcement policies or physical changes to the intersection infrastructure would you support to make this intersection safer for everyone who uses it (pedestrians, cyclists and drivers)?In recent years the number of cars on Woodhaven Boulevard has greatly increased. This has led to a situation of increased accidents and even fatalities, especially at the intersection of Rockaway Boulevard and Woodhaven. There is currently a Woodhaven Boulevard study is going on where the city is examining what steps can be taken along Woodhaven Boulevard to ease the congestion and prevent accidents. I look forward to working with the authors of the report to create a safer Woodhaven Boulevard. Among the suggestions that I hope the study highlights are the often mistimed traffic lights which can lead to intense gridlock along the entire stretch of the Boulevard. Question 3: According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles' most currently available data, in 2007 speeding was a contributing factor in over 3,000 motor vehicle crashes in New York City. Furthermore, the same data showed that the top human contributing factor to the 264 fatal crashes in New York City during 2007 was also speeding. Given these figures, what measures, if any, do you support to redress this problem? Finally, do you believe that New York City’s current speed limits are safe?It is important that New York City take the proper steps to ensure that reckless driving, whether through speeding or any sort of drug or alcohol impairment is punished. We also have to look at what factors make speeding possible throughout numerous areas in the city. I look forward to listening to any suggestions and reviewing legislation that would be able to protect residents of New York City from irresponsible driving. The possibility of red light cameras at certain intersections should be investigated further to see if they would have the ability to address this problem. Question 4: The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's website reports: "In New York City, obesity is epidemic: more than half of adult New Yorkers are overweight (34%) or obese (22%). Data show that obesity begins early in life: nearly half of all elementary school children and Head Start children are not a healthy weight. In New York City, 1 in 5 kindergarten students, and 1 in 4 Head Start children, is obese." Do you believe that increasing walking and biking in New York City would improve public health? If yes, how would you work to increase walking and biking in your district?Obesity is a growing problem facing New Yorkers all over the city. It is very important that we take steps to stem the tide of obesity especially with our children, as well as with the adult population. Increased physical activity has been shown to reduce obesity and provides a general healthier lifestyle. However, children need outdoor areas in which they can play to provide a viable alternative to video games and television. I have always been and continue to be a supporter of parks and open spaces that allow children the opportunity to engage in physical activities such as biking and walking, and the re emphasis on parks and open spaces will increase and incentivize walking and biking in my district. Question 5: Road pricing, including such measures as non-stop tolling, fees based on vehicle miles travelled or entry into a highly congested zone, has been the source of much discussion in New York City and other major metropolitan areas. London famously uses a congestion charge to fund its transit system, Oregon recently piloted a program to replace the gas tax with a fee for miles driven and Seattle recently studied how road pricing could be introduced on a regional basis. Seattle's study, “Traffic Choices Study" (http://psrc.org/projects/trafficchoices/index.htm), found that introducing new tolls on major corridors during peak traffic hours influenced drivers’ behavior and projected that a region-wide road pricing scheme could significantly reduce vehicular traffic congestion. Do you think that introducing a road pricing strategy would change New Yorkers’ travel choices? Do you think that this would be an effective way for the City to reduce backups on high-traffic roadways like the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the Gowanus Expressway or the Long Island Expressway? Finally, do you believe there are additional benefits in the surrounding neighborhoods which could be realized from the reduction of vehicular congestion on these routes?Traffic congestion is a constant problem in New York City and I would definitely consider any proposed legislation that would seek to ease congestion. However, I would never in any way, shape, or form, support legislation that would increase tolls or fees on the already-burdened working families in my district that have been the backbone of the City. It is important to weigh any plans promise of reducing congestion with the very real danger of crushing tolls and fees on drivers. Many residents of this district are forced to drive because of the lack of viable public transportation alternatives and it is essential that such residents are not penalized with any large or arduous fees. The best way to ease congestion is to increase the public transportation alternatives. Question 6: Do you believe that reducing residential parking requirements as set forth within NYC zoning regulations would affect neighborhood traffic congestion, and if so, in what way? There have been some studies which have looked at the link between parking requirements for new buildings that have showed a possible link between residential parking requirements and traffic congestion. Those studies though have all focused on areas closer to Manhattan where public transportation was a viable alternative. In this district, with subpar subway service and entire neighborhoods not having access to Express buses, that is not the case. The best way to combat traffic congestion is to ensure that there are viable public transportation alternatives throughout the entire district. Question 7: The NYC Department of Transportation's Public Plaza Program, Pedestrian Street Program and Summer Streets events are intended to diversify the use of public space and provide more places for New Yorkers to recreate and socialize. Do you support the temporary or permanent repurposing of street space for pedestrians and cyclists? One of the greatest assets that this city has is its multitude of parks and public spaces. Every community and neighborhood is different and unique in its own way. Certain communities are well served by either temporary or permanent public spaces for pedestrians. I would support such repurposing in those neighborhoods where it is most applicable and where it has the most community support. Question 8: The City recently released plans for Bus Rapid Transit and expressed interest in bringing a bike share program to New York City. Do you think these new projects would enhance the city's transportation network? Please explain.A Bus Rapid Transit plan would be very beneficial to improving transportation throughout New York City. They have been proven to be effective in other major cities and New York City should look into implementing these plans. It is especially important to make sure that Bus Rapid Transit plans are applied to the outer boroughs as each day millions of New Yorkers relay on buses every day for both work and general movement throughout the city. It is very essential that we look into all possible plans to make those commutes easier, more efficient, and quicker.
Submitted by FG on Sun, 08/09/2009 - 19:07.
Submitted by FG on Wed, 08/05/2009 - 12:58.
Submitted by FG on Sun, 08/09/2009 - 19:07.
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