Queens Boulevard Restoration Group

The Newspaper Box Explosion in Forest Hills

Sep 21, 2004

It seems like every other day, another newspaper box magically appears on my street corner. "They actually appear in the middle of the night", as one of my neighbors recently informed me. A van pulls up and two people jump out and quickly roll a metal or plastic vending box to it's position on a corner or near a subway entrance.

Many of these boxes sit shabbily alongside a dozen or so others as can be witnessed at Continental Av and Austin Street. They sit precariously close to crosswalks and can be a hinderance when trying to cross the street, especially during rush hours. Many have been converted into makeshift trash receptacles covered with graffiti and advertisements.

The City Council recently passed legislation that forces owners of these boxes to maintain them or risk having them removed. Judging from what I've seen throughout Forest Hills, the law is not being enforced. I also question how many of these boxes actually have permits from the DOT which regulates `street furniture' placed on city sidewalks.

Freedom of speech, which actually allows these boxes to proliferate unceasingly throughout the city, should not give the green light to owners to drop boxes anywhere they please. The owners should realize that not only have their boxes become eyesores in our communities, but they have become an evergrowing pedestrian safety concern as well.

We urge the city to ENFORCE THE LAW!