by Julie D. Andrews It was only unfortunate that Mr. Fiorilla, an Upper East resident whose request to the CB8 Transportation Committee – that the name “Pope John Paul II Way” be added to the patch of E. 72nd St. between Fifth and Madison Avenues – was not in attendance to hash out his agenda item. More than thirty other residents and representatives of businesses housed on the Upper East Side crammed into Conference Room One at the NY Blood Center, 310 E. 67th St., for the CB8 Transportation Committee Meeting at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 6th. Most attendees, however, didn’t stay long. After the committee addressed each initiative, the clump of residents and businesses who had come to support or argue it, filed out quietly. Some groups pressed their luck. “Now, we heard that the committee rarely, if ever, grants ‘No Standing Anytime’ signage requests,” said Ms. Levin, a consultant representing Extell Development Company. “But, we think we present a good case for why this sign should be installed on Lexington Avenue.” Ms. Levin, wearing a trim suit and sporting a shock of red hair and turquoise eyeliner, eloquently paved the way for two colleagues – a young man with curly shoulder-length hair, and a portly, tall man in a suit – to present drawings. Each poster illustrated why the ‘No Standing Anytime’ sign made sense and how it would ease traffic in front of the entrance to the not-yet-built apartment complex at 151 E. 85th St. on Lexington Avenue. “We estimate that there will be 141 stops in front of this building daily, each taking up to three minutes,” said Ms. Levin’s suit-wearing colleague, “which, without this signage, could clog traffic.” At least one committee member remained unconvinced that this was the only residential building with its entrance on Lexington Avenue, asking why a signage exception should be made for Extell. Others, though, found the argument plausible enough for further consideration. As a whole, the committee agreed to revisit the request at a future meeting, leaving the threesome to depart with their posters, seemingly satisfied with the outcome. Other residents were less than pleased with the response to their agenda items. “I feel like I was shut down,” said Mr. Fox, an Upper East Side resident who arrived to defend his request for new parking regulation signage on E. 66th through E. 69th Streets, between Second and Third Avenues. “Placard abuse is ruining my damn life,” said Mr. Fox, who added that he has been living on the Upper East Side and fighting for residential parking some twenty years. “A friend of mine who’s a resident and a musician has to walk eight blocks from his home to load his drums in his car,” said 60-year-old Mr. Fox. This was the first Transportation Committee Meeting Mr. Fox had attended. In previous years, he had filed a civilian complaint about “placard abuses” and written letters to local government officials. “The outcome I was looking for from the meeting was to see that any weekday parking restrictions be removed to provide parking for residents,” said Mr. Fox. The committee did not vote on the new signage, but did however agree to set up meetings with the Department of Transportation, Fox Five news, located at E. 67th St. between First and Second Avenues, and the NYPD 19th Precinct, located at 153 E. 67th St. between Third and Lexington Avenues to discuss how the parking dilemma may be resolved. On December 14, 2006, Mr. Fox had sent a letter to the committee requesting an agenda item. He learned later by looking on the CB8 Web site that his request had become an agenda item. Three hours in advance of the Tuesday meeting, Mr. Fox received a letter from the office of NYC Council Member Daniel Garodnick stating that he had sent a letter to the Department of Transportation alerting it to the issue of residential parking; and, that his letter had received a response in kind from the Department of Transportation. Ms. Lindsey Allison, community liaison, attended the Tuesday meeting on behalf of Mr. Garodnick’s office with a copy of the response letter. Months earlier, at the request of Mr. Fox, Mr. Garodnick had taken a tour of E. 66th through E. 69th Streets to survey parking permit violations. It was after that tour that Mr. Garodnick wrote to the Department of Transportation. Matthew Roth, an official from Transportation Alternatives, an advocacy group that advocates for pedestrian, bicycle, and mass transit improvements in New York attended the meeting to speak on the parking issue in support of Mr. Fox’s request. “I left the meeting confused,” said Mr. Roth. “I hope that the transportation committee will pick up the motion again to vote on the signage change requested. If you change the signs so that everyone has an equal shot at finding a parking space then at least you give the community members the same opportunity to park. There’s now an inequality between placard holders and non-placard holders.” Mr. Roth added that he sees little enforcement against fraudulent permits. But, while parking pass abuse is a major issue, said Roth, it’s also one that is unpopular with many people who may fear retribution if they speak out against it. “The obvious paradox is ‘How does one get the law enforcement agency to enforce the law on itself?’ There’s only one agency that could end this. If you look at our study you see that it’s the same entity that is supposed to enforce the parking rules that is breaking the rules.” Roth referred to a 2006 study “Above the Law: A Study of Government Parking Permit Abuse in New York City” published by Transportation Alternatives. That study, however, did not research E. 66th through E. 69th Streets. Also at the meeting, an update was provided on the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) award of a twenty-year street furniture franchise to Cemusa, Inc. for the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of bus shelters, newsstands, and automatic public toilets throughout the City. As part of the Coordinated Street Furniture Franchise, a private company manufactures, designs, installs, and maintains the street furniture at its own costs. In exchange, the City will allow the franchisee to sell advertising space on the structures within narrowly defined limits. The full replacement build-out is scheduled to take five years. Over the duration of the contract, Cemusa, Inc. expects to replace all NYC bus shelters and newsstands, and install 20 public toilets. Learn more/see the new structures here. One committee member requested that one of the first Upper East Side bus stops replaced be the one at E. 79th St. and East End Avenue (known to be frequented by a large number of elderly citizens) where there is currently no protection from the elements. One tip: Know your terminology before attending a Transportation Committee meeting. A Mr. Cherlin, managing director of the Carnegie East House, seemed surprised – and grateful – to be informed by a committee member that “No Standing” signage is stronger than the “No Parking” he was requesting. The committee voted in favor of a “No Standing” in front of Carnegie East House because the elderly residents living their under hospice care are frequently in need of ambulance transport to the hospital. The Transportation Committee is charged with reviewing initiatives from the City and requests from the community on transportation issues (parking regulations, sign changes, bus and subway issues) and the need for traffic easing devices. The CB8 then makes recommendations to the appropriate agency based on Committee resolutions. The Transportation Committee meets on the second Monday of each month. |
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