34th Avenue street closure permanently (NOT)

[cultartist]

I agree emphatically with those last two posts.  Delivery trucks safely and legally park in the intersection, an even better solution than the usual double parking on busy streets.  The very few parking spaces are also easily accessed by locals who choose to seek them out.  And the traffic on Northern and 35th Avenues hasn't been all that bad and might reduce the non-locals who choose to use our neighborhood as a major thoroughfare.   

The tradeoff for a negligible and much overstated inconvenience on all three fronts is that parents can take their kids for safe walks and bicycle rides, safe from both cars and unsafe and potentially unhealthy proximity to others.  It means fresh air, exercise, mental health, safety and community during a time when we're cooped up and those qualities are desperately needed in ways we could have never imagined.

Doesn't really seem like an unfair tradeoff at all.  I sincerely hope that our locally elected officials will keep 34th Avenue safe, open, regulated and allow it to continue to be the immeasurable gift to the neighborhood that it has been this past summer.   We desperately need and deserve it.   

[CaptainFlannel]

The way that the street was initially closed without any debate or consultation has created the perception that the topic was not open to debate.

We don't live in a pure democracy. We live in a representative democracy. If you don't like that the Avenue is shut down, you could always vote against your local representatives that were/are in favor of it. Mount a phone campaign to their local offices so people like you have their voices heard.  If you don't like the program, and didn't like it back in March and April when this discussion was happening, perhaps it's worth considering either that your side didn't have as big a voice or it's not as big as you imagine to be.

There absolutely was a process - one involving a pilot program in march, which was initially opposed by the mayor. People spoke up and advocated to their local representatives at the city and state level that it was a good idea and organized local community groups to manage the closed street. Those folks prevailed. People who didn't like it, didn't. Maybe there's some insight to be drawn from that about the relative support your position has in the neighborhood.

[temujin]

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.

That's true, but the pandemic created a big demand for home deliveries and that's a habit that might not change. I would not want to deprive people of the ability to get medicines, medical supplies, clothes and other things from UPS, Fedex or Amazon, and that means trucks will need to double-park.

Right, if we plan to continue to have 34th Ave close, shouldn't we plan this out better, instead just close and not care about other impacts. I am not against them, I am saying we should do something to make it better for everyone, especially those complaint about closure. Maybe something similar to Zipcar spot, section some spot off on few street for standing delivery vehicle only. It seem like most of the congestion occurs 74 to mid 80s, so maybe we restrict no parking on one side during certain hours, so similar to Northern where no parking during rush hour.

[itsit]

   With so few people actually using the 34th Ave Open Street in many hours of the day, even on some of the nicer days, closing the street from 8am- 8pm seems like a big ask from the city and not exactly strategic. When it's crowded, it's busy but there are many hours of the day now when it's super quiet and the sidewalks are even empty.
  Google data or other analytics will be able to show when the need or desire to use the street is highest and I would go for those hours which might just be some of the weekend, rather than ask for the 12hour, all volunteer set up that is currently in use. It's just not working for enough people and it would be great to pivot towards getting a community center that is year round and has programs for youth, seniors and the whole population. Being in the street has helped during the pandemic but going forward we need a more significant social space.
 Those that love all of it have been the most vocal but there are plenty of others who see big problems with the current state of things on 34th Ave. Discuss the electric bikes, lighting for when it's dark out, having a cleanup crew, use city workers to help with the barriers(lots are missing) and ask the community for ways to proceed. Let's have a democratic process here.

[BEB]

So two things.

temujin, This program you describe already exists here and elsewhere in the city, though only on one JH block so far (74th St from 37th Ave to 31st Ave) at different intervals. I did an earlier post about this in this thread, but here's the link to the neighborhood loading zones program. Why not add more of these? https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/nlz.shtml

Secondly, 34th Ave and JH is highlighted in this NYT story checking in about where we are as a city at the six month mark of the Covid pandemic.  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/23/nyregion/new-york-city-coronavirus-six-months.html

[Miss Chatelaine]

   With so few people actually using the 34th Ave Open Street in many hours of the day, even on some of the nicer days, closing the street from 8am- 8pm seems like a big ask from the city and not exactly strategic. When it's crowded, it's busy but there are many hours of the day now when it's super quiet and the sidewalks are even empty.
  Google data or other analytics will be able to show when the need or desire to use the street is highest and I would go for those hours which might just be some of the weekend, rather than ask for the 12hour, all volunteer set up that is currently in use. It's just not working for enough people and it would be great to pivot towards getting a community center that is year round and has programs for youth,

Which hours are the quietest? I never go above 82nd Street so don’t know how busy the upper portion gets, but below that it usually seems well-used to me even in the middle of the day on a weekday (though not as busy as mornings and evenings, which gets crowded.)  I’d be happy to schedule my use for when the fewest people are on there to spread out the usage more.

A community center would be fantastic, but doesn’t address the need for open outdoor space.

[theplanesland]

I was out on the avenue around 10am today, a weekday. There were many people strolling, bikers using the bike lanes, and elderly people sitting on the curbs. Two white work vans (plumbers or construction guys) turned a corner slowly onto the avenue and parked where they needed to, to get work done. A woman turned and pulled into a parking space. Several bikers went by. It was a perfect example of shared, considerate use.

[abcdefghijk]

I was out on the avenue around 10am today, a weekday. There were many people strolling, bikers using the bike lanes, and elderly people sitting on the curbs. Two white work vans (plumbers or construction guys) turned a corner slowly onto the avenue and parked where they needed to, to get work done. A woman turned and pulled into a parking space. Several bikers went by. It was a perfect example of shared, considerate use.

Totally agree. The closed street is like an example for the world when it comes to neighborhood harmony.

[jh35]

I was out on the avenue around 10am today, a weekday. There were many people strolling, bikers using the bike lanes, and elderly people sitting on the curbs. Two white work vans (plumbers or construction guys) turned a corner slowly onto the avenue and parked where they needed to, to get work done. A woman turned and pulled into a parking space. Several bikers went by. It was a perfect example of shared, considerate use.

Totally agree. The closed street is like an example for the world when it comes to neighborhood harmony.

This is all "fine and dandy" as they used to say, but what plans have been made for when the schools on that avenue are open.

[lalochezia]

Kids & parents have legs.

 For those with demonstrable mobility issues, exceptions can be made. Everyone else should suck it up and walk.