The DOT just backed off the bus lane plan for Fresh Pond and I am still trying to wrap my head around it because honestly it felt like shouting into the wind for so long. We actually saved those shops and the parking spots and the pulse of our street …
August 2, 2019
Final supporters
“It’s going to kill businesses,” said Giuseppe Palmeri, the owner of Gemelli Jewelers. “Fresh Pond Road will become a ghost town.”
The plan, in its current stage, creates a bus lane on the southbound side of Fresh Pond Road between Metropolitan and Putnam Avenues during the peak ridership hours of 2 to 8 p.m.
The proposed plan was presented to Community Board 5 by Jason Banrey, DOT Queens deputy borough commissioner, Kyle Gebhart, DOT project manager of transit development and Matt Kroll, a representative of the MTA. They indicated that the plans will be altered based on community feedback.
While several board members shared concerns about parking, the impact on traffic and the overall effectiveness of the plan, Palmeri — the sole local business owner in attendance — was most worried for his fellow business owners and their customers.
“All the business owners agree that it’s going to be detrimental to our businesses,” Palmeri said.
Shoppers will have trouble finding parking, Palmeri charged, and, as a result, fewer people will patronize the business along Fresh Pond Road. Any decrease in the number of customers local shops get could be disastrous, he said.
“It’s not like anybody is making a killing,” Palmeri told QNS.
Banrey, Gebhart and Kroll did not directly address Palmeri’s concerns but mentioned that while 70 parking spots will be affected, 61 metered parking spots would be added around Fresh Pond Road during peak hours.
“Parking is at a premium here and that’s something we want to be sensitive to,” Banrey said.
The DOT conceived the plan after studies showed that buses along Fresh Pond Road travel at an average of 3 mph. The average human walks faster.
Additionally, several bus routes converge in the area and cause congestion, which affects all traffic.
Banrey explained that the plan would increase bus speeds by about 22 percent, but Richard Huber, a board member, was not impressed.
“That’s going from 4 mph to 5 mph,” Huber said.
Huber added that while the plan aims to increase bus speeds, it doesn’t address an increase in traffic speeds overall.
“We didn’t talk about the increase of speed with cars,” said Huber.
Banrey mentioned that the plan would end up helping traffic.
“We’re adding another lane that’s dedicated to buses and right turns,” Banrey said. ” So, we’re moving traffic here.”
Banrey and his team said they’ll make alterations to their plan and present a new one at the board’s Transportation Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 18.
Palmeri worries that despite the DOT’s listening tour, the complaints of business owners like him won’t make a difference.
“We really have no power,” he said.
Please sign this petition and help Ridgewood keep its businesses from having no choice but to close their doors.
Homeowners on side streets will lose parking and have to worry about cars blocking their driveways, tenants will come home from work and will have to drive around for hours looking for parking and patrons coming to this community will get so frustrated with no where to park that they will not come back.
This is our neighborhood and we all live, work, patronize and visit but with a bus lane there will be no way to do that anymore!!!
Please sign and share with everyone this will affect.
Updates
June 15, 2019
I have been spending so much time walking up and down Fresh Pond Road lately talking to shop owners who are just terrified about these bus lane plans and what it might mean for their survival. It feels like the officials are barely listening to the actual people who run these stores but I am putting together a packet of all your comments and concerns to hand over at the next community board meeting so they cannot ignore us.
Reached 100 supporters
June 15, 2019
89 Comments
This will ruin businesses in our historic area and adversely affect the lives of it's residents. All that for 1-2 mph increase of flow. (If at all)
The buses move slow because of the amount of people getting on and off each stop that use mass transit because parking there is already horrible
These businesses are suffering enough. As a customer, it is already torturous enough to find parking in this entire area. Mass transit isn’t always an option for all of us, so we rely on driving. How are we supposed to keep frequenting these businesses?
It appears that not much of an investigation was done including the business community when they came up with this insane idea. People have a voice and it is time to make it Heard!!! Demand a hearing! Mta doesn’t have the last say, look at the L train!!
I use to live off of Freshpond rd. I miss walking and shopping the local stores. Preserve small businesses. It’s difficult enough to compete with malls and internet shopping
I would still park in the bus lane and not care
I live in fresh pond
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The DOT just backed off the bus lane plan for Fresh Pond and I am still trying to wrap my head around it because honestly it felt like shouting into the wind for so long. We actually saved those shops and the parking spots and the pulse of our street …
August 2, 2019
Final supporters
“It’s going to kill businesses,” said Giuseppe Palmeri, the owner of Gemelli Jewelers. “Fresh Pond Road will become a ghost town.”
The plan, in its current stage, creates a bus lane on the southbound side of Fresh Pond Road between Metropolitan and Putnam Avenues during the peak ridership hours of 2 to 8 p.m.
The proposed plan was presented to Community Board 5 by Jason Banrey, DOT Queens deputy borough commissioner, Kyle Gebhart, DOT project manager of transit development and Matt Kroll, a representative of the MTA. They indicated that the plans will be altered based on community feedback.
While several board members shared concerns about parking, the impact on traffic and the overall effectiveness of the plan, Palmeri — the sole local business owner in attendance — was most worried for his fellow business owners and their customers.
“All the business owners agree that it’s going to be detrimental to our businesses,” Palmeri said.
Shoppers will have trouble finding parking, Palmeri charged, and, as a result, fewer people will patronize the business along Fresh Pond Road. Any decrease in the number of customers local shops get could be disastrous, he said.
“It’s not like anybody is making a killing,” Palmeri told QNS.
Banrey, Gebhart and Kroll did not directly address Palmeri’s concerns but mentioned that while 70 parking spots will be affected, 61 metered parking spots would be added around Fresh Pond Road during peak hours.
“Parking is at a premium here and that’s something we want to be sensitive to,” Banrey said.
The DOT conceived the plan after studies showed that buses along Fresh Pond Road travel at an average of 3 mph. The average human walks faster.
Additionally, several bus routes converge in the area and cause congestion, which affects all traffic.
Banrey explained that the plan would increase bus speeds by about 22 percent, but Richard Huber, a board member, was not impressed.
“That’s going from 4 mph to 5 mph,” Huber said.
Huber added that while the plan aims to increase bus speeds, it doesn’t address an increase in traffic speeds overall.
“We didn’t talk about the increase of speed with cars,” said Huber.
Banrey mentioned that the plan would end up helping traffic.
“We’re adding another lane that’s dedicated to buses and right turns,” Banrey said. ” So, we’re moving traffic here.”
Banrey and his team said they’ll make alterations to their plan and present a new one at the board’s Transportation Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 18.
Palmeri worries that despite the DOT’s listening tour, the complaints of business owners like him won’t make a difference.
“We really have no power,” he said.
Please sign this petition and help Ridgewood keep its businesses from having no choice but to close their doors.
Homeowners on side streets will lose parking and have to worry about cars blocking their driveways, tenants will come home from work and will have to drive around for hours looking for parking and patrons coming to this community will get so frustrated with no where to park that they will not come back.
This is our neighborhood and we all live, work, patronize and visit but with a bus lane there will be no way to do that anymore!!!
Please sign and share with everyone this will affect.
Updates
June 15, 2019
I have been spending so much time walking up and down Fresh Pond Road lately talking to shop owners who are just terrified about these bus lane plans and what it might mean for their survival. It feels like the officials are barely listening to the actual people who run these stores but I am putting together a packet of all your comments and concerns to hand over at the next community board meeting so they cannot ignore us.
Reached 100 supporters
June 15, 2019
89 Comments
Leave the neighborhood as it is....look how bad Woodhaven Blvd is with bus lanes. How about get rid of all these Uber cabs and we will have less cars all day long driving around!!
This will ruin businesses in our historic area and adversely affect the lives of it's residents. All that for 1-2 mph increase of flow. (If at all)
The buses move slow because of the amount of people getting on and off each stop that use mass transit because parking there is already horrible
These businesses are suffering enough. As a customer, it is already torturous enough to find parking in this entire area. Mass transit isn’t always an option for all of us, so we rely on driving. How are we supposed to keep frequenting these businesses?
It appears that not much of an investigation was done including the business community when they came up with this insane idea. People have a voice and it is time to make it Heard!!! Demand a hearing! Mta doesn’t have the last say, look at the L train!!
I use to live off of Freshpond rd. I miss walking and shopping the local stores. Preserve small businesses. It’s difficult enough to compete with malls and internet shopping
I would still park in the bus lane and not care
I live in fresh pond
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Leave the neighborhood as it is....look how bad Woodhaven Blvd is with bus lanes. How about get rid of all these Uber cabs and we will have less cars all day long driving around!!