By Alex Christodoulides
The intersection of 73rd Avenue and 179th Street is at the corner of a small, triangular park that is also bounded on one side by Jewel Avenue. It sees high foot traffic in warmer weather, but the street configuration offers poor visibility for drivers and pedestrians. Several civic groups have expressed a wish to see a stoplight installed there and brought their request to Community Board 8. The board's transportation committee brought the request to McCarthy and arrived at a few proposals that the committee presented at the December meeting.The options proposed for the intersection were to limit the traffic flow on 73rd Avenue by installing a wide median; making 179th Street one way northbound between 73rd and 69th avenues; eliminating parking along the north side of 73rd Avenue; and obstructing the north side of the intersection, where 179th Street meets the end of Jewel and 73rd avenues, so that driving north on 179th Street would no longer be permitted. As discussed at the CB 8 meeting, McCarthy was leaning toward the last option, creating a dead end on 179th Street where it meets Jewel and 73rd avenues and blocking northbound traffic onto the street from 73rd Avenue.The planned meeting will give local residents and civic leaders a chance to air their concerns with McCarthy in attendance. The meeting is slated for Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. at the Utopia Jewish Center, 64-41 Utopia Parkway in Fresh Meadows.Reach reporter Alex Christodoulides by e-mail at achristodoulides@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 155.
