12
QUEENS WEEKLY, AUGUST 18, 2019
Bus lane
your concerns with regard
to the hours of the bus
lane operation and will be
reducing the hours from
2 to 8 p.m. to 3 to 7 p.m.
Monday through Friday,”
Trottenberg wrote. “You
can be assured that DOT
will monitor the conditions
along the corridor following
the implementation of our
proposed plan and will be
ready to make adjustments,
as needed.”
Holden called foul on
the agency’s outreach
claim Trottenberg was
only acknowledging
support from the
community and ignoring
dissent by referring to
different reactions at
different levels of the
Community Board.
Asking the DOT to
consider community
recommendations as
alternatives to the bus lane
for a few months, Holden
claimed that not phasing
in the proposal will cause
bedlam in the streets
of Ridgewood.
“It is true that
DOT engaged with
the community in
numerous meetings after
announcing the bus lane
proposal, but it is clear
that these meetings
were nothing more than
window dressing,” Holden
said. “In your letter, you
mentioned the Community
Board 5 Transportation
Committee vote, yet
you conveniently
ignored the fact that the
board as a whole voted
overwhelmingly against
the proposal, 28-6.”
Holden also believes
that DOT’s higher-ups
made decisions without
ever visiting Fresh
Pond Road and lacked
an understanding of
minor situations such as
parking spots that are
poorly placed, slowing
down traffic.
“When I visited Fresh
Pond Road on multiple
occasions with DOT
Queens Borough Deputy
Commissioner Jason
Banrey and Borough
Planner John O’Neill,
they both agreed that I
offered sound solutions
to the heavy traffic,”
Holden continued. “Yet it
seems that their input was
overruled by the central
DOT staff in Manhattan
that has never actually
visited the site to see the
issues for themselves.”
DOT’s bus plan will
consolidate bus stops to
make reduce the time
buses are at rest and the
lane will also act as a turn
lane the agency has said,
which will increase flow.
There will also be a net
gain in overnight parking
along the main road and
side streets.
The bus lane will
only be southbound on
Fresh Pond Road between
Metropolitan and Putnam
avenues. Part of Mayor Bill
de Blasio’s “Better Buses”
plan, the DOT projects
the bus lane could help
increase bus speeds by as
much as 25 percent.
Continued from Page 1
Dangerous intersections
most likely to injure or
kill New Yorkers. Other
“Vision Zero violations”
include speeding, failing to
stop on a signal, improperly
turning, using a cellphone
and disobeying signs.
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by email at jbagcal@
qns.com or by phone at (718)
260-2583.
Continued from Page 1
Intersection of Springfield Boulevard and Horace Harding
Expressway Photo via Google Maps
Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood. Photo: Max Parrott/QNS
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