Senator Avella Presents Check For $210,000 of Funding to Create and Maintain Wooden Guard Rail in Douglaston Manor

(Queens, NY) Today, State Senator Tony Avella presented a check for $210,000 in funding to the Department of Transportation (DOT) for the construction of a guard-rail along Shore Road in Douglaston Manor, Queens. The guard-rail is part of the long awaited reconstruction of Shore Road that had fallen into disrepair. The Douglaston Manor Association, having originated the plans for the wooden guard-rail, received the check on behalf of DOT.

The Douglaston Manor Association approached Senator Avella to propose the construction of a new and much needed guard-rail across the entirety of Shore Road, from 36th Avenue to West Drive. Interested in preserving the historical district’s aesthetic character, they specifically asked for the guard-rail to be wood-based and steel-backed, ensuring that driver safety is not compromised in exchange for the enhancement. 

While creating wood-based guard-railing is not standard practice for DOT, Senator Avella met with the agency to discuss the logistics involved in such a project and subsequently secured State and Municipal Facilities Program funding to construct the guard-rail. The guard-rail will also require unique maintenance practices due to its timber composition. Part of the secured funding will go towards those maintenance costs, with additional and on-going costs provided by the Douglaston Manor Association.

“As Shore Road began plans for reconstruction, the proposal to replace the existing guard-railing with a wooden guard-rail representative of Douglaston Manor’s architecture was something the community strongly wanted. After all, in the routine maintenance of our City, it isn’t often that we have the opportunity to infuse utility with art. The Douglaston Manor Association has displayed extraordinary diligence in their fight to preserve the aesthetic character of their district and I’m proud to assist in the work being done in pursuit of that goal by securing this funding. Once the wooden guard-rail along Shore Road is constructed, the scenic shoreline of Douglaston Manor will too reflect the historic character it borders,” commented State Senator Tony Avella.