Major Congestion Issue on 9th Avenue at Chelsea Market

Dear Village View,

Not breaking news but a story nonetheless.

The City is trying its best to balance all levels of traffic from pedestrians to cyclists to vehicular traffic all the way down to anything that moves in its five boroughs.

There is, though, an undercurrent that is at play in the City, where the narrowing of many city streets and the closing of streets has caused undue stress on the system and also to mass transit, especially busses, to the detriment of disregarding the voices of its local residents.

What is more flagrant is the complicit inner workings of many Business Improvement Districts (BID), particularly the Meatpacking District (MEPA), with the blessings of the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the lack of enforcement from the New York Police Department (NYPD).

A perfect example is what the MEPA BID is doing in phases, without regard for the consequences of what it causes to surrounding neighborhoods.

For instance, the Chelsea Triangle, a street in our neighborhood, is a great example. The southbound western lane that stretches from 15th Street to 14th Street, from Starbucks Roasters to the Apple Store, has been permanently closed off for over a year now. According to the Community Affairs Officer of the 10th precinct, the NYPD is provided barricades wrapped with MEPA BID covers.

According to DOT, the street is part of the Open Streets Program but in fact they HAVE NO PERMIT. Even if there was a permit, the program only authorizes them to be closed from Wednesday to Sunday from 2 pm – 10 pm. Even that, however, is completely disregarded by the BID, the DOT and the NYPD.

What this does mean, though, is incredible traffic that commences at the Chelsea Market and stretches all the way to 20th and 9th Avenue, especially on high tourist days and weekends and busy city evenings. The 9th Avenue bus often rests at a standstill going down the street.

If you ask any of the residents at the Fulton Houses and if you ask anyone on the avenues of surrounding neighborhoods, the closure of this street is a major congestion problem caused by the BID, condoned by the DOT and ignored by NYPD without any permitting.

This goes further though — the MEPA BID, run by Jeffrey LeFrancois, continues to present plans that constrict many of the streets of the MEPA and would cause undue stress to many of the streets and neighborhoods surrounding MEPA. Not only does he run the BID, he was the Chair of CB4 and is a current member of CB4. A bit of a conflict of interest as he and a handful of members of CB2 and CB4 are also members of the BID. LeFrancois and some members are keen to shut down 9th Avenue and even 10th Avenue to reduce tunnel traffic at the 34th Street tunnels. This is a snapshot of contradiction with the creation of congestion pricing.

I’ve attempted to get answers to these issues on my own. Unfortunately I needed to come to you and the team as I keep getting the run around from the parties involved. In fact, most attempts to obtain answers have been met with refusals or delay tactics:

– No answer from DOT since January 18

– Told by DOT’s Kate Schere that the street in question was part of the Open Street Program and its schedule was Wednesday-Sundays 2 pm-10 pm

– No permits for the street nor listed on NYC DOT Open Streets Data Permits

– No one from DOT or NYPD can answer how to enforce compliance.

I am only speaking as a native New Yorker because I thought our voices were of weight and significance, but if one is not part of the agenda we are silenced. I can attest to this with firsthand experience when attending CB2.

Again not breaking news, but a story of a community and a resident.

Jonathan Weizmann