Addabbo bill addresses Select Bus Service flaws
See this story at TimesLedger.com.
By Bill Parry
TimesLedger Newspapers
Citing economic hardships for businesses that have lost significant customer parking spaces from Elmhurst to the Rockaways to the newly-implemented Select Bus Service program, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) introduced legislation to require the city to provide alternative parking spaces to make up for those that disappear as a result of the SBS or other municipal capital projects.
“Since SBS went into effect on Nov. 12 on Cross Bay and Woodhaven boulevards, many small businesses along these roadways have found that nearby customer parking spaces have been sacrificed to the bus routes and newly created bus stops,” Addabbo said. “This directly impacts the economic health of our community and the local companies that are the foundation of our local business areas. If customers can’t get to these stores owing to an elimination of parking, they will certainly decide to take their business elsewhere — therefore placing our stores in jeopardy.”
Under Addabbo’s plan, when parking is eliminated under an SBS or other capital project, the city would be required to hold a public hearing to solicit community input and consider alternate parking sites, prior to the elimination of any existing parking spaces.
“I worked with city legislation, which required that alternate green space must be found when parkland is taken for other uses,” said Addabbo, who was the chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Parks during his tenure there. “If we can take action to prevent our rare green spaces from being lost to development, we can also find a way to ensure that customer access to our local merchants isn’t sacrificed to municipal projects.”
Addabbo is a frequent critic of the city’s SBS plan for Cross Bay and Woodhaven boulevards for the loss of parking spots directly in front of stores as well as the motor vehicle congestion the new lanes have created on the heavily traveled thoroughfares. The senator is also concerned for the safety of pedestrians waiting on medians between traffic lanes.
“We need to continue urging the city to better address all of these vital issues,” Addabbo said. “Our local businesses depend on customer foot traffic to succeed. The ‘No parking, no customers, no local business’ formula is bad for our city and its residents.”
In October, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced “Bus Forward,” an initiative that will bring as many as eight more SBS programs to Queens. State Assemblyman Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven) will introduce companion legislation to Addabbo’s bill in the lower house.
“This bill is being introduced to address the growing concerns of my constituents regarding the loss of numerous parking spots. The SBS project and other capital projects have taken away much needed parking in our districts,” Miller said. “This bill will ensure that any future endeavors by New York City which affect parking will require the city to replace these spots at a suitable location in the same community.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.
Source: Times Ledger
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