Flushing leaders bash Main Street busway plan

From left to right, New Century Mall vice president William Shao, 40th Road property owner Betsy Mak, Community Board 7 chair Eugene Kelty and district manager Marilyn McAndrews New York state Committeemember Sandra Ung, Flushing BID co-chair/business owner Timothy Chuang, State Sen. Toby Stavisky’s rep Minwen Yang, Flushing resident Fulton Hou, Union Street Business Association president Ricky Rimand Flushing BID Executive Director Dian Yu. Photo courtesy of Flushing BID

By David Brand

Flushing business and community leaders gathered Friday to denounce the city’s plan to turn a section of Main Street into a carless busway without consulting local businesses.

Under the Main Street busway plan, announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio in June, the Department of Transportation would ban cars from a 0.3-mile strip from Northern Boulevard to Sanford Avenue and Kissena Boulevard. The Downtown Flushing Transit Hub BID, commonly known as the Flushing BID, conducted a survey of Main Street businesses and said that more than 200 vendors and companies disapproved of the project.

“From the unanimous feedback we have received thus far, the current consensus in the community is that this is not the right time for a project like this,” Flushing BID said in a statement. “Many businesses fear that the busway will make travel to Flushing more inconvenient for customers and drive down clientele.”

Local elected officials and aspiring lawmakers also said the plan posed a problem for small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Before we implement any changes of this magnitude, we must ask the small businesses how these changes affect them. I look forward to seeing the results of the survey and work together and come up with a proposal that can work for all the community that uses Main Street,” said Sandra Ung, a candidate for City Council in Flushing’s District 20.

The Main Street busway, and a similar project planned for Jamaica Avenue, are modeled off the bus-only route along 14th Street in Manhattan, where cars are banned during much of the day to facilitate east-to-west travel across the island.

“By replicating the 14th Street success story in other congested corridors, we can reduce traffic, increase mass transit service, and build a fairer and better New York,” de Blasio said in June.

Public transportation advocates have praised the decision to eliminate cars and facilitate buses along the busy thoroughfares. 

Transportation Alternatives Queens organizer Juan Restrepo said busways provide “fast, predictable bus service and more space for pedestrians to socially distance.” 

But as in Flushing, local leaders in Jamaica said the project needs more community input. 

“We must ensure that busways and redesigns truly serve the public,” Southeast Queens Councilmember Adrienne Adams told the Eagle last month.