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Author Topic: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)  (Read 11780 times)

Offline Bel84

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34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« on: August 17, 2020, 08:22:28 AM »
For those who think closing 34th Avenue permanently to traffic is a fantastic idea I ask you to please consider what this will do to traffic on 35th Avenue. It will create a nightmare for people walking, driving and trying to park on this residential avenue. In addition,  it will make it slower for the Q49 bus to travel, you know the bus line we were all trying to save months ago. I'm all for keeping 34th closed as long as COVID keeps people out of school and work and the weather is nice but seriously,  everyone is going to go back at some point, the weather will turn colder, the street will be emptier and 35th Avenue will be swamped. Please don't sign petition to keep it open. It's a nice fantasy, let's keep it that way.
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Offline lalochezia

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Re: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2020, 08:38:44 AM »
Closures like these should be part of an integrated transport planning process.

It's legit if a proposal to close a street has mitigation factors worked in. 

The outcomes you suggest are not inevitable if closures are conducted in that way. 
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Offline abcdefghijk

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Re: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2020, 10:30:06 AM »
Quote from: Bel84 on August 17, 2020, 08:22:28 AM
For those who think closing 34th Avenue permanently to traffic is a fantastic idea I ask you to please consider what this will do to traffic on 35th Avenue. It will create a nightmare for people walking, driving and trying to park on this residential avenue. In addition,  it will make it slower for the Q49 bus to travel, you know the bus line we were all trying to save months ago. I'm all for keeping 34th closed as long as COVID keeps people out of school and work and the weather is nice but seriously,  everyone is going to go back at some point, the weather will turn colder, the street will be emptier and 35th Avenue will be swamped. Please don't sign petition to keep it open. It's a nice fantasy, let's keep it that way.

I disagree. This neighborhood lacks open space for us.  I choose pedestrians over cars.
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Offline Bel84

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Re: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2020, 11:36:31 AM »
I choose pedestrians over cars too. And I live on 35th Avenue. Not interested in the street outside my apartment becoming
clogged with the noise & pollution of more cars so the people on 34th Avenue can play. Can you move the cars to another avenue altogether Mayor?
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Offline r

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Re: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« Reply #4 on: August 17, 2020, 12:42:24 PM »
If the closures on 37 and 34 become permanent then they would need to remove all parking from 35. The traffic on 35 is insane now, and idiots keep double parking making it even worse.
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Offline Beech Court

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Re: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2020, 12:58:32 PM »
I have to agree with Bel84. I also live on 35th Avenue. The overflow from Northern Blvd. that was on 34th Avenue is now on 35th which is also narrower than 34th. I'm glad to see the renovation of Travers Park, we really needed that. I said nothing when Travers took over 78th Street permanently, it adds to the park. When that was done people was upset about loosing a south bound street. The result was changing the direction of 75th Street to south bound. Now there is more traffic, noise, etc. on 75th.  Closing 34th permanently is a mistake. As a temporary closure it has benefits.

Enhancing the community needs to mean the community as a whole. 

I have been saying since the start of the Historic District that the boundaries of it need to be expanded. For the moment we see what happens to the non district parts of Jackson Heights. Maybe people think it is unimportant, but we loose those buffer zones that make this neighborhood what it is and can be.
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I also channel Gladys Gilbert!

Offline jh413

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Re: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« Reply #6 on: August 17, 2020, 03:13:07 PM »
the counter argument is that if traffic on 35th stays bad or becomes worse, then drivers will try to avoid coming into the area.
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Offline r

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Re: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« Reply #7 on: August 17, 2020, 03:40:38 PM »
haha drivers won't have a choice. 35th will just join the list of streets that has constant honking
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Offline itsit

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Re: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« Reply #8 on: August 17, 2020, 03:53:48 PM »
 Finally! I have been saying this from the onset of the 34th ave closure. It's not the right avenue to be closed permanently - weekends might work though- as it's a vital artery in the flow of mobility in Jackson Heights. Bikes, cars, school buses, trucks, etc are able to navigate through the length of JH fairly smoothly. Taking 34th Ave out forces overcrowding on Northern Blvd and worse, real congestion on 35th Ave which is already too busy and has the important bus route. If any street in JH could handle a semi-permanent closure, it's 37th since traffic there is a nightmare already and anything would be an improvement with the crazy turns and double parking. Deliveries there to businesses on 37th Ave would be from the side streets or at night. Feasibility study anyone?
  For the real and practical betterment, keep 34th Ave open to traffic!
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Offline r

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Re: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« Reply #9 on: August 17, 2020, 04:28:32 PM »
driving in nyc is already higher than pre-covid levels and will just get worse as everyone avoids public transport

https://www.apple.com/covid19/mobility

closing streets when everyone was meant to be staying indoors never really made sense to me but makes less sense now
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Offline dssjh

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Re: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« Reply #10 on: August 17, 2020, 04:52:05 PM »
Quote from: r on August 17, 2020, 03:40:38 PM
haha drivers won't have a choice. 35th will just join the list of streets that has constant honking

i've lived on 35th, facing the avenue, for almost 20 years. no change since the open street opened. non-stop honking forever.

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Offline JHHD

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Re: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« Reply #11 on: August 17, 2020, 05:22:06 PM »
Quote from: Bel84 on August 17, 2020, 11:36:31 AM
I choose pedestrians over cars too. And I live on 35th Avenue. Not interested in the street outside my apartment becoming
clogged with the noise & pollution of more cars so the people on 34th Avenue can play. Can you move the cars to another avenue altogether Mayor?
34th Ave is open to everyone in the neighborhood, not just residents of 34th Ave.
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Offline Beherenow

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Re: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« Reply #12 on: August 17, 2020, 08:47:59 PM »
Quote from: r on August 17, 2020, 04:28:32 PM
driving in nyc is already higher than pre-covid levels and will just get worse as everyone avoids public transport.

Indeed, it's my impression that more and more families in JH are buying cars because they don't feel safe using buses and subways. I don't have any stats on that but there has been a surge of new requests for permanent parking spots on JH Families in the last few months and I know a few young couples on the hunt for cars.  That's likely to continue.
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Offline Meowtron

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Re: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« Reply #13 on: August 18, 2020, 08:10:23 AM »
Definitely a bummer to lose 34th ave completely. The community should at least have it open on weekends and perhaps in the evening (5-8) on Fridays.

It’s a great asset to the community and allows children and adults to exercise and bike safely (for most part) down the median which is helpful for families that have no car.

Travers Park is great, but honestly too small and overcrowded for this community and that’s become more obvious as you see all the people using the median everyday.

Would love to see a study done on the increase in traffic on 35th ave to see how badly it gets affected. And how much is data versus perception.
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Offline temujin

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Re: 34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)
« Reply #14 on: August 18, 2020, 05:05:51 PM »
Ummm I am not aware there is a petition, I will sign up. But yeah, I think we should at least keep it close on the weekend for start.

I think we just not tackle this smartly, 35th ave should be enforce to no double park during certain hours or no parking during certain hours to speed up the flow. Every time I see a UPS, Fedex or FreshDirect or any other truck double park the whole traffic is backed up.

I am also one of those as described here, that I bough a car during this lock down. I own a car for over 10+ years, then last 4 years I went car free. Parking does seem a lot tougher, but I don't think 35th ave traffic are as bad as what it is before 34th closure, or other post about Northern Ave, as it is always bad even before lock down.

I am also noticing a lot people moving out as well, at least in my building 4 of my neighbor already move out and selling or sold their apartment already.
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