It’s always gridlock alert day in Downtown Flushing.
Calling it “the perfect storm,” Flushing developer Michael Meyer said last Friday at a Community Board 7 district cabinet meeting that changing bus routes, construction and increased traffic have exacerbated the situation over recent months.
“I’ve never seen such a bottleneck in my life and I’ve been around the world,” said Meyer, president of F & T, which is developing the Flushing Commons mixed-use development with the Rockefeller Group at the site of the former Municipal Parking Lot 1.
He said some inconveniences were expected during the multi-year construction project, but that no one had anticipated so much gridlock.
Joe Kennedy, representing the MTA, said the Q17 and Q27 buses have been rerouted from stopping at St. George’s Episcopal Church on Main Street to 138th Street, between 38th and 39th avenues. “The buses have a big problem turning around on 37th Avenue and the only way to solve the problem is to eliminate vehicles in the area,” he said.
CB 7 District Manager Marilyn Bitterman explained that the historic church foundation was deteriorating due to vibrations from all the buses. In addition, drivers were urinating on the structure and the Main Street stop was making it difficult for church dropoffs.
Meyer also believes the casino buses parked in the area add to the problem, as does Bitterman, but Kennedy downplayed their importance.
Capt. Tom Conforti, commanding officer of the 109th Precinct, said that the 37th Avenue traffic flow is backed up from Main Street, past 138th Avenue to Union Street, where the precinct is located.
8 comments:
Really? What did you think was going to happen when you keep shoving more and more into one small area?
This should be a lesson to stop any new construction in Flushing. However the same people complaining will be the same ones supporting more development there.
When youre on the Lipmann Plaza/Main st bound Q13 or Q28 you might as well just get out at Union and Northern and walk to the train because just getting around the parking lot at times could take 20 minutes due to all the traffic. Mainly the buses that have been re-routed to 138th street.
"This should be a lesson to stop any new construction in Flushing. However the same people complaining will be the same ones supporting more development there."
Agree!!!
I attended all the public hearings. Both Michaels...Meyers and Lee...we're warned about this traffic congestion. They went ahead and are building their mega project despite this. Now...please excuse my French....f--k 'em! Now say goodbye to retail. Nobody is going to those seedy 99 cent stores.
5 lbs of shit in a 1lb bag and you can expect overflow or a clogged system. It doesn't take a knowledge of rocket science to figure that out. The real traitors here are CB7, borough hall and the rest of the usual pols. TDCs FlushCom will put the final nail in Flooshings coffin. Enjoy your failure TDC & Friends.
I've surrendered Flushing.
I consider it a foreign nation, and do not cross its borders, as if i dint have a valid visa or passport.
Its easier that way.
Valid passport or visa ?
You dont need one of those to one to Nyc or Queens.
Flushing down the toilet. It was a sef fulffilling prophecy when the English changed the Dutch name Vlisingen to Flushing. As Al Bundy would say, "Bawooosh...that was a good dump"!
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