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Community Corner

Race to the Bottom Worked!

As predicted by residents who objected to the poorly conceived median restoration plan on Eastern Parkway between Washington Avenue and Plaza Street East, the result has been a decidedly dangerous, counter-productive, nuisance-provoking situation.

 

When the DOT representative at a community hearing responded to objections to the Eastern Parkway median renovation plan (narrowing the service road and putting in a bicycle lane on the median) by saying that the change would have the service road function like all other city streets, he was absolutely correct. We now have traffic backups, with the predicted concomitant noise from honking horns and additional pollution from a lineup of 30 cars idling for 20 minutes while an oil truck, or food delivery truck, etc. unloads as the entire roadway from Washington Avenue to Underhill Avenue is blocked.

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These traffic backups occur every day, several times a day.

Find out what's happening in Prospect Heights-Crown Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

Were it merely the inconvenience to automobile occupants, or the nuisance to residents, that would be reason enough to condemn the Parks Department and Department of Transportation planners for blatant disregard of community needs and community objections.

 

What is really disturbing is that the plan was “sold” to residents as a “safety plan.”

The reality is that in the year since the renovation, there have been more serious injuries from car accidents than in previous years. There has been a bicycle fatality as well. There were no bicycle fatalities in previous years.

 

I shudder to think of what would happen during one of the 20 minute traffic jams should a fire break out in one of the apartment buildings, or a resident need an emergency ambulance.  Those vehicles would have no way of getting through the traffic jam.

 

The concerns and objections of the community were blatantly disregarded by the DOT, the Parks Department, Community Board and elected representatives. Blithely pretending to listen to objections, and then proceeding without those objections being considered, a DOT spokesperson kept repeating the mantra, “Nothing in the plan can be changed.”

 

I asked at one of the community hearings, who would be held responsible should the “safety plan” result in more injuries; more fatalities.  The planners may not be legally liable for the increased injuries, death, pollution, nuisance, but I do hope that when they go to sleep at night, knowing of the results of not listening to the community, that they think twice the next time they wish to arrogantly impose a foolish, short-sighted, injurious “plan” on a community without input from, and consideration of, that community.

 

 

 

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