TAKE ACTION
On any given day, we are subject to polluted air, constantly blaring horns and car radios, dirty streets and dangerous intersections. You don't have to just live with it!  Commiserating with your neighbors is not enough.  We need your help to do something about it.  Together we can make a difference:   1.       Join the WJHA 2.       Attend Community Events 3.       Report quality of life issues 4.       Write your elected officials
Report quality of life issues
·         Call 311 to report general quality of life issues The 311 Citizen Service Center is New York City’s catch-all hotline for non-emergency services and information.  Calls to 311 are answered by a live operator, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.    Examples of issues to report to 311 include excessive noise (car alarms, loud music, excessive honking...), broken street lights, missing signs or meters, and missing or overflowing trash baskets.   Be prepared to give as much information as possible and you must be specific (exact location; north or south side of the street; and so on). Make sure to ask for the confirmation number, which can be used for follow up.
Many people complain that calling 311 is ineffective.  While you may not receive an immediate response or resolution to your complaint, your call is filed and recorded.  Local Law 47 of 2005 requires the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) to issue monthly reports to the City Council, the Public Advocate, Community Boards and the public regarding data collected on calls made to the 311 Citizen Service Center.		Click here to view our 311 Neighborhood Statistics
·         Call the Police to report violations such as cars parking on sidewalks or blocking driveway entrances.  Our local 115th Precinct can be reached direct at (718) 533-2002.
·         Email the MTA about Bus-related complaints One of the biggest issues facing our neighborhood is noise from buses.  To complain about buses honking horns excessively, buses with squeaky brakes or buses parked and idling for more than three minutes email Diane Bobetsky, Customer Service Manager at MTA Bus.  Make sure to include the bus number, route number and the driver's badge number, if possible and send a copy of your email to us at info@wjha.org.		Complaints that get results  The Straphangers Campaign has put together some great advice on their website about writing effective complaints.  Click here to go to their site.
·         Report dangerous taxi drivers at: nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/passenger/file_complaint.shtml
Write your elected officials Our ability to improve quality of life in our neighborhood largely depends on convincing policy makers that a significant number of people share our views.    One of the most important things you can do to help is to write a short, specific letter to Council Member Helen Sears about the quality of life issues that are important to you:   Council Member Helen Sears NYC Council District 25 37-32 75th St., Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Tel: (718) 803-6373 Fax: (718) 803-9832 Email: sears@council.nyc.ny.us Website   Lots of people complain, but only a handful write, which is why letters mean so much.    Please email copies of your email, letter or fax to us at info@wjha.org. While we can’t always respond, your letter will help keep us informed about concerns.