Avella Expresses Displeasure Over Lack of DOT Community Notification

Queens, NY – Last week, State Senator Tony Avella sat down with Department of Transportation (DOT) staff members to discuss a Carshare Pilot Program coming to the Senator’s district. However, when the Senator contacted the local Community Board and civic/business associations to learn their thoughts on the program he was informed that DOT had been keeping them in the dark.

Senator Avella sent the attached letter to DOT Commissioner Trottenberg to express his displeasure with the way community notification was handled by her agency when rolling out the new program.

“Unfortunately, this just goes to show the extreme lack of communication between city agencies and community groups that I have complained about for years. It isn’t that difficult to sit down and discuss basic projects with community stakeholders before you begin to take action; but it seems that the agencies under this administration can’t comprehend that,” said Senator Avella.

“I appreciate that DOT arranged for a staff member to present details of this program to me but we need to have Community Boards and the community at the table when we discuss how these programs impact their neighborhoods. I should not be the one notifying community groups of DOT plans,” added the Queens Senator.