Enhanced Bus Svc. Eyed At Ozone Pk. Meet
Select Bus Service (SBS) was presented by officials as one of many solutions for the congested Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards during a workshop last Wednesday night, Apr. 23, at J.H.S. 210 in Ozone Park.
After a presentation by the MTA, residents had the opportunity to break out into groups and work directly with city Department of Transportation (DOT) officials to voice concerns and suggestions for the corridor.
Eric Beaton, director of the SBS program, opened the workshop encouraging community input and clarifying the night’s goal: “We are at the very beginning of the process so we really want to get feedback from all of you on how to take this project forward.”
The meeting was part of the DOT’s Woodhaven Boulevard Congested Corridor study that examines existing and future transportation issues using consultants, data collection and community outreach.
Data collection on Woodhaven Boulevard began in 2006 with initial improvements implemented in 2010 and each year thereafter. Improvements included retiming lights, repainting road markings, improving signage and modifying crosswalks.
High traffic speeds, long distances at pedestrian crossings and severe congestion at major intersections and overpasses are some key issues the study and the community agree on.
Also, side medians make turning difficult from the main road and sometimes forces buses onto the service lane complicating a bus system already in need of improvement.
Many residents voiced strong concern about the lengthy pedestrian crossings at many of the intersections along the corridor as the area’s senior population grows.
Vincent Arcuri, chairperson of Community Board 5, has been involved in the Woodhaven project since 2006 with the Queens County Traffic and Safety Council. He expressed concern about vehicle volume and pedestrian safety agreeing the crosswalks are too wide.
Taking matter into his own hands, Arcuri did his own study and found the average senior couldn’t make it to the other side of the street in one light. There wasn’t enough time for the distance and they were forced to wait on the median which usually offers little to no haven.
For 2014, the DOT proposes short-term improvements by installing offset bus lanes between Eliot and Metropolitan avenues and curbside bus lanes approaching Rockaway Boulevard. These lanes would be in effect for bus use between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Vehicles would be allowed to use them for right turns and pick-up up and loading.
The curbside bus lanes would be available for parking between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.
This would set up the long-term establishment of SBS, which has been implemented in all five boroughs except for Queens. Amenities that come with the SBS brand include bus signal priority, fare collection at bus stops, enhanced bus stations and reliable real-time passenger information.
Over time the changes have cut travel time by up to 20 percent, increased first year ridership by up to 10 percent, claimed a 95 percent customer satisfaction rate, and addressed many safety issues and tamed the flow of traffic according to the SBS.
Other benefits of the SBS include:
– Students would have faster access to high schools and universities.
– Retailers along the corridor could see an increase in business as they become more accessible and foot traffic grows.
– An improved corridor would better serve tourists and Brooklyn residents venturing to the beach in the summer.
City Council Member Eric Ulrich, a supporter of bringing the SBS to the corridor and helped market and organize last Wednesday’s meeting.
He assured residents earlier in the night that “Nothing is set in stone … don’t leave this meeting feeling discouraged in any way.
“Woodhaven Boulevard, as we all know, is the most congested corridor in all of Queens County,” Ulrich said. “One of the things I’ve offered my support for is bringing the SBS to Woodhaven Boulevard and the amenities that go with it. So I hope you have an open mind, I hope you ask lots of questions, I hope you offer your own ideas and that when we are at the end of this process we can have something everyone will be proud of.”
As the night began to wrap up, last minute opposition filled the room when Phil McManus questioned why the Rockaway Beach branch of the Long Island Rail Road was not involved in the conversation. Many residents applauded in agreement.
The defunct line, only blocks away from Woodhaven Boulevard, connected the Rockaways to the A train and was shut down in 1962. McManus has been battling to reopen it and said at Wednesday’s meeting, “If you’re going to address overcrowding and not include the Rockaway Beach Line, I think it’s unfair and an incomplete study.”
Past presentations, collected data, future meetings and proposals can be viewed on the NYCDOT website, www.nyc.gov/dot.
