Chairman Crowley, Assembly Member Simotas, Council Member Constantinides Call for Traffic Agents to Help Ease Congestion in LaGuardia Airport’s Surrounding Community

Chairman Crowley, Assembly Member Simotas, Council Member Constantinides Call for Traffic Agents to Help Ease Congestion in LaGuardia Airport’s Surrounding Community

(Queens, NY) – Today, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-NY), NYS Assembly Member Aravella Simotas, and NYC Council Member Costa Constantinides announced they sent a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio requesting traffic enforcement agents at intersections along 82nd Street between Marine Terminal Road and Astoria Boulevard to ease congestion near LaGuardia Airport.

“This particularly complicated stretch of 82nd Street presents a series of challenges to the local community, due to the confluence of 23rd Avenue, Ditmars Boulevard, the Grand Central Parkway, and traffic in and out of the airport,” wrote the lawmakers.

With the ongoing redevelopment of LaGuardia, the officials stressed the need for action to address the flow of traffic.

“[We] would like to request that traffic officers be positioned at these intersections during peak traffic hours, to ensure the smooth and orderly flow of cars and minimize congestion,” the lawmakers continued.

The full text of the letter is below:

Honorable Bill de Blasio

Mayor, New York City

City Hall

New York, NY 10007

Re: Traffic issues on 82nd Street, Between Marine Terminal Road and Astoria Boulevard

Dear Mayor de Blasio:

We would like to bring to your attention community concerns regarding the flow of traffic along 82nd street between the Marine Terminal entrance to LaGuardia Airport, and Astoria Boulevard. This particularly complicated stretch of 82nd Street presents a series of challenges to the local community, due to the confluence of 23rd Avenue, Ditmars Boulevard, The Grand Central Parkway, and traffic in and out of the airport. Between the airport and the swath of commercial and industrial properties that border it, it is easy to forget that there is also a significant residential component to the neighborhood.

Even under ideal circumstances, this stretch of 82nd street can be a nightmare to traverse, but the recent renovations at LaGuardia have significantly worsened the congestion issues at the intersections of 82nd and the Grand Central Parkway ramps, 23rd avenue, and at the traffic light closest to Marine Terminal. With the holiday season upon us, these issues will likely only be exacerbated by the spike in travel. As such, we would like to request that traffic officers be positioned at these intersections during peak traffic hours, to ensure the smooth and orderly flow of cars and minimize congestion. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Joseph Crowley

Member of Congress, 14th District

Aravella Simotas

New York State Assembly Member, 36th District

Costa Constantinides

New York City Council Member, 22nd District

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