Jamaica Hills, NY – Today, Assemblyman David Weprin, Councilman Rory Lancman, Senator Leroy Comrie, and Nicole Garcia – Deputy Borough Commissioner for Queens Department of Transportation (DOT) were joined by community leaders and members of the Jamaica Muslim Center (JMC) to unveil the fully converted 168th Street, which now only runs one-way and parallel to the JMC. This conversion of a one-way street along 168th street was finally completed by the DOT this past Friday.

168th Street, between Highland Ave. and Gothic Dr., has been a public danger due to the dense pedestrian usage coupled with a high flow of two-way traffic. Unfortunately, in April 2014, a youth group member of the JMC was struck by a speeding car. Shortly thereafter, the community, Assemblyman Weprin, Councilman Lancman, and Congresswoman Grace Meng rallied to re-double their efforts to make 168th Street safe for all by working to secure traffic-calming measures.

“Mayor Bill de Blasio, through his Vision Zero initiatives, has gone to great lengths to improve the safety of NYC streets, and the DOT has commendably taken swift action on this critical matter. With this completed conversion of 168th Street, the entire surrounding residents, including the worshipers at the JMC, and the students and parents of the Jamaica and Thomas Edison high schools will now be able to safely travel along this densely utilized street with some sense of peace. To that end, I applaud the de Blasio Administration’s attention to traffic safety throughout the City,” said Assemblyman Weprin.

"The new one-way street on 168th Street is a great sign of our city's commitment to making our streets safer. I want to thank the DOT for listening to the concerns of the Jamaica Hills neighborhood and transforming a dangerous street into one that will keep local residents safe and meet the community's needs," said Councilman Lancman.

"I want to thank the Jamaica Hills community for their diligence and consistency in working with elected officials to ensure this necessary change reached completion. Thanks to everyone involved, we know that our streets will be safer for our loved ones," said Senator Comrie.

“After working hard, we have finally succeeded in converting the two-way 168th Street in front of the JMC to a one-way one. This will make our neighborhood, especially the pedestrians, much safer. I want to especially thank our Assemblyman David Weprin, Councilman Rory Lancman, and all the other elected officials for their tireless efforts and dedication in making this a reality,” said Mazeda A. Uddin, National Women’s Chair of Alliance of South Asian Alliance Labor (ASAAL).

“We are delighted to finally see the completed conversion of the 168th Street into a one-way street along with other traffic safety measures by the NYC DOT. The Jamaica Hills community residents are grateful to the leadership and the hard work by the elected officials including Assemblyman David Weprin, Councilman Rory Lancman, Congresswoman Grace Meng, and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, for his Vision Zero initiatives,” said Akhter Hussain, JMC General Secretary.

"I would like to thank and congratulate our JMC members, community leaders, and all elected officials who helped us to fulfill our demand. Our sincere thoughts and prayers are still with the young member of our Center, who was seriously injured last year on this exact road," said Dr. Wahedhur Rahman, JMC President.