I have lived on 43rd Avenue for over 30 years. I would like to share some of the history of the current traffic patterns. Years ago (to accommodate a councilman who lived on 42nd Place) the city closed Queensbury Road at 43rd Avenue during rush hour to keep traffic off 42nd Place and force it up 43rd Avenue. This solution was widely debated and controversial at the time. 42nd Street, a block west of 42nd Place, is wide enough to handle two-way traffic. The current proposal would add even more traffic to this part of the quiet neighborhood, strip the privacy off of five houses, demolish a garage, take over property that is currently used and well-maintained, and eliminate a critical part of the middle school playing field. Instead, traffic should be correctly and sensibly encouraged to drive on Queensbury to 42nd Street as city planners originally intended. Neither Oliver Street nor 43rd Avenue are wide enough for parking plus two lanes of traffic. Traffic should be routed around these narrow roads. The alley should be closed – as was done in Riverdale. This would deter two-way traffic from driving on one-lane residential streets and encourage the use of arteries built for through-traffic. I cannot imagine that any of the people who live on the 10 affected blocks would welcome these widened streets and additional traffic where children are playing and learning to cross roads.
Other than morning rush hour (due to one way traffic in alley and on Queensbury Road, there is no real traffic problem. NS-6 would require taking property from private citizens. it would also increase traffic for those citizens. Don't do it.
If the City accepts this plan with the NS6 (continuation of Oliver Street) it will require the City or developer to take my driveway and garage and part of my neighbors yard. Immediately our property values will go down as with the mere inclusion of this in the plan we will be required to inform any potential buyers of this. Hoping the council will ask the company providing the proposal to rethink this area.