Panic among small businesses as DOT plans Morris Park Avenue traffic pattern changes

Community members say they are outraged over the city's Department of Transportation's plan to change Morris Park Avenue's traffic pattern.

News 12 Staff

Apr 18, 2019, 11:41 AM

Updated 2,056 days ago

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Community members say they are outraged over the city's Department of Transportation's plan to change Morris Park Avenue's traffic pattern.
Work is expected to start within the next two weeks, and neighbors tell News 12 they are not thrilled about the city's plan to add bike lanes.

They say the lanes will take away parking in a neighborhood where people already double park cars to get to local businesses.
Neighborhood leaders also say it will only get worse.

"Small business are beside themselves. I spoke to one man this morning who said, ‘I’m going to lose 15 to 20 percent of my business right off the top as soon as they start this.’ He said, ‘I’m going to have to lay off people,’" says Chairman of Community Board 11 Albert D'Angelo.
The DOT’s plan would add just under 1.5 miles of bike lanes on Morris Park Avenue going through Morris Park and Van Nest.
It would also add turning lanes and high visibility crosswalks while removing what the DOT says is “a low volume travel lane.”
Community Board 11 says it's a bad idea.
"90 percent of people in this community are against it, and the city just doesn’t seem to care,” says D’Angelo.
Members of Community Board 11 say the DOT should look for other ways to slow traffic. They say the DOT should consider staggering stop lights.
In a prior report, a DOT spokesperson told News 12 Morris Park Avenue is a Vision Zero priority corridor with at least seven people killed or severely injured per mile.
News 12 reached out to the city’s DOT for a statement, but has not yet heard back.