4 JULY 18, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Board 5 says no to Fresh Pond bus lane plan
BY MAX PARROTT
MPARROTT@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
After a contentious debate
premised on pitting express
bus service against local
business interests, Community Board
5 voted overwhelmingly on July 10 to
recommend rejection of a proposed
bus lane along Fresh Pond Road from
Metropolitan Avenue to Putnam
Avenue in Ridgewood.
The plan put forth by the city’s
Department of Transporation (DOT)
is aimed at reducing the street’s
overwhelming rush hour congestion
on one of Ridgewood’s most busiest
commercial strips.
The Board 5 Transportation and
Public Transit Committees had
recommended supporting the plan,
but during Wednesday’s meeting at
Middle Village’s Christ the King High
School, the full board voted against
it — a rare rebuke, as committee
recommendations are usually adopted
by the entire advisory body.
While both those arguing for and
against the bus lane agreed that the
DOT was likely to move forward with
their plan regardless of their advisory
vote, those who argued for it wanted to
tack on additional recommendations
like retiming traffi c lights that are not
currently a part of the DOT’s proposal,
and those arguing against the plan
wanted to do everything in their power
to stall it.
“People have to understand it’s not
going to stop this from happening. It’s
already set in motion, so there’s nothing
that we can say or do that’s going to
prevent Fresh Pond from staying the
same,” said board member Kathy Masi,
who voted against recommendation.
In lieu of the bus lane proposal, the
board passed a diff erent congestionrelated
motion based primarily on
the testimony from Geoff rey Elkind,
president of the Ridgewood Property
Owners and Civic Association. It
proposed retime the traffic lights,
limiting commercial delivery times
and consolidating bus stops.
Elkind delivered a presentation that
formed the basis of the congestion
recommendations that the board
passed aft er they shooting down the
bus lane.
Before he gave his speech, he
passed out a six-page analysis of the
DOT’s proposal, which recommended
suspending the DOT’s current plan
until other congestion-reduction
recommendations are put into place,
the same plan that Councilman Robert
Holden advocated for in a letter to DOT
Commissioner Polly Trottenberg that
he release prior to the meeting.
Board 5 Public Transit Committee
Chair John Maier fumed after the
committee recommendation was
turned down.
“That vote was a vote for the historic
past of do-nothingness and a delay
tactic. I live right off that street and
I see it stopped from Metropolitan
to Putnam in non-stop traffi c. It can
literally take 25 minutes to move,”
said Maier.
Both sides agreed that congestion
on Fresh Pond Road has become
intolerable due to the merging of bus
and car traffi c. The Q58, which runs
along the strip is the busiest bus
line in the borough–serving over an
estimated 30,000 people per day. It’s
also been reported to be the slowest.
The proposed bus lane proposal
would increase the average speed of
the road from 3 to 4 mph on average,
according to Board 5 Chairperson
Vincent Arcuri.
The speakers against the bus lane
plan emphasized their concern over a
potential loss of parking, and how that
could impact the business community.
“It will hurt the businessman on
Fresh Pond Road. We have various
empty stores there. They’re empty not
only because of the economy but they
are going to be more empty if we add
the bus lane,” said Andy Gouzoulis of
Krisch Realty.
Read more on QNS.com.
Congestion along Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood Photo: Max Parrott/QNS
104COP members installed for duty in Glendale
The board of directors of the 104th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol (104COP) were sworn in for a year of duty on July 11 at The Shops at Atlas
Park community room in Glendale. Assemblyman Mike Miller, state Senator Joseph Addabbo, and former City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley
administered oaths to the board members including Elizabeth Rodriguez, the patrol’s new president, and new member Mark Strumpf.
Deputy Inspector John Mastronardi, former commanding offi cer of the 104th Precinct, was also a guest at the 104COP meeting and received a
decorative street sign from the volunteer patrol group.
Strumpf is pictured in the left photo with Miller and Addabbo, while Rodriguez and Mastronardi are shown in the right picture.
Photos courtesy of Assemblyman Mike Miller
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