ASTORIA – New York City Council Member Costa Constantinides, New York State Senator Michael Gianaris, and Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas called for traffic mitigation measures on the Grand Central Parkway (GCP) on June 2. Congressman Joe Crowley, Community Board 1 District Manager Florence Koulouris, residents of the nearby HANAC George T. Douris Tower senior residence, local residents, and concerned citizens also attended the press conference.
The proposed measures would allow all trucks to travel between the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) and the RFK Bridge. Currently, large trucks must exit the bridge and use the service road to re-enter the GCP in order to take the exit for the BQE. The result is excessive traffic on the service road and neighborhood streets. Trucks crowd the streets leaving little room for cars, causing daily traffic jams, and bringing detrimental environmental effects including the emission of heavy fumes and damage to the roads. Astoria residents, including the seniors at the Douris Tower endure loud, window-rattling noise on a regular basis caused by the trucks on the neighborhood roads.
Allowing the trucks to remain on the GCP would improve traffic safety, bring environmental benefits, and make travel faster and easier for cars.
Constantinides said, “All Astorians deserve access to streets without unbearable traffic, loud noises, and heavy fumes. Opening the parkway to all trucks between the BQE and the bridge would be beneficial to our environment and for traffic safety. Taking this move would be a solid step towards Astoria Boulevard feeling less like a highway for big trucks and more like the street that our seniors, families, and residents need it to be every day. We look forward to implementing this solution with our partners in government.”
Gianaris said, “Astoria residents have suffered long enough due to large trucks using our local roads creating massive traffic, unbearable noise, and damaged streets. This simple fix would alleviate these problems while facilitating commerce by creating greater convenience for truck drivers. It’s a win-win solution that should be implemented immediately.”
Simotas said, “Thousands of Astoria residents are literally being tormented by traffic from heavy trucks that feel like an invading army. It’s illogical, thoughtless, and cruel to force a residential neighborhood to be a truck route when there is an alternative, available major thoroughfare, namely the GCP. Opening up a tiny section of the parkway- which is no longer the quiet, scenic roadway envisioned originally- is a solution begging to be implemented. The benefits of better air quality and the residents’ enjoyment of quiet homes will be felt for generations when big trucks are taken off these local streets.”
She also noted the improvement that came about from her predecessor in the State Assembly Gianaris’ efforts passing legislation that allowed smaller trucks to continue on the GCP. Gianaris observed that the solution involved raising the overpasses by digging up a section of the road beneath and repaving it to allow the large trucks to continue on the parkway.
Community 1 District Manager Florence Koulouris noted that the area has one of the highest rates of asthma in the state and “we have the best elected officials working tirelessly to improve the situation.”
The cost, Gianaris said would be comparatively small for the benefits to the area and to the truckers who would not have to navigate the neighborhood streets to find their way.
When asked about the time frame, Gianaris noted that the state agencies involved have called the solution feasible, so the next step is a cost estimate for the dedication of funds for the project.
Simotas added that this is an issue of public safety and the environment, not just a traffic issue, and it should be a priority.
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