Monday, June 6, 2011

Whitestone small businesses plagued by lack of parking

From the Times Ledger:

A once-booming 14th Avenue commercial corridor in Whitestone has lost at least three businesses in the past month due to a dearth of parking, two remaining store owners say.

So the businessmen — Bobby Orzo, owner of Malba Market, and Rocco DiNardo, owner of DiNardo’s Restaurant and Pizzeria — have gone to City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) for relief.

The street’s scant parking spaces are occupied most days from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. by the vehicles of commuting workers who drop their cars off in the free spots there each morning before taking the bus from Queens to the Bronx for work, the shopkeepers say.

“That car is here 12 hours a day, this one is here 12 hours. They’re all here 12 hours,” Orzo said, pointing out vehicles in the dozen or so nearby parking spaces, none of which have meters or restricted hours. “This is our crisis here. This block is a white elephant. It’s dying because all these spots are taken all day by these drivers. A real estate guy I was talking to said no one will move into those stores because everyone knows there’s no parking.”

The pair of small businessmen hope that by getting the city to install signs that limit the length of time people can park or meters at the dozen or so spots will help revive their revenue streams.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

People should walk.

Anonymous said...

Spoken like a true asshole who doesn't understand how businesses work.

Anonymous said...

This is a truck route, and major street to the Expwy and college point. That's a lot of customers driving past that should be available to these businesses.

Anonymous said...

Put in some parking meters with 2 hour limits -- problem solved.

Anonymous said...

I was one of the potential real estate investors who told the real estate person that there's no parking for customers over 1 year ago. People taking the bus to the Bronx have been parking along the entire Q44 bus route for years. I even see the bus drivers themselves park on Parsons Blvd and take then hop on the bus. Now with even less bus routes, people are driving to to Q15 bus line and parking in the neighborhoods.

Anonymous said...

I agree, it's very simple, two hour parking meters will solve it, that's why it's so hard for the city bureaucrats to get their clouded brain around. It's too easy!

Anonymous said...

It's a shame a quailty bussiness that giveS to the community has to relocate because of simple "PARKING SITUATIONS" Where is the JUSTICE FOR SMALL BUSSINESS MAN

Post a Comment