Kick off your big plans with our
Home Equity Line of Credit and
a special fixed rate for the first year.
1.99% APR1 for the first year if you draw
10% or more of the loan at closing
3.25% APR2 Prime for life, thereafter
Or, 2.24% APR1 for the first year if you draw
less than 10% of the loan at closing
3.50% APR2 Prime for life, thereafter on loans
with a CLTV greater than 65%
Perfect for debt consolidation, big purchases,
dream vacations and more! Apply online
or schedule a time to apply at your local branch.
www.ridgewoodbank.com | (866) 772-4111
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,10 AUG. 13-19, 2021 BTR
MTA calls on NYPD to
fi x Throggs Neck traffi c
State Assemblyman Michael Benedetto held a press conference on July 29, 2021, in response
to Locust Point residents voicing concerns of congestion on the Throgs Neck Expressway.
The MTA said this week that it is the NYPD’s responsibility to manage traffi c in the area.
BY ROBBIE SEQUEIRA
While Locust Point residents have
continued their calls to close the Harding
Avenue entrance to the Throgs
Neck Bridge in an effort to alleviate
traffi c congestion, MTA offi cials told
the Bronx Times that they are not responsible
for the traffi c management
in the area.
MTA offi cials said that the traffi c
congestion should be addressed by
the NYPD’s traffi c enforcement unit.
“The Throgs Neck Bridge has been
especially attentive and proactive regarding
traffi c management on our
property, but also — to the extent
resources are available — off-property
in the local City streets and the
Harding Avenue intersection adjacent
to our bridge,” said Dave Steckel,
spokesperson for the MTA. “These
are City streets and traffi c management
falls under the jurisdiction of
the NYPD.”
The Bronx Times reached out to
the NYPD for comment but did not receive
a response before press time.
The Throgs Neck Bridge is a sixlane
bridge that connects the Throggs
Neck section of the Bronx to the Terrace
section of Queens and averages
roughly 5,000-6,000 vehicles daily
during 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. peak weekday
hours, according to the state’s transportation
stats.
The Harding Avenue entrance is
an onramp to the Throgs Neck Expressway’s
toll plaza, which had been
closed on weekends since 2000 after
concerns of vehicles using a service
road to bypass tolls.
In 2010, Community Board 10
voted to reopen the Harding Avenue
entrance to the Throgs Neck Expressway
for four hours during weekend
evenings hours in order to aid the
Marina del Rey catering hall, which
is located on Marina Drive. The MTA
approved the decision on a six-month
trial basis, before making the opening
Photo Adrian Childress
permanent.
Residents of Locus Point have cited
that due to hour-long delays and an infl
ux of merging traffi c from the Harding
Avenue entrance, they have been
unable to get off at their exit.
If the transit offi cials don’t entertain
re-closing the Harding Avenue
entrance, residents said a compromise
would be the addition of a right
turn lane at Harding Avenue where it
meets East 177th Street.
When speaking with the Bronx
Times, The MTA did not express a desire
to close Harding Avenue in the
near future.
Steckel said that when MTA
Bridges and Tunnels — an affi liate
agency of the MTA — converted
to open road cashless tolling and removed
toll booths in 2017, that travel
times on the Throgs Neck Bridge had
actually decreased.
“The benefi ts of the non-stop traffi
c environment include improved
travel times and reduced vehicle
emissions,” he said. “Following this
conversion, back-ups onto the Harding
Avenue southbound entrance
ramp were substantially reduced.
We determined at that time it was no
longer feasible to maintain restricted
and intermittent access hours to the
ramp, which was an unwieldy practice
dating back to the pre-E-ZPass
and pre-open road tolling era.”
Steckel said that one area of concern
regarding the congested roadway
is turn-by-turn GPS navigators
which are creating confusion among
commuters and leading to many cars
fi lling up on local roads when ramps
and entranceways are closed.
“Throgs Neck Bridge management
will continue to monitor traffi c conditions,
while encouraging local residents
and elected offi cials to enlist the
support of NYPD traffi c enforcement
agents on these and other local City
streets,” he said.
At This Rate, Imagine
What’s Possible.
1 1.99% APR (annual percentage rate) for the first year if you draw 10% or more of
the loan at closing, or 2.24% APR for the first year if you draw less than 10% of the
loan at closing, followed by a variable APR as low as Prime Rate. The introductory
APR is fixed for one year (twelve months). After the first year, the APR is determined
by Combined Loan to Value (CLTV) ratio. If CLTV is 65% or less, the rate is prime for
a primary or vacation home, prime plus 0.25% for an investment property. If CLTV
is greater than 65%, the rate is prime plus 0.25%. All rates can change monthly. The
maximum APR is 10.99%.
2 The Prime APR is variable based on the U.S. Prime Rate as published in the Wall
Street Journal, plus a margin (if applicable). The minimum floor APR is 3.25%. If
CLTV is 65% or less, the rate is prime for a primary or vacation home, prime plus
0.25% for an investment property. HELOCs are variable rate products and rates
may not exceed the maximum APR of 10.99%. The Prime Rate as of 6/01/2021 =
3.25%. Loan products and services subject to credit approval. All loans secured
by a mortgage/lien on the property. Rates and terms are subject to change
without notice. Rates are effective as of 6/01/2021.
© 2021 Ridgewood Savings Bank
All rights reserved
/www.ridgewoodbank.com
/www.ridgewoodbank.com