This letter was posted on another site and said to be taken down. I thought it was so well written that it should be seen by others in the neighborhood and am taking the liberty of copying it here. Author is Joseph de S. and I believe it went to a couple of sites like TransAlt and something on OS FB.
“It should be noted the the author is the admin/moderator of a FB page that is ostensibly for all residents of Jackson Heights, yet posts that are even mildly critical of OS on 34th Ave are routinely deleted, and those authors are often time blocked from posting at all.
What is also missing from this opinion piece is what the leaflets looked like. They were nothing like the official leaflets that one would expect to see announcing “no parking” due to filming, road repairs, utility work, etc.. They looked (and apparently were) leaflets printed on a copier without any indication this was a permitted/approved road closure. Having had other leaflets posted by those running 34th Ave OS that were not permitted/approved, residents were right to be wary. There was NO concerted effort to “ruin daycamp” - a post was made on a few JH pages questioning the legitimacy of the leaflets. When the handmade efforts were replaced with official leaflets, residents complied.
What is also missing from this piece, (and the coverage of 34th Ave OS on Streetsblog, and other media), is that fact the those of us who “oppose OS” are not opposing the concept of OS but rather how it has been, and is being implemented on 34th Ave. Many of us have repeatedly stated this in communications with DOT, elected officials, the various FB pages dedicated to Jackson Heights, as well as with our neighbors, and friends in JH. But that doesn’t fit with the narrative I suppose.
What has always been advocated is compromises like:
• seasonal open streets - with more, and more adults returning to their offices, and children returning to school, why continue to close 34th Ave 12 hours a day, 7 days a week? Seasonal
OS (ie; Memorial to Labor days) makes more sense.
• banning electric scooters, bikes, Vespas, etc. from OS - the riders barely, if ever, obey any rules, exceed the 5 MPH limit by many times, swerve around pedestrians at high speed, do not heed the red lights for North or South bound traffic, and have proven in JH, and other OS areas around the city to be dangerous, causing injuries, even death.
• no vendors - there has always been an ice cream truck, and pushcart vendors around Travers Park for decades. That makes sense. But with 34th Ave OS, there has been an explosion of unlicensed vendors setting up shop on the medians selling everything from food, drinks, housewares, jewellery, clothing, toys, etc.. It must be remembered that 34th Ave is a residential street - the entire area under OS is made up of residential apartment buildings, schools, and a church. The only commercial businesses on 34th Ave are the 3 located right off the BQE at 70th thru 69th streets, and the parking lot for the supermarket at Junction. The vendors not only destroy the plantings in the median that so many enjoy, but are a nuisance to 34th Ave residents that they shouldn’t have to put up with.
• parades - no parades on 34th (with the median, they wouldn’t work anyway), but when 37th Ave or Northern Blvd are closed to traffic for the many parades we have in JH, 34th Ave should be opened to traffic to ease congestion in JH.
• trash - with OS there have two things that have increased on 34th Ave - trash, and dog droppings; both on the street, and the medians. While many of the maintenance workers in the buildings on 34th do their best to clean up what they can, the trash does attract more vermin to 34th Ave. which is not desirable no matter where you stand on OS.
• no cookouts/parties - both last summer, and this summer, we’ve seen individual families, and groups block off sections to hold private cookouts/parties. BBQs, beach/lawn chairs, tables, coolers, amplified music. Again, no matter where you stand on OS, you would agree this is not only inappropriate, against the concept of OS, but again it creates huge nuisances for the residents of 34th Ave.
• questionable activities on 34th - whether it’s salsa lessons, Zumba classes, concerts, religious gatherings, and yes, “daycamps” - it’s not an appropriate use. There are 8 parks/playgrounds within walking distance of 34th Ave that can, and should be used for these activities, not the street. Yet, many of the playgrounds remain locked up, unused - why is no one advocating for their use for some of these activities?
No one I know of is JH is opposed to Fresh Air Fund daycamps. Many of us attended them when we were young. We do question why they are now taking place on asphalt. In addition to the 8 parks/playgrounds that would be more appropriate to use, JH is about 15 mins away from 800 acres of real parkland with trees, grass, sports fields - surely any of these would be safer, and offer more fun/activities for children. Yes, we played in the street growing up, we yelled “car!” to clear the street when one came, but our daycamp was never on the street. To many of us, it just makes no sense, which is why we’ve been questioning the rationale behind it.
A few short years ago, many parents bemoaned the lack of greenspace in JH, yet now it’s perfectly fine to have children attending a “daycamp” on asphalt in 90F+ weather.
To listen to those in favor of OS, you’d think there was no where else for residents to jog, walk, ride bikes other than 34th Ave OS. Make mention of the difficulties the elderly, and handicapped have encountered, and they’re “poo-poo’d” away. To question OS is to be labeled as “selfish”.
There are real, legitimate concerns that residents have about how 34th OS has been/is being implemented. There needs to be discussion, review, and compromise by all in order to get to a place where both sides of OS can be satisfied.”
Topic: Nicely written letter on Open Streets point of view (Read 781 times)