In a Victory for Queens Residents, DOT to Perform Traffic Impact Study of Belmont Redevelopment
Study expanded after Comptroller Stringer and Council Member Grodenchik issue letter to the City calling for independent review
(New York, NY) – The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) recently agreed to expand a current traffic study to see how the state’s Belmont Park redevelopment would affect eastern Queens’ residents and address community concerns. Comptroller Scott Stringer and Council Member Barry Grodenchik sent a letter to the City last month calling on the DOT to study the impacts of potential traffic increases on nearby neighborhoods. While the State is currently managing the redevelopment process, Comptroller Stringer and Council Member Grodenchik asked the City to conduct its own evaluation.
The $1.18 billion proposed redevelopment plan would include a 19,000-seat hockey arena for the New York Islanders, a 250-room hotel, 30,000 square feet of office space, 7,000 new parking spaces, and a 435,000 square foot retail complex at Belmont Park, next to the racetrack. At the moment, average daily attendance is approximately 3,000 visitors during most of the year, but can reach between 60,000 and 100,000 visitors in peak periods. The new development will increase this usage dramatically, significantly increasing congestion in the area.
“Queens residents deserved to have their voices heard on this critical redevelopment project,” said Comptroller Stringer. “The City’s swift and receptive response shows what happens when communities come together to protect the quality of life for Eastern Queens’ families and the environment. Thank you Commissioner Polly Trottenberg for your partnership.”
“I thank Commissioner Polly Trottenberg and the city transportation department for its quick response to the request for a traffic study in the neighborhoods of Queens that are adjacent to Belmont Park,” said Council Member Barry S. Grodenchik. “Anything that can be done to mitigate the impacts of traffic on the communities of Eastern Queens will help preserve quality of life for local residents.”
To view Comptroller Stringer and Council Member Grodenchik’s letter to DOT, click here.
Read the response here.
###