A decade of planning, 20 years of community organizing, and a federal grant suddenly reversed. That's where Queens stands with the QueensWay—a 3.5-mile greenway that would transform how nearly 100,000 students access green space.
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded New York City $117 million to build it. Congress then took the money back.
For schools across Queens, the loss stings because the need is tangible. Twenty-eight schools would have gained access to the greenway—many of them like the one where I work, where outdoor space is scarce and what exists is mostly asphalt. Walk around Queens public schools and you notice what's missing compared to other boroughs: fewer safe parks, hotter schoolyards, longer walks to green space. It's not random. Queens receives the least public investment per child of any borough in New York City. When a $117 million project disappears, it's not an abstract loss—it's the playground your kid won't have, the safe route that won't exist.
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Start Your News DetoxI'm a community school director, which means I spend my days connecting families with the resources they need: food, dental care, eye exams, mental health support. A beautiful place to play shouldn't be a luxury, but right now in Queens, it functions like one. Parents shouldn't have to choose between safety and access when deciding where their children can spend an afternoon.
The reversal came through "clawback" provisions in a federal spending bill—essentially, Congress rescinded funding that had already been awarded. For a community that fought for two decades to get this project designed and approved, the sudden reversal felt like a broken promise.
But here's what matters: the fight isn't over. Queens has the numbers and the infrastructure of organizing that won this grant in the first place. If Queens were its own city, it would rank as the fifth largest in America. That's real political weight.
Reclaiming this funding will require the same pressure that won it: emails to Mayor Eric Adams, city council members, state representatives, members of Congress, and Governor Kathy Hochul. It requires reminding elected officials that when a community organizes for 20 years, designs something thoughtfully, and wins federal approval, the promise should hold.
Queens knows how to fight for what it needs. This is just round two.
