Parkchester business owners upset with bus bulbs

A group of Parkchester business owners says new Department of Transportation measures to increase pedestrian safety have curbed foot traffic and the ability for drivers to park in the area. They say

News 12 Staff

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Feb 24, 2016, 8:04 AM

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Updated 3,232 days ago

A group of Parkchester business owners says new Department of Transportation measures to increase pedestrian safety have curbed foot traffic and the ability for drivers to park in the area.

They say a so-called bus bulb at Zerega and Westchester avenues is part of the problem.

The city installed sidewalk extensions throughout the Bronx in an effort to make pedestrian travel safer, but business owners say they're just a hassle.

The bulbs are extended sidewalks that ostensibly make it safer for pedestrians to reach bus stops under elevated trains. By nature, they eliminate curbside parking spaces.

Shopkeepers are required to clear the extra sidewalk space of snow and say they've lost dozens of parking spaces and the customers those spots accommodated.

They say the loss in business has been dramatic.

The DOT says it weighed the value of its safety improvements against the loss of "several parking spaces" before going ahead with the bulbs.