Community looks for ways to alleviate congestion

As the sun sets on 73rd Street in Jackson Heights, the stores lining the street entice shoppers. However, when dusk turns to darkness, high-pitched honking engulfs the area.
“I live on 73rd Street between 35th and 37th Avenues and the traffic noise drives me crazy,” said Peter Boyes.
The honking drivers wear similar expressions of frustration as they gaze helplessly into the tail lights of the cars backed up for two or three blocks. A sign that reads, “Don’t honk $350 Penalty,” presides silently over the commotion, yet no one receives a ticket.
Traffic congestion and noise pollution on the street is a serious problem on this street, according to people who live, work and shop here. The thriving area has led to the expansion of commercial and residential buildings alongside each other; however, the lack of parking facilities to accommodate this growth has led to a constant struggle to find parking between residents, merchants and customers.
While the different groups of neighborhood constituents acknowledge the same congestion problem, coming up with a solution is more difficult. This volatile atmosphere has led to a degree of polarization between residents and the merchants.
Last year, residents concerned about the quality of life in the neighborhood formed the Western Jackson Heights Alliance (WJHA) primarily to address the congestion problem on 73rd Street. The attention the Alliance has been drawing to the problem spurred the Department of Transportation (DOT) to conduct a study on how the traffic crisis might be resolved.
DOT Spokesperson Craig Chin said that the study would not be complete for two years, but promising proposals could receive fast-track-status.
Will Sweeney, President of the WJHA, maintains that the congestion is due to the uneven balance between the northbound and southbound roads in Jackson Heights. He said that of the three streets, 73rd to 75th, which connect the neighborhood to the mass transit hub, two are northbound and only 73rd is southbound.
Sweeney believed the solution is to make another street, 75th, southbound to relieve pressure from 73rd Street.
However, Councilmember Helen Sears said that making 75th Street southbound does not take into account the bigger picture, although she said the upcoming transportation report would address the “global picture.”
Vasantrai Gandhi, President of Community Board 3, said that the only solution to the traffic problem is having one-way avenues. In May, DOT presented the idea of one-way pairing of the 35th and 37th Avenues to relieve the traffic congestion - a proposal that has received mixed reactions.
“This place has a pedestrian culture, and one-ways will make the area dangerous by facilitating faster traffic,” Sweeney said.
While the residents are waiting for a long-term solution to the traffic situation, they want an immediate resolution to the parking problem on the street. The lack of parking is not only contributing to more traffic, but it is hurting some businesses in the area as well.
“One of my customers said that he didn’t come into my shop because he couldn’t find parking,” said Dipa Mustary, who owns a video store on 73rd Street.
Some of the local merchants want the city to provide them with municipal parking, but Sears said there is no free space for such a lot.
Captain Christopher Tamola from the 115th Precinct said at this time the precinct does not have the resources to constantly monitor the street, but they are making every effort to enforce traffic rules.
“These roads were not designed to handle so many cars and although we have a zero tolerance policy, the problem cannot be completely alleviated,” Tamola said.