CB 6 Holds Off Vote on DOT Parking Space Proposal for a Month

Community Board 6 will vote next month on a proposal to remove 14 parking spaces along Metropolitan Avenue and 71st Avenue, although community members prefer adding a turning signal at the intersection.

On Thursday night, the board heard a proposal from the city’s Department of Transportation to remove the parking spaces from the commercial strip in an effort to cut down on accidents at the site.

Two years ago, a pedestrian was killed after being struck by a car making a left turn from Metropolitan Avenue onto 71st Avenue.

CB 6 tabled a vote on the proposal until its Oct. 9 meeting, giving its transportation committee a month to review the plan.

Frank Gulluscio, the board’s district manager, said a number of people in the community prefer adding a turn signal at the intersection, rather than eliminating parking spaces.

“The general consensus that people are leaning towards is a turning signal versus a turning lane, which is what the DOT wants,” he said. “The board, for the safety of the population, wants to put in a turn signal. Also, there’s a concern about parking spots being lost.”

Gulluscio said the DOT told the board that the spots were not being used 86 percent of the time.

He said the board would include its recommendation during the vote next month.