JACKSON HEIGHTS, Queens – Residents called PIX11 News to investigate nasty catch basins in their Queens neighborhood posing a threat to pedestrians and bicyclists trying to traverse the streets.
When we arrived on Wednesday, we spotted a young family with a new baby having to watch their step while walking past a busted catch basin on Northern Boulevard and 74th Street.
Mohammad Haque called it a hazard.
Residents said they’ve been complaining to the city about the problem for months but nothing has been done to fix the issue.
“It’s terrible; an accident waiting to happen,” one passerby said.
A few blocks away outside a McDonald’s on Roosevelt Avenue and 76th Street looks like it’s on the verge of collapse.
The hazards are in Councilmember Daniel Dromm’s district. He, too, said the catch basins are an accident waiting to happen.
He said he the city over and over again to fix the problems and alerted us to the issue. He wants to know why the city isn’t stepping up.
The city’s department of environmental protection oversees the catch basins. A spokesperson for the department released this statement about their status:
“DEP operates and maintains 150,000 catch basins citywide, and repairs are prioritized based on ensuring public safety and the operation of the City’s drainage system. These catch basins have been inspected and are scheduled for repair.”
