Since 2008, the city Department of Transportation (DOT) has been studying ways to reduce congestion on Woodhaven Boulevard. One idea that immediately concerned residents was to prevent southbound vehicles on Woodhaven Boulevard to turn left onto Union Turnpike.
Residents said that plan would have increased traffic on Metropolitan Avenue, which is already the site of frequent bottlenecks due to the shopping center that houses Trader Joe’s, Staples and other retail stores.
“Union Turnpike is far better served for heavy traffic,” Community Board 6 Transportation Committee Chair Fred Arcaro said when the changes were first announced.
After listening to the community, the DOT has identified several problems with the plan, including difficulty in rerouting buses along the area, and will likely not continue with that proposal. The department intends to meet with the community later this fall to discuss further changes to the plan.
CB6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio said the board has not received any official confirmation about the move, but said it would be great if the city listened to their recommendations.
“We were concerned about a number of items, and we’re waiting to hear back [from DOT],” he said. “It’s great that the community board was able to have an input, and I’m glad that they listened.”
By Eric Yun
