Flushing, NY – CM Peter Koo today joined with planners from the NYC DOT Office of Freight Mobility to conduct door-to-door surveys of local businesses’ truck deliveries in an effort to improve traffic congestion in downtown Flushing. Surveys were conducted and translated by DOT and CM Koo’s office in an effort to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood through safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible movement of goods.
Planners today split into three teams to speak directly to business owners about the schedules and challenges of deliveries, parking, and loading and unloading.
CM Koo stated, “Hundreds of deliveries every day make truck traffic in downtown Flushing is a significant contributor to traffic congestion. By surveying each business in the area, we will better understand their delivery needs, and most importantly, the City of New York will be able to strategize and better manage traffic congestion throughout this important transit hub.
Coordinating truck deliveries around rush hours and other peak travel times, particularly with respect to bus traffic, is an important element to reducing overall congestion in Flushing. I’d like to thank the DOT for continuing to work with my office in this effort.”
“It is crucial to get input directly from businesses and residents in Flushing and across the borough about truck movement in Queens,” said DOT Queens Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia. “These series of surveys are key to helping shape a borough-centric plan that keeps goods and services flowing into our city and region while addressing quality-of-life issues for New Yorkers.”
The DOT’s “Smart Truck Management Plan” aims to improve the city’s understanding of truck route usage and compliance, movement of goods, needs of shoppers and receivers and community concerns.
More than 200 supermarkets and restaurants populate downtown Flushing with some locations like the popular New World Mall food court receiving up to 100 truck deliveries each day. Today’s outreach is the second phase of the Smart Truck Management efforts in Flushing following a workshop with local businesses in May.
Source: CM Peter Koo’s Office
Aric Chen
Editor