Eastern/Southeast Queens News

• Breaking

After receiving feedback from borough residents, the Queens Delegation of the New York City Council is calling for significant changes to the MTA’s Queens bus network redesign proposal.

The MTA unveiled its draft proposal to redraw bus routes throughout Queens with the agency looking to spread out stops and have fewer turns in order to increase speed and cut down on bus bunching.

Community Board 1 on Tuesday unanimously voted to approve making Rikers Island a “public place” after the jails there are shut down in 2026. The advisory panel, though, asked city officials to keep its members apprised of any future developments there — including demolition of the prison complex and any proposed uses that might go there in later years.

“We’re looking ahead and we’re asking them to join us in looking ahead,” said Elizabeth Erion, CB 1’s Land Use Committee co-chairwoman.

Staring at a $6 billion budget gap for the upcoming fiscal year, Gov. Cuomo is proposing to push more of the rising cost of Medicaid — which provides health coverage for low-income people — onto New York City.

At least $2 billion of the projected deficit is money the state has been paying toward the city’s share of the state’s annual $75 billion Medicaid costs.

• Featured

Some Rego Park residents were awakened last Tuesday at 1:15 a.m. when a car rolled over on Fitchett Street near 64th Road.

“It’s just a racing zone, day and night,” said resident John Grecco.

The cost of building a new jail in Kew Gardens could zoom past initial estimates of $2 billion, it was revealed last week.

Already unpopular in the neighborhoods surrounding the proposed site, the 19-story jail is to be funded by municipal bonds whose interest costs were not figured into the projected $2 billion price, civic leaders said after emerging for their first meeting with city officials since the plan was approved by the City Council last November.

A pair of Queens legislators are claiming victory in their quest to allow legalized electric bikes and scooters in New York State, with Gov. Cuomo on Tuesday saying he will include language doing so in his forthcoming budget proposal.

Cuomo did not go into detail, but Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D-Fresh Meaadows) and state Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-East Elmhurst), whose bill to allow municipal governance of the vehicles was vetoed by Cuomo in December, were hailing the decision this week.

The Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for Construction and General Building Laborers Local Union #79 will conduct a limited recruitment from Feb. 14 through 28 for 200 skilled construction craft laborer apprentices, the state Department of Labor announced Tuesday.

The recruitment will be offered online from 9 to 11 a.m., Monday through Friday during the recruitment period. Only 2,000 applications will be distributed, on a first-come, first-served basis, and the recruitment will be offered for those 10 business days or until the 2,000 applications have been issued, whichever comes first.

Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) is launching an emergency supply drive to help the people of Puerto Rico recover from the recent earthquakes that have struck the island.

Meng’s office is collecting necessities such as water, first-aid kits, flashlights, nonperishable foods, batteries, baby formula, diapers and feminine hygiene products, which will be sent to Puerto Rico.