Queens residents and enterprise homeowners are preventing a metropolis plan to plop bike lanes onto thirty first Road in Astoria, calling it a “recipe for catastrophe” that may crush commerce and threaten security.
Town Division of Transportation is proposing to slender parking lanes from 13 to eight ft and visitors lanes from 14 ft to 11, and transfer the parking lanes away from the curb, to make method for bike paths between thirty sixth and Newton avenues.
Whereas the proposal has the full-throated assist of car-hating, socialist lawmakers like Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán, Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas and state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, retailers advised The Publish the blueprint would make it practically inconceivable for vans to achieve companies.
“We’ll be compelled to close down as a result of we will be unable to load and unload the supplies and merchandise,” stated Panos Adamopoulos, who owns Pilates Designs, a pilates gear producer on thirty first Road since 1984, along with his spouse Sylvia Fuster.
“It’s asphyxiation,” he stated, including that his 16 staff’ jobs are on the road.
Even when a driver finds a parking area – not straightforward with metal columns of the overhead N/W subway line in the best way — they’d should cross an eight-foot bike lane and a three-foot buffer zone to get to the sidewalk.
King Souvlaki, a meals truck working at thirty first Road and thirty first Avenue since 1979, can be compelled to hit the highway.
“There can be no different area on that intersection for us,” stated proprietor Lampros Tsampas.
“Some folks have stated, ‘You’ll be able to simply park within the floating parking space and serve into the bike lane,’ however that’s not protected in any respect,” he stated.
The DOT stated the redesign goals to enhance security, as 126 automobile occupants, 33 pedestrians and 24 bikers have been injured — and two automobile occupants killed — alongside the mile-long stretch between 2020 and 2024 — making it “one of the vital harmful streets in Queens,” in response to a division spokesperson.
Astoria native Joseph Mirabella stated the brand new highway configuration can be a nightmare for his 90-year-old amputee grandmother.
“Getting her out and in of the automobile and her wheelchair and having her cross these bike lanes is a large security concern,” stated Mirabella, 25. “The DOT is asking this a security and accessibility enchancment plan – and that’s preposterous.”
The proposed bicycle lanes would additionally intervene with the present pick-up and drop-off zones for pre-school- to excessive school-aged college students enrolled in St. Demetrios Faculty close to thirty first Road and thirtieth Avenue.
The varsity was amongst 50 companies and establishments that signed onto a June 3 letter to DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodríguez begging him to rethink the scheme — which could possibly be carried out as quickly as this summer season.
“A number of cases of kids being struck by heedless bicycle visitors have been documented throughout town . . . till this downside is satisfactorily addressed citywide, we can’t be anticipated to soak up the results,” reads one part of the seven-page letter.
As of Friday, greater than 4,200 folks have signed onto a Change.org petition towards the proposal – which additionally cited elevated visitors congestion, air pollution and delayed 911 responses as considerations.
The roadway is an “industrial conduit” that connects the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge to the 59th Road Bridge to the Midtown tunnel, famous Nancy Esposito, whose household owns Brothers Provide Corp., an HVAC firm on thirty fifth Avenue and thirty first Road.
“This could have an unbelievable ripple impact,” stated Esposito. “We’re very, very involved for the security of our neighborhood and the wellbeing of our corporations due to this plan.”
A DOT spokesperson stated that redesigns like this one “efficiently enhance security and assist native companies whereas maintaining visitors shifting.” The division has met with dozens of enterprise homeowners on thirty first Road “to regulate our proposal based mostly on their suggestions,” they added.
