Astoria residents pitch plan to open up Grand Central Parkway to large trucks

[Shortline Bus]

Astoria residents pitch plan to open up Grand Central Parkway to large trucks

BY Lisa L. Colangelo

NY DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

 

Friday, October 1st 2010

 

 

Astoria residents, tired of the heavy trucks that rumble through their streets in search of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, have made a seemingly simple request to state transportation officials.

 

They want the Grand Central Parkway opened up to trucks for the seven-tenths of a mile between the end of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge and the start of the expressway.

 

But the hurdles are high.

 

It would take an act of law, state approvals and construction to get the plan rolling because commercial traffic is banned from parkways.

 

"I cannot fathom why anybody would have a problem with the solution," said Assemblyman Michael Gianaris, whose office has been flooded with complaints from residents and storeowners in the neighborhood over the years.

 

"It would make the community happy and ease the flow of traffic," he said.

 

Large trucks, which are banned from the Grand Central Parkway, must exit at the end of the bridge and make a sharp turn onto 29th St. They turn again on Astoria Blvd. and hog the streets while making their way to the BQE entrance.

 

On that bypass, the trucks pass a new senior citizen residence and pedestrians rushing to buses and subways in the area.

 

Gianaris sponsored legislation in 2003 that allows smaller trucks to stay on the parkway for that short stretch.

 

"We saw some improvements after that," he said.

 

City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., who supports the proposal, said city transportation officials have embraced the idea even though it would involve some unusual construction work on the highway.

 

The roadbed of the Grand Central Parkway would have to be lowered about six inches to allow trucks clearance under the 31st St. overpass.

 

"The trucks can fit there now, but they don't have the required safety clearance," Vallone said.

 

Although the work sounds complicated, Vallone said he was told it could be completed in one weekend.

 

Gianaris said he believes the state Legislature would pass the law to open up the parkway if the state Department of Transportation gave its blessing.

 

State DOT officials said yesterday they were reviewing the proposal."

 

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2010/10/01/2010-10-01_grand_pkwy_plan_open_road_up_to_large_trucks.html#ixzz11OdRfiUL

[Shortline Bus]

Personally if this plan goes through it a very good idea. Astoria Blvd., 7 days a week especially rush hours can be a parking lot coming off the RFK-Triboro Bridge and going between 31stStreet and the BQE interchange.

 

Thus it will benefit the subway riders as well going to/from Astoria Blvd and lower chances of auto/truck accidents and riders.

[Forest Glen]

I wish they did this to the Belt Parkway. If the Belt/Southern State allowed commercial traffic then it would take a load off the LIE.

[Messino]

wont ever happen. Parkways are for passenger vehicles, Expressways are for commercial traffic.

[metsfan]

No, it will wreck the roadway and clog up traffic.

 

- A

[Infamous85]

I wish they did this to the Belt Parkway. If the Belt/Southern State allowed commercial traffic then it would take a load off the LIE.

 

The Belt/Southern State could barely handle cars, especially during Rush Hours. And the overpasses were designed to not allow trucks iirc. They should've made this an interstate kind of highway while they had the chance imo.

 

Idk about the Grand Central in this case, sounds like it'd make things better and it's easy to do, I say go for it.

[metsfan]

Long island is a mess because of robert moses-like thinking & planning. There used to be a huge amount of local freight on LIRR combined with car floats that would have totally done away with the need for trucks to be there for the most part.

 

- A

[lilbluefoxie]

The Belt/Southern State could barely handle cars, especially during Rush Hours. And the overpasses were designed to not allow trucks iirc. They should've made this an interstate kind of highway while they had the chance imo.

 

Idk about the Grand Central in this case, sounds like it'd make things better and it's easy to do, I say go for it.

 

there were plans for highways thru brooklyn, sort of an LIE for the south shore but it was never built except for a part of it thru suffolk county

[Dan05979]

Personally if this plan goes through it a very good idea. Astoria Blvd., 7 days a week especially rush hours can be a parking lot coming off the RFK-Triboro Bridge and going between 31stStreet and the BQE interchange.

 

Thus it will benefit the subway riders as well going to/from Astoria Blvd and lower chances of auto/truck accidents and riders.

 

Ahh...They already alow truck traffic on the Grand central from the tri boro to the BQE and same from the BQE to the tri-boro. The only ones not allowed are trucks over axles and over 12'6 from the Bronx & 12'6 3 axles going towards the bridge. The article says trucks must make a sharp turn on 29st and turn again on Astoria blvd. Thats not true, as soon as you exit off the bridge you go straight to Astoria blvd. This article is garbage.

[lilbluefoxie]

Well thats what hapens when you say no to RM, you get screwed over later

[Tokkemon]

I've always been an advocate for allowing trucks on the GCP in Astoria (I lived in that area for close to 7 years). However, I think a much bigger and longer-term ideal should be to redo the entire approach to the Triboro bridge. In my ideal fantasy world, the Triboro would be a 2-deck bridge similar to the Queensboro where lower-level traffic would filter directly onto the GCP while the upper level would filter to the GCP and local traffic. All local traffic going on and off the bridge would happen at a variety of outlets, one of Astoria Blvd, one on 31 St, one on Hoyt Ave. It might cause some eminent domain issues, but it would be best in the long run.

 

Too bad we don't have millions of $ to make that happen.

[St Louis Car 09]

I always wondered growing up why they don`t allow trucks on the GCP? Any answer to this.

[Forest Glen]

It's a parkway. Parkways are deliberately designed to exclude trucks and buses. Rumor has it that Moses didn't want buses carrying undesirables (you can guess the skin color) to his suburban LI communities. However, there are stretches of the Grand Central where buses can squeeze by.

[Locomotion69]

You can't even drive a van with commercial plates on the GCP or on any other parkway for that matter. That law needs to be changed. A cargo van can easily go under an overpass and I don't want to hear about weight being an issue. You can put commercial license plates on a mini cooper, yet they would get pulled over on a parkway and given a summons.

[Messino]

You can't even drive a van with commercial plates on the GCP or on any other parkway for that matter. That law needs to be changed. A cargo van can easily go under an overpass and I don't want to hear about weight being an issue. You can put commercial license plates on a mini cooper, yet they would get pulled over on a parkway and given a summons.

 

Its not about overpasses or weight, its about commercial and passenger traffic and their designated areas. Not everyone wants to drive on the road with commercial vehicles thats the whole point of parkways.

[Kamen Rider]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Dan05979]

Having the trucks on the parkway runs the risk of them trying to stay on the parkway. the BQE off ramp is easy to miss, and the next thing you know, they're getting wrecked on an overpass by the airport.

 

If you miss the exit for the bqe, you must get off the next exit wich is astoria blvd. On the GCP from the tri-boro to the whitestone/vanwyck expressway, there is enough clearance for a 13'6 trailer. After that its between you and god.

 

Explain this one,

 

GCP, Belt, Interboro, Cross Island No trucks but Utopia Parkway, Douglaston parkway allows truck traffic. But its not a real parkway same as Little Neck and Marathon, but no trucks. Its very confusing for the out of state driver.

[B35 via Church]

The article says trucks must make a sharp turn on 29st and turn again on Astoria blvd. Thats not true, as soon as you exit off the bridge you go straight to Astoria blvd.

 

yup... you caught that too...

 

I know that exit well also.... when you come off the bridge, there's a hoyt av (part of the) exit, and there's an astoria blvd (part of the) exit (that's the whole 29th st thing they're talking about)...

 

The article is reaching hard, when they say trucks have to turn down 29th to get to astoria blvd (note how they embellish it by saying "sharp turn")... that is not true... trucks already stay on either two of the left-most lanes of the hoyt av exit, and keep on veering left to the GCP, and then cross over to the BQE...

 

hell, on a few occasions, you see M60's jostling/jockeying for position, getting off that part of the exit... only difference is, the buses veer to the right, so they can take in &/or discharge passengers at the triangle...

 

 

<next friday>You aint got's to lie, CRAIG</next friday>

[BZGuy]

Its not about overpasses or weight, its about commercial and passenger traffic and their designated areas. Not everyone wants to drive on the road with commercial vehicles thats the whole point of parkways.

 

With traffic increasing on a daily basis that kind of thinking may have to go away. Why have everybody packed on one highway when you have others that are wide open.

 

There is alot of stuff that could be done to relieve traffic...opening the left lane for commerical traffic for instance. Trying to force all commercial traffic in and out of the boroughs via the NE Thruway,Maj Deegan and Van Wyck doesn't work...go look at 95 on an given day.

[Messino]

With traffic increasing on a daily basis that kind of thinking may have to go away. Why have everybody packed on one highway when you have others that are wide open.

 

There is alot of stuff that could be done to relieve traffic...opening the left lane for commerical traffic for instance. Trying to force all commercial traffic in and out of the boroughs via the NE Thruway,Maj Deegan and Van Wyck doesn't work...go look at 95 on an given day.

 

Designating the left lane for commercial traffic is pointless as they will cruise in any lane they like.. I see moronic truck drivers and etc driving in the left lane all of the time even though there are signs and codes that prohibit buses and trucks in the left lane.

[Infamous85]

Its not about overpasses or weight, its about commercial and passenger traffic and their designated areas. Not everyone wants to drive on the road with commercial vehicles thats the whole point of parkways.

 

That makes sense for trucks & buses but I don't see how a delivery van bothers anyone.

[Dan05979]

Designating the left lane for commercial traffic is pointless as they will cruise in any lane they like.. I see moronic truck drivers and etc driving in the left lane all of the time even though there are signs and codes that prohibit buses and trucks in the left lane.

 

If someone on the middle or right is going slow or about to cause an accident we jump on the left lane, I don't appreciate the moronic comment. Get behind the wheel of one truck or bus and you'll see whats up. The moronic ones are the 4 wheelers or "cars" who have no respect for the trucks and buses. If I have to pass someone on the left, be damn sure I'll be hammering down the left lane.

 

Now if there's trucks or buses riding the left lane for a long period then yea there just being disrespectful

[Messino]

If someone on the middle or right is going slow or about to cause an accident we jump on the left lane, I don't appreciate the moronic comment. Get behind the wheel of one truck or bus and you'll see whats up. The moronic ones are the 4 wheelers or "cars" who have no respect for the trucks and buses. If I have to pass someone on the left, be damn sure I'll be hammering down the left lane.

 

Now if there's trucks or buses riding the left lane for a long period then yea there just being disrespectful

 

oh so youre a truck driver huh? A few of my friends do it full time. I tried but not my thing..well what I wrote was you see truck drivers and whatever driving in the left lane. Theres a big difference in driving and passing. I see it all the time, they just cruise down the road staying in the left lane most of the time even thought the really big signs say NO TRUCKS OR BUSES IN LEFT LANE! I know trucks and buses have to pass morons in cars too but it really pisses me off when Im going faster than some slow truck or bu in the fast lane. Its like the idiots in cars who go under the speed limit in the left lane. If they want to drive slow like wussies drive in the right!

[Roadcruiser1]

This reminds me what would happen if the city had a future second Robert Moses. He doesn't have to be named after him he could act and build just like him. I am just curious would he well liked. Or would everyone just get mad and gang up on him like Robert Moses. Or do we need someone that has Robert Moses idea of never giving up, and building big. Though instead of caring about just cars he cares more about the people, not being racist and focuses on other types of transportation besides automobiles and highway building like rail traffic/subway and around areas that have no subway transportation or highway transportation. Maybe that would work better. Also not being biased it doesn't have to be a boy it could be a girl.

[lilbluefoxie]

They should open the Grand Central to trucks up untill the Whitestone Expressway Exit, that would eliminate Astoria Blvd out of the equation entirely, since we arent going to get an Astoria Expressway anytime soon