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Two-way or the highway, board says

Two-way or the highway, board says
By Rebecca Henely

Community Board 4 narrowly voted against a plan by the city Department of Transportation to convert a two-way section of 57th Avenue between 90th and 92nd streets behind Queens Center Mall into a one-way westbound street.

“I am against this,” said Anne Phosner, one of the members who spoke against the plan. “I’m against what they’re doing to my neighbors.”

The board voted on the measure with 14 saying aye and 14 saying nay with one abstention, effectively rejecting the plan and urging the DOT not to recommend it. The future of the plan is uncertain.

DOT Queens Borough Commissioner Maura McCarthy had presented a plan to change the direction of that section of the avenue to CB 4 in November. After analyzing traffic volume and patterns in the area, the DOT found 70 percent of traffic travels westbound on 57th Avenue. The entrance to the Macy’s wing’s parking garage for the mall is on this section of the avenue. The plan was tabled until the December meeting because a quorum was not present at the November meeting to vote on it.

City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) supported the plan to redirect the traffic. The Queens Center Mall also backed the traffic study.

Yet some members, like Jim Lisa, said the plan did not take into consideration the impact it would have on the nearby streets considering the growing population in the area.

“I think what we should really do is table this,” Lisa said.

Member Lucy Schilero said she believed the change would displace traffic going to the mall into other areas and that the surrounding neighborhood would still require a crossing guard. A crossing guard often works directing traffic into the parking garage.

“We’re still going to need to have someone oversee it on a regular basis,” she said.

Yet member Judy D’Andrea said given that the community was bound to increase in population, putting off this decision for another traffic study was a mistake.

“The reality is that we have all these malls and the population will continue to grow,” she said.

The DOT said it is reviewing the board members’ comments.

Reach reporter Rebecca Henely by e-mail at rhenely@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.