WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JANUARY 26, 2017 3 City tweaks Glendale project to help hurting businesses FOUR ONES the NEW Car Service Your COMPLETE Transportation Service AIRPORT��������P������������������DDINGS SWIPE GO! and DRIVERS WANTED Call 718.544.1111 Must have Class E License & TLC $6 LOCAL permit. Over 24 years of age. 718.456.1111 BASE LIC #B00008 is Back! Tire d of the Rest? NOW YOU CAN AFFORD THE BEST! RW Times $3 OFF Airport Trips Good on any ride, any time when you use Four Ones Car Service. EXPIRES 2/28/17 Our cars are now equipped with credit card machines for your convenience, so keep your credit/debit card handy! BY ROBERT POZARYCKI [email protected] @ROBBPOZ With several small businesses on Myrtle Avenue in Glendale taking a hit due to the ongoing construction of a new public plaza, an eff ort is underway to provide them with some relief. Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley said she met last week with representatives of the Department of Transportation, the Department of Design and Construction, Verizon, Community Board 5 and the 104th Precinct regarding the ongoing Cooper Plaza project at the corner of Myrtle and Cooper avenues. Several merchants in the area told the Ridgewood Times that they’ve seen a signifi cant decline in business since the project started last fall, which resulted in lane closures and parking restrictions along Myrtle Avenue. Many of these shops are eateries that rely on drivers passing through the area to stop and get a quick bite to eat on their way to work; the travel restrictions have made that task nearly impossible. Part of the construction project involved digging a trench along Myrtle Avenue between 69th Place and 70th Street to replace a sewer and water main. Ducts and cables maintained by Verizon underground also needed to be moved. During the meeting, Crowley said, the agencies said they would consider extending the work day by three hours in order to have the project completed well before the scheduled May completion date. Work currently takes place from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; the additional work hours would come during the aft ernoon and early evening. “Our small businesses are the backbone of our communities. They fuel our day-to-day lives, and when they hurt, we as a neighborhood hurt,” Crowley said. “Construction along Myrtle Avenue has undoubtedly impacted the stores, but I am encouraged by various agencies and community leaders getting involved to amend the issue.” Parking restrictions on Myrtle Avenue between 69th Place and 70th Street have also been lift ed, and the NYPD is bringing agents to the area to help guide traffi c. Additionally, Community Board 5 has asked the DOT to temporarily suspend alternate-side parking rules on 68th through 71st streets between Central and Cooper avenues. District Manager Gary Giordano said this move would help provide additional place s to park on weekday mornings. Joe Valvo, owner of Glendale Bagels, is holding out hope that these changes will help save his business. Valvo previously told the Ridgewood Times that the bagel shop he’s owned for nearly 20 years might close as early as February due to declining business since the project started. However, when asked by the Ridgewood Times on Friday, Jan. 20, about the long-term future of his business, Valvo took a wait-and-see approach. “Of course, I don’t want to close. I’m trying to hold off as best as I can,” Valvo said. “I’m going to see how much this combination of a longer work schedule and eased travel restrictions is going to help me.” Photo: Robert Pozarycki/QNS Ongoing construction at the corner of Myrtle and Cooper avenues in Glendale.
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