Councilwoman takes DOT commissioner on walking tour in effort
to help solve transportation issues plaguing downtown Flushing
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | APRIL 8-14, 2022 16
BY ETHAN MARSHALL
Queens councilwoman Sandra
Ung and Department of
Transportation Commissioner
Ydanis Rodriguez met with local
business owners and discussed
transportation issues while
walking around downtown
Flushing.
The intersection at Main
Street and Roosevelt Avenue
trails only Times Square and
Union Square as the busiest one
in the city, while the transit hub
in downtown Flushing is the
busiest train-to-bus transfer
point in the entire city. The area
is often burdened with traffic for
a number of reasons, according
to Ung.
Ung explained that there are
many restaurants in the area,
which results in a lot of food deliveries
coming in on a frequent
basis. The trucks delivering the
food often have trouble finding
areas to park nearby, so they
pull to the side with the caution
lights on in order to unload the
deliveries, according to Ung.
This results in less room for other
cars to pass, with vehicles going
in opposite directions having
to take turns passing through on
two-way streets.
“The neighborhood is home
to a busy transit hub and a bustling
business community that
attracts visitors from all over
the Northeast who shop at our
unique stores and supermarkets
and eat in our restaurants,” Ung
said.
Additionally, with downtown
Flushing acting as huge hub for
transportation across the city,
there several bus lines that pass
through the area. Because the
buses have frequent stops to
make and take up a lot of space,
it’s easy for traffic to build up
behind them. Since downtown
Flushing is as a main stop for
both buses and trains, there are
Council member Sandra Ung and Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez address the media on Main Street in downtown
Flushing. Photo by Paul Frangipane
a lot of people walking around in
the area. With so many people
naturally comes a lot of cars,
both passing through and looking
to park. But finding parking
spots can be a difficult endeavor
there.
One thing Ung believes can be
done swiftly and will have a major
impact on the area is to improve
upon the signage for the busway
along Main Street that stretches
from Northern Boulevard to
Sanford Avenue. According to
Ung, larger signs with more visibility
would help prevent motorists
from traveling along the busway,
thus clearing up traffic that
would otherwise be stuck behind
the buses. This would also help
motorists avoid getting fined for
being in the bus lane.
Ung said she reached out to the
Department of Transportation
(DOT) approximately a month
ago asking for improvements to
the signage after learning many
drivers were getting fined for unknowingly
entering the busway,
which is enforced by cameras.
Some of these drivers ended up
receiving multiple fines for doing
this more than once.
Additionally, Ung also asked
the DOT to look into scaling
back the busway’s hours of operation.
This request comes at the
behest of many local small business
owners, who claim to have
suffered from drops in revenue
since the busway installation
was completed in January 2021.
Ung also stressed the importance
of making sure alternateside
parking regulations are enforced
on Union Street near 37th
Avenue. Doing so would allow for
the street cleaners to cover more
ground and thus eliminate more
trash in the area. This would
avoid having trash buildup in
certain areas, which could otherwise
negatively affect nearby
businesses.
“The commissioner and I discussed
some of the issues that
have been affecting the community
since the busway was installed,”
Ung said.
She highlighted the hours of
operation and better signage to
alert motorists they are about
to enter the busway as key concerns.
“I was pleased that DOT was
responsive and agreed to take
the community’s concerns into
consideration,” Ung said.
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